Do You Think Pittsburgh Can Avoid A BOOM (wedding, subsidized)

[Katarina Witt]

That doesn't seem to be what everyone in the Pgh area does. It's not what my family members there do, esp. with the shopping. Restaurants, yes, I think most everyone likes the local places better, though the chains in Pgh seem to get plenty of business.

I'm not a big fan of AE myself.

[BrianTH]

We almost never go to Monroeville Mall anymore (in fact I'm not sure I remember the last time). We do shop at Target, Kmart, and Burlington Coat Factory for basics, and ToysRUs to let the little man pick something out sometimes, but most of the stuff we would have gotten wandering around a mall we now get online.

[Hopes]

I think shopping local is becoming a trend here in Pittsburgh. It might not be full force, but plenty of Pittsburghers are making an effort to support local businesses. I'm becoming more aware myself. I no longer buy my dog food at Petco or Petsmart. I've found two locally owned places in Wexford and Glenshaw that are locally owned and carry quality dog food at reasonable prices. I've even learned how to shop online for local businesses. For instance, etsy.com has a 'shop local' search feature.

[bethany12]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I was reading about Cranberry recently...and sounds like the epitome of sprawl. It is also the fastest growing area of Pittsburgh by a long shot.

It always amazes me that there is a demand to live in the middle of sprawl, and the more sprawly it gets, the more people gravitate towards it.

As I have said on another thread, I don't get the "Sprawl Hate" of Pittsburghers. You have the same yuppie stores going in and around Bakery Square. What is the difference if an Ann Taylors is located 30 miles away or 2 miles. It is the same thing.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by bethany12

As I have said on another thread, I don't get the "Sprawl Hate" of Pittsburghers. You have the same yuppie stores going in and around Bakery Square. What is the difference if an Ann Taylors is located 30 miles away or 2 miles. It is the same thing.

Tend to agree with ole B-12. If so many hate "Sprawl", why do areas like Cranberry, Adams, and Jackson Twp in Butler county continue to grow? Likewise Penn township in Westmoreland?

Apparently a lot of people like living in crappy homes that have a lot of square footage.

It's all about choice.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by bethany12

As I have said on another thread, I don't get the "Sprawl Hate" of Pittsburghers. You have the same yuppie stores going in and around Bakery Square. What is the difference if an Ann Taylors is located 30 miles away or 2 miles. It is the same thing.

Sprawl is not the same as just chain stores (restaurants, whatever) going in everywhere. That is a separate issue regarding local stores vs chains. Sprawl is about the amount of space everything takes and the idea that it's so car centric that you have to drive just to get a few stores away. Lack of sidewalks or other concessions to pedestrians is a hallmark of sprawl. And the commercial area goes on and on. And residential areas play into this too, filled with endless same houses in large new housing developments carved out of what used to be empty land. That is sprawl. Regardless of what kind of stores and such they put into Bakery Square, the reuse of an old space like that can hardly be called sprawl.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Tend to agree with ole B-12. If so many hate "Sprawl", why do areas like Cranberry, Adams, and Jackson Twp in Butler county continue to grow? Likewise Penn township in Westmoreland?

Apparently a lot of people like living in crappy homes that have a lot of square footage.

It's all about choice.

True. Many of the people who are frequent participants on the Pittsburgh board skew a certain way and don't like sprawl. But sprawling areas like Cranberry continue to be the biggest growth areas around the Pittsburgh area. There's still more empty space within Cranberry Township itself, let alone the surrounding townships, that can accommodate more residential and commercial growth.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by greg42

True. Many of the people who are frequent participants on the Pittsburgh board skew a certain way and don't like sprawl. But sprawling areas like Cranberry continue to be the biggest growth areas around the Pittsburgh area. There's still more empty space within Cranberry Township itself, let alone the surrounding areas, that can accommodate more residential and commercial growth.

Last week, I drove 279/79 from Downtown to Cranberry during rush hour. Frightening, but impressive. It only took me 20 minutes to get to the Warrendale exit. Then again, it was really a 50 minute trip. It took me 10 minutes to get from the parking garage to 279 and 20 minutes to get from the Warrendale exit to my destination. But the overall ride to Cranberry on 279/79 was very efficient. My only complaint about Cranberry is the congestion actually in Cranberry. The road system isn't well planned for the amount of traffic dumping into the area. I guess that happens to any area with rapid growth. There isn't another area better suited for this type of development. 279 really opened up the area to being within a reasonable distance from downtown. I still prefer my 20 minute commute to a 50 minute commute though. That doesn't mean that others don't mind 50 minute commutes.

[bethany12]

Originally Posted by greg42

Regardless of what kind of stores and such they put into Bakery Square, the reuse of an old space like that can hardly be called sprawl.

But there is the same lack of character. A chain store in a complex or a chain store in a renovated space are the same thing. A chain store. Target is a Target in any city. Wouldn't it be more productive to encourage mom & pop local stores instead of chains? Who wants spend money and take the effort to travel to a new city just to visit another Walgreens? Tourism is driven by local establishments not national chains.

Oh, and I do believe that sprawl occurs in cities. Look at the brownstone neighborhoods in New York City that have been torn down for mid or high rises. That could be considered a form of vertical sprawl.

[Copanut]

Mom and Pop stores are dead or dying. They simply can't compete with the big boxes that get tax breaks from local government or the discounts from suppliers. I try to support small biz as much as possible, but it's very hard to do.