Any Info on Pittsburgh-area Neigborhoods? (McKeesport, Oakland: how much, new home, employment)

[Delmar]

Originally Posted by Tenoch Aguatriste

I live in New York City now, but lived in the Mexican War Streets of Pittsburgh for 8 years. I bought a row house on Jacksonia Street which I sold when I moved to New York.

I loved Pittsburgh. I loved the War Streets and shed many a tear upon leaving. They are a diverse mix of transplanted New Yorkers, straight, gay, black, white, bohemian and intellectual. Far far less dicey now than when I lived there in the early days of gentrification.

All very true.

You might be sad to learn thatthe library at Allegheny Center was hit by lightning back in April and repairs will be ongoing for some time. There are plans of building a new library on a vacant lot on Federal St.

The building will be restored and the other occupants will still have their offices there, but that's it for the library in that building.

[pghguy]

The problem is Pittsburgh area literally has hundreds of neighborhoods... You need to have a better idea of what area of the region you want to live in.. north, east, west, south etc.. to get anything meaningful.

THere are tons of little neighborhoods in Pittsburgh area, many are less than a square mile in size...

[SueJ999]

I'm curious to know what Dan Corcoran thought of the Oakdale area! I grew up in Oakdale and have been back many times. I currently live in Minnesota now, as that is where my husband is from, but still long to move back to the 'burgh!

People talk here of "Minnesota Nice"... It's nothing compared to "Pittsburgh Friendly"!!

Oakdale and that area is a great place to live... for $250,000 you can get quite a home with a good sized yard too! There are a couple of small parks in town, and for those who don't drive, you can take the bus into downtown Pittsburgh (although they don't run near as often as they used to). Driving into town is 30 minutes or less.

[Dan Corcoran]

We took a drive out west of Pittsburgh and just happened to see a house in Oakdale that looked great. It was on a hill on the north side of Noblestown Rd. going into town...on a corner (1st or 2nd Street and either Hastings, Vincennes, or Fayette). We weren't ready to buy, but it certainly seemed attractive. The town itself was small but also seemed pleasant...not Sewickley or Mount Lebanon, but not Alequippa either.

What do you know of the town today?

[SueJ999]

Oakdale is your quintessential small town, with about 1,500 residents. The entire downtown area has been refurbished, due to being completely flooded out in Sept. 2004, from Hurricane Ivan--a freak incident that hasn't happened before. I came back to help out then, and what a community! Everyone helping everyone! During the summer, they have get-togethers, jazz bands, polka bands, etc., in a downtown parking lot, and of course the fireman's carnival each July.

The church downtown has been redone and will be opening as a Youth & Family Center next month. There's a Presbyterian church on the hill (where you saw the home for sale), a Methodist Church just out the road, and a Catholic Church in Hankey Farms, which is just a couple minutes away.

Just out the road is Robinson Township/Moon, with Robinson Town Center, The Pointe, etc., that is ALL shopping, restaurants, bars, and businesses. And from there, you're about halfway to downtown Pittsburgh. It still amazes me--and I grew up there--how you can go from such a small town into downtown Pittsburgh in such a short distance.

There are some new developments just out Route 978 (if I remember the roads correctly), with huge newer homes. Of course, most homes IN Oakdale are older, but many are very, very well maintained.

Again, this is definitely a small town; and if you're looking for a lot of hustle & bustle, it may not be the place for you. If you are looking for the small town feel with amenities nearby, though, I'd recommend it!

[Dan Corcoran]

Thanks, Sue. That's the kind of information you don't get just driving around a town. I think my wife and I are both prepared to add Oakdale to our list of possible locations, based on your comments...

[BATC]

