"hip" places to live in Pittsburgh (Washington, Liberty: hotels, neighborhood)

[AaronPGH]

In my eleven years of living in Pittsburgh, I don't think I've seen any neighborhoods with people missing hips.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Polish Hill yet. While I often gripe about how much commerce our neighborhood lacks, we are a five-minute drive, ten-minute bike ride, or 20-minute walk from a multitude of coffeeshops, bookstores, cafes, bars, restaurants, boutiques, performing arts venues, etc. in the Strip District, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, Downtown, Oakland, and Shadyside. The neighborhood has been skewing younger, more affluent, more literate, and more cosmopolitan with each passing year I've lived here. The downside? There's a severe housing crisis here right now with very few rentals available. Just about every place that's currently on the market is in one building at the top of Brereton Street where you can expect to pay top dollar for a shoddily-renovated studio---and more for parking.

In terms of hip stuff, Polish Hill has what? Gooskis and a pretty good coffeeshop. It's fine, but if the OP wants a big walkable business area with lots to do, it's not going to be what they're looking for.

[AaronPGH]

Seriously though. Add another vote for Friendship. It's so overlooked. You get the best of everything with Bloomfield, East Liberty, Shadyside and Garfield all within a 10 minute walk. I also dig the diversity of it. Young families, students, people of all ethnicities. And all the greenery is amazing in the summer.

[szug-bot]

the OP didnt give us much to consider. its hard to determine if they just love to party, are just sociable and enjoy people, are eager to take a bite out of life if perhaps repressed in their current situation...?

i would never suggest the south side, for example. does the OP realize that aside from the access to night life (and it is fun there if you are in your 20s, no doubt), parking is a pain. drunks are a pain....?

so for "hip", i vote for shadyside. even at my advanced age (30 is becoming a distant memory! ), i think walnut street/ellsworth are the funnest places with the coolest crowd, of any age.


i could argue 'hipness' attributed by some to certain neighborhoods, but then, i will be attacked with "what do you know" attitude since i am not in the 'hip' demo, it will invite personal jabs, and it will derail the topic. and we never tolerate that on c-data.com.

[airwave09]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

i would never suggest the south side, for example. does the OP realize that aside from the access to night life (and it is fun there if you are in your 20s, no doubt), parking is a pain. drunks are a pain....?

Actually, the farther you live from the notoriously crazy 10th to 18th stretch of Carson St, the less of a chance that will become a problem. Even two blocks away in any direction can make a huge difference, the crowds tend to dissipate pretty quickly.

On the weekends, the Southside really behaves as two different neighborhoods that are glued together at 18th street.

[Sophie's Voice]

As others have mentioned, I think you may want to check out Lawrenceville and Bloomfield. It seems East Liberty is adding new apartments in reclaimed buidings by the day and retail is growing as well. You may find all you need there within your price range.

South Side has more positives than some of the posters above have represented: Close to downtown, easy access to the bike trails and river, a beautifully restored branch of Carnegie Library, decent public transit and a fair amount of apartments within your price range. Also, your choice of coffee shops ranges from national chains like Starbucks and Peet's to unique locals like the Beehive, Delaneys, and Big Dog.

[pghdude28]

Originally Posted by Sophie's Voice

South Side has more positives than some of the posters above have represented: Close to downtown, easy access to the bike trails and river, a beautifully restored branch of Carnegie Library, decent public transit and a fair amount of apartments within your price range. Also, your choice of coffee shops ranges from national chains like Starbucks and Peet's to unique locals like the Beehive, Delaneys, and Big Dog.

I agree with this. Southside is a fairly large neighborhood and you can have access to all of the positives and avoid the negatives at the same time depending where you live. The area between Birmingham Bridge and Hot Metal Bridge is a nice area to live. I would avoid living on busy East Carson St. though. There's a range of properties in the Flats and Slopes between those two bridges that are great for young professionals. Some really nice places, although pricey, are next to Southside Works. Just to clarify, the rowdiness and drunks are more between 20th St down to 10th. 20th St on up (Birmingham-Hot Metal Bridge) is quieter, nicer, safer.

As far as the other neighborhoods go, I would avoid Oakland unless you like being next to all college students. Shadyside is decent and more "upscale." After a year of living there, it's not that exciting. I honestly can't think of other hip places for young professionals other than 1/2 of Southside and parts of Shadyside. The other neighborhoods are nice to visit, but if you want all the endless action within walking distance, move to Southside. Pittsburgh in general is rather mediocre for young professionals, so choosing the right neighborhood is a must! PM me for more details. A lot of the other areas mentioned, please take with a grain of salt. Also visit them first and get a feel for them.

[pghdude28]

Originally Posted by speagles84

20's I'm assuming? Try:

-Downtown (SOME(edit) still under $1,100 I believe)
-Oakland
-Southside
-Lawrenceville
-Mt. Washington

I would cross off Mt. Washington. I guess you can take the incline down to Station Square for fun, but overall it's pricey up there and lacking.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by pghdude28

I would cross off Mt. Washington. I guess you can take the incline down to Station Square for fun, but overall it's pricey up there and lacking.

If you go about 2 blocks South off of Mt. Washington, the prices plummet.

[pghdude28]

Originally Posted by Copanut

If you go about 2 blocks South off of Mt. Washington, the prices plummet.

Yeah, but it's not filled with tons of coffee shops and excitement. I know a lot of people buy into the hype of moving there because of the view. At least on Southside slopes you are up the hill from everything so it's doable. Not too sure about Mt. Washington.