Author Topic: Pittsburgh  (Read 16328 times)

kstew

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Pittsburgh
« on: October 03, 2013, 06:30:54 PM »
Anyone in Pittsburgh?

Nords

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2013, 10:31:14 PM »
Anyone in Pittsburgh?
I think madgeylou is still there, although I'm not sure how active she is on the forum.

I grew up in Murrysville but I've only been back three times since my 1978 parole.  A lot of my high-school classmates are still in the area, though, so if you have a specific question then I might be able to dig up an answer.

boy_bye

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2013, 05:39:02 AM »
Anyone in Pittsburgh?
I think madgeylou is still there, although I'm not sure how active she is on the forum.

Yep, I'm still here! I think we have a couple other folks who live in this region, too, if not in town ...

I'm in Highland Park, how about you, kstew?

Zaga

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2013, 07:25:17 AM »
I'm an hour north of the city, and work in Cranberry Township.  I think MaryOfDoom is in the Pittsburgh area as well?

slf

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2013, 06:21:17 AM »
Cranberry Township area
« Last Edit: October 06, 2013, 07:03:22 AM by slf »

lithy

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2013, 09:58:30 AM »
I'm in Mount Oliver Borough.

Edit: I should add that my wife (doesn't post or read) and I are in our late 20s with no kids and one dog.  We are always interested in meeting people who might be interested in get togethers that are generally cheap nights in, involving dinner, snacks, or drinks, and card or board games.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2013, 10:06:56 AM by lithy »

boy_bye

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2013, 10:24:01 AM »
I'm in Mount Oliver Borough.

Edit: I should add that my wife (doesn't post or read) and I are in our late 20s with no kids and one dog.  We are always interested in meeting people who might be interested in get togethers that are generally cheap nights in, involving dinner, snacks, or drinks, and card or board games.

i just left mount oliver after many years living there ... there was just too much crime and depressing shit going on for me to be able to deal with it any more! plus, on top of the hill like that, every bike trip was a big deal!

i'm glad i moved, but i spent so much time in mt. olly that i have lots of good memories, too.

WFUDEAC

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2013, 07:47:02 PM »
My wife and I (+ dog) live in Wexford.

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2013, 09:54:05 AM »
I don't live anywhere near Pittsburgh but...

What do you locals make of the real estate market down there? When I was nosing around on Trulia a few months back I noticed how many really affordable places for sale there were... In terms of low entry cost for rental properties.

I just bought a place in Texas so not likely to buy anything else for a while at least, but... Well, and it's not TOO far from Ottawa to come for a visit and a looksee :)

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2013, 10:11:46 AM »
I think it looks cool. That might be more influenced by me wanting to actually LIVE there also, but I've just been doing lots of google maps-touring, zillowing, and trolling craigslist ads.

Nords

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2013, 01:58:32 PM »
I don't live anywhere near Pittsburgh but...
What do you locals make of the real estate market down there?
Well, and it's not TOO far from Ottawa to come for a visit and a looksee :)
If you're from Canada then this probably looks like "less" snow, but this is why I left my Pittsburgh suburb in 1978 to join the Navy:

Zaga

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2013, 07:19:06 PM »
Housing really is very inexpensive in many areas around Pittsburgh.  After the steel mills mostly went out of business in the 70's and 80's, the entire area was very hard hit, and has had a bad reputation ever since.  However, in my opinion, it's actually a very nice area to live, and was rated the US's most livable city last year!  So it doesn't deserve its bad rep anymore.  I mean, sure, it is cloudy and gray for half of the year, but if you can get over that (take your vitamin D!) it has a ton going for it!

daverobev

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #12 on: October 14, 2013, 05:06:38 PM »
I'm from England, so more than 1cm of snow for a couple of days is too much for me! Heh.

I meant from an investing - to rent the house out - perspective! Maybe worth some investigation, then.

TKE Super Dave

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #13 on: November 05, 2013, 07:19:19 AM »
Sorry to bump an old thread, but I live in Wexford. Just moved out of downtown to here to be closer to work.

