What's the story on SHERADEN & ESPLEN? (Pittsburgh, Allentown: apartment, lawyers)

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Hmm...The Southside looks so cool...but this window of stuff is really narrowing! I'm down to Mt. Washington & Southside Slopes...it also looks like I could get further out to Brookline, Dormont, etc., but it looks way too residential without walkable features...

I actually live in Brookline and am halfway between Brookline Blvd. (Brookline's main street business area) and West Liberty Ave./Potomac (Dormont's main street business area), and my car usually doesn't move for days. There's good public transportation available and a ton of stuff to walk to between both neighborhoods. I regularly walk to the post office, bank, library, Pitaland (which is a middle eastern market in Brookline that has both groceries and wonderful prepared foods) and the drugstore. There are three good bakeries between the two neighborhoods, a number of drinking establishments, some good, not-at-all-fancy restaurants (the Dor-Stop and It's Greek to Me, being two of my favorites), a couple of nice florists, hair salons and barbers, drycleaners, the renovated Hollywood Theater in Dormont (http://www.hollywooddormont.com/), and more pizza places than should exist in so few miles... Also, I'm excited by a recent sign on Brookline Blvd that says, "Las Palmas Carniceria Muy Pronto" so hopefully I'll soon be able to walk to a nice meat market.

I know Brookline gets no love on this forum, but I see so much potential in the neighborhood. It's a bit of a suburb-in-the-city, but with a walkable main street. Detached houses with small yards that provide personal outdoor space without losing days to yard work.

[Impala26]

Not to pull a "Fiddlehead" and pimp out one of my prior posts elsewhere (from the Allentown thread), but...

Originally Posted by Impala26

I'm not sure how the citizens of Pittsburgh and its governing body can improve the decaying city neighborhoods. Maybe it was just rhetoric, but to me it seemed like both Acklin and Dok Harris had more of an agenda when it came to this issue than good 'ol Lukey. I hate to infuriate some and say that the government will have to play a roll in any form of revitalization of these neighborhoods. Yes, section 8 and public housing in general have proven disastrous, but truly free-market capitalism won't fix these neighborhoods either, it will just push more development in the suburbs.

No, to improve the Beltzhoovers, Homewoods, and Hill Districts of the area, intimate public-private partnerships will need to be forged. There will have to be incentives (or conversely, restrictions) about maintenance of property to a certain level. Police will have to stop being the enemy, "the man" and develop some level of respect and responsiveness to their precincts and earn the trust of their citizens.

Yeah, maybe it is pipe dream, but it's my belief that one has to start somewhere. I think it just takes a level of shrewdness and vision to begin a process like this and unfortunately for the last few decades the majority of Pittsburgh politicians have been satisfied to live by the status quo.

I mean, these areas might be bad, but is there nothing we, as the concerned citizens we are, can do about it? Obviously there's nothing direct that any one individual can do, but I just feel like if we just stand idly by to let things run their course the situation will only deteriorate more. If people feel that this caused by government, well, do something about the government: get involved, voice your opinions to your leaders. I for one am just sick of reading around these forums that "these neighborhoods are so bad/it's the government's fault/nothing will ever improve".

[szug-bot]

i had a friend who would tell me about her experiences growing up in sheridan, and some of the shenanigans she got into at Holy Innocents school (some funny stories!). it sounded like a good childhood in a stable urban neighborhood with decent sized homes.

but no more.

most people dont care - thats why idiots and trashy people (of their own accord) rule the roost in those places.

[PreservationPioneer]

I don't know about Sheraden, because I have never really explored the area. Esplen is a little neighborhood adjacent to Mckees Rocks, except within the city of Pittsburgh limits. I imagine Esplen is cheap because of its closeness to downtown Mckees Rocks, and Chartiers Avenue, which is an undesirable area.

Esplen has a lot of run down housing, but overall I felt that it was a liveable area for an urban pioneer with not a lot of money (in other words, me). I was actually looking at two houses before I bought my current house. One was in Esplen, and it was a neat little detached row house. Reason I didn't buy it was it had a bathroom basement, and the price was just above what I could afford to pay cash for. I ended up buying a house in Stowe Twp / West Park, an area people always describe as "in decline," etc.

I wish people would get over this fear of living in certain neighborhoods. I'd understand if it was Homewood or the Hill District, but the only thing I can say against Esplen or Stowe is you have to live with a little blight and deterioration -- certainly not a problem in my book, considering my house was only $11,000.

So I say, instead of being paranoid about impoverished neighborhoods, take advantage of the low home prices -- prices that would be unheard of in most other places. Have your cake and eat it, too.

