Should I Move to Pittsburgh? (apartments, car registration, insurance)

[morinotomodachi]

Hello,

I am from Phoenix, AZ. Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to move away from AZ. I work in the tech industry and am waiting to finish my Bachelor's degree before I move. My S.O. is from Pittsburgh and always talks about what a great place it is and how much they miss it.

The bad:
-Aggressive drivers in either expensive vehicles or drivers in beat-up vehicles that have no insurance
-Our electric provider APS routinely charges $150+ for electricity use (due to excessive price hikes that are continually approved; All the fees!)
-Jobs do not pay well here
-We are near-ish to Tucson and have way more call centers than much of the rest of the country. Odds are, if you work in tech, you may be lied to about whether or not the job you are interviewing for is a call center
-Apartments in bad areas are way more affordable
-A lot of homes are HOA
-Air is polluted and allergies spike for a lot of newcomers
-Abuse crimes (child abuse, rape) are often not investigated
--Our crime, in general, isn't great
-Mental health services are terrible
-Everything is so spread out. Depending on where you live, it can take 40+ minutes to get anywhere.
-Our educational institutions suck
-Car registration and insurance are really high
-Lack of any culture
-Lots of really, really creepy people here (bad meth problem; entitlement issues)
-People are unfriendly

The good:
-Love the weather!


I am looking for an affordable, safer place (rent, electric, water, car) to move to with a sizable amount of good tech jobs. It is desirable that it does not take a long time to drive anywhere (medium-seized city). Hoping that the place has a lot of culture to it with a more educational, blue environment and that the citizens are more friendly. Since I have heard so many great things about Pittsburgh and am not interested in moving to the Midwest or south-east, I was wondering if Pittsburgh would be a good place to move to.

[fleetiebelle]

Have you ever been to Pittsburgh? Maybe plan a trip so your SO can show you around and you can see if it's a place where you could imagine living.

[szug-bot]

said with compassion and love: you sound idealistic. your "bad" list can be ANYWHERE. it could be that you haven't found the right community in AZ that suits you, or you have a social circle that is dragging you down.

I'd guess there are Tusconians that are quite content with where they live.

Pittsburgh has its fans on this board (i think its almost a perfect city, but that is for MY tastes, needs, etc.).
Of all the cities I have lived in or know well, including some foreign towns, it is the friendliest.

But there are those that hate it, either former residents, or some still living here as either suburbanites or city dwellers.

Spend time here with your sig. other. Don't come with a "fun" attitude (although you SHOULD have a nice time), but see it as a person living here daily.

And, ask us here. Some people here are incredibly knowledgeable about every corner of the metro area.

Short answer: Yes, come on up!

[Copanut]

Give it a shot, make sure you have a job lined up, that's most important. I like Phoenix, but after a while all the sunshine gets to me and I have to return.

[erieguy]

I see you wrote “Love the weather” in Arizona. Be prepared for a huge difference in weather here versus Arizona. I’m very much looking forward to being a snowbird in the next 2 years.

I was born in the city and moved to the burbs decades ago and have never looked back. I’m close to the city and still have friends and family that I visit regularly, but I couldn’t be paid to live there.

I would definitely spend some time here before moving. Personally, I would look into different areas of Arizona before moving here.

[safak]

all depends the person. im sure tons of people love phoenix but i can't see how someone would chose it over pittsburgh if given the option.
and yes, the weather here blows phoenix away IMO, so i guess that is all a matter of taste. i can still taste the 116 degree weather from 20 years ago which is last time i was there

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Your list of "the bad" can be applied about anywhere, including pittsburgh.

[PGH423]

Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly

Your list of "the bad" can be applied about anywhere, including pittsburgh.

Yeah, I agree with Szug that the OP seems a bit idealistic. I'd never discourage anyone from coming here though. OP should at least vacation here but should also see if they can make Phoenix work for them.

[Moby Hick]

At least move to Tuscon if you can't leave Arizona.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by morinotomodachi

Hello,

The good:
-Love the weather!

We are getting a weekend of sunshine and these are the first back to back sunny days in months. You will be shell shocked going from Arizona weather to Seattle-like weather.