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Thanks so much, everyone, for the helpful replies.
Boylocke, I'm glad to learn about the Lake Erie beaches. I take the pollution stats with a grain of salt anyway. And some beach is better than no beach! And I'm sorry I said I thought the economy was struggling; I have no idea, to tell the truth, and "tight" is certainly more hopeful to hear!
Claremarie, thanks for the scoop on traffic and weather. A gray and cloudy summer does seem like a tough adjustment to make, but if it's at all cooler than a sticky NY humid summer, well, there's a bright side I suppose.
Subdivisions, thanks for the tip on how to see Niagara Falls! I've never been.
Now we'll just have to see about employment opportunities. I'll be visiting this site often in the meantime. I can't seem to get Pittsburgh out of my mind.
Thanks again!
Last edited by NYmama; 05-30-2007 at 07:37 PM..
Reason: spelling, etc.
Cali, Yet another coincidence here: I, too, lived in Los Angeles, for four years, so I now exactly what you're talking about. We lived in Santa Monica, which was gorgeous and the most convenient walking neighborhood I might ever encounter, but the housing costs: beyond impossible for a professional couple with two respectable incomes like us. When I left three years ago, the townhomes next door started at a million dollars apiece. My friend in Venice sold her one-bedroom, teeny one-bathroom bungalow for a million dollars. In gang-ridden Venice!
It's really, really good to hear someone from LA is so impressed with Pittsburgh. When we moved back from California all we heard was, "How could you leave California?!" which got depressing! But you've reminded me of everything that was wrong there, too. We met some great people in Cali, but didn't feel as comfortable connecting with people there as we seem to on the East Coast. Are you worried at all about the weather or that you'll miss the ocean? I do worry about those things, but gosh, people who live in Pittsburgh seem so happy for the most part, don't they?
Where did you stay in corporate housing, by the way? And good luck and congrats!
Hi NYMama,
Yes, I get depressed and worried by all the people asking me "how could you leave California" too. But then I remember that they usually have no idea what it's really like to try to raise kids here
But seriously, yes I do worry that I'll have trouble with winter. I've never driven in snow and am a little anxious about that. But I figure I'll take a class and get the skills I need. Millions of people do it, so I'm sure I can figure it out too. On the other hand, I'm really looking forward to seasons. I've always dreamed of them to tell the truth, so I think I'll really respond to them.
I also worry very much about missing the ocean. I really really love it. However, I also love the rivers in Pittsburgh and between them and visiting family back in LA I hope that it will be enough for me. I certainly won't miss the beach culture (I'm not as thin as I was before my kids and people in LA care a lot about that, and I'm blond so I burn like crazy) or the traffic to even glimpse the beach, but I will miss the actual ocean. Right now I see it every time I take my son to preschool
As for the corporate accomodations we used www.corpaccom.com. We stayed in their Corioplois unit and had a really wonderful experience!
Hey, Cali. Thanks for the info on the corporate housing--will keep that.
I can understand why you're nervous about driving in the snow. When I first got out to California, it amused me what a Big Deal it was when the area got a little sprinkle of rain after months of one sunny day after another, and how traffic would come to a standstill. I chalked it up to the fact that people just didn't know how to drive in inclement weather in SoCal. But once I drove there in the rain it quickly freaked me out how slippery the roads were there--those months and months of buildup on the roads becoming a slick sheet with just a touch of rain. I think you're smart to be as prepared as possible for driving in the snow; I don't know what it's like in Pittsburgh but hopefully it won't be so bad, nor should driving in the rain there be as heartstopping as it is (or was for me anyway) in SoCal.
I'm with you on the beach! I love to look at it, but don't love to be part of the scenery so much two kids later!
I guess "You left California to come here?!" is a cry heard round the world then. Made me start to feel a little like, "Wait, maybe I AM a dummy for leaving," especially on February days when I most missed that warm, sunny weather. But I guess California has a mystical image in most people's minds! I admit I loved it while I was there, but definitely not everything about it.
I really wish the best for you and your family and hope you'll post back about your experiences there. Good luck!!!!!
And I'm sorry I said I thought the economy was struggling
Don't be sorry!! I'm sure it could be considered struggling from the standpoint of "we once ruled the worlds steel" but after all that collapsed decades ago, we're definitely recovering.
I would look at other area of the web besides this forum for information on Pittsburgh. This forum is known to censor those who feel Pittsburgh is a less than desirable place to live. There have been many posts deleted and accounts permanently banned if you say anything negative about this place so beware of all the positive on this board.
If you would like my 23 year account of Pittsburgh please PM me.
Just to respond to birdlady (I'm not a Pittsburgh cheerleader) - I'm actually from and am going to really miss Baltimore.
Just to compare the stats with another city (notice that none of the best places to live were big cities - go figure). Also remember that these statistics are taken from only within city limits, not the metro area. If you look on CNN list, Columbia/Ellicott City (a suburb of Baltimore and DC) is number 4!!
Baltimore stats:
Job growth -3.28%
Test Scores -25.8% and -39.7% for reading and math respectively
Personal Crime Risk 548 (although your property is much safer with a property crime risk of 243)
Auto Insurance Premium (avg for state) is $2813
Just to give you a little perspective - and Baltimore Metro Area is consistently listed as a good place to raise your children.
I would look at other area of the web besides this forum for information on Pittsburgh. This forum is known to censor those who feel Pittsburgh is a less than desirable place to live. There have been many posts deleted and accounts permanently banned if you say anything negative about this place so beware of all the positive on this board.
If you would like my 23 year account of Pittsburgh please PM me.
