Regent Square/ Wilkinsburgh question (Pittsburgh, Franklin: apartments, rent, crime)

[sknitty]

Hello again!

So I'm still on a search for affordable housing when I go to school in Pittsburgh in May/ June. I've had to accept the fact that with a tight budget I might not be able to live in Shadyside/ Sq Hill/ Bloomfield, etc. I'm looking at some apartments from CP Development (and yes I know their record is spotty although there seems to be equal reviews out there saying that they are fine as there are reviews saying they are bad) I'm specifically looking at an aparment on 200 Franklin Ave.

So I know this apartment is not in the hippest area but in reality it looks like it's only 3 miles from Shadyside and 20 minutes on the bus to get to Pitt so it doesn't really seem like it's THAT far out of the way for a person to go hang out in the areas that have more stuff to offer (coffee shops/ restaurants/ etc.) I'm from Somerville outside of Boston and since Somerville is huge, I am used to having to take the bus or the T 30- 40 mins to go meet people sometimes. How accessible is Regent Square exactly?

I also realize this neighborhood may be a little more on the run down side but how run down is it exactly? Is it like total disrepair/ urban blight rundown or needs a little help/ more funding over the next few years run down?

My main questions is this: is 200 Franklin Ave in an unsafe area of Wilkinsburg? Where is the really bad part I want to avoid being next to? It seems like this particular apartment is right on the edge of Point Breeze and Regent Square.

Thanks for your help!

[Hopes]

That's just a few blocks away from a fantastic area where my friend lives near Frick Park. (btw, I think being near Regent Square, Point Breeze and Frick Park is cool. )

I highly recommend you wait to hear what Brian has to say about it. He lives in Regent Square so he will be able to tell you if that specific block in Wilkinsburg is okay.

My guess is that it will rate about the same as the place in East Liberty as far as safeness is concerned.

If I had to chose between the two, I'd go for this Wilkinsburg apartment if the bus route goes directly to your college from there.

[BrianTH]

So when I was a Pitt grad student, I lived about a block from there on East End Avenue. It is indeed quite convenient for getting to Squirrel Hill or Pitt by bus (and with the improvements to the 61A and 61B schedules it is becoming even more convenient), or really anywhere in the East End. There is also some stuff right at Forbes and Braddock (a restaurant and bar plus a seasonal ice cream place), plus of course some more stuff down in the main part of Regent Square. There is also some walkable stuff up on Penn.

As for how run down--there are some pretty unsightly vacant properties and a lot of houses that could use some serious TLC, but also a lot of houses in pretty good to excellent shape. I personally don't think that is a particularly unsafe area: just use standard urban area good sense.

Generally, I think it is a decent choice of location if you are looking for a cheap place as a student. I wouldn't mind living there in such a situation, assuming the actual apartment was fairly priced.

[hnsq]

That isn't terrible anymore. In that area you should be OK. I wouldn't hang around outside at night by yourself or anything, but if I saw a good deal I would move there myself. It definately isn't as bad as it used to be.

[TechieTransplant]

I actually live closer to that area than Brian does. As a matter of fact, I only live about two blocks from that address.

The way I usually describe it is this. I consider East End Avenue as the dividing line between acceptable and non acceptable. And to add to that, anything from Forbes Avenue north to Penn Avenue in that block is less than attractive, but go south from Forbes and the neighborhood is decidedly well kept up. It's amazing how the living conditions change in the direction of the apartment you are looking at.

Although we have personally had no problems crime wise, there have been at least two murders very close to us around the corner on Penn Avenue. They were both situations where there was an intended target. Other than that, there are times when I switch my jogging route up a bit and run in the area you are mentioning, and although I never feel unsafe, it's not an area I care or do frequent. Drive from Penn Avenue and South Braddock south towards I-376. There are lots of nice apartments available.

I know you are in the Boston area now, but the best thing to do is drive some of these areas and see for yourself. Or, try Google Earth and check out the street view.

[pcc09]

Have you considered living with roommates? You can typically share a place with one or two people and have your own room in Pittsburgh for around $300-450, even in nicer areas if you look hard enough. Try Craigslist "Rooms/Shared" section. Also, Bloomfield typically has pretty reasonable rents, atleast it did when I lived there about 2 years ago. I had a nice one bedroom on Gross St. for $595/month and then I had a huge 3 bedroom place that I shared with two roommates on Penn Ave across from the new Children's Hospital. We split the $900 monthly rent 3 ways. I actually paid a little more than $300 because I had the top floor bedroom which was enormous and had its own full bathroom. Just a thought.
As far as the apartment at 200 Franklin, I agree with the other posters. I really like Regent Square. The houses and streets are really attractive and tree lined, and although it's not exactly the center of nightlife or anything, it is near Frick Park, which is sweet. There are a few restaurants/cafes/pubs on S. Braddock between Overton and Sanders. It's also a short bus or bike ride to Squirrel Hill or Shadyside/Bloomfield. I think you said in an earlier post that you aren't going to have a car? I've been living without a car for a few years, both in Brooklyn and Pittsburgh, and I've found that one of the greatest amenities is a walking distance grocery store. I think your best bet for a grocery near the apt. on Franklin would be the East End Food Co-Op on Meade and N. Braddock.

[BrianTH]

Yep, the East End Food Co-Op would be very close. There is also a Save A Lot over in the Wilkinsburg commercial district.