Pittsburgh, PA

[grendel]

Thanks for the input! It was nice to hear gollux's point of view as well as the positive things.

Is the pollution that serious? Apparently it's number one in the country in terms of short term particle pollution, and number two in terms of year-round particle pollution (American Lung Association 2009: http://www.stateoftheair.org/2009/city-rankings/polluted-cities-particle-pollution-short.html).

[allegheny]

So it's looking likely that My boyfriend and I will be moving down to Pittsburgh in the near future. We currently live in Syracuse, NY. Our current rent is ridiculously low, and I know that because I lived in Philadelphia for the last 3 years, but my boyfriend has not so his concept of reasonable rent is sort of swayed. We have one car between the two of us, and I bike most of the time (except if the weather makes it dangerous- which is unfortunately more months of Syracuse time that I would like) or I take public transit. I will be going to UPitt in the Fall (MA Theatre), and I would like to live within a 30 min. Public Transit radius of the school. We're also not going to be able to do more than about 600 in rent, and we'll be looking for a 1 bedroom (or 2 if it fits in the price range) with enough room that we don't drive each other crazy. I'd like to live in walking distance to a grocery store as well. I've been looking through all of the different threads, and it seems like Friendship would be an awesome neighborhood. But I'd like to know more about Wilkinsburg, and possibly Mexican War Street, and any other cheaper neighborhood thats not too far and not too dangerous (like I said I lived in Philly, so as long as theres not gang shootings happening on the street/living next to all the crackhouses it's okay by me). Any suggestions? Any realtors we should look into? I'm super excited about the move, and my boyfriend is a huge steelers fan so he's stoaked as well.

I go to Pitt as an undergrad and I've worked closely with the Theatre department, if you have any questions.

$600 for a one room apartment within a thirty min public transportation route is, I think, doable if you look hard enough, but don't expect it to be too big. Friendship is inexpensive but be careful about certain parts of it. Shady Side can be expensive in parts but there are sections that are actually quite cheap, those near East Liberty. Wilkinsburg and the North Side (where Mexican War Streets are) is dangerous and far beyond 30 minute busride from Oakland. These places certainly aren't as bad crime-wise as many parts of Philly, but you can expect gang-related crimes, including violence, drugs and robberies, from time to time in these sections of town. Check out Highland Park, which is about 35 mins from Pitt by bus. Good things: cheap and residential, very quiet, zoo and very nice park nearby. Bad things: practically nothing useful like a grocery store is within walking distance.

One thing that I'd say about realtors, since you mentioned it, is to be particularly careful about them in this part of Pittsburgh, particularly if they know you're a student from out of town. Because Pittsburgh is relatively cheap for a mid sized city and the Oakland / East End sections are chock full of students, many of them have become accustomed to taking advantage of students by overcharging and underservicing. Be scrupulous as always, do your background research on the realtors on the Better Business Bureau website.

Otherwise good luck! Pittsburgh's a great, fun, quirky town, especially for football fans. For out-of-towners it takes a lot of effort to find all of the unique niches and quirks that make it so interesting, but once you find them and exploit them to the fullest it can be great living here.

[mppgal55]

On 3/25/2008 at 4:42 PM, nazzaz99 said:

Hey!

Craigslist would give you an idea I guess. Also, Franklin West, Walnut Capital and Meyers Management have a lot of nice places. Mozart also has a lot of properties but I read some terrible things about them on the net.

As for the date, I am looking to move in August and most realtors told me that they will know about availability in May.

Replying because I was reading through old posts, and these rental companies are awesome! Thanks for posting this.

[ExoticTeacup]

On 2/20/2010 at 6:04 PM, gollux said:

I am in Pittsburgh while my beloved does his MA, and as far as visiting New York, Philly, Chicago, you can basically rule it out for a quick Saturday-Sunday trip. I thought we were moving to the East Coast and would get to see friends all the time, but it turns out this is the Eastern Midwest. This is what I hate about Pittsburgh, but that's just me.

