Housing crisis in Pittsburgh? Dont think so (Shaler Township, Crafton: low income, big house)

[JoeP]

It has the potential and proximity, but I think the area has to grow faster for it to be realized.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by eschaton

California-Kirkbride was built out as an area with a wide range of incomes, from wealthy to working class. White flight in the mid 20th century hit it hard, with basically all white people fleeing the neighborhood, except in he "uptop" portions around the house you linked to. Then the crack epidemic came along, and the neighborhood turned from bad to worse. Houses were demolished not just due to general abandonment and being condemned, but due to public safety issues, which resulted in the current status.

Both ends of the neighborhood have potential. The Brighton Place portion of the neighborhood is still around 50% standing, and most of the houses are now owned by one property owner with a good local reputation in the North Side who maintains them well and seems to be waiting for the area to "turn." Right across Brighton Avenue is pretty gentrified now, so I think it's only a matter of time. The far northern "uptop" sections haven't fallen as far, and can still be triaged. It helps they're near one of the more stable parts of Brightwood as well.

One thing about California-Kirkbride is that I don't think there is much of a neighborhood identity. People just seem to just call it "north side" from what I can tell, and I think if the area ever catches on it will be seen as an extension of Central North Side, Manchester, and/or Brightwood.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by ferraris

One thing about California-Kirkbride is that I don't think there is much of a neighborhood identity. People just seem to just call it "north side" from what I can tell, and I think if the area ever catches on it will be seen as an extension of Central North Side, Manchester, and/or Brightwood.

Part of it I think is the neighborhood name has bad connotations. Part of it is the neighborhood is basically split into several parts both due to the geography, the huge postal facility, and the level of blight.

Geographically speaking, the "Brighton Place" segment of the neighborhood really is part of the Central North Side. It's just two blocks away from the upper reaches of Buena Vista, which has become pretty desirable now over its entire length. Brighton Avenue itself needs a major makeover, but really, once this happens I'd expect the "flip" of these blocks to happen pretty quickly.

I don't see any good future for the area north of California Avenue though. The area is just too far from the core of the Lower North Side - no one will ever think it's walkable to much of anything. The only way I could see a change here is if the Postal Service abandoned the facility in the neighborhood, and some new mixed-use development was plopped down there, with the last remaining blocks in that region coming along for the rise.

[Caladium]

Here's a cute little place in Bellevue that just went up for sale today. It's $39 K!!! For Bellevue!

Needs work, but looks liveable while you're fixing it up. Might be the deal of the week for someone who wants Bellevue.

25 Greenough Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15202 is For Sale - Zillow

[Caladium]

So what can you guys tell me about Bellevue? Nice place to live? I had the impression it was a relatively pricey place, mostly homes over $100K. But looks like you can find quite a few great deals, as well.

Or are these in the slums of Bellevue? (Is there such a thing?)

$54K
513 Carolyn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15202 is For Sale - Zillow

$63K
435 Hallett Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15202 is For Sale - Zillow

$84K
92 Kendall Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15202 is For Sale - Zillow

$74K
720 Orchard Ave, Bellevue, PA 15202 is For Sale - Zillow

$89K
144 Davis Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15202 is For Sale - Zillow

$40K
25 Greenough Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15202 is For Sale - Zillow

$69K
42-44 Sheridan Ave, Bellevue, PA 15202 is For Sale - Zillow

[Goodjules]

I almost bought a place in Bellevue, but I chose Crafton instead. Nothing to do with Bellevue, I just preferred the house in Crafton. I liked Bellevue a lot.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Goodjules

I almost bought a place in Bellevue, but I chose Crafton instead. Nothing to do with Bellevue, I just preferred the house in Crafton. I liked Bellevue a lot.

What did you like about it? What are things you might have disliked?

Also, now that you've lived there awhile and really know the area, what do you think of Crafton as a place for first time home buyers who need a place under $100K? Too expensive or are there possibilities of deals?

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Caladium

What did you like about it? What are things you might have disliked?

Also, now that you've lived there awhile and really know the area, what do you think of Crafton as a place for first time home buyers who need a place under $100K? Too expensive or are there possibilities of deals?

Good questions.

Bellevue
I love big old houses with plenty of period details and Bellevue is full of them. Huge houses for around $150k-ish. It has Lincoln Ave, a busy street with lots of small businesses, restaurants, etc. My realtor told me that Bellevue has changed its zoning to make it tougher (impossible? Not sure) to divide homes into multi-unit dwellings. If this is the case, it preserves the historic integrity of the area and encourages buyers who will live in the properties as opposed to absentee landlords. We met a female realtor who was also a police officer who lived in Bellevue. She liked it, owned a home there, and felt safe there. The house I fell in love with there was less than a block from Lincoln and had awesome woodwork and stained glass. The deal breakers were that it had a yard the size of a postage stamp, no off-street parking, a remodeled kitchen and bath that were not to my taste, and all the old houses across the street had been torn down in the 60s-70s and replaced with tidy, well-maintained, but ugly, apartment houses. If I wasn't in such a hurry to buy, I might have waited until something similar, without those drawbacks, came on the market. I've seen such properties since I bought my place. Bellevue is dry. From what I understand this means no bars, state stores, or restaurants that serve alcohol. Not sure about the state stores.

Crafton
Crafton gives you a lot of bang for your buck, but because most of the homes here are huge, most are in the $150k-$250k range. That said, those big old houses would be far more expensive in Shadyside or other upscale Pittsburgh neighborhoods. I would imagine smaller houses here are $125k and under. There just aren't a lot of smaller places here. Crafton has no real downtown core. It has always been a suburb of Pittsburgh and there is no bustling retail district. OTOH, there are small shopping centers and strip malls within walking distance of anywhere you live in Crafton. I live a few blocks up the hill from what must have once been Crafton's main business area. There are a handful of restaurants, a Dollar General, the library, City Hall, the Busway station, a barber, an antique store, and a few other businesses. People on my street are super friendly. Everyone is like me in that they love old houses and can't believe they could afford these awesome places. One of the neighbors has an annual Christmas party and invites everyone in the neighborhood. Lots of fun and you can walk home. Crafton also has a Christmas Historic Home Tour. It's awesome. I'll try to remember to post the dates of the 2014 Tour when I hear about it.

[Goodjules]

Here's a diamond in the rough in Brighton Heights: 3826 California, Brighton Heights, PA 15212 (MLS# 1003258) - Brighton Heights PA Real Estate - PittsburghMoves.com

There's been some re-muddling, but the woodwork and stained glass are spectacular.

[FreightTrainRunning]

Originally Posted by Goodjules

Here's a diamond in the rough in Brighton Heights: 3826 California, Brighton Heights, PA 15212 (MLS# 1003258) - Brighton Heights PA Real Estate - PittsburghMoves.com

There's been some re-muddling, but the woodwork and stained glass are spectacular.

That's pretty sweet, especially for the price. Kitchen and bathrooms are a total loss but that's usual. Way too much property to deal with for my taste but would be a nice place for young folks with kids.