I hate Pittsburgh. We have friends there. It is ALWAYS cloudy there. It's like there's a dark cloud hanging over it. I have driven so many times from va and md where it was sunny only to end up in dreary weather there. The houses are unappealing. So many dark dingy bridges.

People there tend to be more overweight then here and are more into tv and drinking in Pittsburgh.

I lived in PGH for about 10 years. It's a pretty decent place to raise kids, though I do have to say that it's much less diverse than this area, especially in terms of African Americans and SES. I have mixed children and would be very hesitant to raise them in Pittsburgh because of that. I prefer for them to see themselves/their family members reflected in a wider variety of people/situations.

I agree with PPs about it being pretty cloudy/gray more often. The Weather Channel rated it as the #2 dreariest city in the country behind Buffalo.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had friends at grad school there, I am not a huge fan, I do not work in medical or tech field, architecture is kind of blocky and sad, and the outskirts are still pretty bleak (check out nearby Youngstown Ohio if you want to see what I mean.)

Youngstown, Ohio is NOT nearby. And it's Ohio.

WTF it's only an hour away and most of the US put PA and OH on par with each other.

That is an ignorant comment from a provincial person.

"Most" of us do no such thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the issue with less expensive areas is they usually have way fewer professional jobs. There is no such thing as something for nothing. What if one of you gets a position that doesn't work out? Will you have a network thet helps you get an equivalent role?

This is a very provincial comment. There are, in fact, jobs in cities that are smaller than DC, NYC, Boston, and Chicago. There are lots of jobs in those smaller cities.

And people live happy lives there!

I understand that but let's say your are a marketing director and you have to make a move. There are going to be way fewer opportunities, less job churn, and you will not have the network of people who have been there forever.

You don't know that for a fact. You are just assuming that as a fact.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Way to stereotype.

I'm from Western PA, and this is absolutely true. I haven't been to a single wedding back home where at least one person was wearing a steelers jersey. It's just how they roll.

I lived there for 4 years. It is gray approximately 6 months a year. Summers are lovely though. Local employers offer extra time off on summer Friday afternoons to enjoy the weather while it lasts.

Dayton OH is similarly gray for half of the year in my experience.

That might not matter as much to you- but we found it dreary and depressing.

Anonymous wrote: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.

Way to stereotype.

Ah, yes. Philadelphia and Cincinnati are comparable cities. Got that, thank you very much.

Ohio and Pennsylvania have some similarities, and some differences. And within those states there's huge variations as well. Cleveland versus Dayton versus Licking County. Or Philadelphia versus Lancaster versus Franklin County, and those three areas are quite different from the former steel towns of western Pennsylvania, who in turn are quite different from Pittsburgh.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had friends at grad school there, I am not a huge fan, I do not work in medical or tech field, architecture is kind of blocky and sad, and the outskirts are still pretty bleak (check out nearby Youngstown Ohio if you want to see what I mean.)

Youngstown, Ohio is NOT nearby. And it's Ohio.

WTF it's only an hour away and most of the US put PA and OH on par with each other.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had friends at grad school there, I am not a huge fan, I do not work in medical or tech field, architecture is kind of blocky and sad, and the outskirts are still pretty bleak (check out nearby Youngstown Ohio if you want to see what I mean.)

Youngstown, Ohio is NOT nearby. And it's Ohio.

WTF it's only an hour away and most of the US put PA and OH on par with each other.

ok by that logic Hagerstown and Manassas are the outskirts of DC. Pretty bleak.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had friends at grad school there, I am not a huge fan, I do not work in medical or tech field, architecture is kind of blocky and sad, and the outskirts are still pretty bleak (check out nearby Youngstown Ohio if you want to see what I mean.)

Youngstown, Ohio is NOT nearby. And it's Ohio.

WTF it's only an hour away and most of the US put PA and OH on par with each other.

Anonymous wrote:Had friends at grad school there, I am not a huge fan, I do not work in medical or tech field, architecture is kind of blocky and sad, and the outskirts are still pretty bleak (check out nearby Youngstown Ohio if you want to see what I mean.)

Youngstown, Ohio is NOT nearby. And it's Ohio.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CONS:

The sun rarely shines
The roads are terrible
It takes a while to be accepted. There are a LOT of people who have grown up in the area and do not leave and tend to socialize with their high school friends.
Not the best dining scene
A tad redneck
Buying beer/wine is such a hassle

PROS:
Cheap
Good sports

When was the last time you were there? 1970?

1. They clear the snow from roads pronto -- like it's their job.

2. Zagat named Pittsburgh the #1 food city in the US.


Right?? Dining scene? PP must be talking about the 90s. Pgh is different now.

1. They clear snow from the roads pronto--like it's their job.

2. Zagat named a Pittsburgh #1 food city in the US.

And Baltimore was number 2. So I wouldn't put to much value on that.

Had friends at grad school there, I am not a huge fan, I do not work in medical or tech field, architecture is kind of blocky and sad, and the outskirts are still pretty bleak (check out nearby Youngstown Ohio if you want to see what I mean.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CONS:

The sun rarely shines
The roads are terrible
It takes a while to be accepted. There are a LOT of people who have grown up in the area and do not leave and tend to socialize with their high school friends.
Not the best dining scene
A tad redneck
Buying beer/wine is such a hassle

PROS:
Cheap
Good sports

When was the last time you were there? 1970?

1. They clear the snow from roads pronto -- like it's their job.

2. Zagat named Pittsburgh the #1 food city in the US.


Right?? Dining scene? PP must be talking about the 90s. Pgh is different now.

1. They clear snow from the roads pronto--like it's their job.

2. Zagat named a Pittsburgh #1 food city in the US.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the issue with less expensive areas is they usually have way fewer professional jobs. There is no such thing as something for nothing. What if one of you gets a position that doesn't work out? Will you have a network thet helps you get an equivalent role?

This is a very provincial comment. There are, in fact, jobs in cities that are smaller than DC, NYC, Boston, and Chicago. There are lots of jobs in those smaller cities.

And people live happy lives there!

I understand that but let's say your are a marketing director and you have to make a move. There are going to be way fewer opportunities, less job churn, and you will not have the network of people who have been there forever.