SouthSide Works looks to new partner for rejuvenation (Pittsburgh, Butler: house, neighborhoods)

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by sky329

I was just talking about how the south side is tanking for some reason.. tons of houses for sale for cheaper than they sold for 10 years ago and businesses closing left and right... the businesses I would add to the works are... Home Depot(wish there was space), chick Fila, a big nightclub/lounge with actual metal detectors like big cities, Apple Store, and a hooters would be a awesome start

I think the bars might be a big part of it. A lot of people do not like dealing with that neighborhood and getting around there, especially on the weekends.

[svband76]

Overdevelopment. Allowing developers to shape and mold our historic city. Other failures doomed to occur if this administration goes unchecked.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

I'm certainly not an expert on development and market trends but I have been questioning all of the retail being placed in East Liberty for years. It seems like every ground floor of apartment developments has included retail despite plenty of storefronts already for lease.

My understanding is financing is easier to get for these new apartments if you include ground floor retail.

Anyway, it is getting better. I think East Liberty Place North only has one vacant storefront now, although East Liberty Place South is still totally vacant. The Walnut at Penn building now has two active stores, and it looks like they're rapidly fitting out the rest. Eastside Bond has a bank and a AT&T store, along with that frogurt place which should open up soon. I don't think there's any plans to add more retail space soon, unless LG's plan for the Penn Plaza site goes through (I noticed they just started demoing the second building this morning). But with what happened to Whole Foods, who knows if they would be interested in moving now?

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

I think the bars might be a big part of it. A lot of people do not like dealing with that neighborhood and getting around there, especially on the weekends.

I don't think that's it, because the business district was doing much better say 7-10 years ago when the nightlife was at its peak. I think it's a combination of NIMBYs putting in parking zones which essentially cover all residential back streets (making it hard to park to shop during the day, and impossible for people who work in South Side to find parking) and the neighborhood being eclipsed by Lawrenceville in so many ways.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by zalewskimm

Overdevelopment. Allowing developers to shape and mold our historic city. Other failures doomed to occur if this administration goes unchecked.

What? You realize the South Side Works was mostly developed over a decade ago and replace a mill which had been abandoned for a long time, right? SSW has its issues but it is way better than the nothing that was there before.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by eschaton

My understanding is financing is easier to get for these new apartments if you include ground floor retail.

Anyway, it is getting better. I think East Liberty Place North only has one vacant storefront now, although East Liberty Place South is still totally vacant. The Walnut at Penn building now has two active stores, and it looks like they're rapidly fitting out the rest. Eastside Bond has a bank and a AT&T store, along with that frogurt place which should open up soon. I don't think there's any plans to add more retail space soon, unless LG's plan for the Penn Plaza site goes through (I noticed they just started demoing the second building this morning). But with what happened to Whole Foods, who knows if they would be interested in moving now?



I don't think that's it, because the business district was doing much better say 7-10 years ago when the nightlife was at its peak. I think it's a combination of NIMBYs putting in parking zones which essentially cover all residential back streets (making it hard to park to shop during the day, and impossible for people who work in South Side to find parking) and the neighborhood being eclipsed by Lawrenceville in so many ways.

I believe Bonobos is open, or about to open, in the Walnut building, and I think Warby Parker is opening up somewhere in East Liberty. So that retail is filling out with unique to Pgh shops.




My personal take on South Side and its lack of appeal is the bars. It is not so much the bars themselves, but the crap that comes with them. The parking issue, the people, and the mess. I am at the age where I could comfortably afford a nice house in South Side, but who wants to deal with that when you have so many other options in the city. If I don't want to go out for an evening in a neighborhood, why would I want to live there? I don't want to have to shelter in place Thursday thru Sunday every week.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by eschaton

My understanding is financing is easier to get for these new apartments if you include ground floor retail.

Anyway, it is getting better. I think East Liberty Place North only has one vacant storefront now, although East Liberty Place South is still totally vacant. The Walnut at Penn building now has two active stores, and it looks like they're rapidly fitting out the rest. Eastside Bond has a bank and a AT&T store, along with that frogurt place which should open up soon. I don't think there's any plans to add more retail space soon, unless LG's plan for the Penn Plaza site goes through (I noticed they just started demoing the second building this morning). But with what happened to Whole Foods, who knows if they would be interested in moving now?

It is good to hear the neighborhood is getting better. My criticism of East Liberty in recent years was that it did seem to feel a little empty at times in the commercial areas. With the decline in retail, I think we are getting to the point where what we think of for ground floor development might need to change pretty soon.

Originally Posted by eschaton

I don't think that's it, because the business district was doing much better say 7-10 years ago when the nightlife was at its peak. I think it's a combination of NIMBYs putting in parking zones which essentially cover all residential back streets (making it hard to park to shop during the day, and impossible for people who work in South Side to find parking) and the neighborhood being eclipsed by Lawrenceville in so many ways.

Is it really that hard to find parking there during the day now? I still occasionally go there during the weekend in the evening and I don't have much of an issue finding spots on Carson (though you do have to pay until midnight though for them).

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

My personal take on South Side and its lack of appeal is the bars. It is not so much the bars themselves, but the crap that comes with them. The parking issue, the people, and the mess. I am at the age where I could comfortably afford a nice house in South Side, but who wants to deal with that when you have so many other options in the city. If I don't want to go out for an evening in a neighborhood, why would I want to live there? I don't want to have to shelter in place Thursday thru Sunday every week.

This is becoming an issue in parts of Lawrenceville as well. Some streets are pretty hard to find a spot on during the weekends though the smaller side streets people don't usually think of still tend to have spots.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

I think the bars might be a big part of it. A lot of people do not like dealing with that neighborhood and getting around there, especially on the weekends.

"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."

Just a few years ago when my sisters would visit, we often went to the South Side Works after having brunch on Carson st. somewhere, then we'd go to H&M and Urban Outfitters (and the bookstore)--RIP to all of that.

[sky329]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I'm always shocked there's not a Mad Mex in South Side.

Hell, I'm shocked there's not one in Downtown or Lawrenceville yet either. The Shadyside one is always packed.

The reason y is because the one in Oakland is so close to hot metal

[sky329]

Originally Posted by eschaton

My understanding is financing is easier to get for these new apartments if you include ground floor retail.

Anyway, it is getting better. I think East Liberty Place North only has one vacant storefront now, although East Liberty Place South is still totally vacant. The Walnut at Penn building now has two active stores, and it looks like they're rapidly fitting out the rest. Eastside Bond has a bank and a AT&T store, along with that frogurt place which should open up soon. I don't think there's any plans to add more retail space soon, unless LG's plan for the Penn Plaza site goes through (I noticed they just started demoing the second building this morning). But with what happened to Whole Foods, who knows if they would be interested in moving now?



I don't think that's it, because the business district was doing much better say 7-10 years ago when the nightlife was at its peak. I think it's a combination of NIMBYs putting in parking zones which essentially cover all residential back streets (making it hard to park to shop during the day, and impossible for people who work in South Side to find parking) and the neighborhood being eclipsed by Lawrenceville in so many ways.

this is an opinion... but I respect your opinion.. from a person like yourself that knows Lawrenceville well what gives it the edge in your opinion.. because I don't see it really