[Drover]

I drove through Sheraden a couple years ago, and I got such a creepy vibe from the place. I think part of that was because it looked as though it was a decent neighborhood not too long ago, and I was seeing a neighborhood toward the final phase of its transition. It doesn't look completely bombed-out like many of Pittsburgh's more well-known distressed neighborhoods, yet you can tell it's definitely not the kind of place where you want to put down roots.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Esplen has a lot of run down housing, but overall I felt that it was a liveable area for an urban pioneer with not a lot of money (in other words, me)...I ended up buying a house in Stowe Twp / West Park, an area people always describe as "in decline," etc.

So I say, instead of being paranoid about impoverished neighborhoods, take advantage of the low home prices -- prices that would be unheard of in most other places. Have your cake and eat it, too.

im with you on this. but...did you get a home inspection? did you test out the plumbing, etc?

i am thinking of buying a place for the first time. i dont mind getting into a 'dive', but i dont want to buy into a place with mice, rats, a bug problem, or one thats structurally deficient. if it isnt exactly pretty, i can live with that. but you dont want to buy a house with clogged plumbing or bad wiring or something.

[sabdjb123]

Is there is a particular reason that you are interested in these two areas? While Realtor.com is a nice website, their information is very dated and not complete......There are currently 48 homes for sale in these two areas and the prices range from 12,900 to 115,500. I do believe that homes are lower in this area because alot of young families do not wish to have their children in the City of Pittsburgh School District. Also, the majority of these properties are very small and bank owned, sold as is......I see alot of the posts prior to this, that deal with the "crime" factor, however, I have been active in the mortgage/real estate industry in western pa for 23 years, and you cannot "redline" any areas, as each area has good and bad points.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by sabdjb123

Is there is a particular reason that you are interested in these two areas? While Realtor.com is a nice website, their information is very dated and not complete......There are currently 48 homes for sale in these two areas and the prices range from 12,900 to 115,500. I do believe that homes are lower in this area because alot of young families do not wish to have their children in the City of Pittsburgh School District. Also, the majority of these properties are very small and bank owned, sold as is......I see alot of the posts prior to this, that deal with the "crime" factor, however, I have been active in the mortgage/real estate industry in western pa for 23 years, and you cannot "redline" any areas, as each area has good and bad points.

from my previous post above, i didnt mean specifically in these two areas. i like old places that have a chance of becoming gentrified....oh, plus, both sheraden and esplen are across the city from the family. you know, to prevent drive-by, impromptu visits. heh.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

im with you on this. but...did you get a home inspection? did you test out the plumbing, etc? i am thinking of buying a place for the first time. i dont mind getting into a 'dive', but i dont want to buy into a place with mice, rats, a bug problem, or one thats structurally deficient. if it isnt exactly pretty, i can live with that. but you dont want to buy a house with clogged plumbing or bad wiring or something.

Yes, of course you always have to get a home inspection, especially with low-priced homes because they are likely to have major problems. I was lucky to find a home with no major problems, just some cosmetic fixes needed. You just have to keep looking, and you may lose a little money on inspection costs for houses that don't meet your expectations, but there are some deals out there!

Oh, and I just want to add, I have been living in my house in Stowe/West Park/ Mckees Rocks for about a week now, and it has been a very good experience. The neighborhood is nothing fancy but my neighbors are very friendly and seemingly normal. Most are sweet little old ladies. One of the main reasons Pittsburgh's average Joe neighborhoods are declining is that the older residents are dying, and no one is moving into the houses they vacate because they are in unfashionable areas. Just don't be afraid of moving into these areas, as long as it's not all-out ghetto. You can determine what you feel comfortable with by walking around and exploring a neighborhood (during the night and the day).

I have been driving through Esplen, out of curiousity, the last few days and I have to say this area has a lot of potential if people would just start taking advantage of low house prices, moving in and fixing them up. People have it in their heads that the only places to live in Pittsburgh are Squirrel Hill and Shadyside, such nonsense.

[Chichappens]

Originally Posted by otters21

Something has to be done about this awful evil decline. I spit nails everytime I read about another decent blue collar Joe area going down to the pits . Your hardworking blue collar guy cannot afford to lose another neighborhood to this filth ( crime , drugs , gangs ,thugs ,section 8 , white and/ or middle class flight etc.) and be forced to move further out where driving is nescessary just to get a loaf of bread ! Is there anything that can be done to reverse this very disturbing and disgusting trend?

then tell your politians to put a end to section 8 and all the low income people and disable who you assume are the problems can suffer even more hellish lifes.........FYI there are many section 8 residents who are former careered individuals who by the sake of ill health have no choice but be greatful to this service..........loads of professionals who buy sell drugs and cause more crimes because they have the money to do it an the money to hire lawyers to get them off easy.