Moving to Pittsburgh

[Katarina Witt]

Of course it depends on the individual! That is why one should take everything they read on CD with a grain of salt.

I take issue with statements like "No other place in the world offers this, that, the other". There are many, many cities out there that are preserving/have preserved their cultural roots, have good neighborhood systems etc. I also disagree with "the best bus system in the country". Here in the wild west, we have an airport halfway to Kansas, and there are buses from Boulder, almost 60 miles away from it, that will take you there. I couldn't find a way to get my mom to the airport on pubic transportation from Beaver Falls, a mere 20 miles or so from the Pgh airport. I ended up paying someone to take her there. That is just one example.

[Steelers115]

Originally Posted by creepsinc

I was going to reply, but you did it for me.

Just finished reading a good book called "What's the Matter With Kansas?".
It's basically about how working-class people vote against their interests, ie. vote Republican. I'm no Democrat, but it's the better of the two major parties to be sure. The reason businesses flock to the more conservative parts of the country are the lax regulations which screw everybody below middle management. Then, for some reason, the Republicans are able to reel them in with "values" issues that they never really do anything about once elected. These days, it's railing against the "elites", who ironically are the ones running the business. So, to recap, the end results are that the "elites" get "punished" with lower taxes and Joe Sixpack loses his crap-paying job. What a system!

Also, to the OP (and indirectly to our friend in Denver): It is possible to have very few cons, but it depends on the individual. I've lived in some of the most "desirable" places in the U.S. and quickly had a list of things I hated about them, which eventually got the better of me and caused me to hate the city itself. I have a couple of minor annoyances with Pittsburgh, but otherwise I love it like I've loved nowhere else.

I might have to check that book out.

[GottaGetOuttaHere]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Of course it depends on the individual! That is why one should take everything they read on CD with a grain of salt.

I take issue with statements like "No other place in the world offers this, that, the other". There are many, many cities out there that are preserving/have preserved their cultural roots, have good neighborhood systems etc. I also disagree with "the best bus system in the country". Here in the wild west, we have an airport halfway to Kansas, and there are buses from Boulder, almost 60 miles away from it, that will take you there. I couldn't find a way to get my mom to the airport on pubic transportation from Beaver Falls, a mere 20 miles or so from the Pgh airport. I ended up paying someone to take her there. That is just one example.

Katiana, I agree 100%. I've lived in the NYC area all of my life, and as far as most NY'ers are concerned (and some non-natives), we are considered to have the best of everything: best food, best transportation, etc. However, I, myself (despite being a native) have never, ever subscribed to that mentality as I feel and know it is all subjective. Of course, most natives to an area think their city is the best!..but I've always been able to look at the bigger picture and see that every city/metro area in the country (and the world) has something to offer..and that there are positive and negatives wherever you go. Although I was born and raised here, I absolutely hate NY, which is why I've been looking to leave for the longest. It's just not my cuppa tea. I hate the crowds, the rude New Yawker mentality that some possess (which I honestly don't possess, but one of the things NYC has been famous for and is often stereotyped about), and the hustle and bustle..whereas, others (native and non alike) thrive on all these things, plus the culture, food, etc. I am also not a sports fan (I like my ice skating, and sometimes tennis, but that's about it. I absolutely hate football and baseball, don't watch basketball, and will occasionally glance at hockey).

I actually envy you, because, it's always been my dream for the longest to move to Colorado, as I love the mountains and the idea of living out West, but, alas, I have no family or friends there, so I am focusing (for now) on alternatives close by. But getting back to your point, one needs to consider what is being said, but not regard it as a blueprint. In the end, use your own judgment based upon your own experiences, and not the experiences of others, as we are all different and only you can decide for yourself what you need.

[highway29south]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Of course it depends on the individual! That is why one should take everything they read on CD with a grain of salt.

I take issue with statements like "No other place in the world offers this, that, the other". There are many, many cities out there that are preserving/have preserved their cultural roots, have good neighborhood systems etc. I also disagree with "the best bus system in the country". Here in the wild west, we have an airport halfway to Kansas, and there are buses from Boulder, almost 60 miles away from it, that will take you there. I couldn't find a way to get my mom to the airport on pubic transportation from Beaver Falls, a mere 20 miles or so from the Pgh airport. I ended up paying someone to take her there. That is just one example.

I couldn't agree more! It is a matter of perspective. I think people can take great pride in their city or area of the country and love it very much. But when you cannot open yourself up to the thought that maybe someone else doesn't agree your city is Utopia....well, then the discussion becomes useless. The OP did ask for pros and cons just as you pointed out, Katiana, so that is what they need to hear. And as someone who has lived in Pittsburgh for 20+ years and in the South the rest of the time, I know there are pros and cons to both places. It's easier to help someone if you can acknowledge both sides of a city.

[cubical]

I've lived in a lot of different places... my first 10 years were near Pittsburgh, in Steubenville, Ohio and S. Florida (Marathon) in my teenage years, then NE Ohio (Kent and Cleveland area), Ann Arbor, Mi, Chicago briefly, 10+ years on the Colorado Front Range (which I liked over all), and about a year now in the Phoenix, Arizona area.

I'm starting to think I could trade 5 months of blast furnace temps, sunshine w/ silver blue skies (perpetual haze) and beige desert for the greenery and fall colors of W. Pa. I think I could adapt to the gray, damp winters again...

Part of it may be the approach of middle age (late '30s now), and longing to be closer to family (still in the eastern Ohio area) and time and space to enjoy my old cars (I have a couple of Mustangs from my youth stored in Ohio)... I own a condo in a Denver suburb (renting it out to a friend now) and am renting my sister's house in Scottsdale, AZ now (she's working in Dayton, Oh). The real estate market is such in the Pittsburgh area I could get a reasonably large house w/ a lot of space for what my condo is worth..

Pittsburgh seems appealing to me as it is a largish but not a really large metro area, with a sufficient amount of tech jobs, a good airport (shorter flights to Europe than from the West--I try and go to Europe for a week every year), and lots of greenery, hills, mountains, winding backroads where I could enjoy my cars.. I'm interested in a downtown I can visit easily (not necessarily live in), with good ethnic (Thai, Indian, etc) restaurants, bookstores, etc..