Where in Pittsburgh should I live? (Ross Township, Lebanon: apartment, rentals, lofts)

[katenik]

Thanks for the replies.

Modern interiors= kitchen and bath fixtures, flooring, and appliances that are new, or that have been updated this century; central heat/air; in-unit laundry facilities.

I wouldn't mind leasing a small single family home, but I haven't researched rents for such properties because I need to pinpoint some neighborhoods first.

I don't care for public transportation, so I don't mind paying for parking downtown; I just don't want to spend an hour or more getting there.

I'm familiar with Mt. Lebanon, but have not heard of Aspinwall. Could you tell me something about it, please.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by katenik

Thanks for the replies.

Modern interiors= kitchen and bath fixtures, flooring, and appliances that are new, or that have been updated this century; central heat/air; in-unit laundry facilities.

I wouldn't mind leasing a small single family home, but I haven't researched rents for such properties because I need to pinpoint some neighborhoods first.

I don't care for public transportation, so I don't mind paying for parking downtown; I just don't want to spend an hour or more getting there.

I'm familiar with Mt. Lebanon, but have not heard of Aspinwall. Could you tell me something about it, please.

It may be an "unfashionable" suburb, but it isn't that terribly difficult commuting by car from Kennedy Township to town. Pretty much car dependent, but its a short drive to several restaurants and shopping.


I don't know exactly how new these are, but they are certainly modern by local standards and its close to medical facilities, grocery shopping and interstate travel on I79 and the Parkway.
Kennedy Highlands

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by katenik

Modern interiors= kitchen and bath fixtures, flooring, and appliances that are new, or that have been updated this century; central heat/air; in-unit laundry facilities.

That's not even fair. This century is only 14 years old. This is a century that's merely pubescent.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by katenik

Modern interiors= kitchen and bath fixtures, flooring, and appliances that are new, or that have been updated this century; central heat/air; in-unit laundry facilities.

Pittsburghers are 15 years behind trends and then they hold onto those trends for 15 years. Plan on most interiors to be 30 years dated.

Originally Posted by katenik

I'm familiar with Mt. Lebanon, but have not heard of Aspinwall. Could you tell me something about it, please.

Aspinwall is a cute walkable neighborhood right on Route 28 in one of our more upscale school districts. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to commute downtown during rush hour. Within walking distance are quite a few restaurants and independent businesses, hospital, strip mall with movie theater, chain stores, restaurants---some chains and independents. There is an Italian grocery store in Aspinwall, a large upscale chain grocery store at the shopping center, and a Whole Foods 10 minutes away across the river.

The housing will be older but you might luck out and find something that was recently updated. There are newer apartment complexes near the river but a two bedroom might be out of your price range because they're upscale apartments. A one bedroom would be in your price range though.

[The King of Um]

Originally Posted by katenik

Hi All,

I will be looking for a place to rent in Pittsburgh in June or July. I'm a female professional in my 40s. I am downsizing, so I don't need a lot of space, although I prefer a 2BR if I can stay within my budget of $1200/mo. I'm looking for modern interiors in a quiet neighborhood (no college areas, please) with off-street parking, within three miles of an upscale grocery store. I would like to be able to walk to a nice restaurant or two, but I don't otherwise care about walkability. I'll most likely be working downtown, and would like to be able to drive there within 30-40 minutes. I'm not interested in neighborhoods that are "in transition," where suitability is determined street-by-street, or block-by-block. I want to live in a safe, thriving community where people care about their surroundings. Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

There's really only one place for you: the Sewickley Valley. Finding something in your range might be difficult, but Sewickley village, Edgeworth, and Glen Osborne fit your criteria to a T.

[katenik]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

That's not even fair. This century is only 14 years old. This is a century that's merely pubescent.

Too funny!

90's upgrades would be acceptable if they were done well, with quality materials, but that is frequently not the case in apartments. I don't want to live in a place where the owner has done little more than clean every time a tenancy turns over, and there are so many layers of paint on the walls that the doors don't shut properly. I also don't want any HVAC or plumbing issues, which are more likely with older interiors. My goal when renting is to never have to speak to management between the time I sign the lease, and when I give my notice of intent to vacate. If we don't talk, that means there are no problems.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by katenik

I don't care for public transportation, so I don't mind paying for parking downtown; I just don't want to spend an hour or more getting there.

I don't think you quite understand. Unless you purchase a monthly lease somewhere, you could spend up to another half an hour each morning dealing with parking - either because you'll be circling around blocks looking for a garage which still has openings, or because the only spaces available on the outskirts of downtown, meaning a long walk to get to wherever your office is. The hassle will get tiresome, particularly once it gets colder. It's the reason about half of the 100,000 downtown workers either take the bus or the T into work.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by katenik

90's upgrades would be acceptable if they were done well, with quality materials, but that is frequently not the case in apartments. I don't want to live in a place where the owner has done little more than clean every time a tenancy turns over, and there are so many layers of paint on the walls that the doors don't shut properly. I also don't want any HVAC or plumbing issues, which are more likely with older interiors. My goal when renting is to never have to speak to management between the time I sign the lease, and when I give my notice of intent to vacate. If we don't talk, that means there are no problems.

The problem is until the last 10 years or so, the only major groups of people who rented in Pittsburgh were students and poor people, meaning virtually all apartments were shabby to dumps. This has changed more recently, as an upscale rental market catering to young professionals has been blossoming. But there aren't too many of these buildings in Pittsburgh yet, and their demand hasn't depreciated much, meaning they're all above the price range you're considering.

Not to say it's impossible to find what you're looking for mind you. But virtually anywhere you look, even in upscale areas, most of the rentals just won't be nice and relatively affordable.

[katenik]

Originally Posted by eschaton

The problem is until the last 10 years or so, the only major groups of people who rented in Pittsburgh were students and poor people, meaning virtually all apartments were shabby to dumps. This has changed more recently, as an upscale rental market catering to young professionals has been blossoming. But there aren't too many of these buildings in Pittsburgh yet, and their demand hasn't depreciated much, meaning they're all above the price range you're considering.

Not to say it's impossible to find what you're looking for mind you. But virtually anywhere you look, even in upscale areas, most of the rentals just won't be nice and relatively affordable.

When you say "in Pittsburgh," do you mean the metro or the city proper? I've looked online at some townhouse complexes in some of the areas mentioned up-thread that appear to be the sort of properties that interest me, and would be affordable. I don't mind going outside of the city limits to find what I want; I just don't want a long commute. One of the issues I always have when choosing a place to live is that I want city amenities, but I don't like extremely dense urban environments. I'm willing to drive a reasonable distance to reach most places in order to live in peaceful community, but I don't want to be so far from everything that I never want to leave home.

[katenik]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I don't think you quite understand. Unless you purchase a monthly lease somewhere, you could spend up to another half an hour each morning dealing with parking - either because you'll be circling around blocks looking for a garage which still has openings, or because the only spaces available on the outskirts of downtown, meaning a long walk to get to wherever your office is. The hassle will get tiresome, particularly once it gets colder. It's the reason about half of the 100,000 downtown workers either take the bus or the T into work.

I do understand, and yes, I plan to pay for monthly parking. I don't like riding buses (or standing out in the cold waiting for them), and the T seems to have very limited coverage.