Suburb of the week: Etna (Pittsburgh, Lancaster: 2014, houses, neighborhoods)

[eschaton]

Apologies for the late post this week. I'm on a vacation (not the fun kind, the "with extended family" kind) so I'm pressed for time.

Etna is a small borough along the Allegheny river, between Millvale and Sharpsburg. Although it is often lumped in with these two boroughs due to geographic proximity and a similar working-class history, there are differences. While Millvale and Sharpsburg are urban boroughs, Etna is actually pretty heterogeneous in terms of built form. Generally divided by residents informally into Lower and Upper Etna, the lower portion is more urban, but not universally so. Lower Etna has areas which wouldn't look out of place in Bloomfield, but also has a fairly suburban pocket neighborhood. Upper Etna's core is detached wood-framed houses from the early 20th century, but there's a streetcar suburban neighborhood. Similarly to Millvale and Sharpsburg, however, Etna has been badly depopulated over last century. At its all-time high in 1930, it had nearly 7,500 people, today it has less than 3,500.

Lower Etna is theoretically fairly walkable, with a traditional business district around the intersection of Butler Street and Freeport Road. Upper Etna doesn't really have a business district, but there are some businesses just above the intersection of Grant Avenue and Crescent Street. AFAIK, however, there really are no destination businesses which give outsiders a reason to visit the borough. Etna is dead, socially speaking, with not even the whiff of gentrification that Sharpsburg is starting to feel (let alone the full-on renaissance that Millvale is experiencing). AFAIK this suits the inhabitants just fine, as unlike in those communities the political leaders saw no real reason to shake things up - they like the quiet decline the community has been going through.

[Pat Answers]

Wow, I lived there for a short time. Surprising when I click on your links one is surprisingly close to Mt. Royal Blvd which I always thought was Shaler. Been almost 50 years now and those houses I see look better than they did when we lived there. A couple nice churches, there was a supermarket down the hill (Grant Street) a fire dept. a really good Pizza place. Lots of houses with no garages. We had to park on the street.

There used to be a good bit of flooding in the lower part. Does it still flood? I walked my dogs a few streets back, there was a very pretty stream back there.

Boy I'd love to have that nice row house again. It wasn't remuddled.

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Lower Etna is theoretically fairly walkable, with a traditional business district around the intersection of Butler Street and Freeport Road. Upper Etna doesn't really have a business district, but there are some businesses just above the intersection of Grant Avenue and Crescent Street. AFAIK, however, there really are no destination businesses which give outsiders a reason to visit the borough. Etna is dead, socially speaking, with not even the whiff of gentrification that Sharpsburg is starting to feel (let alone the full-on renaissance that Millvale is experiencing). AFAIK this suits the inhabitants just fine, as unlike in those communities the political leaders saw no real reason to shake things up - they like the quiet decline the community has been going through.

Somewhat correct, and somewhat incorrect.

There is a destination business - The Scare House. It has gotten national media attention, and is an extremely popular seasonal destination. Naturally there isn't enough parking in Etna itself to accommodate visitors - so they park in the lot at the Zoo and are then brought on buses to Etna itself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_ScareHouse

E-Town Bar & Grille (on Butler Street) is also popular, particularly during fish fry season: Pittsburgh's Best Fish Sandwich Winners | WPXI

Etna does have industrial areas as well. Though the blast furnace, and steel industry, are long gone - industry does appear to be fairly healthy. There is a large industrial park between Route 28, Route 8 (62nd Street Bridge) and the river. There's another fairly large industrial area between Bridge Street, Route 8, and Butler Street. There is also the Forms & Surfaces complex on Butler Street.

You are correct that Etna has not been hit with the same gentrification that Millvale and Sharpsburg have.
We do have a walkable businesses district on Butler Street. However, it is not in a very healthy state. Recently, the funeral home has closed. The PNC branch also closed (though the ATM remains). Many storefronts are vacant, or are inhabited by what are basically "junk" shops.

This may be very slowly changing though. I recently noticed a rather hip-looking vape shop on Butler Street, another place that on Butler St that appears to have a new business moving in that looked rather artsy, and a new business also has gone in on Route 8.

