Stanton Area of Pittsburgh (Washington, Swissvale: to rent, house, neighborhoods)

[K2E2]

BarqCider - I am defiantly not interested in loud noise and drunks - at least not on the permanent basis She is an engineering major taking 20 credits, so I don't think she would appreciate the noise either. I do still really like that east area, but the getting back and forth concerns me.

wpipkins2 - She could probably bike it, but not with the backpack and not in the snow....Kudos to your grandad. It would kill me too.

I'm still laughing over the old stoners on the first floor with no ventilation. Kinda wishing I lived there right about now

[theta_sigma]

Hey, this is my neighborhood I live on the other side of Stanton Ave. but both sides are safe, and very very quiet. To commute to Pitt from there (which I did from my house for many years) I'd grab the 97S at Statnon & Woodbine and take it to Negley & Friendship Ave. and then walk a couple blocks and hop on the Pitt shuttle bus on Baum or the 71A on Negley.

$54k is pretty low even for that particular quadrant of the neighborhood. So yeah, I'd get a home inspection and be serious about it. It could just be a very motivated seller, who knows, but I'd expect an asking price more around $75k. The area is appreciating very very (very) slowly, but it is happening. Keep the place in good repair, make a few strategic improvements and you could make a bit on sale, I'd think. Provided there's nothing structurally wrong with it.

There's nothing up here but folks. No business district. You really do need a car to live up here. Not necessarily to do your daily work/school commute (neither my husband nor I drove to work for the first several years we lived here--the only difference now is that we have a kid to cart around to daycare or I'd still be bussing it) but to go grocery shopping, or to socialize. The buses run infrequently outside of M-F morning and evening rush hour times. They do run, she wouldn't be 100% trapped without a car, but she'd have to time her trips very carefully.

[selltheburgh]

Originally Posted by eschaton

North Negley through East Liberty is way, way safer than it was even five years ago. There were articles posted about this recently.

It isn't perfect, but my wife got off of the bus on N Negley late at night or walked home from work along N Negley late at night regularly for the past few years.

In 5 more years it'll likely be even safer.

Between the Hays row houses currently being renovated, the recent developments on Margaretta St, the plans for new apartments on the 300 block and a possible development on the old gas station lot near Broad, it'll be very different.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by gortonator

excellent biking route - precisely follows one of my regular after work training rides. She'd have legs the envy of every Pitt student living up there

I find Negley scarier than Downtown - probably because drivers see open road on a straightaway, and gun it, often without a nice buffer between the handle bars and the side mirror!

[selltheburgh]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

I find Negley scarier than Downtown - probably because drivers see open road on a straightaway, and gun it, often without a nice buffer between the handle bars and the side mirror!

That's being worked on with traffic calming plan with bike pittsburgh.

You can always ride N Euclid or N Highland, which have less traffic.

[K2E2]

Bike Pittsburgh Plan - that sounds really great. When we head up there in a couple of weeks, I am going to have to check out Negley and will spend some time just driving around. It would be great to get into a safe but still up and coming area from an investment prospective.

Does anyone think they will add support services like a food store to the area?

Yeah, the house has been on the market for a while and the realtor said "no one has gotten as far as a home inspection", which tells me there was interest, but in listening to everyone here, I've concluded there must be something wrong with it. Sigh.

Even 75 is a good deal, so I'm going to keep looking and doing my research. Thanks again

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

I find Negley scarier than Downtown - probably because drivers see open road on a straightaway, and gun it, often without a nice buffer between the handle bars and the side mirror!

I can't figure out why it's such a high speed road, considering it doesn't go anywhere - just sort of dead ending around the park. I mean, people can't really be using it as a cut through from one area to another, the way they do Stanton. It must be local traffic, and I find it disturbing that people think it's a good idea to drive so fast on their neighborhood streets.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I can't figure out why it's such a high speed road, considering it doesn't go anywhere - just sort of dead ending around the park. I mean, people can't really be using it as a cut through from one area to another, the way they do Stanton. It must be local traffic, and I find it disturbing that people think it's a good idea to drive so fast on their neighborhood streets.

Right, but people are a bit insane - no, literally, INSANE. Yes, it doesn't go anywhere. And very soon, you are impeded by a red light or a stop sign. And the feeling that we are always pressed for time (well, we are), when in reality, it is moreso a self-created urgency. One may argue that urbanization makes you insane to a degree. (Washington, DC, is a perfect example).

I hate Negley, and enjoy Highland - what a beautiful street to meander on using a bicycle. That whole area in general....

[Merge]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I can't figure out why it's such a high speed road, considering it doesn't go anywhere - just sort of dead ending around the park. I mean, people can't really be using it as a cut through from one area to another, the way they do Stanton. It must be local traffic, and I find it disturbing that people think it's a good idea to drive so fast on their neighborhood streets.

I think a lot of people use it to get to the Highland Park Bridge (going northward) or to Oakland, Friendship, Shadyside, etc... going southward.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Merge

I think a lot of people use it to get to the Highland Park Bridge (going northward) or to Oakland, Friendship, Shadyside, etc... going southward.

Technically you can get across the Highland Park Bridge using One Wild Place. But it's a really windy road, and then lets you off in back streets of Highland Park. If your destination is Oakland or Shadyside, you're better off going up Washington Boulevard. Whether you use the Negley Run spur or go all the way to the intersection with Fifth Avenue, you cover a lot of ground very quickly with only a few traffic lights in your way.