Suburb of the week: Carnegie (Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg: middle-class, 2014, crime)

[eschaton]

Carnegie is a relatively large borough located to the southwest of Pittsburgh. The borough was founded in 1894, and had its roots in coal mining and industry, as was the case for virtually all of the boroughs formed during that time period. It's especially well known for its well-preserved commercial core and the excellently preserved Carnegie Library & Music Hall.

Unlike a lot of boroughs, Carnegie is fairly large geographically (1.6 square miles) and has a number of different neighborhoods within its borders. The oldest neighborhoods are detached wood-framed housing - mostly of a very modest sort. Further neighborhoods out include streetcar-suburban bungalows and foursquares, mid-century ranch houses, and even a few modern townhouse complexes which were only built out in the last few years.

As noted, Carnegie's business district is one of the most notable examples of a thriving traditional urban business district in the suburbs. It's revival was partially spurred by the reconversion of E Main Street from a pedestrian mall into a full-service street, and kicked into high gear in 2014 or so. It has nearly everything you could want in a local business district, including a local coffeeshop, bars, restaurants, boutiques, and various neighborhood essentials.

I have found it curious, however, that despite the "gentrification" of Carnegie's business district there has been little in the way of residential spillover. You can still find homes only a handful of blocks away from the business district for under $100,000. I don't think crime is a big concern, because outside of Carnegie Towers, crime isn't especially bad in the borough. Schools may be a concern - Carlyton SD (shared with middle-class Crafton and upper-class Rosslyn Farms) isn't extremely poor performing, but due to its small student body and tax base, it lacks the resources of many larger districts. Much of the issue may come down to simply the housing stock quality not really being much to write home about, and being relatively far from the urban core from Pittsburgh. You do have "rapidish" transit via the terminus of the West Busway into Downtown, but given the West Busway doesn't actually go directly into Downtown it's not convenient in the same way that line is. In the end, it may be that Carnegie stabilizes mostly as a place that people from the South Hills and West End drive to in order to walk around, which isn't ideal, but is surely better than the alternatives.

[Forging Steel]

Originally Posted by eschaton

In the end, it may be that Carnegie stabilizes mostly as a place that people from the South Hills and West End drive to in order to walk around, which isn't ideal, but is surely better than the alternatives.

While that sounds romantic, having been a long time resident of this part of town and having known many people from adjacent areas (Bridgeville, Heidelberg, Nevilewood, South Fayette, Oakdale, McDonald) I don't know a single person who has ever driven to Carnegie to park and walk around its business district. Everyone I know would rather go to one of the various strip malls/big box stores along Washington Pike.

I consider Carnegie to be one of the most underrated places in the entire city, even if most of it is not even in the city proper. Everyone is so focused on the East End housing "crisis" and completely misses places like this that are just fine and Carnegie has the business district and the pretty good transit connection to boot (not to mention the Parkway).

I hope people continue ignoring these places outside the east end bubble...that way when I am ready to settle down and buy in 5 years, I can find a stable place like this with all of its amenities within my budget.

[guy2073]

My office was in Carnegie for years, there were alot of drunks and drug addicts in the business district that would cause problems. There were alot of small crimes and vandalism that would occur because of it. Carnegie seems to have started to control that problem, I don't know if it has to do with better tenant selection at the towers or there was a large flop house behind west main street that had burnt down displacing 20 people or maybe the flood had washed them away. Either way Carnegie has come along way in the last 5 years and should be on anyone's list of places to buy a home in the West.

[BMan_152]

Most definitely one of the most underrated suburbs of Pittsburgh!! Super convenient to everything

Just watch out for floods! Most of the town is a giant flood zone.

[gg]

Love that little Irish bar with live music. Carnegie seems like a pretty good little place.

[lprmesia]

Originally Posted by eschaton

You do have "rapidish" transit via the terminus of the West Busway into Downtown, but given the West Busway doesn't actually go directly into Downtown it's not convenient in the same way that line is.

The lines on the West Busway continue into downtown though. The light at the end of the Busway to which it joins Carson is timed/triggered so the buses can enter and it bypasses the West End Circle underneath it. The only real traffic lights on that stretch of Carson are the entrances to Gateway View Plaza and the western entrance to Station Square - which getting stopped at either light means only 30 seconds.

While a small portion of the West Busway isn't a dedicated right-of-way, for all intents and purposes it's still rapid transit connecting to downtown. Travel time from Carnegie Station to Wood St versus the Ramsey Station (Edgewood) to Wood St is the same (~20 minutes). Plus, the West Busway goes through a tunnel which gives it extra cool points.

[wpipkins2]

I was laid off in 2013 and had the benefit of staying home for one year after. During that time I explored parts of the city I was unfamiliar with. Carnegie was one of the communities that impressed me. I started downtown and took the G1 or G2 West busway to the Carnegie business district. After coffee and pizza I strolled the area and was impressed by the vitality of the area. Before then I only knew Carnegie from the exit and view from the Parkway West. I compared the area to Wilkinsburg since it is on a busway and just outside the city limits.

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by BMan_152

Most definitely one of the most underrated suburbs of Pittsburgh!! Super convenient to everything

Just watch out for floods! Most of the town is a giant flood zone.

There is just a small area that floods by greentree auto and that area maybe Scott Twp and the city of Pittsburgh. The last flood was because of a freak of nature where the rest of Western PA flooded and they have taken measures to prevent that again.

[lprmesia]

Originally Posted by guy2073

There is just a small area that floods by greentree auto and that area maybe Scott Twp and the city of Pittsburgh. The last flood was because of a freak of nature where the rest of Western PA flooded and they have taken measures to prevent that again.

IIRC, wasn't the flooding mostly caused from a single car? If memory serves me correctly, a car (unsure if driver error, parking location, or just the 6 inches of rain) ended up finding its way into Chartiers Creek, which in turn started collecting debris from the flood and building a makeshift dam causing the flood waters to back up into Carnegie.

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by lprmesia

IIRC, wasn't the flooding mostly caused from a single car? If memory serves me correctly, a car (unsure if driver error, parking location, or just the 6 inches of rain) ended up finding its way into Chartiers Creek, which in turn started collecting debris from the flood and building a makeshift dam causing the flood waters to back up into Carnegie.

I don't recall the car story, but everything was flooded