NOW who's the crazy one?? (Pittsburgh, Washington: find a job, transfer, buying)

[Awesomo.2000]

Pittsburgh is not for the people who love Suburban type cities. If you like Fridays, would rather see a movie in a big new movie theater in a suburban area then a quirky small theater in Squirrel hill, would not want to live in urban rowhouse areas, and do not care for architectural charm then Pittsburgh is not for you.

A lot of people who complain are most suburbinites that are just down on their luck and waiting to go to Atlanta, Houston, or Phoenix. I moved back, and found the inner city to be very interesting and beautiful.

Huminoid, We are doing regentrification projects all around this city(though some slowed down due to the economy). We are not just "drawing them" Please research things more.

I love how some people put down the housing here on this forum. That person would be one fit for a more suburban type city like Phoenix or Scottsdale or something.

[guylocke]

I think what most people are trying to say and very eloquently I might add, is that Pittsburgh is not a cookie-cutter-city.

It isn't brand new, it was well established before most states were part of the union!! It isn't sparkling with boxy chain after chain after chain. It isn't a Walmart megatropolis. It isn't a flat wasteland that happened to stumble upon some major urban sprawl.

It's beautiful and unique. It's got character, charm, history, and yep, I'd say even a little grit (not in the same way that, say, Detroit has grit, though). It's real.

That's why I love it.

[5starson23]

Good stuff. This site is such a great resource for my search.

I think the industrial past, gritty, dirty feel that PGH has is just what I am looking for. It gives the city that "urban" feel. Portland, OR is squeeky clean to the point of almost being sterile. It is too safe, too clean, too liberal. Some people may think that I am crazy for not liking a place because it it too safe or clean, but being a Chicagoan, I love the "city" feel that Portland is lacking.

It's also a reason I am hesitant to choose Denver - too much like Portland.

I would respectfully disagree that I need to have a job before I move somewhere and side with the writer who said that employers typically want to employ people who are already living in the area (so they don't have trouble setting up interviews).

It's good to know that Pittsburgh is much safer than is the national perception.

[alleghenyman]

This city definitely has an "authentic" feel to it. I.E. many rowhouse neighborhoods with multiple generations of families and a sense of ethnicity (mostly eastern european and Italian).

It is one of the safest cities in the US, and even the bad neighborhoods are not total mayhem. I used to ride an expensive mountain bike through some of them and nobody bothered me, even at night. Compare this to time I spent in NYC where you wouldn't do this in the wrong parts of Brooklyn that are next to the nice parts of Brooklyn.

People here are pretty chill and tolerant, and the place has a real sense of its history. Be ready for everyone to be obsessed only with local sports teams and not care what's going on in Cleveland or Philly, let alone Portland. That said, this is not the blue color city everyone says - it has very many established cultural institutions and universities and some very classy neighborhoods, with some of the oldest money in the U.S.

As for the job market, where people really get hurt here is if they do not have valuable job skills. Unlike Seattle or New Jersey, it isn't very easy to get out of college with a degree like Management or English and go get a decent management track job at a big company. If you have a professional degree like a CPA or a valuable skill like IT work, you will make a good living here. Be advised that there is a surplus of teachers and lawyers here, so it may take more time to find a good job.

The last point to make is that if you come out here you will find many people who have lived here their entire lives and will seem a bit provincial, but also many people, who are cultivated, educated, and well-travelled. The people who sit on these boards and whine that they can't find "interesting people" are obviously lacking in social skills. I have met as many "interesting people" here as anywhere else I've lived.

[lifepgh2op]

Originally Posted by 5starson23

Good stuff. This site is such a great resource for my search.

I think the industrial past, gritty, dirty feel that PGH has is just what I am looking for. It gives the city that "urban" feel. Portland, OR is squeeky clean to the point of almost being sterile. It is too safe, too clean, too liberal. Some people may think that I am crazy for not liking a place because it it too safe or clean, but being a Chicagoan, I love the "city" feel that Portland is lacking.

It's also a reason I am hesitant to choose Denver - too much like Portland.

I would respectfully disagree that I need to have a job before I move somewhere and side with the writer who said that employers typically want to employ people who are already living in the area (so they don't have trouble setting up interviews).

It's good to know that Pittsburgh is much safer than is the national perception.

I understand what you mean about wanting that "urban" or "gritty" feel. That's what I also like in a city. There's a few people on here who think people living in these areas have never been South or West to "newer" cities. I have, and it's just not what I'm looking for. Nice to visit, though.

