Pittsburgh?

[Mrs]

Just wondered if any of you could give me some insight into what life in Pittsburgh's like. My DH and I live in Orange County, CA now and just had a baby 3 weeks ago and love it here but his job is being cut. His firm is offering him another opportunity in Pittsburgh (I believe the office is near the Airport) and we're trying o figure out if a move makes sense. We really like it here in CA and this is where my job is but I work in financial services, an industry that is struggling a lot now, and don't know how much job security I really have. As such, it might be wise to move to where we know at least one of us will have a relatively secure job...

We love being outdoors and do a fair amount of hiking and going to the beach here so I'm curious about the weather and outdoor activities in and near Pittsburgh.

Any thoughts you all might share would be welcome!

Thanks!
Mrs

ETA: we're both originally from the Northeast (NYC) in case that helps any of you understand where we're coming from...

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Hi Mrs.

One of my dear friends is from Pittsburgh. I''ve never lived there (but I have lived in the OC, and I know the wonderful weather there is to die for!!), but I don''t know anyone who doesn''t love Pittsburgh when they live there. It seems to be a city that people are very proud of, and fond of. Being that you''ve lived in NYC before, you know the strong winters. That would be a huge drawback for me, since I am a Cali girl at heart. From what I understand, the cost of living in PA is *much* better than cost of living in CA, particularly the OC area. So that would be a positive.

As for hiking and things of that nature, I''m not sure about. I''ll ask my friend about that.

I know it''s a very developed city with a lot of activities and culture, which I love in a big city!!

How long do you have in making a determination about this move?

 

[LAJennifer]

I''ve never lived in Pittsburgh - but it is very near the West Virginia border and WV is a hiker''s paradise! You would be a couple hours from the beach - but there are lots of rivers and lakes.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

My SIL and BIL have lived in Pittsburgh for a long time - probably around 10 years or so. The winters are brutal so that would be a major drawback for me - although I live in NW Ohio and it''s not much better here. It''s also very hilly and so the houses are built up and not out. SIL''s house is three stories of living area plus an unfinished basement. The cost of living is lower than even NW Ohio so you get a lot of house for your money.

One thing that I don''t particularly like is that there aren''t really neighborhoods. Where I live there are mostly subdivisions (neighborhoods) or the boonies (in the middle of nowhere). I''ve never actually seen a subdivision in Pittsburgh which would be a drawback if you want to get to know your neighbors or if you have kids. SIL and BIL''s house is on a very busy road and they have no backyard, so the kids are stuck inside most of the time. Maybe there are neighborhoods for higher income people and I just don''t know it

Hope this helps!

 

[BeachRunner]

I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh (the one RIGHT by the airport), and I had no complaints. The city is about 20 minutes away (if there is no traffic on the parkway). Robinson Township has a great deal of shopping, and there are more upscale shop/boutiques within an hour drive. A lot of the townships are very suburbanized, but by the airport, I wouldn''t say there are too many rural areas. The towns are very family friendly and have plenty of activities for children to do, (mini golf, batting cages, bowling, drive-in).

I currently live 70 south of Pittsburgh, and LAJennifer is right; WV is a hiker''s paradise. My FI and I have hiked all over the state, and there is sooo much to see/do in WV. There is a ski resort ~ 1 away (Seven Springs, Hidden Valley), and a couple state parks which is also about an hour away (Ohiopyle). In Ohiopyle you can bike, hike, swim, kayak, white water raft, and camp. The winters are cold and snowy and the summers are hot and humid. You would gain 4 seasons, which being a native of NY, I''m sure you can appreciate! Pittsburghers do have a great love for their city, and it really is a wonderful place to be.

As for the beach, you are about 6-7 hours (i''m guessing) from the coast where you''d get Ocean City, MD.

Hope this helps a little bit, and if you have anymore specific questions, let me know!

 

[Sabine]

I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh! I''m the anti-city person, so being where I was had been great for me, because I loved being in the area so that I could go to Pittsburgh when I needed/wanted to (it really is a great city, but I am just soooo not a city person), but was able to enjoy small town life in all its suburban glory.

