Possibly moving from Pittsburgh, What do you Love/Hate about the Burgh? (Liberty: new home, neighborhoods)

[gbucci24]

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.

[dbsteel]

I have nothing bad to say about Pittsburgh (heck I don't even find it that gloomy) as I moved here to be closer to family a couple years ago after being in Texas. But I'd give it some serious thought. Raleigh is nice (love NC), you get a nice raise, and its still close enough where you aren't too far away from family.

Sometimes in life a change is exciting and you can always move back in time. I bounced around awhile, and now I'm back in PA.

[youngabe]

Originally Posted by dbsteel

I have nothing bad to say about Pittsburgh (heck I don't even find it that gloomy) as I moved here to be closer to family a couple years ago after being in Texas. But I'd give it some serious thought. Raleigh is nice (love NC), you get a nice raise, and its still close enough where you aren't too far away from family.

Sometimes in life a change is exciting and you can always move back in time. I bounced around awhile, and now I'm back in PA.

This is a perfect example of individual tastes make a city right or wrong for a person. I personally don't like Raleigh. I have friends that live there. Yes, everything is generally "new" feeling. The roads are fantastic, getting around is a breeze. However, in my opinion, it lacks character. The OP says that everything is "old" in Pittsburgh. Yes, and that's what makes Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh. Raleigh, to me, is like Cranberry Township expanded by 30. Personally, I like "old" things with history, stories, and grit. For me, it gives a place identity. Nothing in Raleigh made me go, "Wow, I know I'm Raleigh, because..." No thanks. But again, that's for me personally. If a person enjoys places like Cranberry Township and what those places have to offer, then yes, Raleigh would be a good fit.

Side note - I LOVE Wilmington, NC. What a cool town. Old buildings, most of which are restored with awesome character.

[gbucci24]

Originally Posted by youngabe

This is a perfect example of individual tastes make a city right or wrong for a person. I personally don't like Raleigh. I have friends that live there. Yes, everything is generally "new" feeling. The roads are fantastic, getting around is a breeze. However, in my opinion, it lacks character. The OP says that everything is "old" in Pittsburgh. Yes, and that's what makes Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh. Raleigh, to me, is like Cranberry Township expanded by 30. Personally, I like "old" things with history, stories, and grit. For me, it gives a place identity. Nothing in Raleigh made me go, "Wow, I know I'm Raleigh, because..." No thanks. But again, that's for me personally. If a person enjoys places like Cranberry Township and what those places have to offer, then yes, Raleigh would be a good fit.

Side note - I LOVE Wilmington, NC. What a cool town. Old buildings, most of which are restored with awesome character.

See thats the thing, I like "character" as well and I understand a lot of newer things lack that. However when I drive around Pittsburgh, or a lot of the neighborhoods, it is kind of depressing to see old rundown buildings, old homes, virtually no new home construction, no new buildings. I understand they are starting to re purpose a lot around the city and within it, I think a new high rise is going in downtown and a lot more restaurants and bars are locating it down there to make it move vibrant as well. However, I'm younger and never really have been a "character" or architectural guy, I like old things, they dont make things the way they used to, but old buildings is not one of them.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by gbucci24

I have a decent job and have lived in Pittsburgh my whole life.

That's the problem.
Leave, and see that the grass usually is not greener somewhere else. Every area has its problems!

Oh... and it's BETHEL Park

[youngabe]

Originally Posted by gbucci24

See thats the thing, I like "character" as well and I understand a lot of newer things lack that. However when I drive around Pittsburgh, or a lot of the neighborhoods, it is kind of depressing to see old rundown buildings, old homes, virtually no new home construction, no new buildings. I understand they are starting to re purpose a lot around the city and within it, I think a new high rise is going in downtown and a lot more restaurants and bars are locating it down there to make it move vibrant as well. However, I'm younger and never really have been a "character" or architectural guy, I like old things, they dont make things the way they used to, but old buildings is not one of them.

There is still indeed a lot of blight and a lot of progress to be made - I'll give you that much. Boston has much older architecture than we do, but in my opinion, there's a lot less blight in the city limits of Boston versus Pittsburgh.

I guess I look at a lot of Pittsburgh as a blank canvas. The blighted areas we agree on can absolutely be something beautiful. Sadly, that just takes a lot of time, energy, and $$$!

[bluecarebear]

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.

67K in Raleigh is not a whole lot. The culture of the South is totally different than Pittsburgh. In the big cities, that is nothing.

[Moby Hick]

I lived in the Research Triangle area before moving here. I did make more money for the same type of work/hours. Plus, I had a really nice office.

However, the weather down there was not something I could tolerate. I still have allergy issues here, but the down there I was barely able to move for a week or more of each spring. And the heat in the summer was not something I'd willingly live with.

[bradjl2009]

1. You're complaining about a lack of jobs that pay at least 75k when the job you may take doesn't even pay that much.
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.
3. So you'd rather have sprawl and not what's going on now in places like the Strip and East Liberty?

[jea6321]

I guess its just the perspective of the person, but all I see is new construction and renovation projects everywhere I go in Pittsburgh. Sure there are still lots of older homes that could be fixed up, but the amount of investment going on around the city is staggering and not something that has been seen around here for probably 50+ years.

For the OP, it seems like you need to get away. You may love it down south or you may come to find that Pittsburgh was actually a better fit, but you will never know until you leave for a while.