Types Of Areas In Pittsburgh (Allentown, Penn Hills: middle-class, section 8, apartments)

[NopeSociety]

I have seen more and more threads asking about the types of areas they are moving into. Well as a resident of Pittsburgh myself and I am very familiar with the entire city. So hopefully this help a lot of people moving in or just wondering where to go/stay away. Most people are worried about getting into riff raff and depressed areas. So I will mostly go over those areas and what they are like. All cities have their problems. So I hope this gives you a good idea of what you are moving into when coming here.

First I'll start with the east side of Pittsburgh. A primarily depressed area that has a dominating drug market. The drug lords run the streets around the more gang ridden areas. Recently a cop got busted because he was being paid under the table by a gang. Shadyside has it's roots ground in to Pittsburgh, as the nicest inner city area around Allegheny county. I don't know much about the schools but I can say a few around the east have been closed down.

Homewood - Probably the worst and roughest area of Pittsburgh. You have a better chance scoring an 8 ball then you do finding somebody who has a job. The crack/cocaine market is completely dominated on the east side of Pittsburgh. So Pittsburgh East is a bad area as a whole.

East Liberty - Basically the same as Homewood just with less stores, markets, gas stations, etc. A relatively dead area.

Lincoln - East side of Pittsburgh. Nothing else to expect. Pretty depressed area.

Hill District/Oakland - This is a cheap living area filled with mostly college kids and prostitutes. You won't have to worry about crack houses as you will frat houses, and drunk college kids. Young people would find a great home in Oakland.

Shadyside - Probably the least shady area of east Pittsburgh. The houses might be old, but they are well maintained and owned by extremely wealthy people. Shadyside academy is a very good school. But as the area maintains it's reputation, it isn't cheap at all. It's a well maintained older area of Pittsburgh unlike it's surrounding neighbors.

Wilkinsburg/Edgewood/Swissvale - Not as bad as some of the areas closer to the city. But still isn't the best. Swissvale is relatively okay but has the same problem the others have. A dominating crack/cocaine market and gangs becoming more and more of a problem. But better maintained then the rest.

McKeesport - It is it's own city. But still well considered a suburb of Pittsburgh. A completely dead area and a lonely main street. Has very few things to offer including jobs.

Homestead/Munhall - See the true downfall of Pittsburgh as some of the last standing big business warehouses are still in these areas. A once rich area is now a dead boarded up area. Many old mill workers and WHEMCO workers still live in this area. Making this area primarily senior citizens. But the younger population is mostly black/hispanic.

The South Side. Where I personally live and know the most about. The only thing that rules the streets here is marijuana, and illegal distribution of alcohol. But there are some ups. As well as some downs. And for people moving in, the south is easily where everything is. Some schools are okay and some aren't. I will comment when necessary.

South Side Flats - A very nice area and well maintained over the years. One of the oldest areas of Pittsburgh is still looking great after all these years. The houses are sometimes a little on the grown over side. The exteriors aren't always the best. But the insides are lovely and are unforgettable.

South Side Slopes - Well the depressed people have to go somewhere. The slopes are EXTREMELY HILLY. And the bus route through the slopes has recently been removed. As of those two things, people are not really drawn to this area of the south side. And on top of the hills there are a few projects and homeless shelters. Not really riddled with crime. Just depressed.

Mt Washington - If you are on the side that faces the city. It can be the most beautiful area in Pittsburgh. With a unsurpassed view of the point and the city skyline, the cost of living is very high. Though, the back side isn't as pretty. In fact it starts to look crappy. A nice area to an extent. The schools are okay. Nothing terrible, nothing extraordinary.

Beechview - An area that has seen better days. The school is average and most of the people here are old. Not really much to worry about unless you have a fear of being beaten with a cane or something.

Allentown/Beltzhoover - There is only a few things to say about these areas. Dead, over grown, uninhabitable. Those are probably a few things you will hear about these 2 areas. Allentown has much more people in it though. But still very dead. Beltzhoover is almost a complete ghost town. The main street doesn't look like anybody has been on it in years. Most houses you can't even enter because bushes and trees have overgrown the entrances. Also meaning that nobody lives in them. You don't have a neighbor in Beltzhoover. You have an empty house, an uninhabitable one where a million rats live, another abandoned house. And then a neighbor. Within the next 10 - 15 years, Beltzhoover will be completely deserted.

