What don't you like about Pittsburgh? (York, Hyndman: neighborhood, buy, living)

[goodgirl49]

Londonbarcelona,

I see that you list FL and AZ as the places you live now. Did your husband get a job transfer out of Pittsburgh?

I agree that the liquor laws in PA should be changed, but it wouldn't affect me as I rarely drink. Once in a great while I may have a glass of wine or beer, but often can't even finish one. I was never a big drinker, but with the blood pressure medication I have to take now, a little amount of alcohol kind of makes me spacy.

[Dorian]

Originally Posted by Smily Gladshanks

I don't like:
1)lack of sunshine, lack of sunshine, and general lack of sunshine.
2)that winters are getting too mild (meaning cold rain instead of snow)
3)this should be number one: THAT THERE ARE NO YOUNG PEOPLE!!! (I can't find a decent girl to date, seriously. All my friends have this problem, unless they are willing to really compromise). We are once again the oldest county in the country. Woohoo.
4)job market generally sucks (though that doesn't really affect me these days)
5)Frankly, this insanely intense love of the sports teams gets old.

I agree with all of these, but the last one. If you think we are intense go to columbus and see how they are about the buckeyes, it is terrible at least the steelers and penguins are pros. I really really hate when it doesn't snow in winter, the whole city looks better when it snows than when it is just cloudy.

[Dorian]

Originally Posted by velcro21

I have a love/hate relationship with the topography and roads. The city is beautiful with the hills and rivers but it makes for some convoluted ways to get from here to there.
Coming from Colorado, directions were simple and roads were wide and straight (until you hit the mountains...)
Here, 279 South is the Parkway West and is also 22/30 and becomes 60 north once you hit Robinson. It really messed with my head when I first moved here.
I don't really like that your house has to be built on a hill--I always liked my flat yard as a kid.

Property taxes.
Potholes.

LOL, the parkway west. Everybody from out of town have problems with that. They are finally working to change it, it will all become just I-376 west.

[Dorian]

Originally Posted by juliegt

I'm planning to move to Pittsburgh in five years so I'm very interested in getting a complete picture of the area. My big concerns are the weather, taxes, and the inconvenience of buying alcohol.

Have you been to San Francisco? If so, would you say it's as gray as the SF Sunset District? I lived there for thirty years so I think I could handle Pittsburgh. However, I've lived the last twenty years in a much nicer climate with actual sun in the summer!

Given that I will probably be able to purchase a home that is drastically cheaper than what I own in CA, the property taxes will be annoying, but not a deal-breaker. When I was in Pittsburgh a few years a go there was talk about property tax relief proposals. Did anything ever come of that? Like you, I don't mind paying if the services provided are worth it (schools, roads, infrastructure...).

I am spoiled here in CA. Not only can you buy wine, beer, and spirits in most grocery stores, we have a fantastic selection of small wineries, breweries to choose from. I honestly think this would be the hardest adjustment for me to make because it would affect me in my day to day life. I hate having to make extra trips when I'm running errands. Any chance that this system will change?

I don't know that much about San Francisco, but I doubt it is grayer than Pittsburgh. It is rare to see a completely clear day here in Pittsburgh in any season. The winter is probably cloudy at least like 90% of the time, Spring has alot of flip floppy weather like snow; rain; and thunderstorms, as for summer when we don't have the evening thunderstorms it is usually hazy from the humidity. If you are looking for diverse weather not too many places are more diverse than here in pittsburgh. As for alcohol, it isn't really that bad until you want to make a late night trip and there is nothing open that sells alcohol. I know part of the reason why they do it like that is because the stores are owned by the state and they make a profit off of it which in theory should help out with road work and so on. I think another reason is so that it makes it alittle harder for minors to get alcohol, they could possible steal it or not get carded from grocery stores or gas stations like in Ohio.

[beachlover1]

I'd expect that reply from some one who lives here. Never mind why I feel this way. I'm a very positive person, which is why I'm leaving such a negative pitt of a city!

[bboy36win]

Originally Posted by peanut33

So I've heard a lot about what people do like about Pittsburgh...what don't you like? Thanks!

... that I can't seem to convince wifey to relocate to the 'Burgh (from south central PA).

She likes all that the city has to offer, but the job outlook and high real estate taxes make her reluctant to take the risk.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by juliegt

I'm planning to move to Pittsburgh in five years so I'm very interested in getting a complete picture of the area. My big concerns are the weather, taxes, and the inconvenience of buying alcohol.

