Pittsburgh, PA

[Septerra]

Hey all. I currently have an offer from Carnegie Mellon (history) and am planning to visit in early April. I will be staying for a night near campus, and am hoping to use my limited free time to explore some housing options near the campus. I will be looking at options in walking distance, since I will not have a vehicle with me. I am sure there have been many suggestions about housing options near Carnegie Mellon, but they look to be over a year old, and I am wondering if anyone is familiar with the current situation. I am looking for a 1-2 bedroom to share with my partner (so LGBT-friendly spots are most welcomed). Thanks in advance to anyone who takes pity on my lack of penchant for searching through 11 pages.

[Thief77steal]

Anyone looking for a roommate? I have been accepted into CMU's MechE MS program and am on the hunt for apartments. I would like to share a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment with some chill people. I hope to get one in either Squirrel Hill or Shadyside. Let me know if people are interested.

[The Rakshash]

Hie, I have been admitted to UPitt for fall'16 and have just started to look for places to live. I have gone through the entire thread and would really appreciate if someone would help me out in suggesting places to me.

1. After going through the thread, am more inclined to look at Shadyside/ Squirrel Hill/ Friendship/ Bloomfield. I am looking for a place which is preferably well connected by the UPitt shuttles, as I don't own a car.

2. As I am an international student, should I search and book online itself, or prefer temporary accommodation and then start looking for places in August ( which I doubt will be available).

3. A modest semi furnished preferably with some utilities is what I am looking for.

I would love to hear from someone about the current rental prices in pittsburgh and the approximate living costs.

[pink_freud]

On 5/15/2016 at 5:39 AM, The Rakshash said:

Hie, I have been admitted to UPitt for fall'16 and have just started to look for places to live. I have gone through the entire thread and would really appreciate if someone would help me out in suggesting places to me.

1. After going through the thread, am more inclined to look at Shadyside/ Squirrel Hill/ Friendship/ Bloomfield. I am looking for a place which is preferably well connected by the UPitt shuttles, as I don't own a car.

2. As I am an international student, should I search and book online itself, or prefer temporary accommodation and then start looking for places in August ( which I doubt will be available).

3. A modest semi furnished preferably with some utilities is what I am looking for.

I would love to hear from someone about the current rental prices in pittsburgh and the approximate living costs.

Congratulations on your acceptance to Pitt! I will be starting at UPitt in the Fall of 2016 as well (PhD in psychology). I grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and then went out of state for university.

1. You are correct - those neighborhoods are exactly what I would recommend. I would stay away from Oakland, as this is where all of the undergraduates live and it can be noisy. Oakland is also where campus is so it is nice to get away. I don't own a car, either, but there is a really good public transportation system in Pittsburgh using buses (well, good for the US anyways!) You can take a bus from any of those neighborhoods and get to Pitt's campus in about 20 minutes or less. Also, my PhD package included unlimited public transportation , which I am pretty sure is the case for most of their programs.

2. I do not know your personal preferences for this question. I have lived abroad several times - once I secured something sight unseen, and once I stayed with a host family as I looked at places. There are pros and cons to both. I would recommend you utilize these two sites for off-campus housing at Pitt. These are listings from students who attend Pitt and are looking for a roommate in their apartment. If you don't find anything, you can even make a posting here yourself and provide some info about what you are interested in.

Pitt. http://www.ocl.pitt.edu/roommate-request-listing?field_request_type_value=All&&field_monthly_rent_per_person_value=&field_request_lease_term_value[value]=&field_request_lease_term_value2[value]=

3.  Almost all of the apartments listed on the above website are furnished or semi-furnished.

4. Pittsburgh is a very reasonable city to live in. I would say rent can range from about $500-$1400/month depending on the location and size. For example, Shadyside is definitely on that upper end of the price range, whereas Bloomfield prices are still pretty low. Cost of living  can be Googled.

Hope this helps!

 

 

On 4/30/2016 at 3:10 PM, Thief77steal said:

Anyone looking for a roommate? I have been accepted into CMU's MechE MS program and am on the hunt for apartments. I would like to share a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment with some chill people. I hope to get one in either Squirrel Hill or Shadyside. Let me know if people are interested.