If you are going to school and live near campus, don't worry about the car. If you have a partner who is going to work, he or she will probably need a car.

There is hiking, skiing, and canoeing nearby. Lots of great museums in the city. Fallingwater is close and it is beautiful. Gettysburg not too far. Although, for the outside-pittsburgh stuff, you need a car. Rental?

I am not wild about P-burgh, but it's because I have the breadwinner position and I work a job I don't like, and also work on weekends. If I had a little more free time, or was a student with a built-in community, I think I would find P-burgh sort of enchanting. Wouldn't want to live here forever, but a good place to spend a year or two. That said, people who are from Pittsburgh love this place beyond reason and seem never to leave.

I'm actually going to disagree with this post. I have lived in Pittsburgh for 5 years now, and I've definitely found ways to make weekend trips to Philly, New York, Boston, and Chicago. You just have to be willing to use methods of transportation other than a car. Pittsburgh has a rather busy airport, and both Southwest Airlines and JetBlue operate a lot of flights there. Discount airlines are your friend. To places like Philly, New York, Boston, and Chicago, these discount flights are actually cheaper than the cost of driving there (think about gas, tolls, meals, etc.). I've only done trips to New York or Boston once, but I can definitely rave about how Southwest has TONS of flights everyday to Philly and Chicago. It's definitely reasonable to fly out on a Friday evening and come back either Sunday night or early (think 6:00 AM flight) Monday morning. Also, Amtrak has a route called the Capitol Limited that runs between Washington DC and Chicago, passing through Pittsburgh. The way the timetable is set up, it is basically an overnight train between Pittsburgh and Chicago every night. I've left on that train from Pittsburgh at about midnight Friday night, slept on the train, eaten breakfast in the dining car while watching Indiana pass by, and been in downtown Chicago by 9:00 AM. Then I hop back on around dinner time on Sunday evening and arrive downtown in Pittsburgh just after 5:00 AM Monday with enough time to get home and get ready for the day.

It is definitely easy to do weekend trips from Pittsburgh. If you are willing to look into things like discount flights and overnight trains, there is absolutely no reason why you should feel stuck here!

BTW, a little background... I am NOT from Pittsburgh. I am from just outside of Philly, and my entire family still lives out there. I moved to Pittsburgh by myself 5 years ago, and I have lived here as both a student and a professional. I will be moving away in a little over a month (*tear*), but decided to stop by this thread to see if I could offer any words of wisdom. I really love living here and will miss it a LOT!

[shdwfeather]

Guys, I just wanted to leave this here for anybody who's thinking about visiting/attending CMU:

 

[theatrehippie]

I am thinking about moving to Pittsburgh to go to CMU, and I'm really intrigued by the Friendship area. Pros and cons? Is it feasible to commute to CMU from there via public transit? I am from Los Angeles and have spent time in the DFW area, so I am used to having a car, but I'd like to avoid parking on campus since it seems kind of absurdly expensive.

[soupcann314]

I'm a native Pittsburgher and attending CMU in the fall. I lived in Friendship for two years, once as an undergrad at Pitt, then after moving back to Pittsburgh following a stint in DC.

Pros:

Friendship is charming and inexpensive. My partner and I rented a spacious two-bedroom apartment that was actually the entire first floor of an old Victorian home for $600/month. It's a quick walk to Bloomfield, the Strip District, Lawrenceville, all cool neighborhoods with lots of stuff to do. You could even walk to Oakland, though that's more of a 20-25 minute walk. It's not a neighborhood that's inundated with undergrads like Oakland, so it's quiet (read: no frat parties). There are a few grocery stores within walking distance. It's centrally located in the city. It's absolutely gorgeous during the spring, summer and autumn.

