Housing crisis in Pittsburgh? Dont think so (Dormont, California: condo, buyers)

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Don't know too much about California-Kirkbride, but this little house is adorable. And you gotta love the idea of living on Success Street, right?

1239 Success St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 is For Sale - Zillow

ANy thoughts on this neighborhood? Is Success Street a good place to live?

California-Kirkbride is unquestionably one of Pittsburgh's ghettos, but this is in the "uptop" portion of the neighborhood which is more similar socially to nearby Brightwood.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by eschaton

California-Kirkbride is unquestionably one of Pittsburgh's ghettos, but this is in the "uptop" portion of the neighborhood which is more similar socially to nearby Brightwood.

Good point, and bound to be the situation with a lot of the budget areas. Do you think it would be a good place for someone on a tight budget? The sort of person who wants to find a hidden gem that may gentrify in a few more years?

I know it's silly but somehow a street called Success Street just seems destined to be, well, a place where a home buy might be successful.

[ferraris]

I think that home is priced appropriately for the location. The Success Street and Island Avenue area of California-Kirkbride is significantly nicer than the rest of the neighborhood. If someone likes the house itself and can handle some blight and property crime while living just up the hill from more serious blight, drugs and potentially some level of more serious crime then it would probably be a good buy.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I think that home is priced appropriately for the location. The Success Street and Island Avenue area of California-Kirkbride is significantly nicer than the rest of the neighborhood. If someone likes the house itself and can handle some blight and property crime while living just up the hill from more serious blight, drugs and potentially some level of more serious crime then it would probably be a good buy.

So, might be a nice enough place to live if you drove to the store, but not really a walkable area due to crime? Hmmm, yeah that might be a problem for a lot of people.

Back to Millvale. I really like Millvale. Wonder why it hasn't been discovered yet? I know, it's scruffy and it has some challenges--but it just strikes me as a place with potential.

[Caladium]

Another quick question about Success Street and Island Street: what do you guys think of the idea of having that huge cemetery there? Is it one of those cemeteries with security, and a nice place to take a walk? Or is it a place where you might get mugged?

[eschaton]

It should be noted that that area is only California-Kirkbride in name only. Two of the three "streets" connecting it to the grid down below are public stairwells. The third loops around in a big grid, but between the elementary, that industrial business (I think it's a laundry) and all the empty greenspace, it's only tangentially related.

As an aside, this house which bridges the gap was one I remember City Paper covering years ago. Guy did wonders with one of the last two houses on his block.

[Caladium]

Wow, that is one gorgeous house!

Although that carved artwork over the porch (the thing that has the two odd arches) is a little strange.

OTOH it's colorful and pretty even if the arches are weird, and the bottom line is that house is just stunning. If the neighborhood can support a house this nicely done, it can't be all that bad. I'd think, at least.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Caladium

So, might be a nice enough place to live if you drove to the store, but not really a walkable area due to crime? Hmmm, yeah that might be a problem for a lot of people.

I don't know if I would go that far. It really doesn't feel like a ghetto in that part of the neighborhood. Most destinations would consist of walking down Island to Brighton Road, which is a main street and shouldn't be cause for concern most of the time.

A while back we were using the term "ghetto tolerance level" on this forum. That would be applicable here. I don't think it's an area that should be avoided at all costs, but it would definitely make some people feel uncomfortable.

Originally Posted by Caladium

Another quick question about Success Street and Island Street: what do you guys think of the idea of having that huge cemetery there? Is it one of those cemeteries with security, and a nice place to take a walk? Or is it a place where you might get mugged?

Those cemeteries along Brighton always seem to be empty except for large flocks of black birds. I think they lock it up at night. They don't bother me because of loitering or anything, they bother me because it's a poor use of urban space.

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I don't know if I would go that far. It really doesn't feel like a ghetto in that part of the neighborhood. Most destinations would consist of walking down Island to Brighton Road, which is a main street and shouldn't be cause for concern most of the time.

A while back we were using the term "ghetto tolerance level" on this forum. That would be applicable here. I don't think it's an area that should be avoided at all costs, but it would definitely make some people feel uncomfortable.



Those cemeteries along Brighton always seem to be empty except for large flocks of black birds. I think they lock it up at night. They don't bother me because of loitering or anything, they bother me because it's a poor use of urban space.

It wasn't urban space in 1846 when it was established, it was rural.
History of Union Dale Cemetery - Pittsburgh PA

[ebyrnes]

I live in Brightwood, and think that the house on Success is certainly livable for someone who has a decent degree of streetsmarts.

Ferraris...Highwood and Uniondale are great uses of urban space! A lot of folks walk in them, they provide shelter for many animals (hopefully no coyotes yet, but they are closeby in Ross, so it is probably only a matter of time), and house such gorgeous trees.