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It's not like I didn't realize these places were "popular". But "cool" is a different phenomena altogether. "Cool" was Portland, Austin, Seattle, San Fran, Brooklyn, Denver...
This. Atlanta might be on the list, but Phoenix never had any cool to speak of, and was the poster child for everything wrong with suburbia. Charlotte and Dallas had jobs, but you didn't move there for the cool factor.
It's not like I didn't realize these places were "popular". But "cool" is a different phenomena altogether. "Cool" was Portland, Austin, Seattle, San Fran, Brooklyn, Denver...
This. Except for Denver. Because I know someone who lives there.
It's not like I didn't realize these places were "popular". But "cool" is a different phenomena altogether. "Cool" was Portland, Austin, Seattle, San Fran, Brooklyn, Denver...
Like Crazia said, maybe in the last ten years this is the popular thought. There was indeed a notion from say 1995-2000 or so on forums such as these that the Sun Belt cities were the coolest and the northern and northeast cities were less so. This idea tended to come from younger posters, maybe still in college or just out, who probably never lived anywhere other than their hometown and where they went to college. They may have visited one of those Sun Belt cities in the winter and contrasted it a city like Pittsburgh, which is quite gritty during the winter months. All that they saw is what was in front of them, which was mostly new and sterile. They intended to equate this with a high quality of life, all the while not realizing that much of what Pittsburgh had built over the decades simply was not achievable for those cities. Of course, I am generalizing a bit. Some people like to zip around metros on flat and open highways fromm strip mall to strip mall in good fashion. I respect that. Many are realizing this leads to a Stepford wive lifestyle and are looking to move back to the city where there is more charm, character etc.
For one I don't think the Northeast ever really became "less popular" specifically in DC, NYC, Philly, Boston and some other places. Generally speaking cities in Sunbelt offered assets those cities were missing which was low cost of living, nice weather and unique geography. When I say geography I mean I couldn't tell how many outdoor enthusiast go on and on about how Denver is such outdoorsmen mecca with countless opportunities to explore. Of course every place has its natural beauty but on this forum people seem obsessed with a place having beach, mountain or some other unique feature.
Second you guys have to understand how attitudes vary across regions. Reading the Phoenix forum people are perfectly fine living in the Suburbs or buying new rather than old which might come as shock to some on here. However they also criticize the city for not embracing more urbanity like other cities have. What I'm trying to say is that one size does not fit all. It takes a combination of things to make a city attractive and with Pittsburgh it already has the charm and character, low cost of living as well as some natural beauty it just needs to working on advertising its assets. It doesn't matter if you consider Atlanta cool or hip it still attracts tons of transplants looking for a change in addition to offering some of things I mentioned earlier like low cost of living.
For one I don't think the Northeast ever really became "less popular" specifically in DC, NYC, Philly, Boston and some other places. Generally speaking cities in Sunbelt offered assets those cities were missing which was low cost of living, nice weather and unique geography. When I say geography I mean I couldn't tell how many outdoor enthusiast go on and on about how Denver is such outdoorsmen mecca with countless opportunities to explore. Of course every place has its natural beauty but on this forum people seem obsessed with a place having beach, mountain or some other unique feature.
Second you guys have to understand how attitudes vary across regions. Reading the Phoenix forum people are perfectly fine living in the Suburbs or buying new rather than old which might come as shock to some on here. However they also criticize the city for not embracing more urbanity like other cities have. What I'm trying to say is that one size does not fit all. It takes a combination of things to make a city attractive and with Pittsburgh it already has the charm and character, low cost of living as well as some natural beauty it just needs to working on advertising its assets. It doesn't matter if you consider Atlanta cool or hip it still attracts tons of transplants looking for a change in addition to offering some of things I mentioned earlier like low cost of living.
"on this forum people seem obsessed with a place having beach, mountain or some other unique feature. "
Cite? I can't for the life of me recall anyone ever obsessing in this sub about having a beach, mountain or some other unique feature.
I have seen folks moving to Pgh from elsewhere asking about beaches, or river or lake fronts, or camping, but obsessing?
Im a younger guy, 29, I bought my own home last year in Bethel park by myself, I recently have a fiancee and she will be moving in with me in August. I have a decent job and have lived in Pittsburgh my whole life. I recently did some networking online and it let to an interview and a job offer in Raleigh, NC which we be opening in 5 months due to retirement. It is a 67k a year offer (12k more than I make now) and I have 30 days to accept or the offer goes away. I will be planning a trip down there at the end of the month to view the neighborhoods. After making a thread in that forum Ive learned a lot about the differences between there and here.
I just wanted to put a thread together to see if its really worth it and if I am missing something to help keep me tied down here besides my family.
Things I love about Pittsburgh:
-Its extremely affordable, I dont know many other places where I could find a home under $150k and it be updated with a great school district tied to. I own my own car, have a boat and still have money left over to go out to eat every now and then and thats not even with what my fincee's salary will bring to the table.
-I love going out on the rivers in summer!
-The Sports! I'm a huge Pens fan, but still can appreciate the Steelers and Pirates.
-There is a lot to do! between concerts, festivals, new restaraunts constantly popping up, new brewerys, boating, sking, sports events, golfing, ect. There is a ton to do in this city!
