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Well, it sort of is a dirty old steel town. We might not actually be producing nearly as much steel as we did 40 years ago, but we still are a little. Also, despite the fact that much of Pittsburgh has changed drastically over the last few decades, the main predominant mindset in the city is still blue-collar union. That reflects badly on us.
Also there's still a lot of pollution here from all the industry. Even though you can't see it, it's still there in the form of particulates. Sorta like radiation I guess. That will take decades to go away, but that's the price we pay for being a booming industrial mecca in the past. Too bad those of us who are paying the price are too young to have experienced the benefits. We just get to choke on the dust of the past.
Ditto Scranton. The former anthracite mining industry here made my city amongst the wealthiest in the nation for a while in the earlier part of the 20th-Century. The city mushroomed in growth to house 150,000 residents and become the 36th-largest city in the nation. Unemployment was low, and people were flocking here from all over.
Now that the mines have long since shuttered, we're left with stinky, polluted waterways, large ugly piles of coal waste, air pollution, and worst of all frequent mine subsidences that occur at random and swallow up streets, cars, homes, and even people. We've been left with a largely uneducated, blue-collar population, which means that we white-collar types have far fewer opportunities for employment options and recreational opportunities besides "drinking down our sorrows at da corner bar."
There's been a massive movement amongst local young professionals in the past few years to reinvent the city as an exurb of New York City, which is two hours to our east, and I can only hope that comes true. I don't want to be known as a "dying old hick mining town" much longer. "The Office", thankfully, has been doing wonders for our tourism industry as well, since the paper company featured in the show is based in Scranton.
I'm only 20, so I wasn't alive when people were reaping the benefits of our thriving industry. I've only been around now to see the mucky water, smog, and coal piles and think "Ick" while the older generation says "Be respectful of our wonderful heritage" as if we're supposed to be proud of that awfully dirty industry.
Ditto Scranton. The former anthracite mining industry here made my city amongst the wealthiest in the nation for a while in the earlier part of the 20th-Century. The city mushroomed in growth to house 150,000 residents and become the 36th-largest city in the nation. Unemployment was low, and people were flocking here from all over.
Now that the mines have long since shuttered, we're left with stinky, polluted waterways, large ugly piles of coal waste, air pollution, and worst of all frequent mine subsidences that occur at random and swallow up streets, cars, homes, and even people. We've been left with a largely uneducated, blue-collar population, which means that we white-collar types have far fewer opportunities for employment options and recreational opportunities besides "drinking down our sorrows at da corner bar."
There's been a massive movement amongst local young professionals in the past few years to reinvent the city as an exurb of New York City, which is two hours to our east, and I can only hope that comes true. I don't want to be known as a "dying old hick mining town" much longer. "The Office", thankfully, has been doing wonders for our tourism industry as well, since the paper company featured in the show is based in Scranton.
I'm only 20, so I wasn't alive when people were reaping the benefits of our thriving industry. I've only been around now to see the mucky water, smog, and coal piles and think "Ick" while the older generation says "Be respectful of our wonderful heritage" as if we're supposed to be proud of that awfully dirty industry.
Yikes. Is Scranton doing better? Are improvements on the horizon or is it getting worse? I've never been to Scranton.
Yikes. Is Scranton doing better? Are improvements on the horizon or is it getting worse? I've never been to Scranton.
Things are getting better here day by day. The population is still largely uneducated, which has lead to a scarcity of white-collar career opportunities in the region, but the "Wall Street West" initiative should soon have back-up offices of NYC financial firms locating here in the event of another terrorist attack in Manhattan. A new commuter rail is also planned to be in operation by 2014 or so to link NEPA to NYC. This is direly needed as roughly 25,000 people make the commute daily from my region to Greater NYC, clogging I-80 in and out of North Jersey.
The coal piles still remain, but some are being reclaimed for suburban housing developments (I wish they'd just be replanted with vegetation, but I suppose McMansions are better than coal waste). The Susquehanna River, which was once rife with various toxins and even human fecal coliform is showing signs of renewal with each passing year as more and more wildlife returns to the waterway (It's actually disgusting though to think that communities downstream from us drink that same water!) The air pollution is still an issue; you can see this very easily from my photo tour of West Scranton's Hyde Park neighborhood, in which the view of the downtown skyline was obscured by smog. It makes me sick to realize that I go running in that schlop everyday.
