Any Pittsburghers here?

[poohandwendy]

Oh, and I cannot think of a single gated community in the south hills area, off the top of my head, LOL...anyone else? Gated communities are not a common thing in the Pgh area, from what I have seen.

 

[keishashadow]

Hi, yinz guys, welcome to the burg n'@!

I live about 15 miles NE of town, sleepy 'lil town, less than a 1/2 hour from dawn-tawn.

I'm biased but, Howard Hanna is the big realtor in town (I'm an agent, taking a sabatical). My advice to buyers is to always ask for the newest agent on board to work with...they'll invest a massive amount of time in order to get their 1st sale under their belt. PA does have buyer's agency, where the agent represents you - not the seller.

You'll find most Pittsburghers are adverse to crossing rivers or going thru tunnels unless we have to...most of us stay in our own neighborhoods LOL.
Oakland & Shadyside are very cosmopolitan, diverse population. IMO southside is turning into one large bar. Check out station square & the waterfront retail/entertainment area too.

 

[poohandwendy]

IMO southside is turning into one large bar.

Actually, the south side has been changing by leaps and bounds and is not just 'one big bar' anymore. (if you haven't been down there in a while, you should check it out, it's beautiful)

 

[JoBird]

Thanks for all of these responses! A few more ?'s...

How far is Mt. Lebanon from the airport? Dh will be doing a lot of travelling.

Are there any good preschools in the area?

Oh, and where is St. Clair (sp?) ? Is that a good place to live as well?

I am originally from Charleston, SC then we moved to Rochester, NY and now we live in Bentonville, AR. My dialect is really going to be messed up if we move there!

One more thing...How much snow do you see on average? Our last year in Rochester, we got 167 inches, and I don't think I can do that again.

 

[keishashadow]

Actually, the south side has been changing by leaps and bounds and is not just 'one big bar' anymore. (if you haven't been down there in a while, you should check it out, it's beautiful)

We were down early in June for drinks & did notice the upscale townhouse complexes...parking is still a crapshoot. Not sure if beautiful is the right phrase, more like "sanitized"... the mom & pop bars have been priced out of the neighborhood & large corporate entities are gobbling everything up. It's becoming gentrified and losing it's charactar IMO.

 

[poohandwendy]

Oh, and where is St. Clair (sp?) ? Is that a good place to live as well?

Upper St Clair is a few miles south of Mt Lebanon (down Rt 19 further). This is where I was raised, it is a great community with an excellent school district, as well. (the new HS is spectacular) It is a much newer community and it is more suburban while Mt Lebanon is more 'urban'. (although Mt Lebanon is not 'city', just more urban than further south)

Much of USC is established, but there are newer neighborhoods as well. So, you can get whatever you are looking for in a suburban community there.

Let me know if you have any specific USC questions I can answer.

 

[poohandwendy]

We were down early in June for drinks & did notice the upscale townhouse complexes...parking is still a crapshoot. Not sure if beautiful is the right phrase, more like "sanitized"... the mom & pop bars have been priced out of the neighborhood & large corporate entities are gobbling everything up. It's becoming gentrified and losing it's charactar IMO.

LOL, it's all about perspective I guess. I feel that SS was looking run down and tired. I think the changes bring the newness our city really needs to bring in more people. I see it as an update.

 

[keishashadow]

LOL, it's all about perspective I guess. I feel that SS was looking run down and tired. I think the changes bring the newness our city really needs to bring in more people. I see it as an update.

I suppose...new is nice but, usually too sanitized for me. IMO, old is visually more interesting...let's call it themeing.

I think our country on a whole is too quick to tear down anything that is outdated, not currently architecturally in vogue. One of the things that make our 'burg special is the varied communities - all with their own old-world, ethnic vibe.

 

[HayGan]

Thanks for all of these responses! A few more ?'s...

How far is Mt. Lebanon from the airport? Dh will be doing a lot of travelling.

Are there any good preschools in the area?

Oh, and where is St. Clair (sp?) ? Is that a good place to live as well?

I am originally from Charleston, SC then we moved to Rochester, NY and now we live in Bentonville, AR. My dialect is really going to be messed up if we move there!

One more thing...How much snow do you see on average? Our last year in Rochester, we got 167 inches, and I don't think I can do that again.

There is a really easy way to the parkway/airport from Mt. Lebabon. It ravel frequently and ride through Mt. lebo on every trip to the airport.

As someone else mentioned, Mt. Lebanon does not provide transportation to its schools. Most children have to walk along very busy roads to get to their schools. Top reason why we will never live in Mt. Lebo!!!

Plenty of good preschools.

Upper St. Clair is a very nice neighborhood with an excellent school district as well.