Mt. Oliver/Knoxville - This area is the opposite of Beltzhoover. It is thriving with life. But the wrong life. I currently live in Knoxville, and sometimes when a group of hooded people walk towards you and you have to reach for some sort of weapon because you don't know what to expect. Not my idea of easy living. The center piece is Brownsville Rd, everything and everyone coincides there. There are very aggressive people in this area, not one but two occasions happened where my buddy got mugged outside the police station. The aggressive people DO NOT care about their welfare or the next guys. I eventually thought that they would all get arrested but there's just so much that goes on up here that you can't stop everything.

Bon Air - An actually relatively nice area. Newer houses in some spots and well maintained older ones on other streets. School district is again okay.

Carrick - An area completely overrun with drugs. Everybody and their mother has put a flame under the spoon before. The school is notably bad and has had drug related shootings on the school property. The area's teenagers and young adults are well known for working closely with the people of the Keystone Oaks district.

Baldwin/Whitehall - A very nice area trapped within a bunch of lower areas. One of the nicest areas on the South Side and has probably the most academic achieving school district on this side of Pittsburgh. Well maintained and strict police offer a very nice and secure way of life in Baldwin/Whitehall.

Brentwood - Often called the golden ass hole of Baldwin. Brentwood is another relatively nice area but is only 2 miles across. Small area having hardly 150 kids per graduating class. Has a very nice shopping area.

Castle Shannon - Becoming the "community to watch". The area has been on a financial downfall since early 2007. Ever since then the property value has been decreasing and more low standard living people have moved in. In 2005, police made a total of 157 arrests for the entire year. That's EXTREMELY good. Last year, the total amount of people arrested was almost 1000. A note taken about these arrests is that a large majority were for marijuana possesion/intent to sell. This information lead police to believe that there are some big cultivators living in the area. I know a few people who have kids in the school district, which is Keystone Oaks. The school has come close to being closed down, and have managed some of the lowest test scores in all of Pittsburgh. Me as an adult is usually pretty lax about the whole smoking weed thing. But KO has kids smoking like chimneys in 7th grade. Which is quite out of line. The police also do not care about street crimes and bar fights. They care about making money and nailing people for basic traffic offenses. If you would happen to drive through CS, DRIVE WITH GREAT AMOUNTS OF CARE!!!!

Dormont - A side district of Keystone Oaks and well connected to Castle Shannon. This area maintains a very depressing city feel and a very low standard of living. There are a few nice streets here and there. But in all honesty, I've driven through, and it doesn't look like what you would expect.

Mt. Lebanon - It's the Shadyside of the south side. Trapped within relatively low standard areas. Mt Lebanon is an area extremely well maintained and loaded with wealthy people. The main street which is Washington Road has plenty of shops and restaurants to make anybody busy on the loneliest of nights. They have a very large and strict police force, making for the nicest area on the south side.

Green Tree - An area that has one side built up, and the other side almost as nice. One of the last remaining middle class areas in Pittsburgh. Green Tree is a very nice area offering housing for middle class and upper class. Very nice sidewalks and a very busy road going down the middle.


There isn't much to say about the north side. Relatively nice areas for middle class people. Unless you are going to live in Northshore then you honestly have nothing to worry about. And the north is covered by only about 3 or 4 school districts. So not much on that.

The west side of Pittsburgh only really has one area that is bad. McKees Rocks is an area that is very dead and very overgrown.

Once you are in areas that are further out of the city, they are almost all guaranteed to be upper class living. Upper Saint Clair is the weatlhiest area in Pittsburgh, Bethel Park and South Park are also very nice areas to live in. Basically if you are moving to Pittsburgh and want to stay away from Riff Raff, your best bet would be one of the wealthier areas like Mt Lebanon or Shadyside. Or Bethel and South Park. All of them have transportation into the city and have very nice school districts. Pittsburgh has all different kinds of people and has it's low lying areas just like every other city. I prefer a city lifestyle because I do not own a car. As rough as it gets, the grocery store is nearby and my job is equally as close. If you are looking to just get by in this city, then searching for an area shouldn't be of great difficulty.

