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It doesn't have to be "meaningful", "scientific", "exhaustive" or "authoritative"... this is just for fun. Of course, I suppose I have a dorky sense of fun.
I'll have my own thoughts on the suburban counties a bit later.
5)Beaver. I really can't think of anything nice that I've ever seen in Beaver County. It's basically a giant Connellsville. Again, no thanks. There are much better places in swpa to live. It doesn't have the best schools, best scenery, best roads, best shopping, or best restaurants, so what good is it? I'll pass.
Then you haven't seen all, or even most of it. Brady's Run Park (Beaver County Park), Raccoon Creek SP, the rural areas of the northern part of the county, the little town of Beaver, some of the "burbs" of Beaver Falls, etc. I'm not very familiar with the southern part of the county.
I could not imagine anyone around here, except a fairly new transplant, was not aware of those gems of Beaver county...i llove those areas of Beaver mentioned as well but I have just recently began to realize there are some neat thing there. But I have to rank Butler first. i will admit I have explored it signicantly more the rest. I hope to move to Butler when I find that magical house on some acreage. Being that i have only lived here 5 years i have only made specific destination trips to the other counties. Butler has some great biking tails/rides, ( tried some trails in Washington but liked Butler better) Moraine State Park, some great organic farms and markets ( those organic delights do not just appear in the city markets), McConnell Mills, the wonderful towns of Zelie, Mars, Saxonburg, and some others and just simply beautiful views). And if I need a little pinch of new I can head to Cranberry...not to mention that a cranberry hosts the company that pays my husband handsomely enough that allowed me to semi retire and enjoy hiking around Butler learning more about organic farming. I have discovered a great old mill (Zanella) where I got an impromptu lesson in milling grain and some great insight on other places to explore. And my new love Frankferd Farms..which helped me say to heck with Whole Foods. Butler county is so much more than Cranberry...which in turn is more tha just the main drag. I will admit the city of Butler is not great but I have met some fantastic people who call it home. But it is the country side and farms that call out to me.
I have to give a nudge to Westmoreland next and Washington next. I could easily see myself living in the area surrounding Greensberg or even further out.
And I hope Kittanning has more to offer than my very very limited experience with it which has not been great. Perhaps in the 5 years I can learn more about it.
My vote is for Westmoreland -- I'm most familiar with that county, I've lived there, Greensburg is a nice little city with a growing restaurant scene, and the history of the Mon Valley steel towns is beyond fascinating to me. I do really hate Hempfield, particularly from Irwin to Greensburg, but that area is relatively easy to avoid.
1. Westmoreland - I'm somewhat surprised Westmoreland topped my list... but when I analyzed the counties... I felt it has a lot to offer. Several of these suburban counties are quite vast and have many subregions that feel quite distinct.
Westmoreland appeals to me because it has the largest population amongst the counties and is the 2nd densest after Beaver (and if you were to account for the fact that the eastern third of Westmoreland is virtually empty... it has the densest stretch of settlement outside Allegheny). There is a corridor of decent urban communities leading east toward Greensburg and Latrobe (though Jeannette is a bit rough). Greensburg is my favorite county seat in the metro and has a tiny bit of "big city" flair... and it's a really significant employment center. Incredible courthouse.
I also really like Scottdale and Mt. Pleasant... a sleepy area... but really attractive small towns that have a "frontier" feel along the edge of the Laurel Highlands. Along the Kiski, Vandergrift has a really interesting urban design history. And Youghiogheny towns like West Newton and Sutersville feel like they're a thousand miles from the city.
One of the best things about Westmoreland is that is probably has the 2nd best natural scenery in the metro after Fayette. There's some pretty rolling scenery in the Latrobe/Scottdale areas... and then of course the Laurel Highlands in the eastern third of the county.
Interestingly, Westmoreland has arms that extend into both the Mid-Mon Valley and the Allegheny Valley... featuring probably the grittiest cities in each sector... Monesson and New Kensington. Additionally, I feel like the heart of the county has awkward highway connectivity to the City of Pittsburgh.
2. Washington - I assume that when most people speak favorably about Washington, they're thinking about the booming Peters-Canonsburg-Strabane-Washington corridor. But this is another vast county with a lot of diversity. If contains the biggest portion of the depressed Mid-Mon Valley... which almost counters the growth elsewhere.
Washington appeals to me because the heart of the county has the best highway access to the City of Pittsburgh via I-79. There's a real sense of growth and excitement along that corridor. Washington County is the HQ of several of Pittsburgh's most important companies. The city of Washington has an awesome courthouse, some great downtown architecture and a lovely liberal arts college. Canonsburg is one of the healthiest urban satellites in the region. Peters doesn't appeal to me, but it is a demographically vibrant area.
There's nothing dramatic like the Laurel Highlands here... but the rolling landscape is pleasant enough... and there's a number of covered bridges.
The Mid-Mon towns make for an interesting drive... but are very depressed. However, Charleroi is my favorite town in that region... it has a pretty cool built environment... and the University of California seems to be a potent economic catalyst. Northwestern Washington County around Burgettstown is pretty bland... and the county south of the City of Washington gets a little Green County-ish.
3. Fayette - This is a hard county to rank... as it has some very strong points... but is the worst county in the metro in many important areas (lowest incomes, highest unemployment, fastest population decline, worst schools, most redneck, furthest from Pittsburgh, etc.)