As thousands and thousands more NY and NJ transplants flood into my area in the coming years in search of inexpensive real estate, lower crime, and better schools, I can only foresee the area continuing to revive itself. The downtown area of the city is rapidly-rebounding with all sorts of coffee shops, boutiques, art galleries, ethnic restaurants, etc., and more residential lofts/studios/condos are planned in the coming years, along with a new medical college. I think by 2020 this city will be amongst the best in the state (perhaps behind Pittsburgh).
This hope of a "brighter tomorrow" is part of what keeps me here, even though I can take my upcoming Master's Degree and high-tail it to the promised land of New Jersey, like all of my peers have been doing. Hell, a new gay bar just opened in my own podunk suburban town of all places, so I suppose there's always hope for anything.
I can see your point. My husband and I are naitves of the Burgh, but have lived our entire adult lives in Northern Virginia outside Wash, DC and wouldn't move back to Pittsburgh if you paid us.
It's not becasue we don't love seeing our families (who are of course, still there), the Steelers and Primanti Brothers and the ethinc neighborhoods....but....we also see a certain provincial, narrow-minded attitude amongst alot of it's residents. There is a stagnant, rigid, mind-set which doesn't allow for growth (trying something new and different outside of what is known, for example).
There are sooo many people who have been born and raised there....and haven't seen (or don't want to see) anyting else of this wondeful, big world. People kind of have a staunch allegiance to the Burgh w/o ever being outside the city walls....except for maybe to Ohio or Myrtle Beach....it's just not a city of people who encourage "think outside the box" thinking....that's the best I can articulate it.
Even though the cost of living is less, the taxes are sooo high and, quite frankly, for all of Pghs "family-friendly" reputation, we woule rather raise our children in Northern Virginia where there is diversity, opportunity and culture.
I was also Born and raised in The Burgh and I just thank you for pointing out what is so obvious to those of us who have left there for greener pastures. What those who are still there refuse to see or admit...and for heaven sake if you are a transplant you don't even have a clue what we are talking about when we mention the prevailing Pittsburgh attitude...
It's that very narrowmindedness, the we've always done it this way and this is the way we are gonna keep on doing it attitude, that has stagnated the city.
They don't wanna do anything different, think outta the box or embrace diversity...are you kidding...unless of course that diversity happens to look, and act just like they do...which isn't diversity at all.
I bid a fond farewell to the city a while back and though I will most likely always have this love/hate relationship with the place...after all I was born there, raised in Oakland, went to Frick school, right in the middle of Pitt's campus. Then to Schenley High school. And as an adult I lived in the Hill District, Southside, Mt. Oliver, East Liberty and Wilkinsburg, and I still have family there.
I love the city for it's beauty, which can't be disputed, for it's history which is rich and full, for it's old fashioned character and charm which make it one of the most colorful places in the world.
What I don't love is the "good ole boy, this is the way we gonna do it, cause this is the way we been doing it attitude" which has proved to be detrimental to the city's growth and vitality.
If Pittsburgh could but take a few steps into the 21st century to embrace, new ideas and diversity it might actually stand a chance.
I am not saying become something else, I'm saying think of new and different ways to make the city what it once was, and those new ways don't include casinos (that's not Pittsburgh...that's Pittsburgh trying to be someplace else)
How about some good paying jobs, less than $40,000 a year for a family with two working adults is terrible, that's barely a living.
How about ridding the streets of crime so every neighborhood is a good neighborhood, how about some beat cops.
How about more amenities, like downtown shopping district, like there used to be, how about movie theatres downtown and in oakland, like there used to be, how about back in the day when going downtown was a big deal cause there was so much to see and do down there.
How about these amenities be in every neighborhood and accessible to everyone, not just people who have cars...and while we're at it, how about some better public transportation, that doesn't cost two arms a leg and a kidney and how about let it go someplace. Someplace like to all the new grocery stores...one for every neighborhood.
How about entice new business to the area by lowering some of those damn outrageously high taxes, or offer grants and other incentives for residents of the city to start their own businesses, most every other city has these incentives for minority and women owned businesses...new businesses mean jobs, more jobs mean more people, more people means the need for more services, so that means more businesses have to open, so that means more people need to be hired, which means more housing will be needed, which means, more schools will be needed etc etc...see that's what growth in a city looks like!!
It looks like there are good paying jobs, and interesting things to do, which makes people want to come there, raise families, etc etc
How about let's think outside of our stodgy old boxes and make Pittsburgh a great place to live, work and raise a family...like it used to be.
Right on, luvlee! I have said so much about this topic, and been excoriated for it, on this forum, that I think I'm done. OTOH, it's nice to see a few other people expressing the same, kind of shows me that I'm not crazy.