CMU has a great off-campus housing website: https://offcampus.housing.cmu.edu/property/search

And Pitt has one that is even better in my opinion - it is people who are looking to rent out a room (so you would have roommates who are also students) and you can search based on neighborhood interests:

http://www.ocl.pitt.edu/roommate-request-listing?field_request_type_value=All&&field_monthly_rent_per_person_value=&field_request_lease_term_value[value]=&field_request_lease_term_value2[value]=

Hope this helps - congratulations on your acceptance to CMU!

 

On 3/21/2016 at 10:02 AM, Septerra said:

Hey all. I currently have an offer from Carnegie Mellon (history) and am planning to visit in early April. I will be staying for a night near campus, and am hoping to use my limited free time to explore some housing options near the campus. I will be looking at options in walking distance, since I will not have a vehicle with me. I am sure there have been many suggestions about housing options near Carnegie Mellon, but they look to be over a year old, and I am wondering if anyone is familiar with the current situation. I am looking for a 1-2 bedroom to share with my partner (so LGBT-friendly spots are most welcomed). Thanks in advance to anyone who takes pity on my lack of penchant for searching through 11 pages.

Hi there! This might be late, but I will respond anyways on the off-chance that it is helpful to you or someone else who happens to pass by this...

I am attending Pitt, so not sure details of CMU's packages, but I know CMU undergrads get public transportation included in their tuition. If this is the case for you, then the bus system in the city proper is excellent and so you could easily live further away than walking distance without a vehicle. (I would suggest Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Bloomfield) However, walking distance can be nice. If you DO want walking distance, I would say Oakland is your best bet. The con of Oakland is that it is where all of the undergrads from Pitt and CMU live, so can have that undergrad-y atmosphere. Some parts of Squirrel Hill might be walkable to CMU, but as its name suggests, it is quite the hill.

See my other comments on this thread for off-campus housing options via CMU or Pitt. Hope this helps! 

 

On 3/18/2016 at 6:58 AM, varevare said:

It's looking very likely that I'll be in Pittsburgh this fall... So I'm looking for some moving advice! Here's the issue: I currently live in Ghana (American citizen, Peace Corps Volunteer) and I'm not gonna be back in the US until, at the very earliest, late July. Which means I'm not gonna be around during prime apartment-hunting, roommate-finding, lease-signing time. I do want roommate(s) because I have a tight budget, and I'll be contacting people on Craigslist and Facebook, but is my absence gonna be a huge dealbreaker? Does anyone who's dealt with this type of situation before have recommendations?

Hi there! This might be a late response, so not sure how helpful this will be, but I would recommend looking at the websites I suggested to @ The Rakshash earlier today on this thread. (http://www.ocl.pitt.edu/roommate-request-listing?field_request_type_value=All&&field_monthly_rent_per_person_value=&field_request_lease_term_value[value]=&field_request_lease_term_value2[value]=) Pitt students are used to people moving in and out of the city over the summer, and so you could possibly find a roommate via this site. If they wanted to talk to you to get to know you perhaps you could Skype or Facetime in, (I have done this before when I wanted to live in a shared apartment space abroad but couldn't be there physically) and maybe virtually see the apartment too.

[isaymur]

On 5/15/2016 at 5:39 AM, The Rakshash said:

Hie, I have been admitted to UPitt for fall'16 and have just started to look for places to live. I have gone through the entire thread and would really appreciate if someone would help me out in suggesting places to me.

1. After going through the thread, am more inclined to look at Shadyside/ Squirrel Hill/ Friendship/ Bloomfield. I am looking for a place which is preferably well connected by the UPitt shuttles, as I don't own a car.

2. As I am an international student, should I search and book online itself, or prefer temporary accommodation and then start looking for places in August ( which I doubt will be available).

3. A modest semi furnished preferably with some utilities is what I am looking for.

I would love to hear from someone about the current rental prices in pittsburgh and the approximate living costs.

Hello, I currently go to Pitt as an undergrad in biology. I grew up in the city, so I know a lot about living here and getting around.