The natural beauty is what really vaults Fayette over say... Butler... for me. It has by far the best scenery and outdoor recreation options. Just east of Uniontown is a wonderland of activities... featuring one of the state's best parks in Ohiopyle. Great rafting, waterfalls, biking, skiing, etc... and a neat vibe in the tiny town of Ohiopyle. World-class tourist attractions like Fallingwater and the military history of the French and Indian War. There's some really ancient architecture in the region too... such as this 18th century house in Hopwood that houses a French restaurant.
Uniontown has its problems... but I love its dazzling mountain setting... one of the most dramatic for any town in PA. Its downtown has some great architecture and has seen some investment in recent years. "Second city" Connellsville, however, is a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Brownsville is one of the most severe cases of decline in the region... but functions as sort of a museum of historic architectural styles... so it's kind of an asset.
The county has terrible connectivity to Pittsburgh... but on the other hand.. has easy access to Morgantown and Western Maryland.
4. Beaver - While Beaver County is very urban and dense, I've always found most of the county to be quite depressing. Culturally it has more of an East Liverpool / New Castle / Youngstown type of vibe... which is a turn-off for me. It seems to the location of a lot of "locally undesirable" industrial uses.
The highlight of Beaver County for me is the county seat Beaver and its surrounding communities. While smaller than most of its peers (Washington, Greensburg, Butler, etc.), Beaver is possibly the mos pristine and beautiful. Great urban layout with its system of squares. Well-kept Victorian homes. Lively downtown. Neighboring Bridgewater is tiny but has a really fun riverfront vibe. Monaca and Rochester are both solid towns.
Beaver County has probably what is the most notorious municipality outside Allegheny County... Aliquippa. I find that town to be much more intense than the worst neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Further north, there's another gritty troubled city in Beaver Falls (though the north side near Geneva College is pretty nice).
5. Butler - A lot of people love Butler County, and it is the fastest growing... but I find it to be bland. The county is pretty flat for the area... and has kind of a Midwestern vibe. There isn't much in the way of interesting "urban" places. The much-maligned City of Butler is actually pretty decent IMO... but poorly connected to Pittsburgh. Most of the county consists of dull farming villages... while the southern fringe is exploding with suburban growth.
In a region that has long experienced poor demographic trends, the relative population boom in Butler Co. is massively appealing. Unfortunately, it takes place in a fashion that I do not care for... the sprawl of Cranberry and neighbors. I will admit to being another Cranberry-hater. Its the poster child for bad development in the Pittsburgh region for me.
6. Armstrong - The least "metropolitan" of the counties, Armstrong has the lowest population density. Due to increasing commuting connectivity, Armstrong was added to the metro in 2003. Besides county seat Kittanning and maybe Freeport... there isn't much here that appeals to me.
Anything north or east of Kittanning isn't really connected to the rest of the metro... but is just standard low-population rural territory... similar to what you'll find in Indiana, Jefferson or Clarion County. There aren't a whole lot of amenities in this county.
Armstrong seems to be a mystery to a lot of people in other parts of the Pittsburgh region. Its relatively isolated, and PA-28 leads to a hundred miles of nothingness.
I have to choose Westmoreland county, if for no other resason than that I was born and raised there, and retain many happy memories.
As someone else said, the comment regarding "post apocalyptic" towns was way off the mark, perhaps with the exception of New Kensington. I would have to also add Monessen to that list, however.
Washington County is my second choice, and since I reside next door in Upper St.Clair, I spend quite a bit of time, and money, in that county.
I have to give a "meh" to both Butler and Beaver counties. and must definitely pick Fayette County as the least favorite, despite some nice outdooor locations. Not the overpriced and overrated Nemacolin, though.
14. Beaver - While Beaver County is very urban and dense, I've always found most of the county to be quite depressing. Culturally it has more of an East Liverpool / New Castle / Youngstown type of vibe... which is a turn-off for me. It seems to the location of a lot of "locally undesirable" industrial uses.
The highlight of Beaver County for me is the county seat Beaver and its surrounding communities. While smaller than most of its peers (Washington, Greensburg, Butler, etc.), Beaver is possibly the mos pristine and beautiful. Great urban layout with its system of squares. Well-kept Victorian homes. Lively downtown. Neighboring Bridgewater is tiny but has a really fun riverfront vibe. Monaca and Rochester are both solid towns.
Beaver County has probably what is the most notorious municipality outside Allegheny County... Aliquippa. I find that town to be much more intense than the worst neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Further north, there's another gritty troubled city in Beaver Falls (though the north side near Geneva College is pretty nice).
Are you serious?
Back in the heyday of the steel industry, Aliquippa and Beaver Falls were the largest communities in Beaver County. Even today, Economy just edges out Beaver Falls for #2, and Aliquippa is still the biggest. Beaver Falls and Aliiquippa were the only two communities that had "real" downtowns, as well.
Tell me what is "solid" about Rochester (pop. 3638) and Monaca (5701), not that I want to "diss" anyone else's town.
Beaver Falls is "troubled"? Well, yeah, economically troubled for sure. But it has a proud history, ever since it was settled by the Economites. I don't know what you mean. Could you explain it? I remember when I was in HS, going to a Beach Boys concert at Geneva. They made a little joke about BF, saying, "What do you guys do all day? Watch the river go by?" Meaning, it was a pretty dull place.
Both BF and Aliquippa still have some nice suburbs, e.g. Patterson Hts, Patterson Twp, Chippewa Twp, Hopewell, etc.
What is this "locally undesirable" industrial stuff? It was all desirable. The jobs those places paid well.
There is also lots of rural land there, and several parks.
And what's with this slur about East Palestine, New Castle and Youngstown? (Meaning slurring those cities)
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 04-02-2012 at 06:48 PM..
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