Oh you're definitely not crazy. I get so angry when I think of how our politicians at the state and local level are destroying a great region for the sake of continued support from their special-interest masters. The public-sector unions get whatever they want, at the expense of taxpayers. New projects which have little benefit are justified simply because they "create jobs." Anyone who questions the usual regime is branded as being "anti-labor" or "anti-worker." Labor unions are a local religion, so you can't question them ever. If you do, you are basically no better than one of the Pinkertons at the Battle of Homestead back in the 1890's. So our taxes go up and up, and few businesses want to move in and deal with the Big Labor mentality.
The idea that it is possible to get "something for nothing" is destroying this region. It started with the collapse of steel back in the 70's and 80's, when the unions assumed that consumers would gladly pay higher and higher prices for steel. Now, the city itself is bankrupt, thanks to the assumption that taxpayers would gladly pay higher and higher prices for government services.
Meanwhile city newspapers from places like Houston read "Jobs Waiting on Workers" and "Job Market Remains White Hot". You won't see any headlines like that around here, that's for sure.
Oh you're definitely not crazy. I get so angry when I think of how our politicians at the state and local level are destroying a great region for the sake of continued support from their special-interest masters. The public-sector unions get whatever they want, at the expense of taxpayers. New projects which have little benefit are justified simply because they "create jobs." Anyone who questions the usual regime is branded as being "anti-labor" or "anti-worker." Labor unions are a local religion, so you can't question them ever. If you do, you are basically no better than one of the Pinkertons at the Battle of Homestead back in the 1890's. So our taxes go up and up, and few businesses want to move in and deal with the Big Labor mentality.
The idea that it is possible to get "something for nothing" is destroying this region. It started with the collapse of steel back in the 70's and 80's, when the unions assumed that consumers would gladly pay higher and higher prices for steel. Now, the city itself is bankrupt, thanks to the assumption that taxpayers would gladly pay higher and higher prices for government services.
Meanwhile city newspapers from places like Houston read "Jobs Waiting on Workers" and "Job Market Remains White Hot". You won't see any headlines like that around here, that's for sure.
K, it's not just unions... and it's not just Pittsburgh. There is a pervasive no-work ethic all over. I ran into it out here when I was employed. People really feel they have the right to be paid for doing nothing. Middle class, white collar workers spent their day avoiding work as much as possible -- doing the bare minimum and spending so much time kissing rear to avoid having to look for another place that will pay them for doing nothing. Don't think for a minute that this is a union thing.
I once had a manager that drank. She stored bottles in toilet tanks. They not only kept her -- they PROMOTED her, sending my wonderful boss into "business development", because she didn't tell them what they wanted to hear. but my new manager was a TOTAL yes woman. Every single thing management said walked on water and was to be accepted by every one. It was, happily enough, at the same time our business took off and I needed to get out of there, so I gave them 60 days notice, so they could find the right person to do my job.
She didn't interview, until HR forced her hand and placed the ads for her. And she hired a bubble headed moron because she was cute.
I wasn't just a bank teller. My job made people crazy. I invented that job. Until I got there, they didn't have a foreign department. They simply didn't handle foreign transactions. And Drunky McStinkyCow hired an idiot that couldn't wrap her head around anything. She actually asked me if a check drawn on the Bank Of London went to Paris. You know, City of Paris, State of London, in the country of Europe.
But she wore absolutely adorable clothes.
I still run into it. I have a grocery store close by that is such a major pain that I stopped going there. I'm third in line at the check out and that GUARENTEES me a 30-45 minute wait, because the clerks are chatting with each other, and chatting with the customer -- which means an argument about where something is, and where someone is going dancing tonight. My husband calls it Hood Theatre... frankly, my time is worth more.
Yeah -- so don't ever think this is just unions and just Pittsburgh.
It's true that the "no work" attitude is everywhere, but it seems more pronounced in Pittsburgh due to the union-labor history mentality. Also, things aren't changing there like rapidly growing regions of the country.
Oh I realize that the "no-work" attitude is everywhere. I'm not disputing that.
What worries me is that the attitude seems to be institutionalized in our state and local government to a very high degree.
Yes it does, and the same officials seem to get elected over and over again, usually because they're democrats and have the union mentality. Until the area gets past this attitude, I really don't see things improving economically. It would really require the mass efforts of many people to work for change, and many are just apathetic or vote with their feet.
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The air pollution is still an issue; you can see this very easily from my photo tour of West Scranton's Hyde Park neighborhood, in which the view of the downtown skyline was obscured by smog. It makes me sick to realize that I go running in that schlop everyday. 