1) Those are all great, nice neighborhoods. Squirrel Hill and Shadyside are the most convenient in terms of public transportation, which should be included with your student ID. Pittsburgh is very bus-able; I don't have many problems although I don't have a car. The university shuttles aren't very useful since they don't run very frequently, but the public bus system is good enough. I would also suggest considering North Oakland. South Oakland is teeming with undergrads, but North O is calmer and has grad students living there. It's also a quick walk from campus.

2) This is mostly up to personal preference. Craigslist always has postings, and this Facebook group is good: https://www.facebook.com/groups/293902804037190/

I'd agree with @pink_freud on rent prices. North O and Bloomfield are cheap, Squirrel Hill is moderately cheap, and Shadyside can get more expensive.

Overall, Pittsburgh is a great place to live! Feel free to PM me if you want to ask me more specific questions.

[curvilineardisparity]

This post is being really helpful to me! Thanks for everyone here!

Hoping Pittsburgh's students are still active here, I have an additional question: I saw some posts from 2014 asking whether their scholarships would be enough. I've found a shared apartment for around $650 (incl. all utilities), will have transportation covered by the uni and estimate to have a budget of ~ $500/month for food/happy hours/clothing/small savings/etc. I'm a foreigner, so I have no idea about life expenses in the US or Pittsburgh.

Is $500/month enough for living expenses (other than housing/transportation) in Pittsburgh?

Thanks!  

[Jessiewicz]

On 2/11/2017 at 5:29 PM, curvilineardisparity said:

This post is being really helpful to me! Thanks for everyone here!

Hoping Pittsburgh's students are still active here, I have an additional question: I saw some posts from 2014 asking whether their scholarships would be enough. I've found a shared apartment for around $650 (incl. all utilities), will have transportation covered by the uni and estimate to have a budget of ~ $500/month for food/happy hours/clothing/small savings/etc. I'm a foreigner, so I have no idea about life expenses in the US or Pittsburgh.

Is $500/month enough for living expenses (other than housing/transportation) in Pittsburgh?

Thanks!  

I think $500 is a good number to aim for. I live in downtown Pittsburgh now for undergrad and I maybe spend $125 on food a month but of course that depends a bit per person. The first few months you may not have as much of the $500 left over while you are getting set up but  I still think you should be okay. 

[meggied]

I know this question has been asked before but I don't think anyone has answered it. Does anyone know when places around CMU start filling up? I've been looking at Zillow and craigslist and was wondering if I should expect a lot more properties to show up.

[Emma987]

I'm accepted to the University of Pittsburgh's International Development program for Fall, 2017. Does anyone have suggestions for specific neighborhoods close to the school? I'm looking for something safe, eclectic, and preferably with a semblance of community atmosphere. Also, any recommendations on websites/forums to find roommates? Thank you all for your help!

[zactak]

7 hours ago, Emma987 said:

I'm accepted to the University of Pittsburgh's International Development program for Fall, 2017. Does anyone have suggestions for specific neighborhoods close to the school? I'm looking for something safe, eclectic, and preferably with a semblance of community atmosphere. Also, any recommendations on websites/forums to find roommates? Thank you all for your help!

Congratulations on your acceptance to Pitt. I live in Pittsburgh, but I didn't go to Pitt. Some areas I would recommend looking into are Squirrel Hill, Lawrenceville and Shadyside. They're all in older, desirable areas of the city, but they all have a lot of character and are relatively safe. They are more pricey, though. I lived in Squirrel Hill for a year and I loved it. I'd guess it's about 15ish minutes from Pitt. There's a lot of culture in Squirrel Hill. It has a very large Jewish community, which really adds to its character, and you can find almost any type of food you want. It also has a few parks in the area. Lawrenceville is more of a hipster area. I'm not a hipster, but I still enjoyed venturing over there on occasion.

All three of these communities are relatively close to the Pitt campus, and give you easy access to other parts of the city. They each bring their own character and uniqueness. In regards to Pittsburgh as a general area, I would try to find a place to live either east or north of the city. Avoid having to commute to Pitt from a tunnel (Ft. Pitt, Liberty and Squirrel Hill tunnels). These areas bottleneck very easily, and traffic can be a nightmare, especially when the tunnels are closed or restricted. I'd also avoid living in Oakland - where Pitt is, on the North Side, North Shore, East Liberty, and Wilkinsburg. I currently live in Wexford, which is about 25 or so minutes from Pitt. It's a great area, but really a run of the mill suburb.