[Uptown kid]

I wonder is this post is a product of a very eager new member tring to get a liltle recognition (noting wrong with that), a person who doesnt care about recognition, but typical ignorant Pittsburgher (noting wrong with that), or a very complex-minded Internet Troll??? Not tring to be pompous, but heck I'll beg to differ on some of the views of the OP's!

You're describing the East Side of Detriot and Southside of Chicago... Even though I try to paint a picture on how fierce our "hoods" are, I even understand that not too many male residents are hoodlums or females prostitudes. Though like the OP posted there is a bad riff-raff problem in some poor areas.
Gangs HERE are really sets, and they are made of 10-40 members on the streets. Example: In Homewood there are over 100 cripz, but they're divided by turf/region and DON'T get a long.
True in drug market of the Gang Affiliated East End/Hill District there may be around 20-60 "trap houses"= crack houses, but it ain't that bad compared to Compton!!! Here the gang leaders who were kingpins/notorious drug lords were only really around for the GANG WARS/CRACK EPIDEMIC of the 90's... Although, its probable that the most wealthy/highest paid source of income of young men in the rough hoods is "hustle money"... Thousands of $$$ goes through the hands of gang members via: hitmen style shootings, drug dealing/trafficking, pimpin', car jacking, robberies/burglaries/home invasions, gangsta rap, or dog/fights.

BTW, what on Earth do YOU call the "East Side"??? I think that you mean PARTS OF THE EAST END... Just wondering? Very true that: Garfield, East Liberty, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington, Homewood, and the East Hills are several deep-seeded gang neighborhoods in a row, but as mentioned Shadyside is there too. Have you forgot: Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Highland Park, Bloomfield, Freindship, and Shiwshelm Park the safe, highly recommend neighborhoods in the area...
Agian, beg to differ on: the Hill Distrct is 360* differnt then Oakland... East Liberty is going through some major changes, and Garfield is no longer 90-100% slums either. Edgewood has no bad part and is differnt than Swissvale. Swissvale, can't be lumped with Wilkinsburg since it has a stable & a declining part, while Wilkinsburg has gang-ridden parts, improving parts, and stable parts...
The OP says "The Northside is pretty much middle-class" although, I think it's pretty diverse??? The Northview Heights/Allegheny Dwellings housing projects have a different class as the people from Summer Hill/Perry North/Brighton Heights... The people from: West Dutchtown/Allegheny West/Mexican War Streets/Lower Manchester/Fineview have it a litle different from people from: Upper Manchester/California-Kirkbride/Perry South/Marshall-Shadeland/Central Northside; and in turn they have it different then the people from: Spring Hill/Troy Hill/Spring Garden/East Dutchtown... Same thing with the West End... The people from Crafton/Ingram live in a different social economic-class from Fairywood/Esplen/McKees Rocks.
You pretty much nailed the Southside, but the suburbs that you mentioned don't seem to be as undesirable as you portrayed them as.

If any is wondering Here's a list of neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas to avoid living in or traveling through because of gang related/drug related crime. *Note the main business streets/avenues are often safe*

Very, Very Bad! High element of deep seeded gang activity which is present to everyone in Pittsburgh. Gang violence plauges the community, and shapes the residents way of live, so innocent are more than fare game...
Best to avoid walking even during the day, NEVER TRAVEL ALONE OR IN A SMALL GROUP @ NIGHT [AVOID @ night even in a car]:
Homewood South
Homewood North (especially Molher Projects)
Homewood West
Terrace Village (especially Elmore Square & Bently Drive)
Bedford Dwellings (especially Chauncey Drive)
Middle Hill
East Hills [especially East Hills, Wilner & Park Hill Drive(s)]
Northview Heights
Larimer
Parts of Wilkinsburg, PA (Central Wilkinsburg= Franklin, Park Tringle, Hunter Park, the High school area, Hamlet Place, Princeton Park, Upper Central & Singer Place)
Most of Duquense, PA (south of train tracks/Parkview Estates)
Most of McKeesport, PA (central mainland area=west of Grandview Avenue)
Beltzhoover
Knoxville (especially Upper Knoxville)
Mt. Oliver, PA (Mt Oliver Borough)