My only experience with the area around the airport is actually at the airport, but from what I''ve seen of the whole area, you should be able to find an area within commuting distance for whatever style you are looking for (quaint little towns, places with tons of shoping centers, slightly more urban, to urban). In the area where I lived, there were a ton of hiking/bike trails, woods (my friends a nd I grew up building forts along the creek in the middle of the woods) and farmland.

 

[zhuzhu]

I lived in Pittsburgh for about 8 years for graduate schools and work. I now live in San Diego and I have to first admit that I like Southern CA a lot better than PA simply because of the weather.

However, Pittsburgh is awesome for a east coast mid-size city with lots of amazing cultural activities such as symphony orchestra, ballet, and world-class museums. The winter gets a bit too long for my taste, but if that is not something that bothers you, you can have a very comfortable living there. The cost of living is very low comparing to CA, the people are friendly, and it has unique neighborhoods and attractions like "little Italy town (Bloomfield)", "cultural center (downtown)", Jewish neighborhood (Squirrel Hill)", Mt. Washington and the Inclines, popular warehouse district with lots of good restaurants (Strip), and "hip cluby area (southside)". The university education and healthcare systems are top of the nation. I think you will enjoy it if you can look pass the long winter and snow.

 

[elrohwen]

I grew up in Pittsburgh and my parents still live there, so I think I have a good perspective on it.

Weather: The weather sucks, honestly. It doesn''t rain much more than the rest of the east, but it''s cloudy allll the time. I believe it''s cloudier than Seattle. So it''s going to be a shock coming from S. Cali. It''s even much more cloudy than NYC (I live in CT and am always surprised at how sunny it is here) though the temperatures and rainfall are similar and I don''t think the winters are that bad (CT probably gets more snow than Pgh).

Activities: There are a lot of beautiful places to do outdoorsy things like hiking, white water rafting, camping, etc. The country around Pittsburgh is really pretty with tons of tree covered hills.

Culture: Pittsburgh has a pretty cool culture. There are lots of Eastern Europeans and lots of pierogies. It''s a very family oriented city with many people having 3+ generations living there. I still tell people that I *lived* in Pittsburgh, but I''m not *from* Pittsburgh because my parents moved there when I was a baby and we have no family there. There honestly is a different way of looking at the city when your family has been there for generations vs just moving in; those people tend to be fiercely proud of their city. It makes for a place that is very focused on family and lots of people will spend their weekends visiting their grandparents, etc. I found that my family always felt slightly left out because we were on our own in the city. There are quite a few activities in the city with museums, art fairs, shows, etc. I lived in the northern suburbs, not by the airport, so I don''t know much specifically about that area other than they have built more shopping there in recent years (recent being 7?) so it must be a popular area for people to live.

There''s not too many bad things to say about Pittsburgh other than the weather (which you may or may not get used to). It''s a city with a lot of personality which makes it a place you''re always learning more about.

 

[Mrs]

Thanks everyone! Pittsburgh sounds nice but Dh is pretty certain we would NOT be happy there because of the weather and I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t worried about that as well. We''ve been in CA for 4 years now and we spent one of them in San Francisco and even that seemed too cold for me after having lived in So Cal...

Unfortunately we only have until Wednesday to decide.

I think the most challenging part of all this has to do with my not knowing if I should stay home with the baby. We will certainly have another child at some point and if we moved to PA we would probably do that sooner than later and I would stay home. I don''t love my work but I am well paid and I''m very nervous about giving up my earning power. My father died when I was young leaving my mom to be the bread winner for me and my brother and thank goodness she was able to fall back on a good career. What if something like that happened to me?? I have a baby I need to think about here... I know the industry I work in is in jeopardy so I shouldn''t take my income for granted. As long as I DO have a job, I feel like I should keep it. Dh has his MBA from a very good school and I think he could find a job here in CA if we stay.

But then again, what if a year from now he still hasn''t found anything and I''m out of work too. Or what if I find myself miserable at work with the baby in childcare - will I wish I had stayed home even if it meant living in a less desirable place and having less?

It''s a tough decision... I''m trying to focus on the positive - we are very fortunate to have savings that would allow us to consider both options and we''re all healthy. Whatever we decide to do will work out...

