Neighborhood of the week: East Liberty (Pittsburgh, Carnegie: new construction, camping, subsidized)

[ElModChupaPollas]

Originally Posted by gg

I don't think most people care how much money someone has so much, it is a crime element. People just don't want to be robbed or feel unsafe. You can't blame people for that. I wish the Whole Food would have went through and nice apartments would be built. I think the developers sure bend over backwards for such a small population due to all the bleeding hearts that are actually creating weaker and weaker people by giving them everything, not to mention it keeps a group of people poor and dependent. Wish the idiots complaining could see real life better, because they are just adding to the problem creating more dependency.

Im the same age as SCR and I am finally beginning to see this over the past couple of years, both firsthand and from everything I read and try to form an objective opinion on.

This city is full of neighborhoods that may not look pretty and may need some TLC but that are full of affordable housing. It's a roof and four walls, since when did society get so damn picky? If you don't like living in a place where your car gets broken into or you hear gunshots, do something to better your situation. Get a second job, sell the car and take the bus, drop the data plan on your phone, quit eating out, cancel the cable bill; and stop whining.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by ElModChupaPollas

Im the same age as SCR and I am finally beginning to see this over the past couple of years, both firsthand and from everything I read and try to form an objective opinion on.

This city is full of neighborhoods that may not look pretty and may need some TLC but that are full of affordable housing. It's a roof and four walls, since when did society get so damn picky? If you don't like living in a place where your car gets broken into or you hear gunshots, do something to better your situation. Get a second job, sell the car and take the bus, drop the data plan on your phone, quit eating out, cancel the cable bill; and stop whining.

You're right. I've said this for decades - we on this rich continent (and I suppose western Europeans may be the same, for the most part) have a very high level of expectation for quality of life. (Smart phone addicts - you have been LURED into 'needing' that damn phone, when in reality you do not have to know what your BFF is doing at every minute of the day.)

Someone mentioned about Mosites and Walnut Capital. I have met these amazing people - they are hard working businessmen who are "normal" people. I WISH I had their patience, drive, and ability to deal with people, meetings, and frustrating delays....They have never struck me as anything like the impressions of developers we have grown to assume. Not "Mad Men" at all.

They take a risk - they get a return. They provide what people demand. When did success at business become equated with public enemy #1?

[gg]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

When did success at business become equated with public enemy #1?

It sure is strange, but for some they can't stand those that are successful I guess.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by ElModChupaPollas

This city is full of neighborhoods that may not look pretty and may need some TLC but that are full of affordable housing. It's a roof and four walls, since when did society get so damn picky? If you don't like living in a place where your car gets broken into or you hear gunshots, do something to better your situation. Get a second job, sell the car and take the bus, drop the data plan on your phone, quit eating out, cancel the cable bill; and stop whining.

The middle class shouldn't have to settle for working hard to earn a low income life. Pittsburgh has become depressing. Making a good salary by Pittsburgh standards will allow for affordable housing (aka living in an old dumpy building in a sketchy neighborhood with a bad school district). This is why my friends either have or are moving to the surrounding counties. Some are satisfied with an hour commute one way because their standard of living increases drastically. SCR doesn't have a choice since he is stuck in the city limits.

[sealie]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

The middle class shouldn't have to settle for working hard to earn a low income life. Pittsburgh has become depressing. Making a good salary by Pittsburgh standards will allow for affordable housing (aka living in an old dumpy building in a sketchy neighborhood with a below average school district). This is why my friends either have or are moving to the surrounding counties. Some are satisfied with an hour commute one way because their standard of living increases drastically. SCR doesn't have a choice since he is stuck in the city limits.

Not really stuck. He moved here and proclaimed he would never live or work outside the city, claimed it was far better to take a menial job in city limits and that he had turned down jobs in the suburbs, he rejoiced over his clerical job with the city that enabled him to stroll from home to work. He has a right to make the choices he wants, but this sudden claim that he is trapped and would gladly move to Etna if allowed is in sharp contrast to what he's been saying for years. He doesn't have to work where he does. He wants to. Nothing wrong with that, but if you make a series of choices that backs you into a corner, you can't claim to be a victim of circumstance. I'm surprised people are buying this, to be honest.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

The middle class shouldn't have to settle for working hard to earn a low income life. Pittsburgh has become depressing. Making a good salary by Pittsburgh standards will allow for affordable housing (aka living in an old dumpy building in a sketchy neighborhood with a bad school district). This is why my friends either have or are moving to the surrounding counties. Some are satisfied with an hour commute one way because their standard of living increases drastically. SCR doesn't have a choice since he is stuck in the city limits.

Ignoring the part about SCR, to state that Pittsburgh is depressing and to imply that the middle class have to live a "low income life" (what the heck does that even mean?) if they live in the city or even live in Allegheny county is kind of insane. This is not NYC or SF. It is not so expensive that a $50,000 income will force someone to share a studio apartment to get by. A $50,000 income and some responsible decision-making will get you a 3 bedroom house in a safe and decent neighborhood not far from downtown. Your hyperbolic doom-and-gloom is eye-roll worthy. I concede that there are issues with the erosion of the middle class standard of living and a divergence in the trend lines of the income between the median and 95th percentile in our nation, but that has little to do with Pittsburgh.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Also, shame on me for responding to an off-topic post in a thread about one of the city's most changed neighborhoods of the last decade and a half.

[sealie]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

Also, shame on me for responding to an off-topic post in a thread about one of the city's most changed neighborhoods of the last decade and a half.

Yeah, I should know better too.

[selltheburgh]

First Person: The East Liberty I know | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

While it was written by a high school student, I still have some critiques of it because the truth and facts are important.

Shadow Lounge wasn't really gentrified out. Tumblr posted by one of the former owners ----> helped with the music. (We don't believe you. You need more people.)

Abay, the owner moved to costa rica (which I'm envious of) ----> Leaving Pittsburgh for Costa Rica – Find Your Costa Rica

Royal Caribbean - I understand that they weren't paying rent.

[xdv8]

Originally Posted by selltheburgh

First Person: The East Liberty I know | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

While it was written by a high school student, I still have some critiques of it because the truth and facts are important.

Shadow Lounge wasn't really gentrified out. Tumblr posted by one of the former owners ----> helped with the music. (We don't believe you. You need more people.)

Abay, the owner moved to costa rica (which I'm envious of) ----> Leaving Pittsburgh for Costa Rica – Find Your Costa Rica

Royal Caribbean - I understand that they weren't paying rent.

If Okapi gets that much business, then how are they being forced to move? Retail isn't exactly booming in EL.

So what has been gentrified out? Penn Ave has a lot of historically black business, which will finally get a mix of new business from the newly constructed buildings.

I saw Wolfpack Electronics is moving to North Craig, which doesn't sound like a lower rent corridor.

A lot of the gentrification is just a few single family homes now being occupied by new white faces. Hardly the end of world, unless you prefer a race segregated neighborhood. This isn't happening on some large scale like the opposite white flight in the 1960s. The rent in all of the East End has been creeping up, but that's not exactly the gentrification boogeyman.