I would recommend Pittsburgh! I was really unsure but my DH wanted me to see it because he went to school at Pitt. It was like Boston before it gentrified but after it was really bad crime wise! I loved it! It has all the spirit of a college town and it was affordable. A friend just moved their to work at Amazon. They also have excellent health care/hospitals!

Team attire, particularly Steelers gear, is considered appropriate for almost any occasion. I leave that to you to decide if that is a pro or con.

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP! I was born in raised in PGH. It's a great city! I think you could easily love it.

(By the way, Pitt refers to the University of Pittsburgh. PGH is the correct acronym.)

Cons: Schools in Pittsburgh apparently don't teach the correct definition of "acronym."

We ware moving there this summer--cannot wait!

I have been to Pittsburgh a few times and I wouldn't have any problems moving there if that was where work took me.

Pittsburgh has all the amenities of a midrange provincial American city. There are good restaurants, there will be a nice selection of ethnic eateries, there are good supermarkets, there's a decent arts/cultural scene and museums. There are two major and respectable universities (CM and Pitt). There are historic, walkable neighborhoods. There are farmer's markets. There's everything to allow you to become an engaged urbanite. You can have a fairly high quality of life on a lower income than required in DC.

Areas of Pittsburgh I like include Shady Side, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, the areas north of Forbes.

However, there is one caveat, Pittsburgh is off the beaten path. It's not part of an elongated metro area like the Bos-Wash belt. While the city and region seem reasonably healthy, it is still in Western Pennsylvania (I am not referring to politics but just that Western Pennsylvania is a long way from anywhere). There are gorgeous countryside around Pittsburgh but the region has a different vibe, it's more rust belt, there are many struggling / dying steel/coal towns. It wouldn't bother me, but some people do seem to crave being in a much bigger and more prosperous region.

Hi OP! I was born in raised in PGH. It's a great city! I think you could easily love it.

(By the way, Pitt refers to the University of Pittsburgh. PGH is the correct acronym.)

Anonymous wrote:Cons -

My sister and brother-in-law live there.

Winter.

It can be very insular. It can take decades to be accepted as a non-foreign interloper. People aren't mean to you, you just aren't accepted.

State stores. You don't have a prayer at getting a decent bottle of wine.

A lot of tech is there. CMU is there and produces a lot of very smart CS and math types who stay. Careful, though, that sector is cooling rapidly in Pittsburgh and some of the shops are closing down and consolidating operations elsewhere (Silicon Valley and Raleigh).

State stores sell the same liquor as private liquor stores. As transplants from the DC burbs we have found the community to be very welcoming, especially for families w kids. Tech isn't going anywhere - in addition to CMU and the other universities, Google, Amazon, Uber and Netflix all have a presence here and their investment is ongoing.

Cons -

My sister and brother-in-law live there.

Winter.

It can be very insular. It can take decades to be accepted as a non-foreign interloper. People aren't mean to you, you just aren't accepted.

State stores. You don't have a prayer at getting a decent bottle of wine.

Pros -

Some of the schools are excellent and there are a lot of bright people who live there.

A great deal of time, money and effort has been expended to drag Pittsburgh out of the steel age. It has worked pretty well.

A lot of tech is there. CMU is there and produces a lot of very smart CS and math types who stay. Careful, though, that sector is cooling rapidly in Pittsburgh and some of the shops are closing down and consolidating operations elsewhere (Silicon Valley and Raleigh).

Anonymous wrote:Schools are good in Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. Mt. Lebanon is a relatively close-in suburb and is definitely not urban, but has a couple of walkable areas, and USC is a little further out. There are some good districts to the north as well. Housing in any of those is still a steal by DC standards.

I went to grad school in Pittsburgh (lived there 2004-2009). I wouldn't send my kids to most schools in DC proper, but I would send them to Pittsburgh schools. If you're a city person, Pittsburgh is a city where you can actually afford to buy a family-sized house within city limits, in a neighborhood where the schools are fine. There's no point in moving to the Pittsburgh 'burbs if you're looking for a city experience.

Schools are good in Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. Mt. Lebanon is a relatively close-in suburb and is definitely not urban, but has a couple of walkable areas, and USC is a little further out. There are some good districts to the north as well. Housing in any of those is still a steal by DC standards.

Anonymous wrote:OMG, I would go in a heartbeat. I love Pittsburgh.

+1. My brother lives there and loves it. They have a great house for about a third of what we pay. Lots of restaurants, some good museums and other cultural stuff (not same as DC, but enough). Lots of tech companies have established big offices there and are a bunch of industries really expanding in the city. The biggest drawback is travel is harder since there aren't a ton of direct flights from PGH, and it is cold.

We talk about moving, but DH has a pretty DC specific job.

OMG, I would go in a heartbeat. I love Pittsburgh.

I have three friends who landed there after college - they all liked it . I think the area has a good number of positives, with Carnegie Mellon right there, affordable housing. I'd be open to living there should it ever come up.

Anonymous wrote:We have a new 5 year old and 7 1/2 year old. My husband's job prospects are good in DC but its a possibility for him to find something somewhere in the else in the private sector. My job is better in the private sector in a major metro city. I've heard that Pitt has come a long way and there's a lot going for it without the high standard of living. Hows the culture, schools and family life there - we are sick of the high prices here! I'm a city girl (Chicago) and we need a metro city for work opportunities. Need restaurants, culture but can be chill. Baltimore, Philly, Chicago would be viable options but just wondering about Pitt. Don't know too much but food channels seem to suggest a really down home place! We are early 40s.

Have fun with and that. If you asked me what city I would least like to live in, Pittsburgh would probably be my answer.

We have a new 5 year old and 7 1/2 year old. My husband's job prospects are good in DC but its a possibility for him to find something somewhere in the else in the private sector. My job is better in the private sector in a major metro city. I've heard that Pitt has come a long way and there's a lot going for it without the high standard of living. Hows the culture, schools and family life there - we are sick of the high prices here! I'm a city girl (Chicago) and we need a metro city for work opportunities. Need restaurants, culture but can be chill. Baltimore, Philly, Chicago would be viable options but just wondering about Pitt. Don't know too much but food channels seem to suggest a really down home place! We are early 40s.