Moving to Pittsburgh!?!?!?

[Doodlebug939]

My husband and I are going to Pittsburgh next month to look at houses. We are looking at houses under 200K and a four bedroom. I have Mount Lebanon on my list. Where else should we consider? My husband is active duty military and due to retire in 2010. So I want to move the kids and I to Pittsburgh after this school year. So it gives me time to get a job and get set household before he retires.

Any input would be great.

 

[klfrech]

I've lived in the Pittsburgh area for more than 20 years (originally from NJ). Pittsburgh housing is relatively inexpensive (compared to NJ). However, Mt. Lebanon is one of the more expensive areas. Homes are older, with a lot of character, and can be quite pricey. Mt. Lebanon has a fabulous school district (no busing transportation, however), but school taxes are quite high.

I live west of the city (about 15 miles outside of Pittsburgh). In my area, you can buy a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home roughly in the neighborhood of $200-250,000. Pittsburgh has not had an enormous surge in housing prices. Schools are very good (I am actually a teacher).

Get ready for the cold! As I post this, the actual air temperature is -3 degrees.

I love Pittsburgh--friendly people, great place to raise a family, low crime, and lots to do.

 

[mirmartinez]

My husband and I are going to Pittsburgh next month to look at houses. We are looking at houses under 200K and a four bedroom. I have Mount Lebanon on my list. Where else should we consider? My husband is active duty military and due to retire in 2010. So I want to move the kids and I to Pittsburgh after this school year. So it gives me time to get a job and get set household before he retires.

Any input would be great.

Moon Twp (15108) would be a good place to start at that price.
Many different neighbor hoods and plans

It is about 20 minutes outside of pittsburgh, right by the airport.
Brighton twp and Beaver (15009) area has wonderful schools and a small town feel.

 

[Kristineamb]

Born & raised in Pittsburgh...now living in Texas...all of our family is still there...moved for DH job opportunity.
I have lived in the North Hills (my parents live in Ross Township,) south of the city in Bridgeville and west of the city (past the airport) in a small town called Beaver. Beautiful area, wonderful people, lots to do...let me know if I can answer any specific questions.

GO STEELERS!!!!!!!

 

[Pixiedust34]

We moved from Pittsburgh so long ago that I don't think I could give accurate advice about which neighborhoods are good now other than to say that my sister lives in Shaler and they like it there. She says that the school are pretty good and my BIL can get to his downtown office pretty easily.

Pittsburgh is a nice city. The cost of living is pretty low, and they have the best football team in the country!

 

[Trish5768]

Fox Chapel is a nice area and the was the home of former Coach Cowher. I love the Moon Township idea as well.

You will love it here. I wish you all the best.

 

[Kristineamb]

Pittsburgh is a nice city. The cost of living is pretty low, and they have the best football team in the country!

 

[Amy]

I've been a Pittsburgher all my life. Born and raised in West Mifflin (south of the city), and now DH and I live in Monroeville, which is east of the city. Monroeville is a great area, and the Gateway School District is one of the best. We're very happy here.

Something else to think about: taxes. Taxes in Allegheny County are pretty high. Our house is about a mile from the Westmoreland County border where taxes are MUCH lower. Depending on how far of a commute you and your DH are interested in, you might also want to look outside of Allegheny County.

East of the city just into Westmoreland County, Trafford/Penn Township/Murrysville/Delmont/Export are nice areas, with good school districts (Penn Trafford and Franklin Regional), lower taxes and housing costs might be lower, too.

 

[dejr_8]

Born & raised in Pittsburgh...now living in Texas...all of our family is still there...moved for DH job opportunity.
I have lived in the North Hills (my parents live in Ross Township,) south of the city in Bridgeville and west of the city (past the airport) in a small town called Beaver. Beautiful area, wonderful people, lots to do...let me know if I can answer any specific questions.

GO STEELERS!!!!!!!

I'm from West View...

Look at the North Hills.

