Commute time to the Airport (Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair: house, neighbourhoods, school districts)

[WorriedDad]

Hello,

I'm going to be moving to The 'Burgh in the next few months and was wondering what sort of commute times I can expect for different neighbourhoods. My work is just south of the airport, and I am looking at the following areas

1)Sewickley
2)Bell Acres
3)Franklin Park
4)Bethel Park
5)Upper St. Clair

Thanks

[Hopes]

Sewickley -- 15 minutes
Bell Acres -- 30 minutes
Franklin Park -- 30 minutes
Bethel Park -- 40 minutes
Upper St Clair -- 30 minutes

[greg42]

Just to build upon that listing, not contradict it:

Of the areas you listed, Sewickley is the obvious closest. Now Bell Acres is still considered the Sewickley area, and depending upon just where either the Sewickley time of 15 min could be optimistic or the Bell Acres time of 30 min could be pessimistic. In many cases the difference won't be quite that dramatic. Franklin Park time can vary widely depending upon how far from I-79 you are, and that will be true of the south areas as well. (I can't give as many details of the south areas as I don't often find myself down that way anymore, but I traverse bits of Franklin Park regularly and the Sewickley area fairly regularly.)

Depending upon where precisely you mean by "just south of the airport" your commute from the Sewickley area might include a little less freeway, if that appeals to you. I'm not familiar with the congestion in Sewickley at morning rush. In Franklin Park, you'd likely be entering I-79 at the Wexford interchange (PA Route 910) which has some congestion, but once on 79 and past the "split" with I-279 towards downtown, there won't be any significant traffic issues southbound on the highway (traffic, sure, but moving at normal speed). Assuming you then have to turn west towards the airport at what should soon be re-signed I-376 (route numbering there at the moment is confusing) that highway will have a fair bit of morning traffic in your direction but not necessarily stop and go or anything. If you choose Bell Acres, it's possible you'll be closer to the Wexford interchange of I-79 and it will make more sense to go that way than back through Sewickley. It depends upon where in Bell Acres the house is located. (I know someone living there who commutes downtown; he goes via I-79 at Wexford.)

It looks from your list like school districts matter to you. Franklin Park is in North Allegheny which is a much larger high school than Quaker Valley's which serves the Sewickley area (including Bell Acres). Both are good, but the environment is somewhat different. I don't know as much about Upper St Clair, except that it's good.

Sewickley is my favorite given the actual town that's there. (Although I'm not sure I'd get along with some of the town's inhabitants. ) You don't get a town center really anywhere in Franklin Park, and I don't think you really get one in USC/Bethel either. Bell Acres is the most rural, I would think. Bits of Franklin Park are rural-ish but most of it is more suburban housing developments. The low part of Bell Acres along Big Sewickley Creek is a flood plain; don't let the distance from the actual creek fool you. Marshall Township is next to Franklin Park and Bell Acres and also has some fairly rural areas (North Allegheny schools).