Don't worry about snow. We do usually see some but nowhere near what Rochester does!!!

 

[amy4bruce]

Thanks for all of these responses! A few more ?'s...

How far is Mt. Lebanon from the airport? Dh will be doing a lot of travelling.

Are there any good preschools in the area?

Oh, and where is St. Clair (sp?) ? Is that a good place to live as well?

I am originally from Charleston, SC then we moved to Rochester, NY and now we live in Bentonville, AR. My dialect is really going to be messed up if we move there!

One more thing...How much snow do you see on average? Our last year in Rochester, we got 167 inches, and I don't think I can do that again.

Airport - I can't give you mileage, but you're not exactly in the right direction. It's fairly easy to get to 279 or 79 (especially the latter) and head right there.

Preschools - Yes, several. If you're into an academic preschool, the preschool at Temple Emmanual seems like a regular school. Its teachers are excellent. All religions go there, but they don't celebrate Christmas (surprise!). Another one is Mushroom Family Learning Center, headquartered at the Unitarian Universalist church. This one is totally non-sectarian. My daughter graduated from there. There are other excellent preschools, most attached to churches.

St Clair - Poohandwendy already spoke to you about Upper St Clair. I assume you mean that and not St Clair Village, which is a public housing community in the city.

Snow - Last winter, we got one bad store, and the snow was gone three days later. The winter before that, it was worse. We're in an area that changes a lot. It's much less than upstate New York, though.

 

[HayGan]

I suppose...new is nice but, usually too sanitized for me. IMO, old is visually more interesting...let's call it themeing.

I think our country on a whole is too quick to tear down anything that is outdated, not currently architecturally in vogue. One of the things that make our 'burg special is the varied communities - all with their own old-world, ethnic vibe.

Sorry but I really have to disagree with you on the South Side. There has been a great revitalization of the area (especially down by the old J&L mill site.) I grew up on the South Side (till I was about 12) and most of the place still has some of that old charm. Most of the row houses are being renovated and bringing in alot of young professionals (a great thing for the city ) My family owned a restaurant on the South Side for many many years (it is now the Blue Note/Primanti's) and I feel like the South Side is home. I'm glad that it is receiving a face lift without losing the varied character that always made it such a special place!

 

[JoBird]

Thanks for the info.

I was just on realtor.com looking at all of the houses. Some of the houses are very beautiful..I am really liking the "tudor" style houses. Some of them only have window units, though, for A/C. I don't know if I would like that too much. I am so used to having my central air, and turning it on around March, LOL.

I saw some Upper St. Clair houses as well and they were indeed "newer". I don't know what I want. I guess I shouldn't even be worried yet, b/c his interview is tomorrow! It just kind of "looks good", if you know what I mean.

 

[poohandwendy]

I suppose...new is nice but, usually too sanitized for me. IMO, old is visually more interesting...let's call it themeing.

I think our country on a whole is too quick to tear down anything that is outdated, not currently architecturally in vogue. One of the things that make our 'burg special is the varied communities - all with their own old-world, ethnic vibe.

I agree, but I think we are a long way from losing the ethnic vibe. Pgh is unique that way and I don't see that coming to an end any time soon, new developments or not. The mom-and-pop places will stick around because they are popular even with the young crowds, even in the south side...especially in places like the south side. Yes, a few may go..but you really can't take the 'burgh out of Pittsburgh, IMHO.

 

[poohandwendy]

Sorry but I really have to disagree with you on the South Side. There has been a great revitalization of the area (especially down by the old J&L mill site.) I grew up on the South Side (till I was about 12) and most of the place still has some of that old charm. Most of the row houses are being renovated and bringing in alot of young professionals (a great thing for the city ) My family owned a restaurant on the South Side for many many years (it is now the Blue Note/Primanti's) and I feel like the South Side is home. I'm glad that it is receiving a face lift without losing the varied character that always made it such a special place!

My thoughts exactly!!

 

[safetymom]

Upper St. Clair is a beautiful area to live in. They also have great schools. There are new communities you could look at. I grew up there and thought it was great.

 

[momof2inPA]

There's a cute town near me with the old houses, brick streets, and a nice main street area-- Beaver. It's also close to the airport, but it's kind of a far commute to downtown. Sewickley is cute and close to both the airport and downtown, and there's Sewickley Academy if you're looking for a good private school (and you have the money to pay for it). Sewickley Heights is up the hill from there and has some really nice neighborhoods. Some might be gated; I know some of the homes are.

My friend who just moved back from Minneapolis to the area moved to Pine Township for the schools and neighborhoods, but it's a bit far from the airport, too. Moon Township has some good neighborhoods and is close to the airport. Fox Chapel has some nice areas. Wow. There are a lot of places to choose from.

