Anyone live in the Pittsburgh area?

[Bijou_Drains]

Actually the metro areas of Detroit and Pittsburgh lost population recently although it could be a short term trend for Pitt:

Metropolitan statistical area

For Detroit I would guess the figures for 2010 will be even lower

[Pray_for_peace]

I grew up in Pittsburgh, too. I’ve lived in other places, including the West Coast (SF), and I think Pittsburgh is a great city. You’ve gotten a lot of good advice already, but I wanted to add that I’ve traveled from Pittsburgh to NYC a couple of times by Amtrak. It’s been a few years, but when I did it you switched trains at 30th Street Station in Philly. It’s not a short ride, but IMO it’s less hassle than flying and you can get a lot of reading done. I’ve done a couple of weekend trips leaving on Friday morning and coming back on Sunday afternoon/evening. If you want to leave Friday evening instead of morning, though, flying would be better.

Two other areas of the city that you may want to know about are the South Side and the Strip District. The South Side is a pretty cool artsy neighborhood with a lot of boutique shops and some cafes and ethnic restaurants (I liked the Beehive coffee house and Nakama). The Strip District is a public market with shops, ethnic grocery stores, restaurants and cafes.

For outdoor activities, I wanted to mention the Clarion River/Cook Forest area - we used to go canoeing there all the time when I was a kid. For hiking, I would suggest Moraine state park, McConnel’s Mill, and the Laurel Highlands.

ETA: FWIW I think the comparison to Detroit (which seems to be implied above) is inapposite.

[enipla]

Prepare to meet a lot of Steeler fans.

My Wife is from there, and we go back about once a year. It’s quite lush and green. And a lot cleaner than I thought it would be. If you are used to any type of grid patern to the streets like out west, just give in and get a GPS.

[Electric_Monk]

@enipla

If you are used to any type of grid patern to the streets like out west, just give in and get a GPS.

Amen. That’s the best advice I’ve seen in this thread. And if you do get lost, head downhill and you’ll run into a major road or street.

Also, about air travel - Since USAir cut back service, Jet Blue and Southwest have moved in and there are now some really cheap flights to New York and Phila., among other places.

[Anne_Neville]

@enipla

Prepare to meet a lot of Steeler fans.

That’s another major religion in Pittsburgh

If you’re not a football fan, during Steelers games is a good time to go to places like Target or Costco that might otherwise be crowded.

If you are used to any type of grid patern to the streets like out west, just give in and get a GPS.

I grew up in the DC area, where a friend of mine once compared the street layouts to an Ebola virus, so I don’t expect any kind of grid. We certainly don’t have one here.

@Electric Monk

Also, about air travel - Since USAir cut back service, Jet Blue and Southwest have moved in and there are now some really cheap flights to New York and Phila., among other places.

They also suck a lot less than USAir, which may even be as bad as American.

I’ll second the recommendation of the Strip district. It’s a great place to go if you like ethnic markets.

[ataraxy22]

I grew up in Pittsburgh too. I’ve been all over the U.S., but I can’t think of a better place to have been from, and I will always keep it in high esteem. It’s one of the best cities in the country, and probably one of the most underrated.

[Tanaqui]

Wow, didn’t realize we had so many Pittsburgh-ers here! Thanks for all the great advice, everyone–I really appreciate it. Pittsburgh sounds like a really nice place to live!

There is a Trader Joe’s here, in East Liberty. That’s the California metric of civilization- if a city doesn’t have a Trader Joe’s, it must not be civilized

I can get behind that! I’m glad to hear it–love that place, and my home town doesn’t have one (yes, we are barbarians), although my university town did.

The weather sucks, but that won’t be such a change coming from the Pacific Northwest, other than the snow.

Not a big snow fan, but I think I can make due (the town in Japan where I used to live was pretty damn cold and snowy). I’m a native Oregonian, so rain doesn’t bother me much! And I hate hot summers, so sounds good to me!

The one thing to remember is - it is ONE BIG HILL.

Good exercise then!

Hey, you got this lurker to finally register! Hello, everyone.

Wow, hello! I’m honored you registered for my thread. Seriously–that was a lot of great information. Those kind of small details are really helpful and make me eager to move–thanks so much for taking the time!

The Art museum(s) are first rate. The Carnegie host the International every few years, The Warhol is popular, the matress factory is really cool as well. There is a growing visionary art scene.

Pitt itself is also first rate. I’m in cancer research and have been at Pitt for almost 15 years.

Thanks for the great information about museums! I may take you up on your offer and PM you if I think of any questions about Pitt.

If you’re Jewish or Catholic, you’ll find a lot of people who share your religion here, if that’s important to you. If you keep kosher, there’s a kosher butcher and some supermarkets with a good kosher selection in Squirrel Hill and Shadyside. There are a number of synagogues of various denominations in Squirrel Hill. Lots of restaurants are doing Lenten specials now for Catholics.