Thanks again everyone and sorry for my lengthy rambling...

Mrs

 

[cellososweet]

Are they offering a relocation package? (How sweet is the deal? Are there any incentives beyond just moving costs? Sign-on bonus or something?)

Do you rent or own? If you own, what will you do with your house? If you rent, are you on a month-to-month lease or would your landlord be ok with you subletting (and on a p.s. note, subletting in OC is a piece of cake if your landlord will let you. There are always people, year-round, that are looking for a place to live).

Would they hole you all up in temporary housing (paid by them) while you look for something else?

How soon is the move? Is it so soon that you''d have a difficult time getting your sh*t together before you had to go? (packing, financial stuff, etc.)

Do you have family close to you? How about Pittsburgh? Do you have family there?

Think about the cost of living beyond the rudimentary things that we all think of. Not just housing, but cost of gas cost of car insurance (trust me, if you''re off the 405, congrats! You have some of the highest car insurance in the nation. Not witholding those poor souls that live off the 91/15 corridor in the Inland Empire), cost of daycare if and when you do decide to go back to work, etc. etc. etc.

As for the weather, try not to focus too greatly on it. DH is a So. California native that thought 50 degrees was cold and he''s thriving here in good ol'' Boston. It makes you appreciate summer more and summers around this area sure are spectacular.

It''s a tough decision but sometimes we''re forced into quick decisions as a way to see if we can make a decision without hemming and hawing ourselves into an oblivion.

I was a navy brat and we did a ton of there "We only 48 hours to decide if we want to move" things as a kid. It never turned out bad.

Life is an adventure and with the economy the way that it is, the adventure needs a little more thought, but I know you''ll make the right decision.

 

[Mrs]

Date: 4/5/2009 12:27:12 PM
Author: cellososweet
Are they offering a relocation package? (How sweet is the deal? Are there any incentives beyond just moving costs? Sign-on bonus or something?)

YES - 1.5 months salary. They will pay for the move and to break our lease.

Do you rent or own? If you own, what will you do with your house? If you rent, are you on a month-to-month lease or would your landlord be ok with you subletting (and on a p.s. note, subletting in OC is a piece of cake if your landlord will let you. There are always people, year-round, that are looking for a place to live). rent


Would they hole you all up in temporary housing (paid by them) while you look for something else? no idea


How soon is the move? Is it so soon that you''d have a difficult time getting your sh*t together before you had to go? (packing, financial stuff, etc.)
very soon - which is part of my concern. They will pay for movers to pack and unpack us but even so, I am on maternity leave now and wonder how this would affect my disability pay... I need to look into that

Do you have family close to you? How about Pittsburgh? Do you have family there? no family here or there - they''re all in NYC and Florida so the move would bring us a little closer to family which would be nice but not close enough so that we could see them a whole lot more.


Think about the cost of living beyond the rudimentary things that we all think of. Not just housing, but cost of gas cost of car insurance (trust me, if you''re off the 405, congrats! You have some of the highest car insurance in the nation. Not witholding those poor souls that live off the 91/15 corridor in the Inland Empire), cost of daycare if and when you do decide to go back to work, etc. etc. etc.
indeed, the cost of living is less in PA but we''re savers by nature and I don''t think our cost of living would change a whole lot besides the rent being a lot less. We would be living on one income if we move so the decrease in cost of living would be off set in some respects...

As for the weather, try not to focus too greatly on it. DH is a So. California native that thought 50 degrees was cold and he''s thriving here in good ol'' Boston. It makes you appreciate summer more and summers around this area sure are spectacular.

Dh and I met when he was living in Boston and I was in NYC and he''s originally from NYC so we both know cold very well... and we really don''t like it... I know it seems sily to make weather such a big deal but when you''re used to being able to be outdoors all the time, the prospect of having to be inside for a large part of the year is really upsetting.

It''s a tough decision but sometimes we''re forced into quick decisions as a way to see if we can make a decision without hemming and hawing ourselves into an oblivion.


I was a navy brat and we did a ton of there ''We only 48 hours to decide if we want to move'' things as a kid. It never turned out bad.