Cons:

It's often not gorgeous during the winter, but that can be said of all of Pittsburgh. (The snow is beautiful for about 30 minutes after it falls, then it turns to a delightful black/gray slush.) The bus service to Oakland is not the best. The 54C connects Friendship and Oakland and it currently runs about every twenty minutes. There are service cuts scheduled to take place on March 27th which I believe will reduce the frequency of the 54C to every half hour during the day -- not great. The parts of Friendship near Garfield (Penn Avenue is the border) can be shady, as Garfield is a high-crime area. My second time around in Friendship, I lived on S. Millvale Ave right at the corner of Penn and I saw three drug deals and prostitutes on the street corner during one month. That being said, that area of Friendship/Garfield is in transition and a lot of art galleries, restaurants, and stores are popping up there. If you want to have a car, which isn't necessarily a requirement but it sure makes life easier, you should try to get an apartment with a parking spot as street permits can be expensive.

With all that said, I really liked Friendship, despite its flaws and because of its charm. Let me know if you have any other questions.

I am thinking about moving to Pittsburgh to go to CMU, and I'm really intrigued by the Friendship area. Pros and cons? Is it feasible to commute to CMU from there via public transit? I am from Los Angeles and have spent time in the DFW area, so I am used to having a car, but I'd like to avoid parking on campus since it seems kind of absurdly expensive.

[theatrehippie]

I'm a native Pittsburgher and attending CMU in the fall. I lived in Friendship for two years, once as an undergrad at Pitt, then after moving back to Pittsburgh following a stint in DC.

Pros:

Friendship is charming and inexpensive. My partner and I rented a spacious two-bedroom apartment that was actually the entire first floor of an old Victorian home for $600/month. It's a quick walk to Bloomfield, the Strip District, Lawrenceville, all cool neighborhoods with lots of stuff to do. You could even walk to Oakland, though that's more of a 20-25 minute walk. It's not a neighborhood that's inundated with undergrads like Oakland, so it's quiet (read: no frat parties). There are a few grocery stores within walking distance. It's centrally located in the city. It's absolutely gorgeous during the spring, summer and autumn.

Cons:

It's often not gorgeous during the winter, but that can be said of all of Pittsburgh. (The snow is beautiful for about 30 minutes after it falls, then it turns to a delightful black/gray slush.) The bus service to Oakland is not the best. The 54C connects Friendship and Oakland and it currently runs about every twenty minutes. There are service cuts scheduled to take place on March 27th which I believe will reduce the frequency of the 54C to every half hour during the day -- not great. The parts of Friendship near Garfield (Penn Avenue is the border) can be shady, as Garfield is a high-crime area. My second time around in Friendship, I lived on S. Millvale Ave right at the corner of Penn and I saw three drug deals and prostitutes on the street corner during one month. That being said, that area of Friendship/Garfield is in transition and a lot of art galleries, restaurants, and stores are popping up there. If you want to have a car, which isn't necessarily a requirement but it sure makes life easier, you should try to get an apartment with a parking spot as street permits can be expensive.

With all that said, I really liked Friendship, despite its flaws and because of its charm. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks! That is really helpful. Are there any other areas that you'd particularly recommend? How would you suggest going about finding a place? Is Craig's List the best place to start?

[soupcann314]

Shadyside and Squirrel Hill are popular with grad students. They're a bit more expensive than Friendship, but great transit-wise. I live in Greenfield, which is a pretty quiet, under-the-radar neighborhood. It's really close to Oakland but will have similar problems with transit after the cuts.

I always had luck on Craigslist, but I bought a house three years ago so I haven't been on there lately! The rental market in Pittsburgh is probably a little more relaxed and old-fashioned than you may be used to in LA. A lot of places, particularly in the more old school neighborhoods like Friendship, are more informal about showing places, putting down a deposit, etc. (That's not to say you shouldn't read through the lease carefully, iron out details with the landlord, etc., of course.) But it's not as cutthroat and competitive as things can be in bigger cities -- let's just say finding an apartment in DC was a real eye-opener for me, both because of the high rent and the competitiveness.

Thanks! That is really helpful. Are there any other areas that you'd particularly recommend? How would you suggest going about finding a place? Is Craig's List the best place to start?