People don't get banned here because they have a difference of opinion with others. For instance, PittNurse is pretty down on Pittsburgh, and she's still here. However, she is generally civil when she engages in debate with others, and thus she is still here.
The people who have been banned here were banned because they 1) can't be reasonable when confronted with people who don't share their opinions, or 2) are completely nuts. And when I say completely nuts, I mean certain posters who have been banned about 85 different times because they kept re-registering under different names and coming back as a troll to stalk the forum and write profanity-filled private messages to other posters. That's pretty obsessive and crazy behavior, and I for one don't think it's a bad thing that the mods ban those kind of people.
Also, how do you know you're not trying to scare off someone who might be a good fit for Pittsburgh? Maybe the things you hate about it might be what NYMama and others want. It would be a shame if Pittsburgh was actually the right city for her and you or someone else convinced her not to move here. Would that be fair?
Be honest about your feelings, and by all means express them to other people who are considering Pittsburgh as a destination, but please don't confuse them with "facts". They are your subjective experiences, just as my feelings are only my subjective experiences, and NYMama's will be her own as well. And the stats you posted are true, but your post was dishonest - you cherry picked the one thing this year that was negative about Pittsburgh and presented it as the whole truth, when there are so many other positive articles and stats out there too right now. Not fair, and not a true representation of the city for someone who doesn't have all the facts yet.
Boylocke, glad your city's recovering. Can't imagine how it would feel to watch my city suffer like that. Only parallel I have is 9/11 really, and we weren't living in NY at the moment, but the psychological scars are still here, especially in the outer boroughs that were hit hard by loss of loved ones. It makes me happy to see new buildings going up in NY and a feeling of optimism in the air again. Maybe those are some parallels I see between our cities, too. NYers have to be a strong people, too, to get past that and to go to work every day even with all the "If you see something, say something" warnings on subways, in airports, etc. Yet they've gone on.
That's OK, birdlady. I don't mind hearing a voice of dissent and would welcome anyone's insights, since I feel the more inofmration, the better. Thanks for the link to Money's Best Places to Live. I dont really blame them for not putting Pittsburgh on the list; they're going to have to place heavy emphasis on job opportunities if they're going to present it as a viable option to the massive numbers of people who read that list. If we got in soon, though, I feel like we could be ahead of the curve!
If we were to move to Pittsburgh we'd research it much more thoroughly and in fact have already lined up another visit in the fall. Not to mention there's that little J-O-B factor that would determine everything. This is all moot if we can't make that work. And I understand there are going to be drawbacks, but as subdivisions pointed out, will have to weigh all that info and see whether this city might be right for us. It's such a personal thing. I'd only be scared away if the overwhelming majority of people I met there said we'd be crazy to think about it, but that was far from the case. Our friend went there for grad school, met a girl and got a job, and stayed and loves it.
I could go on forever about what bothers me in NY (I kind of did in my first post, in fact!), and while I'll tell anyone I think New York City is probably the most exciting, greatest city in the world with some of the best people you'll ever get to know, in my heart I'm ready to move on to a place that's city-like but with a smaller feel and is easier to afford, with plenty to offer children and adults alike. I wouldn't love the clouds so much, but then I have to weigh that against what we're dealing with up here. Pittsburgh is not all that far from our family, which is something a report can't tally of course! It took us a total of four hours by plane door to door (meaning from hotel door to front door of my house) to get back to NY. The fact that it's driveable (7 hours or so) is also extremely appealing. Anyway, lots to think about and thanks again!
It makes me happy to see new buildings going up in NY and a feeling of optimism in the air again
I believe this is DEFINITELY happening in Pittsburgh as well, and it's about time.
The in-city housing market is exploding. There are literally dozens of old buildings including banks, officers, schools, and department stores that are being turned into trendy living spaces.
PNC is building one of the worlds "greenest" skyscrapers downtown.
They are going to break ground soon for the cultural district Riverfront, a $500 million dollar housing and community project that will be heavily "green" and the biggest project of it's kind in the entire United States. Read this, it's really something
I am also a transplant to Pittsburgh. I am originally from NYC and I think it is a wonderful place to live.
I work in non-profits and DH is in IT. He has a great job and at the age of 25, we were able to buy a nice middle class home. My friends in NYC cant say the same thing and half are still living at home even though they have great jobs. That could be characteristic of my generation but it is also testament to the expense of NYC and the affordability of the Pittsburgh area.
I now live in the suburbs, about 25 miles from the city. I work at Pitt so I commute into the city. I am able to get an express bus that runs from the north Hills into Oakland. It is wonderful.
Before we purchased this home, we lived in Bellevue which is a great borough right outside the city. Beautiful homes and in walking distance of restaurants, groceries, and stores. I think Bellevue is typical of neighborhoods in the city or right outside the city. Very pedestrian friendly with lots of public transportation.
One thing that does drive me crazy is the lack of a subway. There is the "T" which is a light rail system that runs from downtown into the south hills but that is it.
All in all, I think this is a wonderful area. Oh and the airfares between NYC and Pittsburgh are dropping. I just flew there for around $100 and I will never, ever drive again (well if I can help it).
If you do decide to move here, you will meet other transplants. I have some fellow mets fan that I have met here and we can cheer on our team together.
Pittsburgh isnt dying. Yes, some people will argue that the economy needs work and I would agree but those same people are still holding onto the past when steel was king. I wont pretend to understand the hardships and depression that this area has seen but I can see where it is going. My jaded NYC are beyond impressed with Pittsburgh. They think it is a beautiful city & region. It is growing everyday and I see more and more students making it their home. We are thinking of relocating to Eastern PA for personal reasons and I will be sad if we do leave Pittsburgh because I think it is a gem.
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