 

[Trish5768]

If you consider another area Westmoreland County is good. I grew up there in N. Huntingdon and went to Norwin Schools which are good as well. Another area would be Greensburg and Hempfield Schools. Both within a half an hour of the city.

 

[mirmartinez]

Moon Twp (15108) would be a good place to start at that price.
Many different neighbor hoods and plans

It is about 20 minutes outside of pittsburgh, right by the airport.
Brighton twp and Beaver (15009) area has wonderful schools and a small town feel.

I thought I would add

New school in beaver/brighton and very low taxes

Moon twp, I believe starts construction this year.

 

[PghLybrt]

I am North Hills born too. I would say stay on that side just because of traffic! My Dad lives in the south hills and sometimes it takes him over a hour to get home from work (It is 8 miles!). There are also some good point about taxes Allegheny are really high whereas Butler is much less.

I guess it all depends on what you are looking for. I think Shadyside is cute and artsy , also very expensive. Cranberry is growing by leaps and bounds and is very suburban. Sewickley as well as Zelienople have that small town charm.

But they all have our STEELERS!!!!

 

[Ranatra]

East of the city just into Westmoreland County, Trafford/Penn Township/Murrysville/Delmont/Export are nice areas, with good school districts (Penn Trafford and Franklin Regional), lower taxes and housing costs might be lower, too.

I agree. These are great areas. I have a number of friends in Murrysville area and it's close to Monroeville which is a big shopping district.
I also like the Cranberry area.

I've lived in Pittsburgh my whole life. We are in an Eastern suburb about 15 minutes from downtown.

GO STEELERS!!

 

[bcvdreamer]

It helps to know where you'll be working. If you plan on working downtown then I consider the northern communities. You won't have to go through a tunnel to get to work. Tunnels=Traffic.

The northern communities are growing and have a lot of amenities for families without the Allegheny County taxes. Great schools, shopping, parks, rec.

Southern Butler county is a great area. You can be in town in 30 min. or less.
Consider Mars, Cranberry Twp. Adams Twp. Seven Fields.

There are a lot of other great areas it just depends on where you want to live. I think you'll love Pittsburgh.

To look for houses in any Pgh neighborhood: http://www.howardhanna.com/
(I'm not a realtor.)

 

[JoBird]

well hey there!

I just left PGH in August after living there for approximately 18 months. In those months, we lived in two different areas- completely polar opposites of one another.

The first area we lived in was Fox Chapel. It is in Allegheny county, the schools are SUPERIOR- but you can't find anything that is halfway decent for under $400,000. And that will get you a fixer up, as most of the homes were built in the 60's and 70's. ALL of them need renovating. If you can find one for inexpensive and fix it up- there's money to be made b/c for what ever reason, Fox Chapel is "the" spot to live. However, not only are the houses high, the taxes are unbelievably high. When you go to buy a house in Allegheny county (which Fox Chapel, Mt Lebanon, Upper Saint Clair are all in-) the realtor will have you sign a paper stating that you realize your taxes will be higher than some of the outer lying counties.
One of the benefits to Fox Chaple is the proximity to downtown, the zoo and other places. 20 minutes tops and you are at heinz field, etc. The drawback is the traffic.
ANother drawback is that the residents there are, um, I will put this nicely as I can--- a bit stuck up. Sorry--- I'm not trying to be mean- if you are from there- I apologize- I know that not everyone there is that way- it just seems that a lot of them have "Old Money"- and know it.
The schools were great- but most all of Allegheny County have phenomenal schools, thus the high taxes.

9 months after we moved to Fox chapel ( we were renting) we found a house in Cranberry in Butler county that we loved.
Cranberry is a more suburban sprawl-- more of a growing- transient type area. New houses, good neighborhoods, lots of families.

The downside is the school system. That said- it is OKAY-- just not the same as Allegheny County. We moved there b/c the house that we bought was unbelievable for the amt of $ we paid- and taxes too. So it's a choice you have to make: High taxes, excellent schools vs. low taxes, okay schools.