Hopefully some of this information helps. I hope you find a place easily. I'm moving to New York for grad school, and I know it can be very overwhelming. Good luck! 

Edited March 29, 2017 by zactak

[thetemp]

On 3/28/2017 at 2:43 PM, Emma987 said:

I'm accepted to the University of Pittsburgh's International Development program for Fall, 2017. Does anyone have suggestions for specific neighborhoods close to the school? I'm looking for something safe, eclectic, and preferably with a semblance of community atmosphere. Also, any recommendations on websites/forums to find roommates? Thank you all for your help!

 

18 hours ago, zactak said:

Congratulations on your acceptance to Pitt. I live in Pittsburgh, but I didn't go to Pitt. Some areas I would recommend looking into are Squirrel Hill, Lawrenceville and Shadyside. They're all in older, desirable areas of the city, but they all have a lot of character and are relatively safe. They are more pricey, though. I lived in Squirrel Hill for a year and I loved it. I'd guess it's about 15ish minutes from Pitt. There's a lot of culture in Squirrel Hill. It has a very large Jewish community, which really adds to its character, and you can find almost any type of food you want. It also has a few parks in the area. Lawrenceville is more of a hipster area. I'm not a hipster, but I still enjoyed venturing over there on occasion.

All three of these communities are relatively close to the Pitt campus, and give you easy access to other parts of the city. They each bring their own character and uniqueness. In regards to Pittsburgh as a general area, I would try to find a place to live either east or north of the city. Avoid having to commute to Pitt from a tunnel (Ft. Pitt, Liberty and Squirrel Hill tunnels). These areas bottleneck very easily, and traffic can be a nightmare, especially when the tunnels are closed or restricted. I'd also avoid living in Oakland - where Pitt is, on the North Side, North Shore, East Liberty, and Wilkinsburg. I currently live in Wexford, which is about 25 or so minutes from Pitt. It's a great area, but really a run of the mill suburb.

Hopefully some of this information helps. I hope you find a place easily. I'm moving to New York for grad school, and I know it can be very overwhelming. Good luck! 

Agreed that Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Lawrenceville are nice places to live and have lots to offer, but they are probably the most expensive neighborhoods in the city. Lots of good restaurants and bars in each of those, but Shadyside and Squirrel Hill have the edge in my book because there are more bus routes and they have good grocery stores. Lawrenceville is probably more interesting though.

I highly recommend looking at Bloomfield. It's basically between Lawrenceville and Shadyside, but generally much cheaper. This is Pittsburgh's "Little Italy" and there's a nice mix of older folks who have been there forever and young professionals. I've lived in Pittsburgh my entire life and Bloomfield the last 5 years. I work in Oakland and can walk to the office or take a 10 minute bus ride (54). Plus there's an awesome and massive Italian festival every summer :). 

I'd also suggest looking into Highland Park, Friendship, and Polish Hill (which will likely satisfy your desire for somewhere eclectic and with a sense of community).

I disagree slightly with the poster above regarding East Liberty, North Side/North Shore, and Oakland. There are some great areas of East Liberty and I know many people who live there. While there are certainly bad parts (i.e. high crime, crack houses, etc), sections are quite nice thanks to a ton of gentrification over the last few years. Stick to the areas that are closer to Shadyside, and avoid East Liberty near Larimer and Garfield. The North Side/North Shore are where the Pirates and Steelers play so there's a lot of action, but there are some nice areas (near the Mexican War streets) and I know that a number of graduate students and faculty live there. Plus the 54 starts its route on the North Shore and continues through Oakland. As far as Oakland, there are some fine places to live in North Oakland, but definitely avoid south Oakland unless undergrads, house parties, and slumlords are your thing.

I would personally avoid the South Side, but lots of young professionals and students live there. There are an insane number of bars here and it's pretty crazy on the weekends. I know some grad students who live in Greenfield as well (not as many amenities here as the other areas, but close to campus).  Areas to definitely avoid: Wilkinsburg, Larimer, Garfield, Homewood, the Hill District, Mt Oliver, and South Oakland. 

