How Tasteless Suburbs Become Beloved Urban Neighborhoods (Pittsburgh, York: 2014, apartment complexes)

[SteelCityRising]

Greater Pittsburgh is really difficult to pigeonhole, folks, due to the varied topography and the schizophrenic level of municipal fragmentation.

Wilkinsburg is a "suburb" but feels more included in the urban fabric of the city than East Hills, which is in the city proper.

Swisshelm Park is in the city proper but feels less urban than Swissvale, a "suburb".

Squirrel Hill is in the city proper and feels like a dense streetcar suburb---comparable to Cleveland Heights, OH, perhaps.

Brookline, in the city proper, is a mirror image of Dormont, a suburb, in my opinion.

Is there really that much of a difference between Stanton Heights and Baldwin? Brentwood and Westwood?

The truth of the matter is that we have some very urban suburbs and some very suburban city neighborhoods.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Greater Pittsburgh is really difficult to pigeonhole, folks, due to the varied topography and the schizophrenic level of municipal fragmentation.

Wilkinsburg is a "suburb" but feels more included in the urban fabric of the city than East Hills, which is in the city proper.

Agreed. Not that it's dispositive of urbanity, but Wilkinsburg was briefly annexed by the City.

Swisshelm Park is in the city proper but feels less urban than Swissvale, a "suburb".

Agreed. It's isolated in its own little corner.

Squirrel Hill is in the city proper and feels like a dense streetcar suburb---comparable to Cleveland Heights, OH, perhaps.

That's the best way of putting it, IMO. The overall density is 6,800/square mile. It's much more compact and walkable North of Forbes, or NoFo as it were.

Brookline, in the city proper, is a mirror image of Dormont, a suburb, in my opinion.

I don't know if I'd say "mirror image," but I can definitely appreciate the similarities.

Is there really that much of a difference between Stanton Heights and Baldwin? Brentwood and Westwood?

Stanton Heights is Levittesque, but much denser than Baldwin. It's a bit less dense, but in their "heydays," Eastmont in Wilkins Township served a similar function.

The truth of the matter is that we have some very urban suburbs and some very suburban city neighborhoods.

10chars

[that412]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

What makes it a regionally important node, other than its population and land size as the largest city neighborhood and the fact that it bumps up against CMU?

Don’t get me wrong, I think its a great neighborhood and very important. I am just trying got figure out what makes it so special? And to be honest, I am not even sure what is still located in the Squirrel Hill business district.

Access to two significant urban parks, the school district's "flagship" high school is located there, it's the city's cultural center for a major religion, home to arguably the city's "no. 2" library, plus several other amenities that aren't found in many other in-city neighborhoods (a first-run movie house, a bowling alley, 24 hour pharmacy, etc.).

It is certainly not "just another neighborhood."

[MountainDewGuy]

Squirrel Hill is a lot like suburbia? LOL. That is a good one.

Maybe if you are in the Summerset new housing area, then I could see that. Even still, you can easily walk from Sumerset to the central business district in SH. Public transportation in SH is extremely easy to take to just about anywhere. There are plenty of apartment buildings mixed in with the traditional housing. No long strip malls.

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by MountainDewGuy

Squirrel Hill is a lot like suburbia? LOL. That is a good one.

Maybe if you are in the Summerset new housing area, then I could see that. Even still, you can easily walk from Sumerset to the central business district in SH. Public transportation in SH is extremely easy to take to just about anywhere. There are plenty of apartment buildings mixed in with the traditional housing. No long strip malls.

I agree, I think a place like Squirrel Hill would be considered an urban neighborhood in almost any area of the US, aside from dense northeast/midatlantic cities. Personally, I consider it 'mildly urban'.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by _Buster

I agree, I think a place like Squirrel Hill would be considered an urban neighborhood in almost any area of the US, aside from dense northeast/midatlantic cities. Personally, I consider it 'mildly urban'.

Squirrel Hill: the Upper West Side of Pittsburgh.

[Goodjules]

I live in Crafton which is its own borough, yet closer to downtown than other neighborhoods.

[eschaton]

Here's some random streetviews from residential streets in Squirrel Hill.

Squirrel Hill Ave
Solway Street
Aylesboro Avenue
Hobart Street
Pocusset Street
Mt Royal Boulevard
Fernwald Road

Yes, the streets have sidewalks, and most of the houses were built before 1950. But I don't see what makes the streetscapes fundamentally different from any number of streets in the first-ring suburbs built out over the same period. Even most of the areas you find two flats, rowhouses, and apartment buildings are built out in a semi-suburban style, with generous setbacks from the street and big front lawns. Most of this has to do with the time it was built out as a neighborhood - when automobiles became a big thing (don't forget Squirrel Hill had the first gas station in Pittsburgh).

Squirrel Hill does have the Forbes-Murray business district of course, which is walkable. But Murray Avenue's business district is only slightly longer than Uptown Mount Lebanon. I think the best description of Squirrel Hill is a suburban neighborhood with an "urban-light" backbone of commercial and higher-density residential running through it.

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Squirrel Hill: the Upper West Side of Pittsburgh.

Ha ha, more like the Staten Island of Pittsburgh. If Pgh had an upper west side type area, which neighborhood(s) would it be?

[gladhands]

I think one would need to have a very narrow definition of urban to consider Squirrel Hill suburban. Sure, it's not central business district urban, but its overall population density rivals cities like Seattle, Baltimore and Pittsburgh itself. Squirrel Hill South's population density is skewed by the inclusion of two huge parks. If I had to wager, I'd guess that factoring out the non inhabitable portions, Sq Hill Sis more densely populated than Sq Hill North, because it has more apartment buildings and duplexes, and homes/yards tend to be much smaller.