If you need the name of a realtor- I have a phenomenal one! I have moved all over the country with DH's work and when i say that she is the best, I mean she is the best I've ever worked with. I cried when we left there b/c of her. If I could take her everywhere we moved, I would!

She found us a house in a weekend to buy- and sold our house in 5 DAYS! But she covers Cranberry, Mars-- Butler COunty. That's another thing--- realtors only work in their area- you won't have one take you from Fox Chapel to Cranberry and Moon. It's just such a big area, that they aren't well versed in all the counties and townships.

Another thing to be aware of is township tax. Some are higher than others- Allegheny is, I think, 1.5% of your salary ( someone correct this if I'm wrong--), while Butler county is 1%. There are no taxes on groceries or clothes, so you pay Township tax off of what you make in the year.


Um... I'll try to think of anything else that might help you in your search--

All in all- we had a great run in PGH! The people in Cranberry were so welcoming and nice--- in general, the people in PGH are down to earth, friendly types. There are just "pockets" where I think money is a factor in how "nice" people are, but that is everywhere you go.

Feel free to PM me with any direst questions- I'd love to help!

Jo

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

well hey there!

I just left PGH in August after living there for approximately 18 months. In those months, we lived in two different areas- completely polar opposites of one another.

The first area we lived in was Fox Chapel. It is in Allegheny county, the schools are SUPERIOR- but you can't find anything that is halfway decent for under $400,000. And that will get you a fixer up, as most of the homes were built in the 60's and 70's. ALL of them need renovating. If you can find one for inexpensive and fix it up- there's money to be made b/c for what ever reason, Fox Chapel is "the" spot to live. However, not only are the houses high, the taxes are unbelievably high. When you go to buy a house in Allegheny county (which Fox Chapel, Mt Lebanon, Upper Saint Clair are all in-) the realtor will have you sign a paper stating that you realize your taxes will be higher than some of the outer lying counties.
One of the benefits to Fox Chaple is the proximity to downtown, the zoo and other places. 20 minutes tops and you are at heinz field, etc. The drawback is the traffic.
ANother drawback is that the residents there are, um, I will put this nicely as I can--- a bit stuck up. Sorry--- I'm not trying to be mean- if you are from there- I apologize- I know that not everyone there is that way- it just seems that a lot of them have "Old Money"- and know it.
The schools were great- but most all of Allegheny County have phenomenal schools, thus the high taxes.

9 months after we moved to Fox chapel ( we were renting) we found a house in Cranberry in Butler county that we loved.
Cranberry is a more suburban sprawl-- more of a growing- transient type area. New houses, good neighborhoods, lots of families.

The downside is the school system. That said- it is OKAY-- just not the same as Allegheny County. We moved there b/c the house that we bought was unbelievable for the amt of $ we paid- and taxes too. So it's a choice you have to make: High taxes, excellent schools vs. low taxes, okay schools.

If you need the name of a realtor- I have a phenomenal one! I have moved all over the country with DH's work and when i say that she is the best, I mean she is the best I've ever worked with. I cried when we left there b/c of her. If I could take her everywhere we moved, I would!

She found us a house in a weekend to buy- and sold our house in 5 DAYS! But she covers Cranberry, Mars-- Butler COunty. That's another thing--- realtors only work in their area- you won't have one take you from Fox Chapel to Cranberry and Moon. It's just such a big area, that they aren't well versed in all the counties and townships.

Another thing to be aware of is township tax. Some are higher than others- Allegheny is, I think, 1.5% of your salary ( someone correct this if I'm wrong--), while Butler county is 1%. There are no taxes on groceries or clothes, so you pay Township tax off of what you make in the year.


Um... I'll try to think of anything else that might help you in your search--

All in all- we had a great run in PGH! The people in Cranberry were so welcoming and nice--- in general, the people in PGH are down to earth, friendly types. There are just "pockets" where I think money is a factor in how "nice" people are, but that is everywhere you go.