[peter007]

Can anyone detail how grad life is at CMU ? I might join as a masters in ECE this fall. How are food options (especially if you're a vegetarian ) ? I have heard the weather is mostly dull and cold, doest it affect grad life and studies much? I have heard social life is mostly nill for ECE grads, but that might be the case anywhere.

[chrombio]

Hi everyone,

I will most likely be moving to Pittsburgh from a place where it pretty much never snows. Can you all offer any advice on how to adjust to the cold, snowy winters? Are there any key things to keep in mind when apartment hunting (aside from heat being included) in such a cold city?

Thank you!

[werebear215]

Can anyone detail how grad life is at CMU ? I might join as a masters in ECE this fall. How are food options (especially if you're a vegetarian ) ? I have heard the weather is mostly dull and cold, doest it affect grad life and studies much? I have heard social life is mostly nill for ECE grads, but that might be the case anywhere.

Definitely interested in this as well, especially the vegetarian part. How's life in Pittsburgh/around the CMU area?

[soupcann314]

When apartment hunting, make sure that clearing and salting sidewalks and walkways is included in the lease. Some landlords, particularly those who are renting out an old house that's been converted to apartments, will try to pin responsibility for that duty on residents. And even if heat is included in the lease, some landlords will keep it set low to keep costs down. Either battle with them over it or buy a space heater/electric blankets. You can also put up plastic over the windows to keep drafts out. It's not attractive, but it's functional.

As for adjusting...layering is your friend. Invest in a good pair of boots with decent traction and lining to keep your toes warm (or at least warm-ish). I bought a good, insulated pair of hiking boots a couple of years ago and they've held up pretty well. When making plans for going out during winter, factor in the additional time it will take to physically get out of the house and wherever you're goin. It sounds weird, but you'll take a good 5-10 minutes to put on your extra pair of socks, legwarmers, lace up your boots, get your scarf on, get your hat on, get your big winter coat on, and you'll definitely need to factor in time if you're walking. You can get handwarmer inserts for your gloves/pockets at outdoor/sporting stores, which are heavenly while they work. Count on the bus being late. If you're going to have a car, snow tires make life ten billion times easier, especially if you don't have four wheel drive. And if you do have a car and get onstreet parking, you should probably buy a shovel to shovel yourself out in the winter.

The snow is fun, though, and beautiful until it becomes a pile of grayish-black mush.

Hi everyone,

I will most likely be moving to Pittsburgh from a place where it pretty much never snows. Can you all offer any advice on how to adjust to the cold, snowy winters? Are there any key things to keep in mind when apartment hunting (aside from heat being included) in such a cold city?

Thank you!

[chrombio]

Thank you so much! I will definitely keep these things in mind when apartment hunting this summer. I didn't even know snow tires existed (though of course now that you mention them, seems very practical)! It seems like the cold weather in Pittsburgh is just going to be more difficult in general, but I am looking forward to not feeling like my skin is frying out in 110 degree weather every summer .

[anxiouslyawaiting]

Thank you so much! I will definitely keep these things in mind when apartment hunting this summer. I didn't even know snow tires existed (though of course now that you mention them, seems very practical)! It seems like the cold weather in Pittsburgh is just going to be more difficult in general, but I am looking forward to not feeling like my skin is frying out in 110 degree weather every summer .

Unfortunately it still gets to be over 100 in the summers (and humid, yay!). I only know because I'm from the Philly area. I'm really pumped to be moving across the state and into a city!

Anyone know the best way to look for roommates? As much as I would like to live alone, I doubt it will be affordable long term. I'm pretty easy to get along with, but I just don't know how to go about finding someone with whom to live...

[ok29]

Hi everyone

I will hopefully be coming to PIttsburgh in the fall for a masters at CMU. Wondering where I should be looking for a place to live with a monthly budget of about 800. Wouldn't want more than a 30 minute commute. Not a party guy so looking for a quiet area. Also if anyone is looking for roommates pm me. Thanks in advance

[wayfaerer]

Anyone know the best way to look for roommates? As much as I would like to live alone, I doubt it will be affordable long term. I'm pretty easy to get along with, but I just don't know how to go about finding someone with whom to live...