I left the area as fast as I could as a kid. I may have to come back and have mixed feelings. I like the public transport, I hate the roads - or should I say the ruts with spots of roads in between. I like the inexpensive real estate, I hate the expensive taxes and the fact that the state would rather stick webcams in trees and have people visit via the web than spend that money on its citizens and welcome tourists. I like the friendliness, I hate that it stops as soon as you ask directions and you get lied to and told something totally wrong. I like the work ethic of some, I hate that the labor unions protect the unproductive worker and ostracize the hard worker for "making everyone else look bad." I like the cultural stuff, in fact, I live near DC right now and can say the cultural offerings in Pittsburgh are comparable and WAY more accessible (monetarily especially) with DC's. I like the emphasis on family but hate that because the labor market is tight there, they can demand a huge amount of education for a low salary and work you to death under fear of losing your job - after all, you would be blacklisted and where would you get another??? I love the educational opportunities, I hate what has happened to the schools in the river towns up the Monongahela. And I hate that everything everywhere, but especially here, is for the wealthy. Where is the subway down the Mon? Where is the lite rail? Do they go to the areas where people really could use them? NO. Just to the rich people in Mt. Lebanon, Fox Chapel, Upper St. Clair, etc. - places where the people go to Kennywood and ridicule anyone who lives in the area by Kennywood (which, by the way, is an awesome amusement park jammed with rides but no long theme-park walks). And I hate it that the schools in these rich areas can give their kids everything - but a poor kid from Clairton, McKeesport, Duquesne, Homestead - forget them. I was bright, I was from that area, and even when I lived there, if you went to a ritzy area, you never admitted you were from a Mon River town for fear of the ridicule and the people suddenly clutching purses close to them and shifting wallets to front pants pockets - even if you were snow white in their snow white rich society, that's how you were treated.
So if you're wealthy, educated to the max, don't mind lower pay and more hours, go back, it's nice. If you're not, stay away.

[PghREA]

I vote for Oakmont or Aspinwall for the small town community feel. Remember, I'm from the North Hills - so I think North is the place to be.

Glenshaw in Shaler Township is another great older community.

The Mexican War Streets are nice but, it's not an area where you would spend much time walking around outside.

All most anywhere in Allegheny County is within a 30 minute drive to the downtown area (maybe a little longer during the rush hours).

Someone else mention South Butler County, this is another good place to relocate. Cranberry Township is booming with new construction and retail establishments.

[ontheroad]

Just wondering, Dan, if you've made any decisions about a move to Pittsburgh. I noticed you are currently near the 4 corners and as I am some hundreds of miles East, but in the general area (Northern NM) and also considering a return East, I wonder what you are considering and what's helping inform you.

My daughter lives in Pittsburgh, the single most serious reason to consider this City, all other reasons pale in comparison.

I am most familiar with the East Side, some around the Southside, and barely nothing about the North or West. I was taken with the Mexican War district, the one time I was there because of its unique urban architecture. However, I have strong design interests, have mostly lived in very dense urban areas (NYC) and attracted to the old world charm of townhouses (anywhere).

Just reflecting, I'd say because of my own interests (art and coffee) --I'd probably look at the Southside, Lawrenceville and the Mexican War district. I'll be visiting in a month's time, and will check these areas out when I am there.

As a recent retiree, I know more than I knew or imagined just six months ago, about what I don't want (SW) and struggling with a decision to move either to Pittsburgh, or back to New England.

Any thoughts?

[Dan Corcoran]

Well, I lived in the heart of downtown Houston for 20 years before retiring four years ago. My wife lived all her life in Richmond, VA, (the Fan district) before we married and moved here. SW Colorado was my dream and she said she would be willing to give it a whirl. After four years, she's decided it's just too remote (from major airports, hospitals, art museums, universities, etc.) and wants to be closer to her family on the east coast.

I love it here and could stay forever, but since I 've lived many places in my life I felt it would be selfish to insist that this is the only place I could be happy.

We are waiting for our house here to sell (a thin market), but have tentatively chosen Pittsburgh for several reasons. I don't want to be back in the south with high heat AND humidity and my wife doesn't want snowdrifts above her nose. We figure that southwestern PA is somewhere in the middle and may suit us both, but we plan to rent for a year before buying.

I'd like something with some acreage (I like wildlife) and my wife would like the Mexican War streets (she likes the accessibility of in-town living). Obviously we'll need to find a compromise (maybe a small place in town and a small place outside of town for weekends?)

I very much appreciate your suggestions, since we only spent a week in Pittsburgh (but drove 700 miles looking at the neighborhoods and suburbs). Sounds like your tastes would appeal to my wife, so we'll definitely check out those areas as well as any others you can suggest.

Hope you find Pittsburgh as attractive as we did. We particularly liked the friendliness of everyone we encountered, the wonderful old architecture and construction of the houses, the natural beauty of the rivers and trees, and the low real estate prices.