Zaga

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2013, 10:09:25 AM »
Sorry to bump an old thread, but I live in Wexford. Just moved out of downtown to here to be closer to work.
I have to advertise then.  If you're into local plays, the community theater in Cranberry puts on some very good shows!  www.comtraplayers.com  :-)

CNM

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #15 on: November 05, 2013, 10:25:51 AM »
I don't live anywhere near Pittsburgh but...

What do you locals make of the real estate market down there? When I was nosing around on Trulia a few months back I noticed how many really affordable places for sale there were... In terms of low entry cost for rental properties.

I just bought a place in Texas so not likely to buy anything else for a while at least, but... Well, and it's not TOO far from Ottawa to come for a visit and a looksee :)

I lived in Pittsburgh for grad school.  It's a great town.  However, there are many neighborhoods that are depressed- meaning many, many abandoned/neglected properties.  This is because, as someone mentioned upthread, there has been a shrinking of the population after the mills closed.  So, I would be very cautious and really check out the neighborhood.  For investment, Pittsburgh had the lowest rent by far of any cities that I have lived in (Santa Fe, Denver, Washington DC), even in high demand neighborhoods like Shadyside and Squirrel Hill.

lithy

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #16 on: December 11, 2013, 09:01:01 AM »
I'm going to bump this up and ask anyone in the area what they think about where they live and what might be some fantastic neighborhoods to apply Mustachian ideas toward a living situation.

My neighborhood as stated above is Mount Oliver Borough.  For some odd reason I enjoy the fact that it is independent yet completely surrounded by the city of Pittsburgh.  I don't think Mt. Oliver is perfect by any means, but I do think that it has potential.  I'm a 5 minute walk from the business district with a library, a 5 minute walk from a park with some greenspace, basketball court, and playground, and a 10 or 15 minute walk from baseball fields, and much more greenspace.  Plenty of good old housing stock (even though our house is about 50 years newer than most of the neighborhood).  Cheap entry price under 75k for sure and more likely under 50k if you're willing to take something not recently renovated.  Access to 4 different bus lines can take you to a wide variety of destinations if you need to get off the hilltop (or bike there and have the bus take you back up the hill).  Close (but not too close) to the mayhem of South Side for fun diversions.

Negatives, housing prices lead to lots of renters, lots of Section 8 housing, etc.  Not that these things are bad in and of themselves, but there is a modestly high crime rate.  Also because of housing prices or lack thereof, there is a good chunk of vacant/abandoned housing that is occasionally torn down. I will freely admit that there were two homicides under a mile from my house in the last two months, although that seemed to be a random spike since for the year prior to that there was just one.  I have never been a victim of any crime, and much of it seems to be drug related crime.  The assigned schools are poor, though we do not yet have any kids. 

In short, I like the neighborhood a lot, though we will likely consider moving in about 5 years, and holding this house as a rental.  Unless there are quick movements that improve the neighborhood in that time.

A neighborhood that I'm interested in is Regent Square which includes portions of Wilkinsburg, Edgewood, and Swissvale.   The proximity to Frick Park is fantastic.  Much flatter terrain would make biking much easier and public transportation not as important (though I believe there is still at least one bus route through the neighborhood).  The business district on Braddock is vibrant and interesting with a variety of retail and dining.  I don't know much about the housing stock there, but I suspect it is similar to most of other Pittsburgh neighborhoods, older, a bargain by nationwide standards.

So let's hear what you think and (sorry for my overuse of parentheticals).

boy_bye

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #17 on: December 11, 2013, 12:36:59 PM »
hi lithy,

as i wrote above, i lived in mount oliver -- or, actually, knoxville (which is the neighborhood across brownsville road from mt. oliver) and i found it to be pretty depressing after a while. it was walkable, but there wasn't much i wanted to walk to (besides the library, which i lived behind). and we had lots of problems with our neighbors, who we didn't have much in common with.

we moved to highland park in august, and my husband and i are both much happier there. there's a beautiful park, a cute little shopping district with a reasonable neighborhood market and a coffee shop and several good restaurants just a few blocks away. and we're only about a mile from the business district of east liberty, which has a post office and library and target and whole foods and some pharmacies, etc. and it's easily bikeable to the strip where i work, though i do have a .6 mile hill to get up at the end. but it's not as bad as the ~2 mile hill from the south side to mt. oliver! i think house prices are not so insane, too, though they're not as cheap as mt. oliver. honestly, i think you would have a really tough time spending $75K on a house in mt. oliver. we sold ours for $8K, and we were lucky to get it ...

frugal-one

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #18 on: January 09, 2014, 09:48:32 AM »
Born in Mt. Lebanon,  and live 35 minutes from Pittsburgh.  Great place for food and festivals. 
Single with no dependents. :-)

Mo Money

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2014, 05:30:18 PM »
Living in the Sewickley area, about 11 miles NW of the 'burgh.