-Most importantly my family is here
Things I hate about Pittsburgh:
-The Weather! we get 50-70 days of sunshine a year! Im pretty sick of the gloominess and overcast even when its not raining, which it seems to do all the time as well.
-The roads! every road has some type of construction or detour and never gets fixed, when it does its even worse than before! Ive gone through 3 tires in 2 years because of pot holes!
-Pittsburgh is stuck back in the Steel Mill hay day. The "oh we are a blue collar steel town" phrase is a getting a bit old and so is that way of thinking. Its only holding this city back.
-Its old! The neighborhoods are old, the city in general is old, the bridges are falling apart, everywhere you look its too old and not enough new.
-Lack of high paying jobs, unless you are in finance, medical, or energy, have fun finding a job over 75k here with less than 10 yrs experience.
-Lack of expansion, the city cant expand and new construction cant, the mountains, hills, and rivers literally confine the city and its areas.
- The traffic! its horrible, the roads make no sense, it takes 45 mins to go 10 miles during morning and afternoon commutes.
Well thats all I have to say, I love living here and I do see Pittsburgh slowly trying to get out of its old ways and embrace progress, however, its been a good ride and maybe its time to try someplace new with better opportunity and less gloominess.
I've been spending a lot of time recently looking for a place in Florida as I will eventually be a snowbird. The lack of sunshine and weather is pretty lousy, especially if you're a boater. I can't disagree with most everything you've said. Tough to speak for someone else but sounds like a great opportunity and one I would take if in your position.
The comments the OP made about the traffic reminds me of some things I have learned about Pittsburgh from traveling.
1. People here complain WAY TOO MUCH about the traffic. Traffic and drivers can be MUCH worse in other cities.
2. People here DON'T COMPLAIN ENOUGH about public transportation. It sucks. Others cities have invested in this area for decades.
I think if people would travel further than western PA and Ocean City, MD, they would have a much better understanding of what this city could be like.
2. I am in the East End and it is certainly not stuck in the steel mill days. I don't get that vibe anywhere in the city limits really.
I can't agree with this. In the East End, sure. But in other parts inside and outside of the city limits, I think there is still plenty of that gritty 'bikers get off the road' mentality. This is slowly changing.
-Its extremely affordable, I dont know many other places where I could find a home under $150k and it be updated with a great school district tied to. I own my own car, have a boat and still have money left over to go out to eat every now and then and thats not even with what my fincee's salary will bring to the table.
I doubt very seriously that you'll find a home with an updated interior for that price in what would be considered as even a good school district. Maybe if you move way out past the suburbs. Maybe if you get lucky, but the market isn't what it used to be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbucci24
-The Weather! we get 50-70 days of sunshine a year! Im pretty sick of the gloominess and overcast even when its not raining, which it seems to do all the time as well.
We get somewhere around 162 days that are sunny or partly sunny a year. It really isn't that bad. Likewise with the rain. I guess its relative to where you're moving from.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbucci24
-The roads! every road has some type of construction or detour and never gets fixed, when it does its even worse than before! Ive gone through 3 tires in 2 years because of pot holes!
Old city, cold winters, par for the course. I've never had to replace a tire from anything other than standard wear and tear in the 8 years I've lived here though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbucci24
-Pittsburgh is stuck back in the Steel Mill hay day. The "oh we are a blue collar steel town" phrase is a getting a bit old and so is that way of thinking. Its only holding this city back.
Not really. Pittsburghers like to pretend that they are blue collar, but their personal habits don't reflect that they actually are. There are working poor who actually are, and then a lot of middle/upper middle class who have someone else landscape their lawns or do any necessary work on their homes. The same as anywhere else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbucci24
-Its old! The neighborhoods are old, the city in general is old, the bridges are falling apart, everywhere you look its too old and not enough new.
Look in the suburbs then if that's your thing. Its an old city, with a lot of buildings with an elegance that cannot be replicated by modern construction because it would be too expensive to reproduce that kind of work. Newer isn't always better. Part of the city's charm is that it has structures that you can't find elsewhere in the country.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbucci24
-Lack of high paying jobs, unless you are in finance, medical, or energy, have fun finding a job over 75k here with less than 10 yrs experience.
I beg to differ. There's a lot more money to be made in the area than you are aware of.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbucci24
-Lack of expansion, the city cant expand and new construction cant, the mountains, hills, and rivers literally confine the city and its areas.
It seems like there's a fair amount of construction to improve the infrastructure with 376, 28, and 51. It also seems like there are a lot of people who are interested in finding solutions to our infrastructural problems. The topography is part of what makes the place unique. You have neighborhoods that develop their own identity because they have distinctive boundaries.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbucci24
- The traffic! its horrible, the roads make no sense, it takes 45 mins to go 10 miles during morning and afternoon commutes.
I have the same problem, but it could be worse. I find that I can get my commute time or stress significantly reduced by finding alternate routes via back roads.
I never understood the obsession with a city's growth rate somehow being an indicator of an outstanding quality-of-life. Nigeria also has a sky-high growth rate. So does Dhaka, Bangladesh. I'd take living in Pittsburgh, with its continuously-nosediving population, over either of those places anyday. Houston is growing as much as it is because the people moving there prefer quantity over quality. Who cares if the city sucks if you can buy twice the square footage for half the price and 1/3 the taxes? 'Murica!!!
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