Pittsburgh's most unappreciated neighborhoods... (Washington, Duquesne: houses, schools, places to live)

[eschaton]

Since people have been complaining about how this forum has gone off track lately, I thought it would be cool to have a "back to basics" thread. So show some love to neighborhoods which don't normally get much discussion.

My own nominations.

Morningside: Easily the most forgotten neighborhood in the East End. I can't say I'm a big fan of its "bungalow belt" architecture, but the streets are well laid out, the neighborhood is functional, and it has a small business district with potential. You can still find houses relatively cheap by East End standards here as well.

Oakwood: A mini Highland Park in the West End that essentially no one knows about. Minus lacking rowhouses, you can find examples of virtually all of Pittsburgh's housing styles within one square mile.

Sugar Top: A historic, safe, and largely intact neighborhood completely ignored by most of the city due to being full of black people. Most people presume it's a bombed-out mess like the rest of the Hill District unless they accidentally end up there.

[robrobrob]

I think Morningside gets a lot of love but not from people who frequent this forum. Reason being that everyone one here wants a walkable neighborhood and "decent" city schools. Morningside business district is lousy and the school situation is worse than (South) Squirrel Hill or Greenfield, two neighborhoods which sort of overlap Morningside price wise. Friends lived their for a decade and like it but weren't happy with the schools situation.

Duquesne Heights/Mt. Washington also doesn't get much love.

Where is Oakwood?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

I think Morningside gets a lot of love but not from people who frequent this forum. Reason being that everyone one here wants a walkable neighborhood and "decent" city schools. Morningside business district is lousy and the school situation is worse than (South) Squirrel Hill or Greenfield, two neighborhoods which sort of overlap Morningside price wise. Friends lived their for a decade and like it but weren't happy with the schools situation.

Morningside actually has the highest proportion of white children of any neighborhood in the Upper East End. Admittedly this might be in part because it's such an unpopular neighborhood for students or early 20s professionals to live in. But clearly minus the local schools issues a lot of locals still think it's quite family friendly.

Originally Posted by robrobrob

Duquesne Heights/Mt. Washington also doesn't get much love.

True enough, at least on this forum. In general I think those places tend to be overhyped more though, insofar as they don't live up to the reputation of Grandview. Mediocre business districts, houses generally in not very good condition, etc.

Originally Posted by robrobrob

Where is Oakwood?

[jea6321]

Originally Posted by eschaton

True enough, at least on this forum. In general I think those places tend to be overhyped more though, insofar as they don't live up to the reputation of Grandview. Mediocre business districts, houses generally in not very good condition, etc.

the problem here is that "mt washington" is mostly looked at as a tourist area and restaurant row, which is not a young professional area or vibe. The shiloh/virginia district portion is doing quite well though with lots of younger clientele and a pretty good nightlife scene. It has all the basics one would need within walking distance and is a quick commute to all areas of the city. It will never be the east end, but for what it is, I feel its somewhat underrated.

morningside is not really a core east end neighborhood. its an ok family area, but its not a central, highly walkable area like most people who want "east end" are looking for. Nothing really wrong with it, but nothing really exciting or great either.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Oakwood goes largely unknown because of the limited points of entry. It exists almost entirely on a hillside surrounded on three sides by the valley containing Bell's Run. There are a few streets leading into Oakwood from Noblestown along with Oakwood Ave from Crafton. Most people would assume its part of Crafton.

I'd also put a mention in for Ridgemont. It tends to have a new housing stock (40s and 50s) with larger yards and some great city views.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by jea6321

the problem here is that "mt washington" is mostly looked at as a tourist area and restaurant row, which is not a young professional area or vibe. The shiloh/virginia district portion is doing quite well though with lots of younger clientele and a pretty good nightlife scene. It has all the basics one would need within walking distance and is a quick commute to all areas of the city. It will never be the east end, but for what it is, I feel its somewhat underrated.

I know that land speculators have been holding onto large areas near Grandview (and holding back development) but it must be remembered that as the crow flies, Mount Washington is closer to Downtown than any surviving residential neighborhood. The Monongahela incline goes directly to the T as well, making it easy to get downtown. There's really no reason why it shouldn't be one of the most desirable areas in the city.

Originally Posted by jea6321

morningside is not really a core east end neighborhood. its an ok family area, but its not a central, highly walkable area like most people who want "east end" are looking for. Nothing really wrong with it, but nothing really exciting or great either.

I'd dispute the core East End thing, given it directly abuts Highland Park and East Liberty. Due to topography it does have few links with other neighborhoods except at its south end however. Technically you can get into the neighborhood from Greenwood Avenue and Baker Street, but both are pretty steep/isolated streets, and unlikely to be chanced upon by most people.

Regardless, I'm not sure it's unappreciated in general, just probably the single most forgotten majority white neighborhood in the East End. Even Stanton Heights is better known, as it's postwar architecture stands out for the East End.

[The King of Um]

Unappreciated are many North Side neighborhoods, specifically Troy Hill, Spring Hill, Deutschtown (both East and West), and Brighton Heights. Troy Hill and Spring Hill are very livable: they're affordable and fairly safe to safe, and offer decent to nice housing stock. Also, both have nice views. Deutschtown, both sides, are pretty decent places to live, if currently rundown on the east side, and will continue to see improvement due to a fantastic location, walkability, and historic housing stock. Brighton Heights offers some truly grand homes, due to being one of the places where the elite from Manchester and Allegheny West relocated to around the turn of the century, and thus is a pretty cool neighborhood. Its location is good, it's affordable, it's not dangerous, and it gives more of a suburban impression, for those who like that. All of those neighborhoods seem unappreciated to me; people seem to focus too much on the East End, on places like Shadyside, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Oakland, etc.

[grep]

I second Ridgemont. If you don't mind driving everywhere, it's a nice, quiet neighborhood just minutes from downtown that's quite affordable too.

[charisb]

Within the East End I don't feel like Greenfield gets much love. The housing stock is old but usually well-maintained (if in need of updates). The hills can be a pain but they provide great views and free exercise! Plus Hough's is a friendly place to hang out.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by grep

I second Ridgemont. If you don't mind driving everywhere, it's a nice, quiet neighborhood just minutes from downtown that's quite affordable too.

Right. And it could become even more desirable depending on what happens to Parkway Center Mall (I'm hoping for a Target and a Market District). Even if Parkway Center becomes busy again, the neighborhood is safe since the only access is via Greentree Rd.