I’m not religious, but I think that’s cool. Living on the west coast, we don’t get a whole lot of ethnic diversity coming from Europe–Asian and Latin Americans, yes, European minorities, no.

Do they still have the Greek food festival in Oakland? I forget what the name of the Church was. We used to buy that church out- it was soooo good.

Oh man, I love Greek food! I will definitely keep an eye out for that if I move there! Thanks for the tip.

Nature is abundant in the area. It is right in the Allegheny mountains so there is plenty of hiking nearby. Hiking in the area includes Ohiopyle, Raccoon State Park, Keystone State Park, and a couple others. The Great Lakes are at least a 2 hour drive away to either Erie or Cleveland. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is a short drive away.

Thanks for all the great info. I’m so glad to hear there’s lots of places to go–I googled them and they look lovely.

I grew up in Pittsburgh, too. I’ve lived in other places, including the West Coast (SF), and I think Pittsburgh is a great city. You’ve gotten a lot of good advice already, but I wanted to add that I’ve traveled from Pittsburgh to NYC a couple of times by Amtrak. It’s been a few years, but when I did it you switched trains at 30th Street Station in Philly. It’s not a short ride, but IMO it’s less hassle than flying and you can get a lot of reading done. I’ve done a couple of weekend trips leaving on Friday morning and coming back on Sunday afternoon/evening. If you want to leave Friday evening instead of morning, though, flying would be better.

Thanks for this information! I really want to visit some of the great cities of the East Coast–I’ve only been once when I was very young–and no matter how far away they are from Pittsburgh, they are a lot closer than Oregon.

I’m sorry if I missed anyone–I read all the posts carefully and Googled lots of stuff. Pittsburgh is looking better and better! If I can think of any more specific questions, I’ll be sure to ask. If any one else has anything to add, please feel free!

[Tanaqui]

As always check the forums at City-Data (dot) Com for relocation info.

Almost forgot–thanks for this link! It’s a great resource.

[lindsaybluth]

@Anne_Neville

One thing I was told, and confirmed for myself: don’t commute over a bridge or through a tunnel. They create traffic bottlenecks. This may well be true everywhere, not just in Pittsburgh.

Amen to that. Never ever commute over a bridge or through a tunnel.

I’ve been living in Pittsburgh since 2006; I transferred here from USC. I grew up about 90 minutes from Pittsburgh. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else (I will probably move for grad school). In addition to Trader Joe’s, we have a Whole Foods, and a year old local organic/natural grocery called Right By Nature. (The rest of my post is peppered with food comments…)

@random6x7

I’m a former Pittsburgher, and most of my family still lives there. Oakland, the college neighborhood, is one of my favorites in the city. If you end up going there, definitely check out Lulu’s Noodles on Craig.

I gotta dispute this. Lulu’s has gone downhill in the past 18 months. It can’t be explained. If you want good thai/noodles, go to the Green Mango.

Things Pittsburgh cannot be beaten in:

1. The cultural district downtown. Because of so many Pittsburgh philanthropists, there are a disproporionate number of theaters and galleries when compared to the population. It’s also affordable - tickets are usually under $20 ($30 for hoity toity broadway shows) for students (grad students included

2. Cost of living. I rent a $650/month loft apartment a brisk 12 minute walk to the Cathedral of Learning in North Oakland, with parking (usually $100) and heat (usually 50-75) included. That’s a one bedroom. There are a lot of small-time landlords that you can find a good deal from. You can find a 3 bedroom in the same neighborhood for $1000, same amenities. From a big realty company, for a 2 bedroom, expect $900.

3. Nature of the locals. People are unfriendly everywhere else I go; Pittsburghers (as evidenced by this thread) are universally friendly and welcoming.

Onto where you should live. I’d actually disagree with Anne Neville; on Squirrel Hill while I go to the JCC in Squirrel Hill (it’s my gym) and my bread is always from Allegro Hearth, Squirrel Hill is not the place for people under 30. It’s deserted at night. My advice is to live in North Oakland, Shadyside, or (if you want to save money or if you like a more funky/hipster/artist vibe) Lawrenceville or Bloomfield. If you like to live near bars and nightlife, try the South Side Flats. My boyfriend’s best friend rented a house in Lawrenceville with vaulted ceilings, crown molding, hardwood floors throughout, updated kitchen and baths - $850 for 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths, all utilities except heat. I’m not making this up.

If you visit for Greek food - Leena’s in Oakland (gyro) or The Greek Gourmet in Squirrel Hill (fresh hummus).

The only reasons I can see not wanting to live in Pittsburgh for life are 1) If you really value warm weather and lots of sunlight or 2) If you have a horrible sense of direction and don’t eventually learn your way around. It’s not on a grid at all - I once heard a guy giving directions, who said - and I’ll never forget this - “You turn right on the second 5th Avenue. If you turn right on the first one, you’ll be lost forever. You’ll never find your way back.” Of course this was just one instance, but he was serious.

I’ve never met someone who moved here, has been here at least 3 years, and doesn’t love it. Really.