 

[swea_pea1]

Darn, that's what I was afraid of. I arrive on a Thursday and leave the following Tuesday. I am on Social Security disability, so my Medicare card entitles me to half-price rides except rush hour, correct? If so, I'll probably buy a pack or 2 of half-fare 2-zone tickets from the PAT website. Unused tickets do not expire, do they?

buckylarue,

I don't want to guess at your age, but I thought you said you're retired so I thought this may apply. If you're over 65, you can show your Medicare card to ride free except certain times. This is from the PAT website:

Senior citizens age 65 or over, presenting a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Senior Citizen Identification card (blue for men and yellow for women) or a Medicare card at the time of fare payment, ride for free at all times except 7-8 a.m. and 4:30-5:30 p.m. on weekdays. These guidelines are established by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which reimburses Port Authority for all senior rides.

You can get more information here

Hope that helps!

 

[Swimnoid]

Here's a question for you:

Are there any newer neighborhoods in this area, or are they mostly older homes? This will be our fourth house in 8 years; we travel with my DH's company. We have always had brand new homes, but this time I'm interested in looking at both types. I'm kind of tired of the "new" neighborhood look, but I don't want to buy an older house in need of restoration, either. Are there any gated communities around?

My children will be in grades 6th, 2nd and preschool (4 year). Mainly, we are interested in the best school system possible.

Thanks... and buckylarue, I hope I'm not stealing your thread! Forgive me if I am.

I lived in Mt Lebanon and and went to High school there. I also substitute taught in all the surrounding school districts...Bethel Park, Keystone Oaks, Upper St Clair, South Park, Baldwin Whitehall and Brentwood. While some are better than others I thought all of them were pretty good. I'm partial to Lebo of course and had to walk the 2 miles to high school every day. Not a big deal. I also did most of my subbing in USC. Thats probably my second pick for a school district. Visit the districts' websites for more information.

BTW, housing must be doing pretty well at least for sellers. My brother put his house up for sale on a Monday and it was sold on Wed.

 

[JoBird]

I lived in Mt Lebanon and and went to High school there. I also substitute taught in all the surrounding school districts...Bethel Park, Keystone Oaks, Upper St Clair, South Park, Baldwin Whitehall and Brentwood. While some are better than others I thought all of them were pretty good. I'm partial to Lebo of course and had to walk the 2 miles to high school every day. Not a big deal. I also did most of my subbing in USC. Thats probably my second pick for a school district. Visit the districts' websites for more information.

BTW, housing must be doing pretty well at least for sellers. My brother put his house up for sale on a Monday and it was sold on Wed.

Thanks for this info!
I went on a site that was maybe the newspaper??? I don't know, anyway, they were giving the "report cards" of the schools and they said USC was listed as #1 this year. #2 was Mt. L. It showed that last year it was opposite, so I'm guessing they are both great schools.


If and when we put our house up for sale, I hope we have such an easy time. Where I live the market is flooded and people are having to come WAAAAYYYY down from their original asking price.

How far away is Mt. L. from "downtown"?

Ya'll are all so very nice. (okay, "Ya'll" will always be part of my language ) If everyone is as nice as you all have been, Pittsburgh must be a very nice place to be.

BTW...where is buckylarue??????? I have taken over, I fear! Buckylarue, please come back!

 

[amy4bruce]

There's a cute town near me with the old houses, brick streets, and a nice main street area-- Beaver. It's also close to the airport, but it's kind of a far commute to downtown. Sewickley is cute and close to both the airport and downtown, and there's Sewickley Academy if you're looking for a good private school (and you have the money to pay for it). Sewickley Heights is up the hill from there and has some really nice neighborhoods. Some might be gated; I know some of the homes are.

My friend who just moved back from Minneapolis to the area moved to Pine Township for the schools and neighborhoods, but it's a bit far from the airport, too. Moon Township has some good neighborhoods and is close to the airport. Fox Chapel has some nice areas. Wow. There are a lot of places to choose from.

Besides being very expensive, all these places (with the exception of Moon Twp) are in the North Hills. Moon is in the South Hills, and is close to the main airport, but far from downtown, Public transportation to the city is more expensive and slow.

Mt. Lebanon, with no traffic, is no more than a 15-20 minute drive to downtown. By T, it takes a bit longer, because there are a lot of little stops through Dormont and Beechview.

As far as schools go, Upper St Clair High School beats Mt Lebanon, but only because of the building. They just added on to it, and it looks like a college campus. If you like high school theatre, Mt Lebanon puts on better musicals, although, if you try out at USC, you get a part. (The choruses are so large that they stand on bleechers at the side of the stage.) (It's a digression, but those are my basic experiences with the high schools and friends who have children in the systems.)