Edited March 29, 2017 by thetemp

[RobGood]

11 hours ago, thetemp said:

 

Agreed that Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Lawrenceville are nice places to live and have lots to offer, but they are probably the most expensive neighborhoods in the city. Lots of good restaurants and bars in each of those, but Shadyside and Squirrel Hill have the edge in my book because there are more bus routes and they have good grocery stores. Lawrenceville is probably more interesting though.

I highly recommend looking at Bloomfield. It's basically between Lawrenceville and Shadyside, but generally much cheaper. This is Pittsburgh's "Little Italy" and there's a nice mix of older folks who have been there forever and young professionals. I've lived in Pittsburgh my entire life and Bloomfield the last 5 years. I work in Oakland and can walk to the office or take a 10 minute bus ride (54). Plus there's an awesome and massive Italian festival every summer :). 

I'd also suggest looking into Highland Park, Friendship, and Polish Hill (which will likely satisfy your desire for somewhere eclectic and with a sense of community).

I disagree slightly with the poster above regarding East Liberty, North Side/North Shore, and Oakland. There are some great areas of East Liberty and I know many people who live there. While there are certainly bad parts (i.e. high crime, crack houses, etc), sections are quite nice thanks to a ton of gentrification over the last few years. Stick to the areas that are closer to Shadyside, and avoid East Liberty near Larimer and Garfield. The North Side/North Shore are where the Pirates and Steelers play so there's a lot of action, but there are some nice areas (near the Mexican War streets) and I know that a number of graduate students and faculty live there. Plus the 54 starts its route on the North Shore and continues through Oakland. As far as Oakland, there are some fine places to live in North Oakland, but definitely avoid south Oakland unless undergrads, house parties, and slumlords are your thing.

I would personally avoid the South Side, but lots of young professionals and students live there. There are an insane number of bars here and it's pretty crazy on the weekends. I know some grad students who live in Greenfield as well (not as many amenities here as the other areas, but close to campus).  Areas to definitely avoid: Wilkinsburg, Larimer, Garfield, Homewood, the Hill District, Mt Oliver, and South Oakland. 

Hi, I am also looking for the apartment around CMU, and I will moving to Pittsburgh next semester. I found some apartment which has amazing facilities and the price is very attractive. The address is Peebles street and Kelly ave (I believe it is Wilkinsburg). It is next to the east side of Frick park. The map with a star label is the rough location of that apartment.

The concerns are:

1. it will be quite far away from the campus (around 20 minutes transit time searched by google map)

2. Will this area safe or not? This is my priority concern.

I do not care much about the restaurant or the entertainment nearby. I would prefer somewhere quiet. Could anyone give me some advice? Especially towards my second concern. Thanks in advance.

 

[therisingpage]

12 hours ago, thetemp said:

 

I highly recommend looking at Bloomfield. It's basically between Lawrenceville and Shadyside, but generally much cheaper. This is Pittsburgh's "Little Italy" and there's a nice mix of older folks who have been there forever and young professionals. I've lived in Pittsburgh my entire life and Bloomfield the last 5 years. I work in Oakland and can walk to the office or take a 10 minute bus ride (54). Plus there's an awesome and massive Italian festival every summer :). 

I'd also suggest looking into Highland Park, Friendship, and Polish Hill (which will likely satisfy your desire for somewhere eclectic and with a sense of community).

Thanks for this @thetemp!! It has been immensely helpful! 
I too am moving to Pittsburgh this fall and it's been a bit frustrating trying to figure housing out. 

[thetemp]

 

On 3/30/2017 at 3:25 AM, RobGood said:

Hi, I am also looking for the apartment around CMU, and I will moving to Pittsburgh next semester. I found some apartment which has amazing facilities and the price is very attractive. The address is Peebles street and Kelly ave (I believe it is Wilkinsburg). It is next to the east side of Frick park. The map with a star label is the rough location of that apartment.

The concerns are:

1. it will be quite far away from the campus (around 20 minutes transit time searched by google map)

2. Will this area safe or not? This is my priority concern.

I do not care much about the restaurant or the entertainment nearby. I would prefer somewhere quiet. Could anyone give me some advice? Especially towards my second concern. Thanks in advance.

