Relocating to Pittsburgh - Lots of Questions (Bethel Park, Lebanon: real estate, apartments)

[allen4427]

My husband and I are thinking of relocating to Pittsburgh from Denver. I grew up in the South Hills but have not lived in the 'burgh for about 18 years. We started looking at housing and schools and have become interested in the West View / Ross Park area. Mainly our interest is due to the affordable housing and good schools. Does anyone have first hand information on what it is like to live in this area? Also, we would most likely be commuting to downtown. Is it better to drive and park downtown or take the bus? What is the typical cost of a monthly parking spot downtown in the triangle? We could take the bus from the Ross Park park and ride - does anyone know what time in the morning the park and ride fills up? What is it like riding the busses these days?
Does anyone have other areas they recommend we look at? We would be interested in affordable housing, good schools, and a short commute (the dream location....).
Thanks!

[Geeo]

West View and Ross are both popular areas in an excellent school district - North Hills - which was recently rated a little higher than North Allegheny School District by some national organization. Search the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from the last couple weeks for the full story. A monthly parking lease downtown depends on the location: in the heart of the Golden Triangle you can pay up to $250, the fringes are much less. Park and Ride lots in the North Hills are plentiful, but I don't know what time they fill up. A monthly bus pass is $70 or $80 (I think). Lots of people take the bus because they can use the HOV lanes on I-279 for a quick trip into the city and back. Lots of shopping along McKnight Rd. and further out in McCandless. Ross Park Mall has Nordstrom, Macy's, Penneys, Sears, Tiffany, Louis Vitton, Kate Spade, and lots of other high end stores.

[allen4427]

Wow, I didn't realize parking was so expensive. The bus sounds like a more viable option. Thanks for your reply!

[greg42]

I knew someone asked that here! It's been a week, but I happened to just run across info on when the park and ride lots fill up and remembered someone asking. The Ross lot fills around 8:00 generally, according to the Port Authority:

Ross Park and Ride

Anyone wants info on other lots, here's the whole map:

Park and Ride Lots

The 13X bus is ideal; it goes from and to the park and ride lot with no other stops in between. Unless you work somewhere that is going to pay for parking, or both of you will commute downtown, the bus is going to be the better option I would think. I am lucky to have my parking paid for me; our spaces go for around $250/month I think. There are lots on the periphery that can cost less, but really, if you're starting from say the Ross or West View area, if you end up parking in the Strip or North Shore for a downtown job, the bus is actually going to be faster! Note that this is very specific to the small downtown Golden Triangle area, though. If you end up working in, say, Oakland, all bets are off because the bus would require a transfer. The bus still may be the best option, sure, but it's not so much a slam dunk perhaps then.

Let us know if you have any more specific questions about the north hills suburbs or anything else.

[allen4427]

Thanks greg42! I thought the bus might be the best option. We are heading to Pittsburgh over Thanksgiving and will be checking out some neighborhoods. I will probably have questions after that visit.

[Rebecca_Pgh]

You may want to consider Mt. Lebanon, it is very close to downtown and offers a great sense of community. It is one of the only communities that offers "T" access. (there is also bus service) The "T" is a great way to commute downtown and Mt. Lebanon school district is one of the top in the state. If you check the rankings the North Hills school district is not usually considered a top district. However North Allegheny and Hampton are. I grew up in the north hills- left Pgh for college and have lived in the south hills since returning after college. I much prefer living in the South Hills. I am real estate agent feel free to contact me. All the Best!

[allen4427]

Thanks Rebecca -
I grew up in the South Hills so have some idea about that area. I lived there until I left for college but have never moved back to the Pittsburgh area. I do go back to visit my folks about four times a year and have found the increased traffic in that area very frustrating. I really ejoyed growing up in the South Hills, but the growth in that area has made things quite different from what I remember. One thing I don't like that many of the local grocery stores have closed, and the one left that my parents can go to is way too large and in the worst traffic area (south hills village). Maybe I have gotten spoiled since I left, but I can't stand long commutes or dealing with huge amounts of traffic when driving to work or running errands. Mt. Lebanon is still on our list of areas we are considering, but were trying to find other areas in Pittsburgh that would interest us more. Walkability and decent schools are pretty important to us, as well as short commutes into the city. I know - we want the moon!!!

[Alexis2009]

If you want a college-style atmosphere, then you wan the Squirrel Hill / Oakland area. Excellent bus service from these areas to downtown.

For a great nightlife, very happening area, you want to look at the South Side (Carson Street) area.

You'll be working downtown? You might consider buying or renting an apartment downtown. They're really encouraging lots of great new places to live downtown.

The "subway" in Pittsburgh is called the T ... very fast, efficient, clean, and safe. With the T, you might even have a stop in the basement of the building where you work! Dormont is a great family community, lots of stores, that has the T line running right through it. So does Bethel Park and Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair ... pricier communities but very desirable communities.

Also, there is a new area called the Waterfront which is by the river at homestead. Lots of stores there, apartments, but there is more going on in Southside. The Waterfront is just across the river from Squirrel Hill.

Also, if you like a great view, you might want to consider living on Mt. Washington ... there are a few apartment buildings up there that hug the hillside and give their residents a picture postcard view of downtown Pittsburgh.

You'll love Pittsburgh! So much to do in such a small area! Lots of rivers and water access, you can get to gorgeous countryside (especially Westmoreland County) so quickly! You can drive down to Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob (two Frank Lloyd Wright houses) in an hour from downtown. You can enjoy hiking and biking trails and parks all over the place, including through downtown. Pittsburgh is full of hills and valleys and rivers. It's a great place to raise a family, too.

And, if you like sports (not my thing), there are sports teams galore ... Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Pittsburgh Pirates. There is also a minor league baseball team (which I like better) in Washington County.

Hope I've helped!