Pittsburgh One of Nation’s Most Gentrified Cities (Erie, Lawrenceville: appointed, 2014)

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

How am I part of the problem if I'm educated but still earn the same as the person I replaced?

You’re working a job rather than one that you went to school for that would most likely making more money.

Did the person you replaced go on to a better paying job and are now a part of the gentrification? You’ve often said that your workplace is extremely shorthanded. It seems obvious more people are going to better paying jobs and can’t be replaced for their prior pay.

[216facts]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Thanks for the clarification. I mean I have many white friends who have Bachelor's Degrees and are now living in historically working-class white neighborhoods in this city while earning roughly the same or just slightly more than their working-class white predecessors. I think something like ~40% of Pittsburgh's adults at least 25 years of age possess at least a Bachelor's Degree now (I can check on that later). That doesn't mean all ~40% of those people are earning high salaries.

I mean in my office alone I have a B.S. in Accounting; a colleague has a M.S. in Criminal Justice; another colleague has an MFA; another colleague has an Associate's Degree in Accounting; and another colleague has a Bachelor's Degree in what I believe is Technical Writing. We all earn ~$30,000 base salaries, buoyed up to $40,000-$45,000 with overtime. My current partner has a Bachelor's Degree and makes ~$26,000/year working for a local bank. It's not like we're these evil white yuppies pushing out the poor blacks just because we're educated. We all just happen to live in a literate city where there are more degreed people than jobs available to absorb them.

You have a bachelors and a masters and you're earning $15/hr ? Is this real? I'm not expecting 6 figures but you do realize that you can get fast food work for that in many areas of the country, including ours.

[gg]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

It's not like we're these evil white yuppies ....

Oh you mean the people that are saving our wonderful architecturally historic buildings and without them this place would be in complete ruins? Those evil hard working people? How about the people that let this place go down to about nothing because they don't give a crap? So many great buildings lost. Lets be thankful people are moving in and trying to fix up the dilapidated places that would be complete rubble if not saved by hard working people. Hurray. I think the people that refer to the folks fixing places up as evil aren't from here and really have no idea about real life. They pretend buildings will fix themselves. I can assure you they don't. They fall down like we see all over the Hill District with all those vacant lots. Glad some of East Liberty was saved and a lot of Highland Park, not to mention so many other areas of Pittsburgh. Wish the Perry Hilltop would get all fixed up too, but maybe over time.

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by Oneforthemoney21

A general rule of thumb is 3 years with no promotional opportunities you send the good old resume out. There is so much work and money to be made in affordable cities across the Midwest and the South. If you have a college degree, work experience, over age 30 and make low wages that is your own fault. If you don’t put your resume out there that is just lazy. If you’ve been searching and applying for a few years in one city it’s time to expand your search to other cities. Why are people so risk adverse to move and take chances? Everybody I know, including myself did that and each time it was a better move. Complaining on city data about affordable housing would be an embarrassing moment in your past. Every city has a hipster gentrified neighborhood. You gotta go where you are wanted and where you will get paid to have the lifestyle you want.

There is no big secret about wages in the Pittsburgh area. Most are below national average. If you aren’t OK with that then take steps to go elsewhere or polish skills that do pay in the area. Computers and trades are the high paying jobs in the Pittsburgh area. I did the research for you. All you gotta do is upskill to match one of those fields.

I admit I didn't check but I'm pretty sure avg household income in Pittsburgh is above the national average, from memory.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

Old numbers in the study versus current issues.


The study is from 2000-2010...the changes in East Liberty really ramped up after that.

Penn Plaza was still standing in 2010.

[SteelCityRising]

Why does any conversation about gentrification in general in this city always turn into telling me personally to get a better job? Were you all telling the Penn Plaza people to get better jobs?

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Why does any conversation about gentrification in general in this city always turn into telling me personally to get a better job? Were you all telling the Penn Plaza people to get better jobs?

Since you asked, it’s probably because you complain about your pay in most of your posts, rather than actually doing something to make your situation better.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Since you asked, it’s probably because you complain about your pay in most of your posts, rather than actually doing something to make your situation better.

Again, this is about gentrification in general---not about me personally.

Again, how many of you told the Penn Plaza people to get better jobs instead of demanding to stay in their trendy neighborhood?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Again, how many of you told the Penn Plaza people to get better jobs instead of demanding to stay in their trendy neighborhood?

Pretty sure Erieguy would say that.

[gg]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Pretty sure Erieguy would say that.

Only if someone said it first and he could say, "bingo" or a way of agreeing with someone else's idea.