I actually had a friend that interviewed for a graphic design job in Pittsburgh, and they really liked her and her portfolio but said they were hesitant to hire her because she didn't have a place to live in Pittsburgh at the time of the interview and they wanted somebody to start soon and didn't want to wait for her to find a place. So, I guess better advice is to make sure that there are at least job openings in the field you want to work rather than secure the job.

Have a nice 4th

[subdivisions]

Originally Posted by Awesomo.2000

Pittsburgh is not for the people who love Suburban type cities. If you like Fridays, would rather see a movie in a big new movie theater in a suburban area then a quirky small theater in Squirrel hill, would not want to live in urban rowhouse areas, and do not care for architectural charm then Pittsburgh is not for you.

A lot of people who complain are most suburbinites that are just down on their luck and waiting to go to Atlanta, Houston, or Phoenix. I moved back, and found the inner city to be very interesting and beautiful.

Huminoid, We are doing regentrification projects all around this city(though some slowed down due to the economy). We are not just "drawing them" Please research things more.

I love how some people put down the housing here on this forum. That person would be one fit for a more suburban type city like Phoenix or Scottsdale or something.

I completely agree with this post.

[burghgirl]

Originally Posted by Awesomo.2000

Pittsburgh is not for the people who love Suburban type cities. If you like Fridays, would rather see a movie in a big new movie theater in a suburban area then a quirky small theater in Squirrel hill, would not want to live in urban rowhouse areas, and do not care for architectural charm then Pittsburgh is not for you.

A lot of people who complain are most suburbinites that are just down on their luck and waiting to go to Atlanta, Houston, or Phoenix. I moved back, and found the inner city to be very interesting and beautiful.

Huminoid, We are doing regentrification projects all around this city(though some slowed down due to the economy). We are not just "drawing them" Please research things more.

I love how some people put down the housing here on this forum. That person would be one fit for a more suburban type city like Phoenix or Scottsdale or something.

But I think there are areas around Pittsburgh that are very suburban, like Cranberry Township and Peters Township. There you will find more of the chain restaurants and newer housing developments, if that's what you're into.

I agree that Pittsburgh does have a lot of the more urban feel with lots of charm and unique neighborhoods compared to some other cities. That's one of the reasons I love the Burgh so much.

[Humanoid]

I am a computer programmer, and I am bombarded with phone calls from people asking me to come in for interviews.

I don't think computer programming jobs in general are widely available, it really depends what you are doing. If you are dealing with more theoretic work or say web related work there aren't many jobs.

[5starson23]

I work in the public sector: city planning, development review. I also have experience in the environmental health field, mosquito control, and have a recently expired but easily renewable HAZMAT license.

While me experience is broad, finding a job is somewhat dependant on the culture of government in that area. Some cities regulate development and human/environmental interaction with close attention to details. Some places are pretty loose with their codes and code enforcement. PGH seems big enough that there would certainly be jobs in my field, but like everywhere, finding them can be difficult - especially in our current economy and housing slump.

I am NOT into sprawl or strip mall. If I moved to PGH I would definitely be looking for the unique, urban, REAL Pittsburgh feel. I'd want to live in a row house close to downtown somewhere.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by 5starson23

Good stuff. This site is such a great resource for my search.

I think the industrial past, gritty, dirty feel that PGH has is just what I am looking for. It gives the city that "urban" feel. Portland, OR is squeeky clean to the point of almost being sterile. It is too safe, too clean, too liberal. Some people may think that I am crazy for not liking a place because it it too safe or clean, but being a Chicagoan, I love the "city" feel that Portland is lacking.

It's also a reason I am hesitant to choose Denver - too much like Portland.

I would respectfully disagree that I need to have a job before I move somewhere and side with the writer who said that employers typically want to employ people who are already living in the area (so they don't have trouble setting up interviews).

It's good to know that Pittsburgh is much safer than is the national perception.

I do not want to hijack this thread and talk about Denver, but I will say, if you think Denver doesn't have its "gritty" parts of town and a "city" feel you are mistaken. Go over to the Denver forum and do a search and/or start a thread. There is a sticky there with links to many different threads and pictures.

I will add that I think it is imperative to have a job lined up, or some serious leads before moving, especially if you are going to quit a job in Portland and move your belongings three thousand miles. My brother grew up there (as did I, of course), moved back and it took him a couple years to find a job at a MUCH lower pay than he had in Florida. For everyone who tells you to move w/o a job, you will find at least one person who disagrees.