Suburb of the week: Upper Saint Clair (Pittsburgh, Bethel Park: houses, construction)

[eschaton]

Upper Saint Clair is an outer-ring, suburban township located on the southern fringe of Allegheny County. Within the county it borders South Fayette Township, Bridgeville, Scott Township, Mt. Lebanon, and Bethel Park. On its southern border it abuts Washington County.

Upper St. Clair had its origin in Saint Clair township, one of the original townships created when the county was founded in 1788. St. Clair was then divided into two in 1848. The now-defunct Lower St. Clair was basically swallowed up piecemeal by Pittsburgh's urban development, with the last remnants annexed in 1920. Upper Saint Clair, however, remained independent from that point on, although it was diminished in terms of territory by later splits, including Snowden (South Park) Scott, and Bridgeville.

Upper St. Clair within its present boundaries remained a largely rural backwater throughout the 19th century, with no paved roads or notable villages other than Clifton (which appears to have been since totally wiped out). Despite the introduction of a streetcar line in 1913, growth was slow in the early 20th century, with less than 2,000 residents as late as 1930. Substantial growth - like many Pittsburgh suburbs - only began in the 1950s, and was essentially over by 1980, leaving a pretty uniform landscape of mid-20th century suburban subdivisions. During this period Upper St. Clair also developed into the most wealthy suburb within the South Hills of Pittsburgh - something which remains true today, although the McMurray/Peters Township area in Washington County - with newer-construction and larger houses - is beginning to eclipse it.

Upper St. Clair today is an almost exclusively residential community. A small section of commercial and office development in the South Hills Village area does spill over from Bethel Park however - including the local Whole Foods. In addition, there is some commercial and light industrial development along the major corridors running through the township, and a small industrial zone still being built out in the far southwestern corner of the township on the other side of a large park.

Although Upper Saint Clair shrunk slightly from 2000 to 2010, it is projected to grow this decade - no doubt in large part to a significant new residential subdivision being built out at its northern fringe (Heartland Homes at Bedner Estates). That said, Upper St. Clair is getting close to being 100% built out, meaning next decade or the decade thereafter slow population (if not household) decline will likely set in without some sort of upzoning taking place.

I try not to be judgmental in these opening posts, but I will say frankly that I do not understand the appeal of a place like Upper Saint Clair. Not so much because I don't like suburbs, but because the actual housing stock in the township is pretty ho-hum mid-20th century - not all that different from other nearby parts of the South Hills. It seems to me that the reputation (and price point) of the township is entirely based upon the reputation of the school district, which frequently is among the highest-ranked in the state. This is sort of a chicken-egg thing though - the high ranking of the school district keeps property values high, which keeps lower-income people out, which in turn keeps property values high. It is easy to see how even a minor change in demographics for Upper St. Clair in the future could result in it having a more average reputation.

[PghYinzer]

I have no real opinion about it one way or the other, as I rarely travel past the Whole Foods. But two things to note...1. Yesterday I did travel down 19 to Washington, and man that area is bland. There is not much in USC, but even past here into McMurray and Peters, couldn't be more blah if they tried. 2. USC is now part the new District 18 Congressional District, which lumps it in with the City of Pittsburgh, which I find interesting because now it is not much of a toss up area as it was when Conner Lamb ran.

[svband76]

Perhaps the diamond in the rough of USC is Boyce Mayview Park. Surprised it wasn't mentioned here. It's a hugely beautiful piece of land with trails, yet less wild than it was before the powers that be felt the need to build ball fields and "interpretive buildings" blah blah. Couldn't let nature grow wild I guess.


http://www.twpusc.org/public-works/p..._Front_FOL.pdf

[szug-bot]

USC is a very nice community. True, its housing is not opulent, and if there is charm to it, it proves that to be in the eye of the beholder. But it is clean, very green, and people there seem kind in general.

I would put USC in the top 3 if in some futuristic distopian world I was forced to live in the suburbs of Allegheny County.