I think that the extension of the bike trail to Etna will perhaps attract younger residents looking for cheaper housing. (Etna gets funds to extend Three Rivers Heritage Trail | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

I would also take issue with your opinion that local political leadership doesn't care. The Borough Manager is quite involved and responsive, and Etna does try to be innovative with the very limited resources that are at its disposal. Etna did join forces with Sharpsburg to host an Open Streets event in both towns (Open Streets event to show what Etna, Sharpsburg have to offer | TribLIVE). Other community events are held. And the town is interested in green infrastructure and addressing the ALCOSAN issue.

The Borough is very small, flood-prone, and has a very, very odd layout. There is also limited public transportation connections (only the #1, #2, and P13 buses go through Etna).

However, I do see the potential for spillover appreciation in the future if all surrounding areas continue to gentrify. We have low housing costs, a good school district, easy transportation connections to Route 28, and are proximate to growing areas.

I just think that people would welcome managed growth, and appreciation, but that we don't want to be the next Lawrenceville. There is innovation, but it is cautious. Etna is certainly not chasing growth/gentrification at all costs.

Originally Posted by Pat Answers

Wow, I lived there for a short time. Surprising when I click on your links one is surprisingly close to Mt. Royal Blvd which I always thought was Shaler.

There used to be a good bit of flooding in the lower part. Does it still flood? I walked my dogs a few streets back, there was a very pretty stream back there.

The Borough's boundaries extend north on Mt Royal to the intersection with Herman & Beyrleye (quite near the Mt Royal Inn). On Route 8, Etna extends to near the Pennzoil.

As for flooding, yes we are still prone to it.
Flood Information - Borough of Etna
Etna, Sharpsburg flood study done; reviews are mixed | TribLIVE

Luckily, my house is quite high up on a hill - it would have to rain for 40 days and 40 nights to flood me out, and I'd be building an Ark if that were the case!

Etna has been a bit of a leader in green infrastructure and in trying to minimize the amount of storm water going to ALCOSAN.
http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/neighb...nfrastructure/
Etna celebrates green infrastructure for storm water | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://wesa.fm/post/etna-models-gree...municipalities

The ALCOSAN consent decree is of particular concern to Etna:
Solving county sewer problems will require a regional approach, officials say | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper

[norcider]

Etna needs to be included in the bike trail extension. Right now you can ride it but I'd suggest using a mountain bike because of a long stretch or RR rock that one must traverse. This and the impending slow creep of Lawrenceville to the 62nd street bridge leads me to think of a possible uptick in Etna interest. But right now it's on nobody's radar. A friend owns a semi-successful tattoo shop that's been there close to 20 years so he at least benefits from Etna being a destination for that. Build the trail and they will come.

"Luckily, my house is quite high up on a hill - it would have to rain for 40 days and 40 nights to flood me out, and I'd be building an Ark if that were the case! "

Were you there in 2004 when the big storm hit? My sister in law was just high enough not to be affected but it was pretty bad.

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by norcider

"Luckily, my house is quite high up on a hill - it would have to rain for 40 days and 40 nights to flood me out, and I'd be building an Ark if that were the case! "

Were you there in 2004 when the big storm hit? My sister in law was just high enough not to be affected but it was pretty bad.

No. I grew up in Lancaster County and didn't move to the Pgh region until 2009. I was in Shaler from 2009-2012, and have been in Etna from 2012-present.

[svband76]

A great little old school community not infected by hipsters and overpriced this and that. Extension of the trail would be nice.

[norcider]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

No. I grew up in Lancaster County and didn't move to the Pgh region until 2009. I was in Shaler from 2009-2012, and have been in Etna from 2012-present.

Is the Blarney Stone still in business? Pretty sure it was one of the business' hit hard by that last big flood.

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by norcider

Is the Blarney Stone still in business? Pretty sure it was one of the business' hit hard by that last big flood.

No, that's been out of business (to my knowledge) ever since I moved to Pgh (2009).

Just Googled it to see what I could come up with and found this:

But the flood from Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 was too much, and the O'Donoghues knew they could not rebuild.

Obituary: Thomas O'Donoghue / Blarney Stone owner, unofficial 'Irish ambassador to Pittsburgh' | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[norcider]

wow, yeah I remember it was one of those places the parents would go to on special occasions. I have one memory of being there after a funeral when I was very young.

[Copanut]

Gateway to the North Hills!