Feel free to PM me with any direst questions- I'd love to help!

Jo

Sorry I've been a Pittsburgher my whole life and there are many many things in this post I totally disagree with.

First, I would know exactly where you will be working before you look for a place to live. The traffic here can be pretty bad and if working downtown the North has the best commute time

Just because the taxes are high in Allegheny County does so not mean you are getting good schools. There are many many bad school districts in Allegheny County in the North, South, East and West.

I grew up near Kennywood, West Mifflin in Allegheny County. DH and I chose to move and not send our kids to school where we graduated. I am not fond of the schools and there are plenty others we would choose not to send our children either.

We currently live in Peters Township. It is in Washington County. Low taxes, right over the Allegheny County line and we have 1 of the best school districts in the area.

Pittsburgh has its undesireable areas just as an other city. Feel free to PM me if necessary, but one must is you have to become a Pittsburgh Steeler fan.

 

[korzmom]

welcome to steeler country-you will become a fan...whats not to love.go steelers.. and i would agree with roliepolie - there are pros and cons about the whole area..i live further east in westmoreland county and my dh drives everyday downtown-traffic bad but he's adjusted by leaving later and staying later.you'll figure it out and get used to gray skies and cold winters, i personnally would love to move to florida..but i'll always be a steeler fan.

 

[LaraK]

I lived in Pittsburgh for ten years and still miss living there. There are so many places with so many personalities I'd recommend spending a weekend just driving around and getting a feel for the place.

I lived on the South Side in a row house. At the time I was young and single (and the South Side wasn't as trendy as it is today) so I had a blast living there. I have a good friend who has an old Victorian up near the Observatory that she got for a song. It's gorgeous and has origonal molding and stuff. It would cost five times as much where I'm living now.

I have an aunt in O'Hara Township (which uses the Fox Chappel schools) and you can get a reasonably priced house out that way.

All and all, Pittsburgh is a great place. I think you'll be happy there.

 

[Doodlebug939]

Wow I am truely amazed by all of your posts in such a such time. I am married to a Steelers fan and I know what chipped ham is. So I think I will be alright in that department

I guess it would help if I would give more detail on our situation. My husbands family is in Carrick. While when he was growing up it was a nice area now it seems to be seeing more crime.

I dont know where we will be working yet. I plan to feel it out a little more when I visit next month. I have been working at a school for the past three years as a teachers aide. I wouldnt mind working in a school in the business department/office. My degree is in business admin with a minor in accounting. My husband is going to get a government job downtown or go to college. (The military will pay for 3 years of college and pay our mortgage) so that is the backup.

My husband and I are willing to live anywhere that is within a 30 minute commute of the city. I have only been looking in Allegheny county so far so I might expand my search to Butler/Westmoremand/Washington.

The most important things for me are as follows: I want my kids in good schools. It doesnt have to be the number one school but I want a quality education.

Thanks and keep them coming.

 

[mirmartinez]

Wow I am truely amazed by all of your posts in such a such time. I am married to a Steelers fan and I know what chipped ham is. So I think I will be alright in that department

I guess it would help if I would give more detail on our situation. My husbands family is in Carrick. While when he was growing up it was a nice area now it seems to be seeing more crime.

I dont know where we will be working yet. I plan to feel it out a little more when I visit next month. I have been working at a school for the past three years as a teachers aide. I wouldnt mind working in a school in the business department/office. My degree is in business admin with a minor in accounting. My husband is going to get a government job downtown or go to college. (The military will pay for 3 years of college and pay our mortgage) so that is the backup.

My husband and I are willing to live anywhere that is within a 30 minute commute of the city. I have only been looking in Allegheny county so far so I might expand my search to Butler/Westmoremand/Washington.

The most important things for me are as follows: I want my kids in good schools. It doesnt have to be the number one school but I want a quality education.

Thanks and keep them coming.

Keep beaver county in mind