Have you been to San Francisco? If so, would you say it's as gray as the SF Sunset District? I lived there for thirty years so I think I could handle Pittsburgh. However, I've lived the last twenty years in a much nicer climate with actual sun in the summer!

Given that I will probably be able to purchase a home that is drastically cheaper than what I own in CA, the property taxes will be annoying, but not a deal-breaker. When I was in Pittsburgh a few years a go there was talk about property tax relief proposals. Did anything ever come of that? Like you, I don't mind paying if the services provided are worth it (schools, roads, infrastructure...).

I am spoiled here in CA. Not only can you buy wine, beer, and spirits in most grocery stores, we have a fantastic selection of small wineries, breweries to choose from. I honestly think this would be the hardest adjustment for me to make because it would affect me in my day to day life. I hate having to make extra trips when I'm running errands. Any chance that this system will change?

Pittsburgh's grayer. Oh, yeah.

As to whether PA will change the liquor control laws? Nope. Not a chance. It all comes down to money.

In PA, a bottle of Korbel champagne Brut runs you 14.99 -- at BevMo -- 8.99.

6 buck difference -- in PA's pocket. If my thinking that PA has about the same buying power as BevMo is correct. And PA has a stranglehold on sales, so no one can compete.

That's why anyone who can runs over the state lines and stocks up...

[Windwalker]

Grayness gets to ya.

Roads and bridges are in horrible shape.

Taxes--where do they go? Surely not to roads and bridges.

Backwardness. It felt like moving to 1960 when I came here.

Racism and sexism

Lack of self-esteem. Pittsburgh has much to offer as a city--great arts, architecture (some fantastic old buildings!), sports, unique neighborhoods, etc.--but it doesn't seem like they can see the good things they have.

Glass-half-empty people who pull others down with harsh criticism

[Joe B]

Instead of posting in both threads, I'm gonna be lazy and post in one.

I lived in Pittsburgh my whole life up until a couple of years ago. I moved up here to Butler County for the peace and quiet, and for the substantially lower taxes.

IMO, Pittsburgh is a city of extremes... while it's high points are very strong and positive, it's low points are also strong; strong enough to cause people to move away in droves; especially young people; who are vital for the city's future. Overall, it's a good city with good people, but the governmental machine that's been in place for decades is corrupt and grossly inefficient. The result has been outrageously high taxes, and a crumbling infrastructure. Not only is that sad for the obvious reasons, but more importantly, it detracts from one of the friendliest, most down to earth cities in the country.

With a better government at both the city and county level, Pittsburgh could easily use it's positive assets to become of the most popular cities in the country. The only hope at this point is a concerted effort by young people at all levels to initiate change. Only time will tell.

[goodgirl49]

Originally Posted by Joe B

Instead of posting in both threads, I'm gonna be lazy and post in one.

I lived in Pittsburgh my whole life up until a couple of years ago. I moved up here to Butler County for the peace and quiet, and for the substantially lower taxes.

IMO, Pittsburgh is a city of extremes... while it's high points are very strong and positive, it's low points are also strong; strong enough to cause people to move away in droves; especially young people; who are vital for the city's future. Overall, it's a good city with good people, but the governmental machine that's been in place for decades is corrupt and grossly inefficient. The result has been outrageously high taxes, and a crumbling infrastructure. Not only is that sad for the obvious reasons, but more importantly, it detracts from one of the friendliest, most down to earth cities in the country.

With a better government at both the city and county level, Pittsburgh could easily use it's positive assets to become of the most popular cities in the country. The only hope at this point is a concerted effort by young people at all levels to initiate change. Only time will tell.

I agree that the government is the most pressing thing that needs to be changed about Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania's business tax is supposedly the highest in the country. It's not just Pittsburgh, but Harrisburg too. I haven't lived in PA since 1977, but I hear that the state legislature is the most bloated in the country, even larger than California's, which has about 3 to 4 times the population. I'm not saying that politicians in other places aren't self serving, but it just seems more blatantly obvious in Pittsburgh and PA. NJ is also known as a very corrupt state. Young people see the bad government and want to leave. More people need to stay and work for positive change. I know I certainly would, but I'm no longer young. I think PA is a very beautiful state and I'd probably be there if I hadn't met my husband, who was from CA in 1974. I didn't have economic reasons for leaving PA, but social. The bad government no doubt is a contributing factor to the general pessimistic outlook in the Pittsburgh area. People in CA in general seem much more upbeat, even with the high cost of living and the terrible traffic. My son went to school and then lived in Pittsburgh for 3 years and he came back saying that even with the problems we have out here, things do get done.