What are Pittsburgh's peer cities? (York, Duquesne: cheap house, wages, tax)

[antinimby]

^ St. Louis was the "gateway to the west." Settlers stopped off there before moving west. It was the last bit of civilization before the wilderness.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by antinimby

^ St. Louis was the "gateway to the west." Settlers stopped off there before moving west. It was the last bit of civilization before the wilderness.

Pittsburgh is also considered the "Gateway to the West". There seem to be a lot of gateways.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Pittsburgh is also considered the "Gateway to the West". There seem to be a lot of gateways.

The "West" meant different things at different times.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

The "West" meant different things at different times.

Really?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_to_the_West
"The nickname of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Oklahoma (particularly Tulsa)
The nickname of the city of Fargo, North Dakota
The nickname of the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana
The nickname of the city of Omaha, Nebraska
The nickname of the city of St. Louis, Missouri and its Gateway Arch
One of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's nicknames (see History of Pittsburgh article)
The nickname for the mountain formation known as Cumberland Gap"

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Really?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_to_the_West
"The nickname of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Oklahoma (particularly Tulsa)
The nickname of the city of Fargo, North Dakota
The nickname of the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana
The nickname of the city of Omaha, Nebraska
The nickname of the city of St. Louis, Missouri and its Gateway Arch
One of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's nicknames (see History of Pittsburgh article)
The nickname for the mountain formation known as Cumberland Gap"

As the population moved westward, so did the "gateways". Pittsburgh served that role for about a decade and a half or so. People on their way to Ohio traveled light overland to Pittsburgh, then loaded up on needed supplies and headed to their destination down the Ohio. As Ohio was settled, and Cincy became established, it didn't make sense for folks headed to Indiana, Kentucky, and points west to load up in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh became a rest stop on the way to Cincy or Louisville, the new gateways, which in turn were replaced by St. Louis as the population moved into the real west. For folks coming from New England, and NY, Buffalo was the gateway to the west.


https://www.google.com/search?q=Gate...e+West+buffalo

For what it's worth, while many places claim that title, St. Louis is unquestionably the place most associate it with.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

As the population moved westward, so did the "gateways". Pittsburgh served that role for about a decade and a half or so. People on their way to Ohio traveled light overland to Pittsburgh, then loaded up on needed supplies and headed to their destination down the Ohio. As Ohio was settled, and Cincy became established, it didn't make sense for folks headed to Indiana, Kentucky, and points west to load up in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh became a rest stop on the way to Cincy or Louisville, the new gateways, which in turn were replaced by St. Louis as the population moved into the real west. For folks coming from New England, and NY, Buffalo was the gateway to the west.


https://www.google.com/search?q=Gate...e+West+buffalo

For what it's worth, while many places claim that title, St. Louis is unquestionably the place most associate it with.

Well, yeah, because they have that arch! That's what the association is. Pittsburgh has Gateway Center, but that's more locally known. Omaha has the Lewis and Clark landing park, but I don't think the word "Gateway" is used in it. I have no clue about Fargo, never been there. DH likes to say "Fargo is pretty far-gone".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Landing

[gg]

After reading this thread, it occurred to me. Pittsburgh is ONE of a kind. We are number one for a reason. We top the chart across the board. Peer? HA! Great city, great arts, great food, great brewpubs and great sports. Not to mention all seasons represented. We have it all and not only on a national level, but a WORLD level.

[PreservationPioneer]

Eras of growth are important. You will find both Cincy and Pgh on the 1810 census among the largest cities in the country (also York and Lancaster!). Buffalo and St. Louis don't make the grade until later in the 19th c. I just think it is fairly important that Pittsburgh (and Allegheny) was a prominent city decades before so many other "peer cities" came on the scene. Pennsylvania is a historically valuable state.

It really puts things in perspective when you realize that York and Lancaster were major cities before Cleveland and Buffalo were on the radar.

I think St. Louis genuinely is a peer city. It has to do with the river city feel, the mid 19th c. era of growth, the Victorian vernacular. The Lake Cities are really not very similar. Buffalo has the Victorians, but the layout, vernacular architecture, and vibe of the city is in stark contrast. I have spent much time in Cleveland and, aside from population size, I never found that city to have any kind of similarity to Pittsburgh. You could fall asleep in Pittsburgh, wake up in Cincy, and feel that you were in a parallel universe! Except that in Cincy, you would actually find downtown retail.

Another note: St. Louis, Cincy, and Pgh were all historically significant cities gutted by mid-century urban renewal blunders, with highways carved through their urban neighborhoods. Not that this is unique, but they all have that typical highway strangling the downtown effect.

[_OT]

Noticed people choose a criteria based on what benefits their own respective city.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Eras of growth are important. You will find both Cincy and Pgh on the 1810 census among the largest cities in the country (also York and Lancaster!). Buffalo and St. Louis don't make the grade until later in the 19th c. I just think it is fairly important that Pittsburgh (and Allegheny) was a prominent city decades before so many other "peer cities" came on the scene. Pennsylvania is a historically valuable state.

It really puts things in perspective when you realize that York and Lancaster were major cities before Cleveland and Buffalo were on the radar.

I think St. Louis genuinely is a peer city. It has to do with the river city feel, the mid 19th c. era of growth, the Victorian vernacular. The Lake Cities are really not very similar. Buffalo has the Victorians, but the layout, vernacular architecture, and vibe of the city is in stark contrast. I have spent much time in Cleveland and, aside from population size, I never found that city to have any kind of similarity to Pittsburgh. You could fall asleep in Pittsburgh, wake up in Cincy, and feel that you were in a parallel universe! Except that in Cincy, you would actually find downtown retail.

Another note: St. Louis, Cincy, and Pgh were all historically significant cities gutted by mid-century urban renewal blunders, with highways carved through their urban neighborhoods. Not that this is unique, but they all have that typical highway strangling the downtown effect.

Cincy looks like Pittsburgh, but to me, the people don't strike me as being anything like Pittsburghers. Clevelanders, and Baltimoreans do remind me of Pittsburghers. The Mapplethorpe controversy would never have happened here.