Janna

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #20 on: March 17, 2014, 02:29:25 PM »
Anyone in the Pittsburgh area interested in trying to meet up at a coffee shop to discuss MMM stategies?  I live in Squirrel Hill which is centrally located.  What do you think?

boy_bye

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #21 on: March 17, 2014, 02:32:44 PM »
i'd be up for it! i'm out of town this week, but am back the whole month of april. let's make it happen!

Janna

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #22 on: March 20, 2014, 01:28:59 PM »
Sounds good--let's plan for the first week in April.

Anyone else interested?

Toki

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #23 on: March 25, 2014, 09:12:47 AM »
I'm new here but I'd love to meet up. I live right near the airport in Findlay Township.

TKE Super Dave

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #24 on: March 25, 2014, 11:28:33 AM »
I'd be interested as well. Not sure what I'd be able to contribute but I'm definitely down for learning.

NeverWasACornflakeGirl

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #25 on: March 25, 2014, 12:50:24 PM »
I'm in!  I live in Churchill, just a few miles east of Squirrel Hill. 

Janna

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #26 on: March 27, 2014, 02:53:09 PM »
Great.  Let's try to meet on Saturday, April 5 at the Crazy Mocha on Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill.  We can change the time/place once we all get together, but let's try this for our first meeting.

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone.

Zaga

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #27 on: March 27, 2014, 06:17:13 PM »
You'll have to count me out. I almost never go so far into the city.

NeverWasACornflakeGirl

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #28 on: March 27, 2014, 07:36:41 PM »
I'm sorry - my daughter's birthday party is that day. Hope I can make it next time!

Toki

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #29 on: March 31, 2014, 02:14:17 PM »
What time?

JHC89

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #30 on: March 31, 2014, 07:48:52 PM »
I'm in Robinson. Definitely interested in meeting others in the area.

Janna

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #31 on: April 02, 2014, 09:22:19 AM »
I forgot to give a time.  Let's say we try to meet up  on Saturday, April 5 at 1:00 PM at Crazy Mocha on Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill.

Any takers?

Toki

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #32 on: April 02, 2014, 04:50:05 PM »
I work until 2:00 but I can come after that...

Janna

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #33 on: April 28, 2014, 02:44:40 PM »
Well--that meeting attempt didn't go too well. Although I did get to drink a cup of coffee and read a book.

I'd still like to meet up with folks.  Can anyone else suggest a time and place and I will try to attend.


saveandinvest

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #34 on: May 30, 2014, 10:45:46 PM »
Since there are so many Mustachians in the town, let's make the meetup happen!
Why not enjoy the nice weather outside and discuss conversations with fellow Mustachians?

NeverWasACornflakeGirl

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #35 on: May 31, 2014, 07:06:35 AM »
I would love to do a meetup.  :-)

Daisy

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #36 on: May 31, 2014, 05:48:42 PM »
I'm not from Pittsburgh, but I have an interest in bicycling the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to DC this fall.

Has anyone done it? Any tips?
Is it worth doing the whole thing, or just the GAP from Pittsburgh to Cumberland?
Go with a planned group or rent a bike from a Pittsburgh bike shop (I've researched both options)?
Is there a possibility to just "wing it" and rent the bicycle and stop at towns as we see fit and find lodging, or do they get all booked up and you need to reserve in advance?

Thanks for any information!

saveandinvest

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #37 on: June 01, 2014, 10:07:29 PM »
Since the last meetup location was at crazy mocha in squirrel hills, would this be a convenient place for most people to stop by or should we change it to another neighborhood?

NeverWasACornflakeGirl

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #38 on: June 02, 2014, 05:28:00 AM »
Squirrel Hill works for me.

saveandinvest

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #39 on: June 03, 2014, 01:51:34 PM »
What about next Saturday June 14th at 2pm at Crazy Mocha?

