Pittsburgh...The Shoppers Paradise (York, Butler: neighborhood, buying, cinema)

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Not necessarily.



The majority of Pittsburgh people live outside the zones where public transport is a convenient option, particularly in the evening or weekends.


People may visit this kind of district occasionally, and a zone in town could attract tourists, but it just doesn't seem like it would attract heavy local shopping action.


Further, toting one's purchases back on a public transit bus is a real drag. Shopping in a mall or strip mall, your car is right there to take back your purchase of electronics, clothing or cans of spam on sale at Target.

I have to agree with you. Unless you live on a bus line that directly goes to a shopping mall, it's absolutely not worth it to take public transportation to a shopping center/mall with the time it takes and a hassle.

[SuburbanPioneer]

Pittsburgh shopping isn't bad, but I still consider the internet as my personal shopping paradise.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by SuburbanPioneer

Pittsburgh shopping isn't bad, but I still consider the internet as my personal shopping paradise.

Put what you need, either in the near future or eventually, in the amazon.com shopping cart until you have $35 worth of stuff...you are then entitled to free shipping!!! amazon.com is unbelievably koshier.

[theta_sigma]

I don't think it's in the cards for downtown retail to stand on its own as an attraction. No one wants to pay to park just to shop (it's a nice dream that people who can afford to shop in nice boutiques would choose to ride a bus but I think we all know that's a pipe dream--and I'm a public transport booster but let's be real). Now, shop plus have a nice dinner plus see a show? That is pay-to-park-worthy. Retail downtown is going to have to position itself as a piggy back on the entertainment. Which means the right kinds of stores in the right locations with later hours.

There are already discount stores downtown, because bus riders skew lower income. Remember the whole street of cell phone and wig stores that got razed to redevelop Forbes Ave and Market Square?

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by theta_sigma

No one wants to pay to park just to shop (it's a nice dream that people who can afford to shop in nice boutiques would choose to ride a bus but I think we all know that's a pipe dream--and I'm a public transport booster but let's be real).

We did exactly this in Chicago and Boston (ride the bus to nice boutiques), and it was awesome. I see no reason why it couldn't happen in Pittsburgh, aside from a certain persistent mentality that isn't going to change overnight, alas. The bus lines here are incredibly good, and it's such a small city geographically that getting around by bus is incredibly quick and easy. I can see where Costco and Ikea need a car, but if I am just going to buy a few shirts and jeans I would totally ride the bus to go shopping.

[SuburbanPioneer]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

Put what you need, either in the near future or eventually, in the amazon.com shopping cart until you have $35 worth of stuff...you are then entitled to free shipping!!! amazon.com is unbelievably koshier.

Plus, Amazon recently started Sunday deliveries to my soulless neck of the woods at no additional charge.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by theta_sigma

I don't think it's in the cards for downtown retail to stand on its own as an attraction. No one wants to pay to park just to shop (it's a nice dream that people who can afford to shop in nice boutiques would choose to ride a bus but I think we all know that's a pipe dream--and I'm a public transport booster but let's be real). Now, shop plus have a nice dinner plus see a show? That is pay-to-park-worthy. Retail downtown is going to have to position itself as a piggy back on the entertainment. Which means the right kinds of stores in the right locations with later hours.

There are already discount stores downtown, because bus riders skew lower income. Remember the whole street of cell phone and wig stores that got razed to redevelop Forbes Ave and Market Square?

Who says you need to take the bus both ways... I don't when I go to shopping at Robinson, I take the bus out, and Uber it back with my bags... Same could be done downtown.

Public Transit doesn't only mean using the buses anymore... Nor should Downtown cater depending on Suburbanites being able to park for free. I'm so tired of this way of thinking... Nothing Downtown implements should be done with thought of Suburbanites and providing them Free Parking.

