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Old 03-19-2009, 08:02 PM
 
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I'm retiring to Pgh, so schools aren't an issue but neighborhood, walkability and public transport are. I want to be between the rivers and north of 376. I must say it sure has been fun and my agent has the patience of a saint! Tomorrow I'll look at properties in Highland Park, Edgewood, Friendship Park and Point Breeze. Can't find more variety than that <LOL>.
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Old 03-19-2009, 10:16 PM
 
Location: Yeah
3,164 posts, read 6,672,862 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pam_rvl View Post
I'm retiring to Pgh, so schools aren't an issue but neighborhood, walkability and public transport are. I want to be between the rivers and north of 376. I must say it sure has been fun and my agent has the patience of a saint! Tomorrow I'll look at properties in Highland Park, Edgewood, Friendship Park and Point Breeze. Can't find more variety than that <LOL>.
COME on up to Point Breeze, you'll love it here!
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Old 03-20-2009, 04:03 PM
 
Location: Highland Park
172 posts, read 331,333 times
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To respond to Scientist Mom:

1. Edgewood is a very very nice suburb. Swissvale is a mixed bag: it has a very nice section (the part that would be called "Regent Square" that's north of the Parkway), a laid-back yinzery section (the part next to Swisshelm Park, between the Parkway and Church Street), and a formerly nice section that is going ghetto because it is next to Rankin (basically everything else).

2. Edgewood and Swissvale used to have their own school districts but were forcibly incorporated into the Woodland Hills district, which unites some nice majority white suburbs (including these two and Forest Hills) with some less nice and majority black suburbs (e.g., Rankin, North Braddock, and Rankin). Results of this social experiment are mixed, but questions about the district are making home sales slower than they might be elsewhere.

3. St. Bede and St. Maurice are both high-quality Catholic schools. I know less about St. Maurice, but a friend who is in Opus Dei sends his kids there, so I assume it is good and doctrinally sound.

4. The Regent Square parts of Edgewood and Swissvale will likely be full of kids, and if you live in Edgewood you will automatically be able to join the Edgewood Club, a sort of public country club that has a pool which is packed with kids in the summer. The Edgewood library is nice for kids too; very cozy.

5. Greenfield is a good neighborhood that's on the upswing, though it is in St. Rosalia territory, which is not as good a school.
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Old 03-21-2009, 12:30 PM
 
Location: Swisshelm Park, Pittsburgh, PA
356 posts, read 912,635 times
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Joe - thanks for the feedback. As an update to the OP. After 6 months of house hunting, we settled in Swisshelm Park. So far we are happy with our choice. A good number of neighborhood kids and a decent park (Swisshelm Parklet) in walking distance. We will be going with St.Bede's for school in the fall. Haven't been to the Edgewood library yet - will have to give it a try. Edgewood Club looks nice but $$$. Sticking with the Pittsburgh Public pools for now.

As Pam_rvl commented, Brian TH was also a good resource for me on this board. I miss him - does any one know why he left? Fed up or just lost interest?
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Old 03-24-2009, 12:27 AM
 
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I think the school issue is super confusing, and it is easy to say, "oh that sucks" or never send your kid to xyz... Everything changes.

There is a new Environmental Charter or Magnet school in Regent Square which may help open up your map. It is off of S. Braddock backing up to Frick Park. There are a bunch of other Magnet/charter schools you can apply to. I know both are public schools, but I think Charter is kinda/sorta tied in with PPS. Both Charter and magnet are free if you live in Pittsburgh.

I know a bunch families that go to St. Bedes and they all like it a lot, there was a waiting list a yr ago, but with the economy I am not sure if that is the case now. It is only 6K or so a yr so it is really affordable. There are a lot of PPS options, if you want to look about. I have a friend in Edgewood that pays full tuition (Over 2K, but I don't know how much.) to send her daughter to CAPA, If she lived 2 blocks over it would be free.

Linden is another Charter or Magnet school in Point Breeze that parents really like. Mike Tomlin's kids go there. My son goes to Minadeo, it is a good school, but if you are looking for perfection, top notch and little exposure to city reality, it is not the school for you. We all have our comfort zones, and my son's school is interesting. He goes to school with a lot of Doctor's, teachers, professors, foreign professors, blue collar, and inner city kids. They have a talent show every year and the diversity is fascinating. I think the cirriculum is good since they spend a lot of time on writing and grammar.

They do have a really high percentage of kids in the gifted program, however, it is not as diverse as the school population sadly.

My son is in 4th grade and if all the wheels fall off and we would probably send him to St. Bedes if we can not get him in the Sci-Tech or Baccalaureate by 6th grade. Although he is in gifted program, so he auto qualifies for options I am not as familiar with so I would check them out first before sending him to a private school.

*Disclaimer, my husband works for PPS. However, I am a Mom first!

My Dad was a high school history teacher, and my Mom taught Title 1 elementary age kids. (Not in Pennsylvania.)

Last edited by Sideblinded; 03-24-2009 at 12:42 AM..
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Old 03-26-2009, 09:37 AM
 
Location: Highland Park
172 posts, read 331,333 times
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Excellent choice, Scientist Mom. One of my wife's best friends from high school (Allderdice) now lives in Swisshelm Park with her husband. They like it a lot, and they seem to have met a lot of good people. It's totally off the beaten track - when they told lifelong 'Burgher where they were moving, a lot of people had never heard of it. But that's a positive in my book.

I am sure you'll like St. Bede's as well.
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Old 03-26-2009, 02:51 PM
 
15 posts, read 51,908 times
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Thanks for all the advice and help we newcomers have gotten from this site! My offer on a great old, totally refurbished house on Lincoln has been accepted and we're set to close on April 28. Scottrpriester, the house in Point Breeze was a difficult second choice, but the one I chose reminded me of the lay-out of the townhouses in Charleston, SC where I spent childhood years.

I love the neighborhood. By the time we had complete negotiations (a matter of under 2 hours standing on the front porch), my daughter had met several of the neighbors and could tell me who lived where. My sister in No VA is worried about on-street parking, she of the third-floor walk-up <L>. I plan to do a lot of walking once I get here.

I've been running back and forth to Rockville MD the last 3 weekends to house hunt, and hate it worse everytime I head east! Can barely wait to change my tag to Pam_pgh! See y'all soon!
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Old 03-26-2009, 05:21 PM
 
269 posts, read 1,051,045 times
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Pam-Rvl, is this Lincoln in Edgewood? If so, welcome to the neighborhood! We've lived on Elm for about 2 years (also relocated from MD), and we love it. Regardless, congratulations on your new home!
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Old 03-27-2009, 07:14 AM
 
70 posts, read 510,860 times
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I lived on Lincoln Ave. from 1986-2004! I think that might even be my old house... it was not so nice (the house) when I lived there.

My parents never had any problem with street parking. The Edgewood Club has rentals on some weekend nights and the people might try and park up the street, but they are usually gone by 11, at the latest, I think.
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Old 03-29-2009, 01:30 AM
 
781 posts, read 1,612,706 times
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If Lincoln is in Regent Square: Have Breakfast at Square Cafe, and make certain you check out Legume Bistro and The Green Mango. You can google Legume: legume Make a reservation if you plan on going. We love the Green Mango also, if you like Thai food it is very good. There is an Irish pub Murphy's that has a decent burger, and a few doors down and less crowded is a bar/rest called The Map Room. I have not been there in a few months, but they cook reg bar food and some specials you may not expect.

Ok now I am hungry!
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