Pittsburgh, A city of no inbetween? (Philadelphia, Erie: low income, how much, house)

[okaydorothy]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

Incredibly ironic, given how all-in everybody goes for St Patrick's Day... you think they'd be interested in actually speaking with someone from Ireland and learning more about the culture that they love to celebrate.

I would think that also. But no.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Mtl-Cns

There is much more to the state of PA than the Pittsburgh metro region. It's quite large.

Although by any standard I'm a transplant, I am one of the 77% of the city's population which was born in Pennsylvania. I was born in the eastern part of the state, a bit outside of Philly (Bucks County). All of my extended family still live out that way, but at age three my parents moved to Connecticut, where I grew up. Spent my college/grad school years in Massachusetts (plus a year in the UK) and spent some time living in Detroit and DC before moving out here at 26.

Edit: My point being, if only 77% of the city's population is born in state, the number is significantly lower when you exclude people born outside of the Pittsburgh MSA. I would say when I was younger and more social around half the people I met were transplants from pretty far away (like myself) and the other half were people who grew up either really far out in the boonies or in some random suburb and decided to move to the city after college. I can't think of anyone I knew who was actually from Pittsburgh, though it might have been the circles I ran in.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

Either you are from here or you are not. If you are from here, the first question asked is where did you go to school ; meaning elementary school, middle and high school. Then it is followed up by a few questions of who you knew. People here love to find connections with each other regarding where they are from.

Now if you are not from here, they don't want to know you. At least that is my experience. They cannot find any connection and therefore do not even try to understand where we came from.

I vehemently disagree with this based on my own experience. It may just be the neighborhood you lived in.

My wife and I are both from nearby, but something north of 75% of our friends are not from nearby. We both moved away after going to college at Penn State (her for 10 years, me for 5). We have friends from Maine, San Francisco, London, Philadelphia, Erie, and LA off the top of my head. My wife has met many of these people over the course of the last several years by joining new parenting groups.

Maybe it is generational, maybe it is local (in your suburb), but I would hate for someone to read this post and think this will mirror everyone’s experiences.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Bobbydigital69

What I gather from all of this information, is that it is either a city you love or a city you hate. There appears to be no inbetween.

Nope, this city is like an other city. There are those that love it, hate it and most people are in the like or the middle. What you get on forums are opinions of a more extreme nature. I like Pittsburgh, or wouldn't live here. I can live anywhere I want. Pittsburgh is a small city, but big enough to have a lot of big city stuff. There is still a lot of pride in this city as it is the best rust belt city of them all as far as the direction it is going. Cleveland and Buffalo are behind us really. Pittsburgh is also beautiful with the rivers, hills and skyline. Really quite a city. I love the terrain with all the hills. Great place to ride a bike if you really enjoy cycling. Flat cities, that are the norm are much more boring for cycling. I might not even cycle in a flat city like NYC, Chicago or really most other cities. How boring!

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

I vehemently disagree with this based on my own experience. It may just be the neighborhood you lived in.

My wife and I are both from nearby, but something north of 75% of our friends are not from nearby. We both moved away after going to college at Penn State (her for 10 years, me for 5). We have friends from Maine, San Francisco, London, Philadelphia, Erie, and LA off the top of my head. My wife has met many of these people over the course of the last several years by joining new parenting groups.

Maybe it is generational, maybe it is local (in your suburb), but I would hate for someone to read this post and think this will mirror everyone’s experiences.

I realize I am not a "suburb person" but I think if you move to Pittsburgh and just locate in a random suburb pretty far outside of the city, you're going to experience a lot less of the unique pluses that Pittsburgh has to offer. You're also clearly going to be surrounded by a lot more natives and less transplants, because places like that are not where the bulk of transplants locate themselves.

[charisb]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

I vehemently disagree with this based on my own experience. It may just be the neighborhood you lived in.

My wife and I are both from nearby, but something north of 75% of our friends are not from nearby. We both moved away after going to college at Penn State (her for 10 years, me for 5). We have friends from Maine, San Francisco, London, Philadelphia, Erie, and LA off the top of my head. My wife has met many of these people over the course of the last several years by joining new parenting groups.

Maybe it is generational, maybe it is local (in your suburb), but I would hate for someone to read this post and think this will mirror everyone’s experiences.

Stanwix, my experience has been like yours. In reflecting on my social network, only two people grew up in this area. Our friends are from all over the U.S. and abroad. Even in my neighborhood (deepest, darkest Greenfield), the majority of our neighbors are from other places although some have lived here for decades.
At the risk of inciting a contentious debate, I do wonder if this is a suburban/urban difference. Or possibly the East End is just more likely to have transplants than other areas due to proximity to universities/hospitals/Google.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I realize I am not a "suburb person" but I think if you move to Pittsburgh and just locate in a random suburb pretty far outside of the city, you're going to experience a lot less of the unique pluses that Pittsburgh has to offer. You're also clearly going to be surrounded by a lot more natives and less transplants, because places like that are not where the bulk of transplants locate themselves.

i generally agree with you but i think you are pretty far off here. there is a critical mass of transplants with kids that look for and relocate to the best school districts in the region in the suburbs. some are even doctors and professors working in the city. you really have no reference to judge this so i'm not surprised of your view though. your view seems to be skewed by the area that you live in and who you interact with.

to show some stats, franlkin elementary is 30% asian
https://www.greatschools.org/pennsyl...lin-El-School/

[Faer]

My experiences with my older neighbors mirrors exactly okaydorothy's. My neighbors are very spiteful of 'outsiders', including me, and others that live and own homes around them, full of petty revenge like "I'm going to park in their 'spot' because they don't belong here" kind of crap. One neighbor has been trying padlock our shared alleyway, and his justifications seem to have something to do with "born and raised."

I will note this experience for my wife and I has followed a huge generational gap. Most millenials and late Gen-X'ers have shown little of this and welcomed us, although some still harbor a slight resentment of outsiders, normally under the gentrifier branding.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Paul2421

i generally agree with you but i think you are pretty far off here. there is a critical mass of transplants with kids that look for and relocate to the best school districts in the region in the suburbs. some are even doctors and professors working in the city. you really have no reference to judge this so i'm not surprised of your view though. your view seems to be skewed by the area that you live in and who you interact with.

to show some stats, franlkin elementary is 30% asian
https://www.greatschools.org/pennsyl...lin-El-School/

I said "a random suburb." Bridgeville/South Fayette isn't really known to be an area which a lot of transplants - even those who are suburb-type people - tend to locate in. Obviously if you pick parts of the North Hills, Fox Chapel Area, or Mt. Lebanon it will be a bit different.

[gg]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I realize I am not a "suburb person" but I think if you move to Pittsburgh and just locate in a random suburb pretty far outside of the city, you're going to experience a lot less of the unique pluses that Pittsburgh has to offer. You're also clearly going to be surrounded by a lot more natives and less transplants, because places like that are not where the bulk of transplants locate themselves.

Depending on the suburb, I would say most are made up of people that want a good education for their kids and a safe place to be without all the crime, litter and mess in the city. Really nothing more. People keep their homes nice and work hard. Not a bad place to be around. Of course there are suburbs that are more like the city than parts of the city itself. Squirrel Hill is in the city, but feels like a suburb and is disconnected from the actual city.

Just for the record, Morningside is very suburb-like and feels removed from "the city" itself. I do love Morningside and feel it is a great place to live and it has had MASSIVE appreciation in just a few years, but feels suburb like.