+1 to the above question. I'm headed to Pittsburgh for a Masters program this Fall, and it seems that sharing an apartment would be the most feasible option (when chalking up comfort/preference against costs). If anyone has tips for finding people to live with, it'd be great if you could share them

[ZeeMore21]

I live in Pittsburgh currently and my best advice is LAYER LAYER LAYER! : ) You should be fine

[ZeeMore21]

Congrats wayfaerer! I'm at Pitt right now, great school. I would try looking at the Pitt housing website. If you click on off-campus living, you will find posts from pitt grad students who are looking for roommates. Or, you can put up your own post if you find a place and are looking for a roommate.

+1 to the above question. I'm headed to Pittsburgh for a Masters program this Fall, and it seems that sharing an apartment would be the most feasible option (when chalking up comfort/preference against costs). If anyone has tips for finding people to live with, it'd be great if you could share them

[Jcantrone]

depending on your budget, you may be able to afford a 1bdr or studio.. I'm looking into them myself, and there seem to be a lot of affordable options (600-700 for 1 beds and like 400-500 for studios.) landlords usually know about their fall openings in may or june.

+1 to the above question. I'm headed to Pittsburgh for a Masters program this Fall, and it seems that sharing an apartment would be the most feasible option (when chalking up comfort/preference against costs). If anyone has tips for finding people to live with, it'd be great if you could share them

[wayfaerer]

Well oops.. I think I wasn't exactly clear. I'm headed to Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center this Fall - and at those rates I think it would make sense to look into studio apartments (that was before Utilities right? If after I might even try to check out 1 BR ones).

Either way, do any of you know the location of the ETC (the address says 700 Technology Drive) - it's a bit off from CMU. Are there any areas that I should be looking at that are close to this? In my conversations so far Shadyside seems to be the most popular one for CMU grad students, but I'm wondering if this same logic also applies to those at the ETC

[soupcann314]

The ETC is a good distance from CMU's campus. I think CMU runs shuttle buses down there, but I don't know the schedule (might be on their website). South Oakland would be the closest neighborhood but it's a huge undergrad housing area, so it's loud, often dirty, etc. If you're going to be spending tons of time at the ETC, you may want to look into either Greenfield or the South Side Works. Greenfield is pretty close and it's a quiet, residential neighborhood. (I actually own a house in Greenfield.) It's affordable and there are a few spots for nightlife (Hough's, mainly, though also Big Jim's to a lesser extent). It's also close to Oakland and CMU's main campus.

South Side Works is right across the Monongahela River from the ETC. You could walk, bike, or drive across the Hot Metal Bridge and be at the ETC in moments. The Works is a new development with lots of restaurants, stores, etc. The South Side is pretty bustling and is a hot spot for Pittsburghers on the weekends. The housing will be more expensive on the South Side.

Well oops.. I think I wasn't exactly clear. I'm headed to Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center this Fall - and at those rates I think it would make sense to look into studio apartments (that was before Utilities right? If after I might even try to check out 1 BR ones).

Either way, do any of you know the location of the ETC (the address says 700 Technology Drive) - it's a bit off from CMU. Are there any areas that I should be looking at that are close to this? In my conversations so far Shadyside seems to be the most popular one for CMU grad students, but I'm wondering if this same logic also applies to those at the ETC

[durkin65]

<br />The ETC is a good distance from CMU's campus. I think CMU runs shuttle buses down there, but I don't know the schedule (might be on their website). South Oakland would be the closest neighborhood but it's a huge undergrad housing area, so it's loud, often dirty, etc. If you're going to be spending tons of time at the ETC, you may want to look into either Greenfield or the South Side Works. Greenfield is pretty close and it's a quiet, residential neighborhood. (I actually own a house in Greenfield.) It's affordable and there are a few spots for nightlife (Hough's, mainly, though also Big Jim's to a lesser extent). It's also close to Oakland and CMU's main campus.<br /><br />South Side Works is right across the Monongahela River from the ETC. You could walk, bike, or drive across the Hot Metal Bridge and be at the ETC in moments. The Works is a new development with lots of restaurants, stores, etc. The South Side is pretty bustling and is a hot spot for Pittsburghers on the weekends. The housing will be more expensive on the South Side.<br /><br /><br />