Life is an adventure and with the economy the way that it is, the adventure needs a little more thought, but I know you''ll make the right decision.

Thanks for sharing your perspective and making me think Cello! I moved around a lot as a kid as well and I know it''ll work out whatever we decide...

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Date: 4/5/2009 11:55:12 AM
Author: Mrs
Thanks everyone! Pittsburgh sounds nice but Dh is pretty certain we would NOT be happy there because of the weather and I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t worried about that as well. We''ve been in CA for 4 years now and we spent one of them in San Francisco and even that seemed too cold for me after having lived in So Cal...

Unfortunately we only have until Wednesday to decide.

I think the most challenging part of all this has to do with my not knowing if I should stay home with the baby. We will certainly have another child at some point and if we moved to PA we would probably do that sooner than later and I would stay home. I don''t love my work but I am well paid and I''m very nervous about giving up my earning power. My father died when I was young leaving my mom to be the bread winner for me and my brother and thank goodness she was able to fall back on a good career. What if something like that happened to me?? I have a baby I need to think about here... I know the industry I work in is in jeopardy so I shouldn''t take my income for granted. As long as I DO have a job, I feel like I should keep it. Dh has his MBA from a very good school and I think he could find a job here in CA if we stay.

But then again, what if a year from now he still hasn''t found anything and I''m out of work too. Or what if I find myself miserable at work with the baby in childcare - will I wish I had stayed home even if it meant living in a less desirable place and having less?

It''s a tough decision... I''m trying to focus on the positive - we are very fortunate to have savings that would allow us to consider both options and we''re all healthy. Whatever we decide to do will work out...

Thanks again everyone and sorry for my lengthy rambling...

Mrs

I think this is the most important to remember and cling to, Mrs. There is NO way of knowing the unknowns of the world... but as long as you cling to the fact that your family is your family and you have your health and happiness, things will fall into place.

A decision by Wednesday is nuts!!! You''d think businesses would know that families are attached to a decision regarding move of that magnitude!

Thinking of you and hubby and your beautiful little girl. It will be just fine, whatever you decide!!

 

[cellososweet]

hmmm. . . this is so tough! Wow!

I would say go for it, but I''m in a different place in my life than you are in yours.

My only other question is, if you have cars (and I''m sure you do living in CA), are they willing to ship the cars to PA? That can be insanely expensive and the cost of that alone might be a turn off for ya.

It''s not silly at all, btw, to have the weather be a big deciding factor for you all! It was a HUGE factor in us moving to Boston as I really love the four seasons. This winter was a bit of a beast since I haven''t had a real one in nearly 10 years, but I really enjoyed a white Christmas, a cool New England Thanksgiving, and hot chocolate on cold winter days. Not to mention ice skating (I suck! I sucked as a kid and somehow thought I''d be better now. I''m definitely not! Haha. But it was really good for a laugh), cross country skiing, making snowmen (actually snow-cats. Haha) in the backyard. Don''t feel foolish for thinking that weather is a trivial reason. It''s a huge reason!

Good luck to you both! I know you''ll make the right decision.

Oh and ps, what type of finance are you in? My husband is in institutional investments and the market is utter crap. I can understand your apprehension surrounding your position. It''s a tough time to be in finance.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

My in-laws live in Pittsburgh...actually a little town called Seven Fields about 20 minutes outside of the city.

It''s beautiful. The home prices are crazy affordable, and the town is florishing with newer construction. The hills are beautiful (but scary in the winter), there are lots of parks and recreation areas local to them too...and there are children groups that are responsible for all the planting in the parks, talk about salt of the Earth!

But it also has a great balance of big business for the everyday needs...Target, Lowes, Starbucks...all within 5 minutes of their home so it is centerally located. It has a small town feel for sure...deck crawls, BBQ''s....it''s very homey...everyone is friendly, and welcoming.

The DT is a bit of a disappointment...not many shopping districts--but there are a few "hot spots" where you can find some interesting things.

Good festivals for art lovers and foodies.

Super cold winters, really pleasant summers.

Centrally located to places like Niagra Falls (about 3 hours)...Delaware area (no sales tax on anything)...Erie PA is only 1.5 hours away...so you have "day trip" options.