[Avenir]

Ok, so I'm finally going to graduate (crosses fingers) and have a job in downtown pittsburgh (in Gulf Tower on grant street if you're interested). Now I need a place to live. I have one roommate (she'll also be at the same job). From talking with people at the firm, most employees seem to live East of downtown in Shadyside, although some are on the South Side. I guess I'm sort of looking for recommendations. I don't want to keep my car, and she doesn't have one either, so bus lines (or that T thing) would be awesome. We haven't decided on an apartment or a house/flat rental... mostly looking for the area right now.

soooo.... any advice would be awesome from anyone that knows the city. and any other cool pittsburgh info (good places to eat, awesome night clubs, kick ass stuff to do) would be most appreciated as well. It's a two-year contract, so I imagine I'll get to know it well.

as a side note, I visited once a few weeks ago (for the job interview), and will probably go back again in a few weeks... looking to move in around July 1st.

[Eriamjh]

Don't do it!

[poynter]

Congrats,
I used to live in pittsburgh for about 5 years,
I lived on the north side(where PNC park is now) behind allegheny general hospital,
this was really ghetto so dont go there.
My brother still lives there and is going to school right now.
He lives in washington plaza downtown, adjacent to mellon arena, which is cool if you like shows and good for hockey again someday.

When I lived there I didnt have a car for the first 3 years and I have to say that at the time their public transit system was easy to use and I didnt feel like I even needed a car.
Get you a PATransit pass and your set.

I was really poor when I lived there cause I was in college, but I still got to see a lot of great shows and tons of cool partys.

Funstuff:
Metropol, the rosebud are fun clubs, the whole strip district is a beer drinkers heaven with microbrewerys and bars for as far as you can crawl.
Oakland is where pitt is and theirs lots of cool little shops and stuff over there.
I wouldnt want to live in shadyside with out a car.
Every Saturday during the summer they close off market square and have free music and tons of people partying.
Their regatta fest(like thunder) is amazing!, their was always something going on down at point state park almost always for free.

Places to eat: 7th street grill<--- good filet sandwich, downtown.
James street cafe<----- New Orleans Cajun Restaurant with live jazz music sometimes
on the north side to the right of allegheny center.
this was my favorite place to eat in pittsburgh.

Its been since 2000 when I lived there, if you have any questions, hit me up.

[Avenir]

Originally posted by Eriamjh:
Don't do it!

it's funny... you're not the first to say it. Even some people we talked to at a bar when we visited a few weeks back said not to go there. The deed is done, and the job should be great... I'll have to make do with the city. Furtunately there are 4 of us from my studio/class that are going to work there.

[mitchell_pgh]

I lived there... it's not that bad. You just run in to some very interesting people from time to time.

I lived in the north hills. It's a little more 30-40ish... If I were moving there now knowing that, I would choose Shadyside. You can't beat it.

And the rent is still VERY cheap there.

[passmaster16]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:


I lived in the north hills. It's a little more 30-40ish... If I were moving there now knowing that, I would choose Shadyside. You can't beat it.

my gf lives in the north hills, why did you leave? job?

[Scifience]

I don't technically live in Pittsburgh, but have spent enough time there to call it a "second home."

Shadyside is definately a great area. Close to Pitt, a bunch of neat shops, and all the cultural stuff in Oakland. You can get a bus to downtown easily enough, and there is a free subway system in the actual downtown area itself. As an added bonus, there's an Apple store there on Walnut Street.

No clue on prices, though, since I've never actually owned/rented there.

In any case, it's a great city, and I think you'll find it enjoyable. Best of luck with the move!

[CKr]

Originally Posted by Scifience

I don't technically live in Pittsburgh, but have spent enough time there to call it a "second home."

Shadyside is definately a great area. Close to Pitt, a bunch of neat shops, and all the cultural stuff in Oakland. You can get a bus to downtown easily enough, and there is a free subway system in the actual downtown area itself. As an added bonus, there's an Apple store there on Walnut Street.