Very bad! Avoid walking during day if possible... High elements of gang activity... Shapes local's way of life, so innocent are more than fare game... NEVER WALK OR IN A SMALL GROUP @ NIGHT:
Garfield (Broad Street and up)
Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar (especially Lower Lincoln)
Parts of Penn Hills, PA [west of Coal Hollow Road/Solter Townhomes/Leecburg Gardens & Hulton Arbors Apartment(s)]
Most of Hazelwood (south of Hazelwood & Flowers Avenues)
Most of Homestead, PA (all but a few small safe quiet pockets)
Part of Fineview (only Allegheny Dwellings Projects)
Most of Clairton, PA (east of 6th Street-east of Vankirk Alley/Soltis Drive Projects)
Part of West Mifflin, PA (only Monview Estates)
St Clair Vilage (what's left)
Arlington Heights (what's left)
Most of Arlington (all but a few small safe quiet pockets)
Allentown
Mt. Oliver (city neighborhood)
Crawford Roberts Hill (mainly Reed Roberts, but Crawford Square excluded)
Glen Hazel

Bad, yet not that bad in comparison... Elements of gang activity mainly present to residents [yet usually only effects the dealers and users]... NEVER WALK ALONE OR IN A SMALL GROUP @ night) :
Part of Manchester (Upper Manchester)
Californa-Kirkbride
Most of Perry South (all but a few small safe quiet pockets)
Most of Marshall-Shadeland (south of Young Park)
Parts of East Liberty (north of East Liberty Boulevard/Penn Plaza Apartments/housing projects)
Part of Swissvale, PA [south of McLure & Columbia Avenue(s)]
Part of North Braddock, PA (south of Braddock & Monongalhela Cemeteries)
Most of Carrick (west of Brownsville Road-north of Agnew Avenue)
Part of Sheraden (east of Sheraden park-west of Narcissus Avenue)
Part of Crafton Heights (only the Greenway Projects)
Fairywood (Emerald Gardens excluded)
Most of Braddock, PA (north of Braddock Avenue)
Rankin, PA (especially Hawkins Village)
Parts of McKees Rocks, PA (Third Street Park-Broadway Street area/housing projects)

Edgy... Lower elements of gang activity that typically effects the dealers and users involved... NEVER WALK ALONE @ night:
Most of Upper Larwanceville (south of 54th Street)
Part of South Oakland (south of the Boulevard of the Allies)
Part of Central Northside (north of Jacksonia Street)
Part of East Allegheny (only East Dutchtown)
Parts of North Versailles, PA (Crestas Terrace/Rolling Woods Drive, Cliffview Gardens, & Eastland Apartments)
Part of Baldwin, PA (only Leland Pointe Apartments)
Most of West Oakland (west of Robinson Street)
Smidgen of West Homestead, PA (area adjacent to Homestead)

-------------------------------------------------------------
Here's my list of safe but not too safe neighborhoods.
What one would call "iffy"... Groups of D-boys & other unsavory characters patrol the area mainly @ night, [yet violence rarely occurs and often pertains to the dealers and users]. Don't travel alone at night!:
Part of Highland Park
Part of Elliot
Part of Mt. Washington
Part of Overbrook, PA
Chartiers City
Part of Spring Garden
Part of Brighton Heights
Part of Central Larwanceville
Blocks of North Craig Street, Oakland
Bars on the Southside (Southside Flats)
Part of Coraopolis, PA
Part of East Pittsburgh, PA
Part of Bluff
Part of Troy Hill

Declining white neighborhoods with notable "section 8 trash" =*note NOT all section 8 recipients/residents are trash, just the few unsavory people are!!!:
Glassport, PA
Part of Brentwood, PA
Sharpsburgh, PA
Part of Verona, PA
Most of Pitcairn, PA
Dravsburg, PA
Part of Munhall, PA

[stburr91]

Originally Posted by NopeSociety

Shadyside - Probably the least shady area of east Pittsburgh. The houses might be old, but they are well maintained and owned by extremely wealthy people. Shadyside academy is a very good school. But as the area maintains it's reputation, it isn't cheap at all. It's a well maintained older area of Pittsburgh unlike it's surrounding neighbors.

