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Let me focus a little more on Mount Lebanon with this post. I take it the bus issue has been raised many times. Why is it that city refuses to do this? Is there any hope that the city will cave in on this issue in the future, or are they set in their way?
Maybe it's just where I am from, but I have tough time believing that in a city with a population of 31,000, that all schools are in a walkable distance? I may have had some "sticker shock" when I was told this, and probably a lot of parents just find that one or two that carpool a few kids in the neighborhood. That may be fine once I am settled, but as the new person on the block, it may be a little more difficult.
I doubt there is much pressure to cave on bus service. People move there to live in a walkable neighborhood with a vibrant business district. They are very rare in the Pittsburgh metro outside of the city of Pittsburgh. This is one of the few suburban school districts that actually feels like a town.
Mt. Lebo covers a land area of only 6 square miles. It's a densely populated township. It does have all sidewalks and that makes it walkable. Most Pittsburgh suburbs do not have sidewalks. You'll see that when you visit. Mt. Lebo has 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. 7 elementary schools means there is one elementary school within less than a square mile. 2 middle schools means there is one middle school within 3 square miles. By high school, students are old enough to walk further but it is centrally located.
The elementary schools are eveywhere, the middle school is on 19 in the center of town. I know people who had an hour plus walk each way to high school. Mount lebanon lets students drive to high school as upper st clair does not.
Hmm, I did not know that USC kids are not allowed to drive to high school. I did not attend High school here and my kid is too young. The parking lot at the USC school is very large and always full during the school. I guess that is all faculty parking?
Edit - looks like USC kids can drive to school, but must get permission first.
I should clarify that I don't like my in-laws. They are everything sskink says about USC snobs. I know better than their neighbors because they say things out loud to me that I would hope they would never say out loud among residents who are mere acquaintances. What sskink senses as below the surface is much more aggressive than the subtleness he describes. And I've spent significant time with their USC circle at various weddings, parties, picnics, ceremonies, sporting events, etc., to know all of their friends are likeminded racist snobs. I have been downright shocked by the things I've heard people say. I'm sure you, sskink and others from USC aren't like that, but I've encountered more people like that at functions attended by USC residents to feel confident in sharing my opinion. I was going to keep my mouth shut. I initially just said both areas are fine, let yourself decide by what house you love. When sskink brought it up, I felt I should speak up.
I didn't say anything about "racists". In fact I wasn't even thinking it. My comment on "those people" was simply in reference to the general "unwashed", e.g. people not from USC.
I'm not going to get into the race stuff. It's certainly not as progressive as where I came from. And I'll just note that the one black family closest to me is treated fine. They're just as suburbanite as anyone else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes
We agree! I still think anyone could be happy with the USC housing and neighborhood layouts because it's so close to Mt. Lebo that it could be considered sort of a suburb for the Mt. Lebo's business district from an everyday use sense. What's missing is the community feel she hopes to find. She won't get that in Peters either though. I suspect her need for a community feel and community pride will be the thing she'll have to give up on her list of requirements since bus service is important. I totally understand the importance of having bus service. It's one of the main points I bring up for parents considering Mt. Lebo, but many SAHMs drawn to Mt. Lebo don't mind the lack of bus service because the walkability is more important for them.
True, she won't get a overall "community experience" in USC, although you can certainly make friends at the rec center, and what few events there are. But, provided she moves into an established neighborhood (one that's not all McMansions), she can definitely get a "neighborhood experience". With the exception of the snobs I mentioned earlier (who both happen to be lawyers, btw), our neighborhood actually still has quaint customs like, "dropping in" (often uninvited, but nonetheless welcomed), having drinks in the driveway, impromptu cornhole tournaments, borrowing stuff from someone else's toolshed, Kentucky Derby mint julep parties, and yes, even the annual fall block party with requisite bouncy house and fire truck visit.
And it really depends where you are in USC as far as being "so close to Mt Lebo". Lots of USC is closer to the business districts of Bridgeville or even BP.
I know people who had an hour plus walk each way to high school.
The district is 6 square miles, and the high school is centrally located. The average walking speed is just shy of 3 mph, which is 20 minutes per mile.
Hmm, I did not know that USC kids are not allowed to drive to high school. I did not attend High school here and my kid is too young. The parking lot at the USC school is very large and always full during the school. I guess that is all faculty parking?
Edit - looks like USC kids can drive to school, but must get permission first.
In the early 1980's there was a car crash on school grounds that killed one or multiple students, my oldest brother was in their class. After that students could only drive to work or dr appointments.
The last part about the academics is new since '92
The district is 6 square miles, and the high school is centrally located. The average walking speed is just shy of 3 mph, which is 20 minutes per mile.
Google the walking distances. I had a classmate in votec who lived on mcneilly rd. He had to walk to the high school, the handicap bus took him to usc, then he would ride with us to votec. Try doing that everyday
If you can say this without giggling or explaining very quickly that you aren't coming on to someone, you're living in some place that's just too whitebread for words.
Google the walking distances. I had a classmate in votec who lived on mcneilly rd. He had to walk to the high school, the handicap bus took him to usc, then he would ride with us to votec. Try doing that everyday
McNeilly Road to Mt. Lebanon High School is around 2.5 miles. Some of the side streets off of Bower Hill Road such as Elatan Drive, Kelso Road and Oxford Blvd are at least 2.6 miles walking distance to the high school. This kind of walk in the morning when it is dark, and raining, snowing or icy can be a pain. Most kids will drive, driven by their parents or get a ride with a friend.
Last edited by villageidiot1; 08-24-2014 at 10:32 PM..
If you can say this without giggling or explaining very quickly that you aren't coming on to someone, you're living in some place that's just too whitebread for words.
You'd think so. But a whole lot of folks are on lo-carb diets here
I went to school in Mt Lebanon. We walked to school, didn't think anything of it. I lived.
I like USC enough but would prefer Lebo for it's community.
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