Suburb of the week: McKeesport (Pittsburgh, Reading: house, neighborhoods, buy)

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by RogersParkTransplant

Glad to read all this, and good luck when the time comes! I've had multiple conversations in the past few months with people who have bought large homes in Marshall-Shadeland, and pretty much all of them consider themselves walking distance to the Woods Run library, so they must be fairly close to you. But it's true that the area has a long ways to go before we can describe this as "gentrification" -- so hopefully what I'm seeing is signs of a slow upward trajectory, leading to stabilization but not drastic change.

The coolest thing about the Woods Run house is that it's located right in the business district! I think it even has potential to be a little shop or office. I like being in a mix of activity instead of a suburban like setting. It's cool to sit on your stoop and be in the middle of a business section. There are still several vacant homes in the neighborhood, but it's a tiny neighborhood, so that could change rapidly. It's on the outskirts of Allegheny City, but is still quite urban in character because it was built up in the 19th c.

[Bazzwell]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I have a minor house crush on this one in Mon City. Looks almost completely intact from the outside, with only minor issues (gutters and second-floor railing are not historic). Fix that and have a less panchromatic paint job, and it would be a real gem.

Chess Street, right in town and it puts you within walking distance of just about everything on the main drag. Cruise further down Chess and head up to Lincoln or Lawrence. Some very nice homes up there. Even the other end of town isn't all that bad up in the hills, older plain housing stock but nothing too run down.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

The coolest thing about the Woods Run house is that it's located right in the business district! I think it even has potential to be a little shop or office.

Unfortunately no. The northern side of Woods Run is all zoned "hillside" now by the city, which basically means the city has slated the area to mostly go back to nature. Besides single family homes, only a few other uses are even possible for hillside areas, like urban agriculture, parks, group homes, and communication towers. A store or restaurant is absolutely verboten. Existing commercial uses (like Rumerz Bar) are of course grandfathered in, but once they close that's it.

That's only for the north side of Woods Run mind you. The South side is zoned a mix of industrial and commercial (as is Brighton Road in Marshall-Shadeland) so you'll always have things to walk to. Just your side of the street will get less and less active.

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Unfortunately no. The northern side of Woods Run is all zoned "hillside" now by the city, which basically means the city has slated the area to mostly go back to nature. Besides single family homes, only a few other uses are even possible for hillside areas, like urban agriculture, parks, group homes, and communication towers. A store or restaurant is absolutely verboten. Existing commercial uses (like Rumerz Bar) are of course grandfathered in, but once they close that's it.

That's only for the north side of Woods Run mind you. The South side is zoned a mix of industrial and commercial (as is Brighton Road in Marshall-Shadeland) so you'll always have things to walk to. Just your side of the street will get less and less active.

Can I ask where you find this information? I think I read on here long, long ago that Itin Street in my neighborhood has also been re-zoned and that nothing can be built there if/when old homes are razed -- but I'd be curious to learn more if I can.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by RogersParkTransplant

Can I ask where you find this information? I think I read on here long, long ago that Itin Street in my neighborhood has also been re-zoned and that nothing can be built there if/when old homes are razed -- but I'd be curious to learn more if I can.

Zoning map.

It's not true that new houses can't be built on areas zoned hillside like Itin. It's just that the hillside zoning sets up relatively large minimum lot sizes (3,200 square feet) which would require the consolidation of several vacant houses for a new one to be built. Basically while a sparse building footprint on steep slopes is okay, the city wants them to mostly remain undisturbed wild areas.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by Oldbay1

Can anybody share recent photos of downtown McKeesport? Btw McKeesport was in the top 10 most ghetto PA cities.

Those lists really are complete BS, along with most other city lists. McKeesport does have a large area of crime, poverty and abandonment, however.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

Grocery shopping is not true social engagement, its a burden due to the crappy stores and crappy people you deal with.

Wow! You're using the right screen name.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Wow! You're using the right screen name.

Bingo.

[Bazzwell]

Originally Posted by Oldbay1

Butler City? Washington city? Steubenville city? East Liverpool city? Wheeling City? Greensburg City? Uniontown City?

Wouldn’t it be great if these smaller cities like McKeesport all received investment rejuvenated downtowns. You wouldn’t need to come into Pittsburgh for entertainment if you want downtown life and living

I'll speak only of those I know something about.

Greensburg is doing quite nicely for itself. A fairly good business section in town. Some good restaurants, the Palace Theatre brings in some top acts. There are reasons to go to town and I've always felt safe there. Not a bad place at all.

Washington is neither bad nor good. These days it seems to be more of a pass-thru city as opposed to a must-visit kind of place. I personally can't think of any reason to go there.

Uniontown had it's chance years ago when Joe Hardy was a county commissioner and poured money into the town like it was cheap tapwater from the faucet. The State Theatre does nothing compared to what the Palace in Greensburg does. Heck, it does nothing compared to what the Lamp in Irwin does. Hardy's top of the line restaurant worked as long as he was in office. He left, the restaurant left. All the little businesses that opened back then are now again empty storefronts. Only local businessman Steve Neubauer seems to carry the torch.

There has to be a reason for a town/city to have a renaissance and most of these places just don't have that. The jobs are gone, the people have moved on. Only the faithful, or the trapped, remain.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by Bazzwell

Uniontown had it's chance years ago when Joe Hardy was a county commissioner and poured money into the town like it was cheap tapwater from the faucet. The State Theatre does nothing compared to what the Palace in Greensburg does. Heck, it does nothing compared to what the Lamp in Irwin does. Hardy's top of the line restaurant worked as long as he was in office. He left, the restaurant left. All the little businesses that opened back then are now again empty storefronts. Only local businessman Steve Neubauer seems to carry the torch.

I see this trend a lot, but people are way too hard on Uniontown. Go walk around downtown Uniontown and get back to me. It's a nice town! As the county seat, there will always be some activity going on there, even if Fayette County is one of the more depressed counties, as far as the economy and population decline goes.