<br /><br />I've lived in Pittsburgh for about 2 years now - and will be living here for quite awhile longer - and most students live in the Oakland/Shadyside/Squirrel Hill area. All of these neighborhoods are adjacent to one another and are all pretty great places to live. I live in Regent Square, which is a neighbor near Squirrel Hill but they are divided by Frick Park (a huge park perfect for running, biking, hiking, etc.) The rent in Regent Square can be cheaper - it's a very nice, intimate neighborhood in between Edgewood and Swissvale. If you start looking for places in Wilkinsburg, make sure to really ask the landlord some questions concerning the safety of the building due to higher rates of crime in that area. It's still a pretty safe neighborhood, but I'd still recommend asking some questions.<br /><br />I don't recommend living in the South Side unless you are addicted to alcohol. That's a place you only visit on the weekends to go to the bar and get a tattoo. If you haven't noticed, I don't really care for the South Side. Actually, it's a cool place to visit during the day, but at night...it's a beast to beware.<br /><br />All in all, Pittsburgh is a wonderful city with many neighborhoods with their own personalities. The longer you live here, the more you'll wonder why the nation has such negative national image of Pittsburgh - maybe it's our baseball team? Edited April 21, 2011 by durkin65

[wayfaerer]

Thanks for the replies! I'm kind of limited to the areas as mentioned above - it doesn't look like I'll have a car or anything.

I was wondering if those on here could answer a specific question about an area:

I had a slightly more specific set of requirements than most (2 bed/2 bath). Of the many places I contacted, one that was available is called 'Oak Hill Apartments' - the address is 3078, Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA.

I know this is in Oakland, and that the area generally isn't as favored as some others by grad student - but I was swayed by the amenities on the website and the fact that it matched everything I was looking for.

On the flipside... I've read some very mixed reviews about the place (and the area in general). From Google street view, the area seemed pretty nice, and quite residential. The rent isn't that cheap, so that too indicated a reasonably good standard of living in general - but I've read some reviews that say some totally contradictory.. especially about the safety of the neighborhood. Some of these really negative reviews are from a long time ago........ so does anyone know what Terrace Street is like now? Would you recommend someone to live there?

It's pretty close to the ETC - so that's a plus point for me, but I was just looking for some opinions from those that know better.

[Julianne Pigoon]

I'm really hoping that Carnegie Mellon will admit me for their MA, and so Pittsburgh has been on my radar for the past week in anticipation of an answer. It's still a possibility even if I don't get in, so I have a few questions that may or may not receive an answer on a site such as this.

My partner and I are moving with an almost 10-year-old and an almost 3-year-old. My partner's 10-year-old is public-schooled, and I intend to either home-school or alternative-school my two-year-old. We both personally love living in an urban environment, but for the purposes of cost and school district, we're considering living in a suburb. Does anyone have any anecdotal information on safe, kid-friendly, maybe even hipper, quirkier or younger suburbs (as opposed to those populated mostly by the elderly or middle-aged folks)? We're young and artsy. We don't want to feel too out of place, but we want to live somewhere our kids will be relatively free to explore and have a yard and neighborhood with other kids and somesuch.

Does anyone know anything about the more urban neighborhoods (such as Squirrel Hill or Shadyside) and what their school districts are like? I've looked this information up, but demographics and school ratings don't interest me as they don't provide the kind of information I'm looking for. I do know Pittsburgh has a decent magnet program, and we may consider a charter school for middle school. Anecdotal information on charter schools is welcome, too.

On the off chance that anyone has kids, or just happens to know anything helpful--it'd be really appreciated!