 

Hm, I can't say I'm familiar with that particular area. That said, it's really close to the heart of Regent Square (just slightly south on S Braddock) which is a pretty nice area. I drive through Frick Park on Forbes Ave sometimes and take the right on S Braddock so that's as close as I've been to your potential apartment. If I had to make a guess though this would be a safe area. When people talk about Wilkinsburg being dangerous, they typically think of the area closer to Penn Ave and especially north of Penn Ave towards Homewood.

 

On 3/30/2017 at 3:44 AM, therisingpage said:

Thanks for this @thetemp!! It has been immensely helpful! 
I too am moving to Pittsburgh this fall and it's been a bit frustrating trying to figure housing out. 

You're welcome! Happy to give my two cents as more questions come up too. 

Unfortunately I'm probably leaving Pittsburgh in the fall for school, but I definitely intend to move back once I'm done. Pittsburgh is such an awesome place to live. But don't just take it from me...

https://fitt.co/pittsburgh/pittsburgh-best-city/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/pittsburgh-health_n_4339476.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/11/what-millennials-love-about-pittsburgh/383074/
http://time.com/pittsburgh/  (this is a fantastic video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9dxURkKoVU (EDIT: here's another good video)

 

Edited March 30, 2017 by thetemp

[RobGood]

1 hour ago, thetemp said:

 

Hm, I can't say I'm familiar with that particular area. That said, it's really close to the heart of Regent Square (just slightly south on S Braddock) which is a pretty nice area. I drive through Frick Park on Forbes Ave sometimes and take the right on S Braddock so that's as close as I've been to your potential apartment. If I had to make a guess though this would be a safe area. When people talk about Wilkinsburg being dangerous, they typically think of the area closer to Penn Ave and especially north of Penn Ave towards Homewood.

Thank you so much! Btw, the video is really good!

Anyone else have some idea about this area? Thank you!

[zactak]

10 hours ago, RobGood said:

Thank you so much! Btw, the video is really good!

Anyone else have some idea about this area? Thank you!

As thetemp pointed out, the area you have highlighted should be a decent area. Regent Square is a nice area. I have a few friends that live there. If you choose to look in that area, you want to avoid being north of Penn Avenue. Also, there's a gray road that looks like it says Pennwood Ave. It's close to where you have the 8 circled. You want to stay west of that road. 

If you can, I would also Google the apartment, or management company to see if you can find out any information about if they are a good company, or not. Also, if you choose to not try to move into the apartment you have starred, but want to live in that area, be careful as there is a management company that advertises their apartments as being in Regent Square, but the majority of them are in Wilkinsburg. 

[zactak]

12 hours ago, thetemp said:

You're welcome! Happy to give my two cents as more questions come up too. 

Unfortunately I'm probably leaving Pittsburgh in the fall for school, but I definitely intend to move back once I'm done. Pittsburgh is such an awesome place to live. But don't just take it from me...

https://fitt.co/pittsburgh/pittsburgh-best-city/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/pittsburgh-health_n_4339476.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/11/what-millennials-love-about-pittsburgh/383074/
http://time.com/pittsburgh/  (this is a fantastic video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9dxURkKoVU (EDIT: here's another good video)

 

I just wanted to reiterate this. I'm not originally from Pittsburgh, but I've been here for five years. I'm leaving this fall for graduate school, but when I am done I will probably look to move back, because Pittsburgh is a great city with a lot to offer.

[Emma987]

Thanks @thetemp and @zactak! Very helpful. You both seem to know the city really well.

 

[rockstar090]

On 3/1/2017 at 11:43 PM, meggied said:

I know this question has been asked before but I don't think anyone has answered it. Does anyone know when places around CMU start filling up? I've been looking at Zillow and craigslist and was wondering if I should expect a lot more properties to show up.

Any responses?

[thetemp]

5 hours ago, ankshah said:

Any responses?

It's tough to say. My experience with the housing market here in Pittsburgh is that folks looking for apartments immediately around Pitt or CMU typically sign leases 4-6 months (and sometimes more like 8) in advance of move-in. Usually it's like Feb-March that is the busiest time for finding apartments. For example, my kid brother is a Pitt and signed a lease for an apartment in north Oakland in early March for an August move-in. He was a little late among his friends in finding a place. I can even think of instances where friends found an apartment around Christmas time for a move-in the following summer. So the bulk of the action may have already happened.