Downtown Retail like the movie theater should be geared towards those living Downtown and within reasonable transit to Downtown from other city neighborhoods. Suburbanites loves their Malls, don't try to compete for them, because it will be a failure, just on the Parking situation alone.

[theta_sigma]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Who says you need to take the bus both ways... I don't when I go to shopping at Robinson, I take the bus out, and Uber it back with my bags... Same could be done downtown.

Public Transit doesn't only mean using the buses anymore... Nor should Downtown cater depending on Suburbanites being able to park for free. I'm so tired of this way of thinking... Nothing Downtown implements should be done with thought of Suburbanites and providing them Free Parking.

Downtown Retail like the movie theater should be geared towards those living Downtown and within reasonable transit to Downtown from other city neighborhoods. Suburbanites loves their Malls, don't try to compete for them, because it will be a failure, just on the Parking situation alone.

I think we're actually agreeing. Competing with the malls is foolhardy. Have the retail downtown be part of the overall destination, or part of the living space fabric for the (few but growing) population that lives down there. I'm not arguing for free parking downtown, I'm arguing that trying to directly compete with places that do have free parking would be a failure.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by RogersParkTransplant

We did exactly this in Chicago and Boston (ride the bus to nice boutiques), and it was awesome. I see no reason why it couldn't happen in Pittsburgh, aside from a certain persistent mentality that isn't going to change overnight, alas. The bus lines here are incredibly good, and it's such a small city geographically that getting around by bus is incredibly quick and easy. I can see where Costco and Ikea need a car, but if I am just going to buy a few shirts and jeans I would totally ride the bus to go shopping.

I exposed my kids to the wonders of public transportation last summer. My daughter was starting highschool and both children are heavily involved in sports and other activities. With two working parents and one car I felt the need to show them how to utilize public transportation. It takes the stress off of my wife and I. My daughter was terrified that someone would sit next to her. I did a couple of trial runs with them. My 13 year old son loves the adventure but my daughter feels as if people stare at her.

Its been almost one year and I did show them the different routes that serve different needs. I live in the East End (East Hills) but South Hills Village mall is the easiest mall to access for city residents. The East Busway to downtown and the T to the South Hills is a pleasant ride. The T and the P1 run often and there is little to no need for pre planning. We also take the T to the Southside and walk the entire stretch to the Southside Works. Carson Street has several new interesting retail options. The new barbershops both black and white are nice additions as well. Both kids attend school in East Liberty and both kids know how to either walk or take the bus to Walnut Street in Shadyside. My daughter loves the American Apparel and Ten Toes shoe stores. Next I will show them how to explore Squirrel Hill by bus.

[SteelCityRising]

Some of us living IN the city have a suburban mindset to a degree, too, to be fair. For example, we just drove to Bloomfield and back to do laundry because we didn't want to walk/bike over a mile each way, nor did we want to pay for Uber/Lyft or take the bus where strangers would be up close and personal with our undies. When we go to Target in East Liberty we drive there. Same if we go to the nearest Starbucks in the hotel at Baum & Liberty---no interest in walking that far for coffee along Baum (unpleasant).

There are some things we love walking to. We love walking to the Strip to buy pastries, cheap produce, and other random things. We're exploring walking to Butler Street at some point soon for a "date night" to see a movie at the Row House Cinema and dinner somewhere nearby. Maybe bowling, too.

For any regular errands that require lugging heavy items around, though? Why not just use the car? Yes, even if you live IN the city. Pittsburgh isn't dense and compact like many other cities. We're relatively sprawling and low-density. We were just in Manhattan and were amazed how quickly we walked from Penn Station (Midtown West?) to Bleecker Street (Greenwich Village) for breakfast at Bantam Bagels via Chelsea. We traversed several other neighborhoods in under an hour on foot. We could easily live in an apartment there and walk to anything and everything in under a half-hour. That's not the case in Pittsburgh unless you're wealthy enough to live in the trendy denser areas or poor enough to have taxpayers pay for you to live in the trendy denser areas.