Mandy's Pizza in Observatory Hill closing due to crime (Franklin Park: city hall, renting)

[norcider]

We used to ride our bikes to this store from the Pleasant Valley neighborhood. Pick up the pizza and take turns balancing it on our handlebars on the way back through Riverview's trail that runs parallel to 19, or down crazy Perrysville itself. More than once did we drop the pizza only to get it home looking like an exploded calzone, it was always so good no matter what it looked like. Later I worked here for a summer with the original owners making dough and grating cheese for the 4 or so stores they owned at the time. If I thought this place wasn't safe I wouldn't take my kids with me to pick up the food. Look close at the social media comments on this story, "When I use to live there... Glad I left when I did... The are wasn't like this when we lived there..." well DUH! You people left, you stopped supporting the business in he North Side! There was a drop in the population over the last 30 years or more. What do people think happens to a neighborhood after everybody leaves? I will miss Mandy's but I am not in that Steve guy's shoes.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by norcider

I understand but this section of Perrysville is nothing like those places you mention. Those places have other business', foot traffic, safety in numbers concept. Perrysville up there at night is a literal ghost town.

That's the catch 22. The business could secure the place like Ft Knox, install bullet proof glass and do all sorts of things. Probably prevent a lot of robberies, and other crimes. But that stuff is all very expensive, and who would want to drive out to Perrysville and dine there with that kind of atmosphere.


People looking to chill out for a dining experience are looking for a more open air kind of place- at least that's the common wisdom nowadays.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by lettert

What do you mean by the great inversion?

In nearly every city outside of the US, and Canada, the wealthy live in the inner city, while the poor are on the outskirts. Changes are underfoot that will eventually result in this same pattern becoming common in the US, rather than the reverse pattern that exists now.

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by Lobick

Is it the gentrification of the Northside that hurt their business or the crime? He seems to insinuate both.

This struck me as well, and I also agree 100% with the point made by norcider and others -- this is one of those areas that is safe, but also requires some commonsense precautions if a business is going to be open in the evening hours. I really hope this thread doesn't push people away from relocating to Observatory Hill and Perrysville in general, because it's a great neighborhood, and the only way it's going to get better is if more people come and start investing in it.

It pains me to see the owner's resentment towards E Ohio St and the North/Federal business district. I'm not wild about the presence of Pizza Hut, Subway, Starbucks, etc., but the truth is that you need a certain critical mass of businesses to make people want to live here and shop locally, and the big chains serve a purpose -- they have enough money to make it through a few lean years, and I would rather see ANY business come in and pay taxes and employ people than see a building sit empty. And if you look around, local businesses FAR outnumber chains on the Northside, at least everywhere except the North Shore, and I think it's going to stay that way.

The real point, though, is that I don't think these neighborhoods are in such direct competition with OH that the presence of a few little shops in the Lower Northside was really going to hurt Mandy's very much. The important thing is to have less blight in the Northside overall, so that more people feel safe here and decide to buy in to the community. The same thing with the perception that gentrification is going to mean less business for a local pizza shop -- I'm not convinced that the overall population of the area will decline in the long run (there are so many empty houses that need to be filled!), or that the "doctor and his wife and their statistical half a child" won't be buying plenty of pizza when that half-a-child has a birthday party. It's sad that Mandy's won't be here to serve them, but I think it's only a matter of time before other businesses sprout up near that intersection. I sure hope so, anyway.

[norcider]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

That's the catch 22. The business could secure the place like Ft Knox, install bullet proof glass and do all sorts of things. Probably prevent a lot of robberies, and other crimes. But that stuff is all very expensive, and who would want to drive out to Perrysville and dine there with that kind of atmosphere.


People looking to chill out for a dining experience are looking for a more open air kind of place- at least that's the common wisdom nowadays.

haha you don't go here for the atmosphere! It's got a few small booths, but the takeout is their business. Truly, I have a feeling he wanted out for some time now. The WV shop does good business and probably is safer and all. His rants against the cops and Peduto IMO are misplaced. Again, ZERO changes in the night routines after two robberies. I've had to holler, "hello" on many occasions to get somebody's attention, front door wide open. They had the best italian hoagies.

[CaptainPittsburgh]

Originally Posted by norcider

We used to ride our bikes to this store from the Pleasant Valley neighborhood. Pick up the pizza and take turns balancing it on our handlebars on the way back through Riverview's trail that runs parallel to 19, or down crazy Perrysville itself. More than once did we drop the pizza only to get it home looking like an exploded calzone, it was always so good no matter what it looked like.

You've just risen to Hero status in my book. I wouldn't even attempt to ride my bike down Perrysville with a pizza on the bars.

*slow clap*

[Sciulli]

Originally Posted by norcider

I've had to holler, "hello" on many occasions to get somebody's attention, front door wide open. They had the best italian hoagies.

haha yep, my one take out order I came in and was confused as there was no one there and I thought I stepped in the wrong building. I don't even remember there being any sit down booths, possibly they were already taking them out in anticipation of closing.

As far as the business district goes, apparently there's a restaurant/bar called Allegheny City Hot House and a coffee shop opening soon a little further up Perrysville.

[norcider]

Originally Posted by CaptainPittsburgh

You've just risen to Hero status in my book. I wouldn't even attempt to ride my bike down Perrysville with a pizza on the bars.

*slow clap*

Yeah, the guy who dropped it would be the focus of unwanted attention for the rest of the day. Those days were the halcyon days. Four kids scraping enough cash for a 12 cut with pepperoni, back to the house to fire up Atari 2600 on a cold winter day!

[CaptainPittsburgh]

I finally finished reading the letter. I'm getting an uncanny H_Curtis vibe from this thing.

Maybe I've said too much already...

[norcider]

Originally Posted by Sciulli

haha yep, my one take out order I came in and was confused as there was no one there and I thought I stepped in the wrong building. I don't even remember there being any sit down booths, possibly they were already taking them out in anticipation of closing.

As far as the business district goes, apparently there's a restaurant/bar called Allegheny City Hot House and a coffee shop opening soon a little further up Perrysville.

The strip there has lots of potential. Just takes the right somebody to realize it. There's a modern ad agency along there, the bakery does a killing, the pharmacy always looks busy. Another little pub with the right owners could really make a difference.