NYC Native to Pittsburgh Transplant - Advice Please! (Liberty, Highland Park: middle-class, apartments)

[nycgirl1102]

An added question for my trip on MLK Jr. weekend. To get a real feel for the city where should I go? Any must grab eats?

[szug-bot]

NYC Girl, I would suggest North Oakland.

That is the area just east of the University of Pittsburgh, and just west of Bloomfield, basically. Stay off of Melwood Avenue, and Centre Avenue, though - I'm not sure any improvements have been made to those crap py apartments since the 1990s.

What part of NYC are you from? Keep us informed!

I would not suggest Ross Township, though (no offense, Spam). I think a NYC-like neighborhood (as best as can be represented) would help your transition to our much smaller, less chaotic home.

I would suggest honing in on N. Oakland, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill in the vicinity of Murray Ave. and Forbes Ave. Keep in mind, though, bus travel to Pitt, CMU, and the many other points around there or beyond there can be a pain - the 61 series of buses (A, B, C, and D) usually are PACKED and not pleasant. There are other bus options, though, but the 61 is the lifeline from Squirrel Hill to Oakland.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

NYC Girl, I would suggest North Oakland.



I would not suggest Ross Township, though (no offense, Spam). I think a NYC-like neighborhood (as best as can be represented) would help your transition to our much smaller, less chaotic home.

No offense taken, North Oakland has a lot to say for it as well- depends on how much change they want-its very different from Ross. Like on the television program, Green Acres about a couple of migrants with divergent ideas leaving Manhattan. Is the OP closer on the continuum to Eva Gabor or Eddie Albert on their desire for simpler living? They have to make that decision, just presenting the idea.

[theta_sigma]

I think the advice to check out Shadyside, Squirrell Hill, and North Oakland are good. Being from NYC you probably won't be as freaked out by East Liberty and the Baum/Center Ave. corridor as some people who shall remain nameless who can't conceive of anyone being okay with a Dollar General being around the corner from a high-end hotel and apartment building. Lawrenceville also, but I have no idea what rents are ilke there these days.Those areas are where many of the recent transplants live, so they aren't really dripping with Ye Olde Pittsburghe Yinzer Charm, but all the transplants does mean they are the most cosmopolitan.

Oakland is where a lot of the touristy things to do are. I highly recommend going to the Catherdral of Learning, going up to the 36th floor and taking a look around. Totally free and open to the public, just takes a few minutes and one of the best almost-360 views of the city you can get.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

NYC Girl, I would suggest North Oakland.

That is the area just east of the University of Pittsburgh, and just west of Bloomfield, basically. Stay off of Melwood Avenue, and Centre Avenue, though - I'm not sure any improvements have been made to those crap py apartments since the 1990s.

What part of NYC are you from? Keep us informed!

I would not suggest Ross Township, though (no offense, Spam). I think a NYC-like neighborhood (as best as can be represented) would help your transition to our much smaller, less chaotic home.

I would suggest honing in on N. Oakland, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill in the vicinity of Murray Ave. and Forbes Ave. Keep in mind, though, bus travel to Pitt, CMU, and the many other points around there or beyond there can be a pain - the 61 series of buses (A, B, C, and D) usually are PACKED and not pleasant. There are other bus options, though, but the 61 is the lifeline from Squirrel Hill to Oakland.

Completely forgot about North Oakland.....I drop my South Side recommendation and def endorse North Oakland. So much is walkable from there, and a short Uber or Lyft ride to the South Side or Lawrenceville.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by nycgirl1102

An added question for my trip on MLK Jr. weekend. To get a real feel for the city where should I go? Any must grab eats?

I would recommend taking a drive through all of the mentioned areas & walking around them a bit as they're all within a short drive of each other (one difference between nyc & pgh; the topography doesn't allow many neighborhoods to flow into each other very well apart from a few so they're fairly segregated - not that it's a bad thing as its allowed them to likewise be fairly unique from each other); think Manhatten vs Brooklyn.

Also I would add the strip district to at least look at as its continually adding new housing & might have stuff if your price range now (housing isn't high because it's ritzy there, but because there just wasn't much residential at all until recently as its basically just a big outdoor market place).

Hard to recommend any must grab eats without knowing what you like generally speaking. Lots of very good food places all over the city.

[SteelCityRising]

I would also have to veto the Ross Township recommendation. Ross Township is stable, safe, aging inner suburbia in the North Hills that is home primarily to mid-century garden-style apartment complexes, single-family detached houses, strip malls, big-box stores, chain restaurants, and a really, really nice mall. It's the Paramus, NJ of Pittsburgh. If you could envision yourself happy living in Paramus, then you'd be happy living in Ross Township. If you'd think living among mostly soccer moms and being able to cross a very busy highway to get to a Crate & Barrel or Cheesecake Factory would be a bore, then you'll want to check out the city proper.

I like all of the recommendations thus far: North Oakland, the Lower North Side, South Side, Strip District, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Friendship, East Liberty, and Polish Hill should all be on your radar, as all of these areas offer urbanity, a cosmopolitan atmosphere, and enough fellow 20-somethings to trip over.

[nycgirl1102]

I was born and raised in Queens, NY. It's one of the five boroughs, only a 25 minute train ride from Midtown Manhattan. It's also made up of neighborhoods. I did go to college out on Long Island which was more rural suburban and I was not a fan. I would like to find something in Pittsburgh with a similar vibe to Queens which is an urban suburb, if that makes sense. Queens was actually just voted the number one place to visit by Lonely Planet. I grew up just outside Flushing Meadows Corona Park where the US Open is held every year. My proximity to such a great green space is something I would love to still have in Pittsburgh.

I did see a post on the internets that mentioned Friendship as a place that young twenty-somethings should move to. Any more information on the area? I also heard good things about Bloomfield.

How are the neighborhoods laid out? Is there any way to live on a borderline of two areas that y'all would deem best for me?

Bodegas are what New Yorkers live for so if something like that exists in one of these neighborhoods, that would be incredible.

I don't discriminate when it comes to food as long as I'm not allergic to it. I'm allergic to fish with gills but not shellfish.

[nycgirl1102]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

No offense taken, North Oakland has a lot to say for it as well- depends on how much change they want-its very different from Ross. Like on the television program, Green Acres about a couple of migrants with divergent ideas leaving Manhattan. Is the OP closer on the continuum to Eva Gabor or Eddie Albert on their desire for simpler living? They have to make that decision, just presenting the idea.

I have never watched Green Acres, so I don't understand this reference.

[rosie74]

I went to college in NYC and just got back from a trip there. I currently live in Pittsburgh. Based on your age and phase of life (wanting to go to grad school), and what you are used to in NY, I would say to look for apartments in the East End. Lawrenceville and Bloomfield are right next to one another and are places where a lot of young people and transplants live. Highland Park is another good area for you. You can also check out Polish Hill. There is also Regent Square which is a neighborhood that is partially in Pittsburgh and partially in Wilkinsburg. I wouldn't move to a suburb here. You will be bored out of your mind and will have a rough time meeting like-minded people your own age. As far as rents go you will get a lot more space for your money here. Your best bet is to look on Craigs List and run searches on the neighborhoods you want to live in to get a realistic sense of rents.

The pace here is much slower and less congested than in NY and the cost of living is a lot lower. Groceries, coffee, movies, and even Happy Hour specials will be much much less than what you are used to in NY.