That said, DON'T FREAK OUT. Apartments always open up throughout the year because of course things change, people move, etc  (e.g. I've signed my last 2 leases in within weeks of move-in, both in October/November however). It's just that now there might be fewer options and, consequently, the available options may not move as quickly since there are relatively fewer people on the hunt. So that's a positive. 

Maybe other Pittsburghers on the board have a different impression or experience.

[anxiousphd]

Hello all,

I'm moving to Pittsburgh in a month (!!!) and I found an apartment I really like with Mozart Management (http://www.mozartrents.com/). I had the opportunity to visit and tour 2 buildings and 4 apartments before choosing my favorite, but they also allow you to do an "Instarent" online if you won't be able to visit before renting. The application and leasing process are very thorough--and frankly kind of a pain in the ass--but it made me feel like everything had been thought of and handled. Most of their apartments (maybe even all of them, I'm not sure) include utilities, so there's one less thing to worry about each month. They also allow pets in many of their buildings, but charge a pet rent ($35 for me, possibly different for other buildings). They did require my parents to co-sign, and it seemed like this might be their general policy for students, but they easily accepted my parents' middle-class income. They have an 'apartment search' tool on their website, so you can see what is available for your move-in date, in your budget, in your preferred neighborhood.

Good luck to anyone still searching for a place to live!

[Wee_Animalcule]

Hello everyone!

Got my acceptance from Pitt yesterday and I'm so excited! 've found so much good advice in this thread but had a couple of questions. First, are there any areas near Pitt that are especially good for dog owners? I saw a few little townhomes for rent in the area, which was great, but are there any dog parks nearby?

Secondly, my dog is just a mutt from the shelter but he's been  mistaken as a pit bull before. On all of his papers he's listed as a "terrier mix" because that's about all we know. How strict are breed restrictions in the area? I haven't had a problem here in Dallas but figured it was worth asking about.

What do I need to consider adding to my wardrobe before moving to a state like PA? I know "warm stuff" obviously, but specific examples would be nice because my wardrobe has never been focused on warmth. I also don't wear animal products, so what are the odds of my being able to continue avoiding those?

[Shnoztastic]

Hey @Wee_Animalcule! Pittsburgher here... Congrats! The dog-thing can definitely a bit tricky in the Oakland/Shady Side/Squirrel Hill area... I think it'll difficult to find something close to campus and affordable that is dog friendly. Not impossible, though! I have a sibling in Shady Side who has struggled with the dog thing... I can check and get back to you. Pittsburgh's public transportation is doable so you could get a bus pass.

In terms of cold weather, you can definitely get good non-animal clothing. For warm stuff you can do sustainably sourced down or synthetic insulation jackets if you can't do that.  I've worked in outdoor retail for years and can go into further details if you'd like.

Edited February 13, 2018 by Shnoztastic

[Wee_Animalcule]

On 2/13/2018 at 11:11 AM, Shnoztastic said:

Hey @Wee_Animalcule! Pittsburgher here... Congrats! The dog-thing can definitely a bit tricky in the Oakland/Shady Side/Squirrel Hill area... I think it'll difficult to find something close to campus and affordable that is dog friendly. Not impossible, though! I have a sibling in Shady Side who has struggled with the dog thing... I can check and get back to you. Pittsburgh's public transportation is doable so you could get a bus pass.

In terms of cold weather, you can definitely get good non-animal clothing. For warm stuff you can do sustainably sourced down or synthetic insulation jackets if you can't do that.  I've worked in outdoor retail for years and can go into further details if you'd like.

Ah! Thank you so much! I looked on Zillow and saw a few that mentioned being dog friendly but I know that's not always accurate so having any direction to look towards would be super helpful. I'd like to stay close to campus but have an SO that is moving with me so I can afford higher rent for a 1br than a single person.

[a_sort_of_fractious_angel]

Hey, all - I'll be going to Pittsburgh to start CMU's LCS PhD. If anyone has knowledge of nice (or terrible) management companies they don't mind sharing, that'd be great!