Neighborhood of the week: Perry South (Perry Hilltop/Charles Street Valley) (Pittsburgh: middle-class, crime)

[eschaton]

Perry South is an official city neighborhood on Pittsburgh's North Side. Although considered one neighborhood by the City of Pittsburgh, for over a century this area has been split into two commonly recognized neighborhoods - Perry Hilltop and the Charles Street Valley - which have slightly different, although intertwined, histories.

Perry Hilltop, much like neighboring Observatory Hill, began being built out to a large extent once the Federal/Perrysville streetcar line opened up. As was typically the case in highland neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, the late 19th century housing stock was all frame and detached, although starting around 1900 brick buildings began to be mixed in. It was essentially a quintessential "streetcar suburb" up through the mid 20th century.

The Charles Street Valley was a slightly older, more working class, and more mixed-use neighborhood. It began being built out during the 1880s as an extension of development in what's now the Central North Side and California-Kirkbride, and was completely built out by 1900 with a mixture of brick and frame rowhouses meant for those of more modest incomes. While Perry Hilltop was an all-white neighborhood through to the mid-20th century, the Charles Street Valley was racially mixed and integrated, being around 20% black by 1940.

This area of the city was mostly intact and stable up through the 1960s, but began seeing extensive population loss and abandonment from 1970 on. Unlike somewhere like Homewood, white flight was never complete however - even to this day approximately 1/3rd of Perry South's population is white, with the balance being black. That said, the physical condition of the neighborhood is terrible. Large numbers of abandoned homes have been knocked down in the last decade, giving sections of the neighborhood a weird backwoods vibe. There still is plenty of blight as well. The neighborhood is quite mixed however - a few streets with great views closer to town (mostly the bottom of Perrysville and Clayton Avenue) have developed into middle-class to wealthy enclaves (with an unfortunate amount of mid-century remuddling).

The Charles Street Valley is mostly gone entirely, although there are two small historic districts. These are not officially recognized by the city, but nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, which means they have no protection from demolition or remuddling. These are the Brightridge Street Rows (built in 1887 -
they have been partially chopped up by demolition) and the Charles Street Row (built in 1885 - mostly notable because it's an unbroken row of 25 houses). Besides that the Charles Street Valley today is mostly either vacant lots or bad suburban-style infill.

Perry South never had extensive business districts, and has even less commerce today. There was at one point a business district around the corner of N Charles and Perrysville, but that area is in very poor shape today. The only occupied storefronts left are a barbershop and a single convenience store. There are a few other scattered businesses, but mostly the neighborhood is not walkable between the lack of amenities and steep terrain.

Perry Hilltop is not a great area by any means, but it's also not one of the absolute worst ghettos in the city. That said, things there continue to get worse rather than better. The housing stock is in poor condition, and the neighborhood has few amenities, meaning there's no real reason for outsiders to take a chance on the neighborhood except for the small stable areas. I have heard that there is a plan for some scattered-site infill to build replacement units for Allegheny Dwellings residents, but this will only slow the decline, not cease it. I would not be surprised if current trends continue if large portions of Perry Hilltop effectively return to nature in another generation or two.

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by eschaton

The Charles Street Valley is mostly gone entirely, although there are two small historic districts. These are not officially recognized by the city, but nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, which means they have no protection from demolition or remuddling. These are the Brightridge Street Rows (built in 1887 -
they have been partially chopped up by demolition) and the Charles Street Row (built in 1885 - mostly notable because it's an unbroken row of 25 houses). Besides that the Charles Street Valley today is mostly either vacant lots or bad suburban-style infill.

Hey, thanks as usual for an excellent report on a part of the city many people don't think about very often.

We go through Charles Street now and then as a nice back way to get to Brighton Road from Spring Hill (the #6 bus to Spring Hill basically becomes a #15 bus and comes down Charles Street from Northview Heights, which is how we first noticed this handy little corridor), and there are some really sweet homes back there -- even some scattered Victorian-style houses, though I'm not sure how old they really are.

Last week I noticed a bulldozer that was apparently clearing or smoothing a patch of land very close to the Charles Street Row that was mentioned here -- not sure what's going on (or if eschaton knows more...), but my guess is that someone is building something adjacent to that nice row of homes. It wouldn't surprise me if people who want to live near the MWS were to find this neighborhood in 5 or 10 years, though of course right now Brighton Heights and Marshall-Shadeland are still so affordable that I doubt we'll see much change any time soon.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by RogersParkTransplant

Last week I noticed a bulldozer that was apparently clearing or smoothing a patch of land very close to the Charles Street Row that was mentioned here -- not sure what's going on (or if eschaton knows more...), but my guess is that someone is building something adjacent to that nice row of homes.

To the best of my knowledge most of the new-construction infill being planned for the Allegheny Dwellings residents is going to be on Chautauqua Street, but it may well be that a few units are planned in the Charles Street Valley.

[Pitman]

What happened to Overbrook? Everybody always forgets about us lol

[gg]

I used to live in Perry Hilltop with a great view of the city and the Ohio river. It was a unique spot. The homes with a view still go for pretty good money, but no view they aren't all that great. I certainly don't think it is a dangerous area at all, but it is near an area that has crime due to projects. I don't miss living down there, but do miss that view and the breeze that was always blowing it seemed. I thought that area would do okay over time, but the hill makes it harder to get going I guess. People want to walk like they can do down the hill.

I still think if things keep going well for our area, it will turn around, but maybe not. It isn't all that bad up there.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Pitman

What happened to Overbrook? Everybody always forgets about us lol

Damn, you're right, I did forget. I think I did so because I covered something involving Overbrook on another forum (the recent nomination of the old municipal building as a historic landmark) so when I went to look at the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods on wiki, it was a viewed link.

I'll cover it next week.

[slamont61]

Overbrook used to be a fun ride in the old PAT (PCC) Trolley Cars.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by slamont61

Overbrook used to be a fun ride in the old PAT (PCC) Trolley Cars.

You took the words out of my mouth. I had a friend that lived on Whited Street. It was a little scary walking to the train at night but I have good memories. There was a trailor park that sat beneath the trolley stop. Is it still there? We used to take the trolley to the Spinning Wheels roller skating rink. Good memories.

[Pat Answers]

Looking at this area from the maps, now I'm sure my dr. and dentist were not in this area. They were definitely up in Observatory Hill area. Was the old Columbus School in this area or was that a bit farther north? I remember that the school burned and for a year or two they were in an upper hallway at Oliver High. I guess they rebuilt? Maybe I'm in the wrong area?

Anyway, this part of the city you are talking about, we were always afraid to drive in there. They had a bad term for it LA if you know what I'm talking about... I find it sad that any of our city areas goes downhill. What is it, just poverty or lack of pride? If only we knew...

[PGH423]

Originally Posted by Pat Answers

Looking at this area from the maps, now I'm sure my dr. and dentist were not in this area. They were definitely up in Observatory Hill area. Was the old Columbus School in this area or was that a bit farther north? I remember that the school burned and for a year or two they were in an upper hallway at Oliver High. I guess they rebuilt? Maybe I'm in the wrong area?

Anyway, this part of the city you are talking about, we were always afraid to drive in there. They had a bad term for it LA if you know what I'm talking about... I find it sad that any of our city areas goes downhill. What is it, just poverty or lack of pride? If only we knew...

I might the only one who doesn't know what LA is. I guess I understand if it's a bad term and you don't want to write it out.