What does Pittsburgh lack? (loans, neighborhood, buy)

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

I wonder how many of these high end housing have high end mortgages, are people living beyond their means etc and keeping up with the jones.

Probably not many. Pittsburgh had the lowest personal debt per capita of any major metropolitan area in 2010, and I doubt that it's changed significantly since.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

A comprehensive rail system.
Right now The T just covers downtown and the southside. It should go east, west, and north. North to Cranberry with a regional extension to Butler. East to Monroeville with a regional extension to Greensburg. West to the airport with a regional extension to Weirton. And regional lines to Kittanning and Washington.

A comedy club
Might need some support from a foundation to keep it going. Return something like Funny Bone back to Station Square. Need to redouble the effort to make Station Square a tourist destination. Local improv is good but what is needed is a place to attract the comedians touring the country.

A hostel
There is "Not Another Hostel" but last I checked, you have to jump through a lot of hoops to be able to stay there. This might also need foundation support to keep it going.

Pittsburgh has the Improv, which is the most respected "chain" comedy club in the country. Outside of NYC and Los Angeles, Pittsburgh comedy seems to be on par with most other US cities.

The T has 26 miles of track, not bad for a city the size of Pittsburgh. I agree it needs an east/west line into Shadyside.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

Pittsburgh has the Improv, which is the most respected "chain" comedy club in the country. Outside of NYC and Los Angeles, Pittsburgh comedy seems to be on par with most other US cities.

The T has 26 miles of track, not bad for a city the size of Pittsburgh. I agree it needs an east/west line into Shadyside.

The east and west busways serve that purpose. Shadyside has two stops along the busway. The Negley Station as well as the East Liberty Station.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en...m7Cm4Qpx8IczAO

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en...97BhsQpx8IazAK

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

Pittsburgh has the Improv, which is the most respected "chain" comedy club in the country. Outside of NYC and Los Angeles, Pittsburgh comedy seems to be on par with most other US cities.

The T has 26 miles of track, not bad for a city the size of Pittsburgh. I agree it needs an east/west line into Shadyside.

It is most certainly not on par with Portland, Seattle, San Fran, Philly, or Boston, just to name a few. Many nationally known comedians don't tour at the Improv, instead favoring locally-owned clubs.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

It is most certainly not on par with Portland, Seattle, San Fran, Philly, or Boston, just to name a few. Many nationally known comedians don't tour at the Improv, instead favoring locally-owned clubs.

So I live in San Diego (though I am typing this from 42nd street in L-ville) where we have The Comedy Store, the sister location of the world's premier comedy club, The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, and a few others. On the weekends, we'll get a middling national comedian, usually throughout the week it's local people. That's what the Pittsburgh Improv is, and most comedy places around the country. At the Comedy Store in Hollywood you could pay $15 to get in to see 16 national comedians and maybe Louis CK or Chappelle drops in by surprise (on a Tuesday). I imagine it's similar at the Cellar and Carolines in NYC. The point is, comedy is mostly in NY and LA, not even as much in Chicago anymore. I know SF has the sketchfest, but I'd need to see some proof that overrated Portland has anything out of the norm or Seattle either. Most cities have the one club that gets the national talent, then big acts like Amy Schumer will do an arena (like she did in PGH), then the rest is local. That's what Pittsburgh has. I think Pittsburgh should get something the UCB theatre here though.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

It is most certainly not on par with Portland, Seattle, San Fran, Philly, or Boston, just to name a few. Many nationally known comedians don't tour at the Improv, instead favoring locally-owned clubs.

Also, there are Improv clubs in Irvine, Brea, and Ontario....they routinely get better acts than San Diego does despite those cities being a fraction of the size.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

The T has 26 miles of track, not bad for a city the size of Pittsburgh. I agree it needs an east/west line into Shadyside.

26 miles is good on paper, but it's so limited with it only going one direction. If it was five ~5 mile spurs from downtown it would be the same amount of track, but way more robust of a system.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

I am not looking for a partner ; have been married for a very long time. I am talking about parents of kids that are in the school with our kids, neighbors who live across the street etc. I am also talking about the fact that most people have their extended families living here and spend a lot of time with them, so it is harder to have a social life or make the effort to get to know outsiders in a social setting.

Part of my wife's family was from Ireland. One of their hobbies is being "Irish". A few friends are the same way. Being from Ireland is definitely a plus too many in Pittsburgh. I realize that you have kids but the Harp and Fiddle (an Irish Pub in the Strip District) is like a private club in that when you go there everyone seems to know every one.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

Part of my wife's family was from Ireland. One of their hobbies is being "Irish". A few friends are the same way. Being from Ireland is definitely a plus too many in Pittsburgh. I realize that you have kids but the Harp and Fiddle (an Irish Pub in the Strip District) is like a private club in that when you go there everyone seems to know every one.

You should join the Irish center near Greenfield. It'a a poorman'a country club.

[bjimmy24]

Why is rail necessary? We are very quickly leaving the age of train transit within cities. Come to the east coast and live for 6 months. It's really not all it's cracked up to be. Not to mention, the drain on the capital of the region is so incredibly massive. Who knows what else could have been done with the hundreds of billions of dollars! The state really ruined inner city transportation about 100 years ago. Now we are stuck not knowing what the best way to get around actually is since it's all state owned and socialized.

Pittsburgh should count itself lucky they haven't fallen prey to the magic bullet of light rail that everyone wants you to think is so amazing.