The address is below:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/crazy-mocha-pittsburgh-4

Please let me know if this works for you guys!

Tommy

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #40 on: June 19, 2014, 11:17:01 AM »
I just joined the forum and looks like I missed the last meetup attempts. I live in Forest Hills and would love to meet people in the area.

Janna

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #41 on: September 04, 2014, 02:04:27 PM »
Did anyone show up to the June 14th meet-up at Crazy Mocha?

ardillacid

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #42 on: January 10, 2017, 08:01:37 AM »
A little late to the game here, but are there any yinzers left on the boards? I am a recent convert-in-progress to the ways of MMM, and would be interested in hearing other locals' success stories.

mobrie

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #43 on: March 17, 2017, 07:51:28 AM »
A little late to the game here, but are there any yinzers left on the boards? I am a recent convert-in-progress to the ways of MMM, and would be interested in hearing other locals' success stories.

Hi ardillacid!
I am semi-retired and returned to Pittsburgh last year after living in Denver for 10 years. Welcome to the forums. I am going to plan some meetups for us this summer at parks around Pittsburgh. Hope to meet you soon.

SuperK

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #44 on: April 11, 2017, 04:31:41 PM »
Hi, I am interested to hear about the local meetups at parks in Pittsburgh.  I'm a local having grown up about an hour south of the city and now living in the Wexford area.  Would enjoy meeting and exchanging ideas with some other like minded folks.

dontblamejoe

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #45 on: April 16, 2017, 03:36:06 PM »
Hey guys! I am moving to Pittsburgh this July after graduating with an engineering degree in Missouri.

I am also still looking for a place to live! My work will be in Darlington, PA and I would like to live within ~10 miles so that I can bike to work. If anyone is remotely close with a spare bedroom I would be very interested in talking with you! (I am a 22 male) Otherwise I definitely would love to meet up with others once I am there. I have no family or friends in the area.

Zaga

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #46 on: April 17, 2017, 04:49:08 PM »
While we aren't looking for a roommate, we are about 10 miles from there.  You probably will find inexpensive lodgings in Beaver Falls, which is practically the same town as Darlington/Chippewa.

Welcome to the burgh!

mobrie

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #47 on: July 19, 2017, 07:34:12 AM »
Here are some ideas for meetups...

Sunday, July 30th, Open Streets Pittsburgh.
Roads will be closed from Lawrenceville to Downtown between 9 am and 1 pm. I plan on riding my bike during that time and then we could meet for a picnic in Arsenal Park around 1 pm. Bring food for your lunch and you can bring food to share or bring nothing. The important thing is that you show up and meet fellow mustachians. I don't know much about Arsenal Park so I will have to post again with details about where to meet (or if you have a suggestion, let me know).

Saturday, August 5th at 1 pm, Pittsburgh Minimalists meet at Staghorn Garden Cafe in Greenfield (517 Greenfield Ave., Pittsburgh).
This is a minimalist meetup but many of us are mustachians too, so feel free to join us. I will be there for the first hour and then I have to go to work. This is a monthly meetup on the first Saturday of every month. If you can't make this one, join us in September.

Wednesday, August 9th, happy hour at Brew Gentleman in Braddock (512 Braddock Ave) around 6 pm.

Saturday, August 12th at 10 am, hike Frick Park
This will be about a 4 mile hike and we should be done by noon. We will meet at the stone gate to Frick Park at the intersection of South Homewood Ave and Reynolds Street (across from The Frick Museum).

Let me know if you are interested in any of this. Also, I can meetup on weekdays too, so let me know if you have time during the week and we can plan something then.

mobrie

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #48 on: July 27, 2017, 12:23:18 PM »
Since I haven't heard from anyone about the picnic in Arsenal Park on July 30th, I am going to cancel that meetup, but the other 3 events are still on.

mobrie

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Re: Pittsburgh
« Reply #49 on: August 09, 2017, 11:08:39 AM »
Since there has not been a response to the next two events (today at Brew Gentleman and Saturday at Frick Park). I am going to cancel both because there are other meetups I would like to attend. My schedule for the next month is pretty busy so I will wait until September to try to plan any more.