There is a fair amount of crime in Shadyside, just not the serious stuff that makes headlines.

Swisshelm Park is the least shady/has the lowest crime rate in the city.

Originally Posted by NopeSociety

Wilkinsburg/Edgewood/Swissvale - Not as bad as some of the areas closer to the city. But still isn't the best. Swissvale is relatively okay but has the same problem the others have. A dominating crack/cocaine market and gangs becoming more and more of a problem. But better maintained then the rest.

Edgewood shouldn't be lumped in with those two. Edgewood is a middle/upper middle class area, and has avoided the decline that both Wilkinsburg and Swissvale has seen.

Wilkinsburg has seen much decline, and has some very bad areas, but some parts are still very nice (Regent Square, Whitney Park, Blackridge). There are a lot of redevelopment efforts in Wilkinsburg, and I think it will start to see improvements in the coming years.

Swissvale has taken on a lot of the poverty that left Wilkinsburg over the years, and has seen some decline, but it too still has some nice areas (Regent Square, near Swisshelm Park, and on the hill near the Edgewood border).

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

If I hadn't left my passcard to get back into the building at home tonight I'd happily go for a walk out in Homewood tonight, just out of spite.

[Herodotus]

Most of what the OP posted is total BS!

[Uptown kid]

If you're a troll why make such a long/time-consuming post??? Keep it simple & stupid next time buddy!!! Em em eph troll, and to think I waisted some of my 4th of July restbit time

[Yac]

I'd like to remind everyone that it's up to a mod to decide whether someone is a troll or not, having an unpopular opinion does not always equal trolling. So let's focus on proving the op wrong if he is wrong, rather than making personal attacks
Yac.

[Love2Golf09]

I think the OP gave people like myself a lot of new info. For example, I had no idea that Homestead and Munhall are full of Hispanics. They must hide when I'm around. I had no idea that Mt.Lebo is now part of the south side. Boy Mayor's stealth annexation of the suburbs is working. Soon Mt. Lebo will have $5,000 trash cans everywhere with "Re-elect Lukey" written on them in solid gold lettering.

I also wasn't aware that Keystone Oaks is one of the worst districts around and Castle Shannon is a warzone. I drive down 88 a lot and, by the grace of God, have yet to be carjacked, shot, or kidnapped and sold into sex slavery. It was nice to see the OP point out some of the more desirable areas, like Brentwood and South Park. Apparently, that be where the rich, white folk live.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by Love2Golf09

I think the OP gave people like myself a lot of new info. For example, I had no idea that Homestead and Munhall are full of Hispanics. They must hide when I'm around. I had no idea that Mt.Lebo is now part of the south side. Boy Mayor's stealth annexation of the suburbs is working. Soon Mt. Lebo will have $5,000 trash cans everywhere with "Re-elect Lukey" written on them in solid gold lettering.

I also wasn't aware that Keystone Oaks is one of the worst districts around and Castle Shannon is a warzone. I drive down 88 a lot and, by the grace of God, have yet to be carjacked, shot, or kidnapped and sold into sex slavery. It was nice to see the OP point out some of the more desirable areas, like Brentwood and South Park. Apparently, that be where the rich, white folk live.

I was also shocked to discover that Homewood was full of businesses, while East Liberty had none. This is especially surprising, considering that no one in Homewood has a job. I also didn't know that everyone on the Hill was either a student, or a prostitute. Are the men who aren't in school prostitutes too?

[gg]

Don't know about it being a troll. Pretty long post and just an opinion. Not a big deal. The poster's ID is "nopesociety", which tells me they are happiest living as a negative person. Lots of people like that out there and it isn't some big deal, just negative. The live mainly to bring down others and enjoy it. I believe they feel their post is accurate and to them it may very well be. Some people will view the areas very differently. Who cares?