No clue on prices, though, since I've never actually owned/rented there.

In any case, it's a great city, and I think you'll find it enjoyable. Best of luck with the move!

I am not aware of a free subway system in downtown Pittsburgh. The T was around $0.75 or so the last I rode it.

[Scifience]

Originally Posted by CKr

I am not aware of a free subway system in downtown Pittsburgh. The T was around $0.75 or so the last I rode it.

"Rides between the five downtown stations are free 24 hours a day - 7 days a week."

From http://www.portauthority.org/ride/pgT.asp.

[DigitalEl]

Hey there. Congratulations on the new job! I lived in Pittsburgh from '88 to '92 and '94 to 2000. As others here have said, Shadyside is a great place to live, convenient to the bus lines and relatively safe. Plus there's an Apple Store there now! You may also consider Mt. Washington or the South Side. Both are easily accessible via the incline or The T and offer proximity to Downtown and cheap rents.

I'll echo what poynter said and agree that you don't want to live on the near North Side, despite how convenient it would be. Then again, maybe things have changed there, with all the new development and two new stadia. Be sure to ask around.

Lastly, you said you don't want to keep your car and your GF doesn't have one. While the daily commute is fine on the bus or The T, Pittsburgh isn't the kind of town where you can really get by long-term without some wheels. Weekend bus service has been cut back in some areas, due to the city's perennial budget crunch and it'd suck to be stuck within walking distance of your apartment all weekend or have to leave your nightspot by 9, b/c the buses stop running. You're gonna want a car.

Good luck.

[Josh Reid]

If you want to live on the cheap, get an apartment in Mt. Washington, more preferably the Duquesne Heights side (near the Duquesne Incline, not the Monongahela Incline). There are a few high-rise towers along Grandview Avenue that comparitively to many cities, are cheap ($650 near luxury 1br). There are also tons of rental houses and apartments that you can get in that area for very cheap. It's far from ghetto, but still not on the level of a waspy suburb. Not quite inner-city, but not outer-city either.

You could take the incline down the Mount each day, and grab a bus into town. Or just grab a bus right on Grandview Ave to anywhere in Downtown.

Everyone says Shadyside/Oakland/Sq. Hill is the best part of Pittsburgh but it's really the least-Pittsburghish part of town. It's very yuppie, wanna-be Soho NYC but it just doesn't work. There is so much more to Pittsburgh than just the East End.

The South Side also has great housing options, tons of old cheap places and mid-range really nice condos. There is a huge boom in construction in the South Side where lots of new living and retail spaces are being created where Steel Mills used to reside. This happened approx. 3 years ago along the river-front in Homestead (East End, not far from Shadyside/Oakland), with TONS of night-life, retail areas, living areas, etc.

I myself prefer the less-yuppie but still nice outer suburb area of Robinson/Moon (near the Airport but not quite that far) or the South Hills. To really experience all that Pittsburgh and its near suburbs and communities have to offer, you do need a car. If you live in Mt. Washington, you are 3 minutes from any major parkway: Pkwy West, East, South, or North. You're literally dead-center and close to everything. That is much better than being stuck in the Shadyside wanna-be hipster area. It's so not Pittsburgh.

Whatever you do, do NOT choose to live in Downtown. It is a ghost town after everyone leaves work. No decent shopping, night-life, attractions, NOTHIN. Maybe a McDonald's, a wig shop, and a few cheesy bars at the beginning of Liberty Avenue.

Anyhow, these are all my opinions, a native Pittsburgher. I do love the town, but I must admit that I got the hell out of there to move to NYC as soon as I could. But don't get me wrong, for what most people want/need, it's an awesome town with excellent culture (if you know where to go), world-class universities and hospitals, smart people, and beautiful geography.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance!

Here's the view of Downtown you'd get if you get an apartment in one of the highrises on Mt. Washington:

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by passmaster16

my gf lives in the north hills, why did you leave? job?

Job