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Pittsburgh's Neighborhoods
Because of its hilly terrain and the manner in which the original settlers occupied the area, the city of Pittsburgh is composed of many separate neighborhoods. In its early stages, the population segregated itself by ethnic background within the hills that run through the greater Pittsburgh area. While Pittsburgh neighborhoods are now quite diverse, much of the ethnic heritage of each has been retained, adding to their charm.
Each neighborhood typically has its own "main" street with grocery stores, cleaners, restaurants and retail stores. The neighborhoods do not have clearly defined boundaries but rather blend gradually into one another around their perimeters. This fact makes it even more imperative to visit any property you may be interested in renting. An apartment may be listed in one neighborhood by its landlord, but others may interpret its location to be in another, potentially less desirable one.
Index
East Liberty
East Liberty is located between Shadyside and Highland Park and is particularly known for its bustling business district and low-cost, high-rise apartment buildings.
It is a diverse neighborhood with newer tracts of one-story ranch houses and older streets of small frame Victorians. The churches here are exceptionally active in community life and offer many innovative outreach programs.
On the Mush East Liberty is a high crime area - home of gangs and drive by shootings. In our VR world you can find the Goth Club Stygmata and the Allegheny Cemetary there.
- Average House Price: $32,000
- Rental Range: $150 - $450 per month
Oakland
Students who live in Oakland are within easy walking distance of the Carnegie Mellon campus, several major libraries, the Carnegie Museum and a host of other attractions. At night, Forbes Avenue takes on a dynamic atmosphere in which live entertainment, international foods, arcades, movies and assorted shops are a way of life. The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon student bodies are comprised of individuals from approximately 90 nations, many of whom live in Oakland, which provides for a diverse cultural living environment.
Oakland is one of the most traveled areas of the city because Fifth and Forbes avenues, two of the main traffic arteries to and from downtown Pittsburgh, pass through its center. Several of the city's most popular bus routes have stops on virtually every corner of these avenues in Oakland, making public transportation a breeze. These attributes create a fairly high demand for the available rental units.
On Dark Gift some of the more popular spots in Oakland include: The "O", Heinz Hall, Magic Moon, The Library and Museums.
Because of the density of the area, most of the yards are small. All the activity of the Oakland area means that traffic is typically heavy. Oakland residents who drive frequently need to be prepared for potentially significant problems finding adequate parking. Because of Oakland's size, we break down the area listings into four different sectors below - North, South, Central and West.
- Average House Price: $63,000
- Rental Range:
- $ 300 - $600 per month (North)
- $100 - $450 per month (South)
- $250 - $550 per month (Central)
- $100 - $450 per month (West)
Shadyside
Since the mid-1960s, Shadyside has become an increasingly popular area of Pittsburgh. Today, the population is largely composed of professionals, artists and students who enjoy the aesthetic side of life. Walnut Street is lined with shops offering expertly crafted items that range from the practical to the curious, restaurants that cater to those of discriminating tastes and clubs that offer choice beverages and slightly upbeat atmospheres. In addition, the Shadyside Arts Festival, which is held on the first weekend of August, is one of the largest festivals in the East. During this three-day event, the streets are roped off and booths are erected to display items for sale by fine artists and craftsmen.
Since the Carnegie Mellon shuttle runs through the neighborhood, students often feel the savings in transportation costs offset the slightly higher rents they pay to live in Shadyside. Easy access to several major bus routes allows a relatively high degree of mobility to residents who do not own cars. Additionally, grade schools, daycare centers, grocery stores and a hospital are all right there.
On the mush, Shadyside is primarily a residential area.
- Average House Price: $139,000
- Rental Range: $300 - $650 per month
Squirrel Hill
The housing in Squirrel Hill ranges from modern apartments to beautiful Tudor mansions on sprawling, landscaped grounds. Most of the houses are situated on fairly spacious lots containing shade trees and shrubs. Though the rents are moderately expensive, most apartments and houses are of high-quality construction and are well maintained. Squirrel Hill is the most populous area of Pittsburgh and its residents report the highest degree of community satisfaction in the city. A one-word description of the area is "comfortable."
Squirrel Hill begins literally at the eastern boundary of the Carnegie Mellon campus and fans out on both sides of Forbes Avenue. Many areas of Squirrel Hill are only a short walk from campus, and students find the convenience all the more pleasing. Those who travel by bus have several routes to choose from, all of which stop at Carnegie Mellon. Additionally, Squirrel Hill provides easy access to one of the major parkways running through Pittsburgh.
In the VR world of Dark Gift Squirrel Hill hosts residential homes and the Carnival.
Squirrel Hill is a thriving area with a variety of businesses that are capable of meeting a wide range of consumer demands. A 30-minute walk can take you past movies, pubs, delicatessens, restaurants, grocers, import shops, clothiers, travel agents and several of the city's major banks. With Schenley Park on its borders, the community offers a variety of outdoor recreation that ranges from golf, tennis and swimming during the summer months, to cross-country skiing and ice skating during the winter. Our listings for Squirrel Hill are divided into two categories - North and South.
- Average House Price: $160,000
- Rental Range:
- $350 - $600 per month (North)
- $300 - $550 per month (South)
Strip District
The Strip District's got character. It's the kind of place that's seen hard use and can handle it. You can sense what The Strip must have been like back when: rugged, purposeful. All these old warehouses and factories and alleyways. Today it appears tamer than it must have once been. Not as many people live in The Strip as used to. At one time it teemed with immigrant workers and their families. It was seen as a "problem." Once a violent neighborhood, gangs were not uncommon. But, there was a thriving Boys' Club (before it moved up to Lawrenceville) and, before the days of indoor plumbing, a public bath. Churches were social anchors in The Strip, particularly old St. Patrick's which was the parish church of Father Cox who led the Hunger March on Washington in the 1930s. And though you wouldn't know it now, across the street from St. Patrick's was a Shantytown where the unemployed set up their shacks.
Mills and foundries filled The Strip and, during the Civil War produced equipment for the Union forces--including the 80 ton Rodman Gun. And, though The Strip has been turning fashionable lately--with restaurants and clubs--it still serves as Pittsburgh's produce distribution center and is every bit as colorful as street markets are supposed to be. There's fresh food, exotic ingredients and all kinds of unusual items to fire the imagination. It's old time shopping like used to be at the Diamond Market Downtown or at the old market on the Northside; and it's a draw.
Famous places on Dark Gift that are located in the Strip include: The Corrosion, Sappho's, and the Serpent Moon.