Moving from Boston, Help us Pick an Area (crime, living in)

[robrobrob]

For starters if you want to go private, you need to buy in one of three places, the city, Fox Chapel Area or the Sewickley area. Essentially, our independent private schools are located in these areas. And yes it is crazy to live in the South Hills and go to Sewickley Academy. The majority of the kids that go there live around the school.

Now if you want a Catholic school they are located everywhere. However, when you hit high school you will have fewer options for Catholic high schools.

For 600,000, I would pick Mt. Lebanon .... if you like older homes with sidewalks. And Mt. Lebanon is bigger so you will always have homes on the market. It seems as if you are concerned about home size for the money. If so, then Lebo and Sewickely are out.

So, for 600.000 I would pick Upper St. Clair, the North Allegheny School District or Hampton. I know you didn't mention Hampton. But u get a lot for your money.


You also have to figure out if you want to join a country club. With your price point, some of these areas will have a lot of families that belong to clubs. Friends moved to Pittsburgh (paid 800 for a house) and were shocked that everyone on their street belonged to a country club. Keep that in mind. Also, some areas have better community amenities.

[jb01760]

Appreciate everyone's feedback. Agree we need to make the public vs private decision before buying. Would be tough for the kid to have friends in the neighborhood then have to bus 30+ minutes to a different school location. I think we're leaning towards the south hills but have a month-to-month rental in Sewickley to try it out first. Wife may also be working near Canonsburg, based on a couple of promising interviews. Otherwise we'd consider Fox Chapel, Hampton areas.

Mt Lebanon does seem like a great fit, do most of the houses have updated electrical, plumbing even though much older? We saw a great old house in Edgeworth (1910) but crossed it off after realizing it would be close to $50k to get basic systems updated. USC feels newer, great amenities for kids - definitely a good option too. And to clarify it doesn't need to be an area full of transplants, just assuming some neighborhoods are easier to break in as an outsider. Just a preference.

I think Pittsburgh is a great option if WFH continues in some form. In my opinion the city should market itself as "east coast lite" - with similar outdoor and cultural amenities, educational institutions and proximity to the NE corridor. A high speed train to Philly, which easily connects with DC, NY/NJ even Boston would really help with population and economic growth.

[svband76]

Originally Posted by jb01760

Appreciate everyone's feedback. Agree we need to make the public vs private decision before buying. Would be tough for the kid to have friends in the neighborhood then have to bus 30+ minutes to a different school location. I think we're leaning towards the south hills but have a month-to-month rental in Sewickley to try it out first. Wife may also be working near Canonsburg, based on a couple of promising interviews. Otherwise we'd consider Fox Chapel, Hampton areas.

Mt Lebanon does seem like a great fit, do most of the houses have updated electrical, plumbing even though much older? We saw a great old house in Edgeworth (1910) but crossed it off after realizing it would be close to $50k to get basic systems updated. USC feels newer, great amenities for kids - definitely a good option too. And to clarify it doesn't need to be an area full of transplants, just assuming some neighborhoods are easier to break in as an outsider. Just a preference.

I think Pittsburgh is a great option if WFH continues in some form. In my opinion the city should market itself as "east coast lite" - with similar outdoor and cultural amenities, educational institutions and proximity to the NE corridor. A high speed train to Philly, which easily connects with DC, NY/NJ even Boston would really help with population and economic growth.

Yes, a dependable Amtrak out of Pittsburgh would be wonderful What we do have is miserably slow. And really only useful if you're going to NYC, Harrisburg. even then it's slow. Canonsburg just a straight shot from Mount Lebanon. Good luck.

[guy2073]

My son went to usc, I couldn't have asked for a better environment for him to grow up. I recently moved because of the taxes and real estate values have skyrocketed.

[USC1986]

I have lived in Upper St. Clair for 35 years and two of my closest friends ( one now deceased, R.I.P.) live in Mt. Lebanon.
As stated earlier, you should certainly find a nice older home in Mt.Lebo for $600k. There has been little new construction there for a long time; simply not much available land.
The Washington Rd.business district is very nice & walkable from many neighborhoods. Beverly Rd . has a nice little area as well.
To me, only Sewickley & Mt.Lebanon have that walkable, New England kind of vibe in the Pittsburgh suburbs.
Schools in Mt.Lebo are excellent, but NO buses; you walk, drive , or are dropped off.
For what it's worth,politically, Mt.Lebanon is much more liberal than it was 10 or 20 years ago, and is definitely majority Democrat now.
USC homes, in general, are much newer, perhaps not as well built as the Lebo homes of the 20's or 30's, with usually much larger lots, and still some areas ( not many) yet to be developed. $600k will get you a very nice home.
There really is no business district to speak of in USC, but we do have a very fine Recreation Center & pool on Mayview Rd.
I would also say public services are top notch & very responsive to resident issues.
If one needs to use the T to commute to downtown, it begins at the South Hills Village station, so you should always be able to get a seat in rush hour; it can be difficult by the time the T gets to Mt.Lebanon.
My location is close to I-79, so I can be downtown, non rush hour, in 15 minutes, or in Cranberry in 1/2 hour, or southbound, to Washington,PA in 20 minutes.
Again, politically, USC probably still leans Republican, but not as much as before, IMHO.
The schools are first class, but the taxes are high, just like Mt.Lebo, but that's the case anywhere in Allegheny County.
You can't go wrong in either community, IMHO.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by zalewskimm

Yes, a dependable Amtrak out of Pittsburgh would be wonderful What we do have is miserably slow. And really only useful if you're going to NYC, Harrisburg. even then it's slow. Canonsburg just a straight shot from Mount Lebanon. Good luck.

I just love taking the Amtrak to NYC and Philly. It's such a relaxing trip. It's actually only a little longer than the Megabus, and so much more comfortable! You also get such beautiful scenery, you can get coffee, wine, etc.

[Doowlle34]

Hey, the heart of the community is 666 Washington road and the high school mascot is the blue devil, just saying.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by Doowlle34

Hey, the heart of the community is 666 Washington road and the high school mascot is the blue devil, just saying.

Again, excellent deflection, as you can’t provide of a percentage drop of crime where there hasn’t been a history of it, lol.

The police have always kept the riff-raff clear of ML, and still do. It’s a great plus to the area.

[Doowlle34]

How can you explain the fact that mt Lebanon is home to a Lamb that roars like a lion? Something fishy, no?

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by Doowlle34

How can you explain the fact that mt Lebanon is home to a Lamb that roars like a lion? Something fishy, no?

It keeps the riff-raff away and makes it a pleasant place to live, along with help of the police.