Goods News: I’m Moving to Pittsburgh! Now I Need Advice/Help

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Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 25 total)
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  • #68198
    JR
    Participant

    Howdy yall,

    My fiancée was accepted to Duquesne this past week so we are looking to move to Pittsburgh sometime this summer after our wedding. I wanted to create this thread just as an initial announcement but also for our first issue— we are looking at reccomendations of good areas to live. The budget is small-ish and being discussed, but the main goal is somewhere affordable but safe and not sketchy.

    Beyond that, I’ll probably keep this thread going until after our move to ask for advice on good places to eat, shops, things to do, such and such.

    Looking forward to being closer to the LUG!

    #68199
    Gabe Vistica
    Moderator
    +9

    Distance to campus will be a factor, including the number of bridges, tunnels, and other bottlenecks. How big of a commute to classes (especially given the range of possible class start times) is reasonable/endurable for potentially the duration of attendance?

    #68200
    JR
    Participant

    Thinking somewhere in the range of 30-45 minutes, if at all possible she wants to be on the shorter side.

    I know living downtown can be kind of rough and expensive; I’ve been advised not to and to look for more suburb places.

    #68201
    JR
    Participant

    Also, I am finishing my Master’s in Counseling and would like to go into school counseling, but I’m open to most counseling or psych jobs. I am especially interested in career or academic counseling, aside from school counseling.

    If anyone knows of any open positions or can give me info that way, it would also be appreciated.

    #68206
    Greg Schubert
    Participant

    When we first moved to the area, we rented a row house in Highland Park. We didn’t have to cross a bridge to get into the city and the rent was reasonable. In recent years, a lot of apartments have been built from old factories and new ones have gone up in places like Lawrenceville, but I would bet they are expensive.

    Does Duquesne have a housing office that can steer you toward commercial options?

    #68207
    JR
    Participant

    We’ll have to look into Duquesne to see if they have a housing portal. With the state of STEM right now, it became more “apply now ask questions later.”

    #68208
    Tim
    Moderator

    Thinking somewhere in the range of 30-45 minutes

    If you are looking at the suburbs (meaning not the downtown area or bordering neighborhoods), keep in mind that north is the only direction which does not have a tunnel. When we moved to Pittsburgh in 2012, my wife worked in the Strip District and from Cranberry was a 40ish minute commute (early in the morning and leaving the office by 3:00ish to avoid rush hour traffic). Not saying that you want to live all the way up here in Cranberry but it is good to keep in mind actual drive times. I know I can make it downtown in non-rush hour traffic in about 30 minutes (for example, that is about how long it took me to get to the Science Center for Locomotion weekend). In addition to I-279, Route 8, and Route 28 are additional arteries from the northside area (although 28 is often a mess from what I gather).

    Glad you’ll be here soon and congratulations to your fiancé for getting into Duquesne!

    #68209
    JR
    Participant

    I think for this reason we are looking more on the Southern side or those suburbs. Those also put us on the right side of the city to get to our families on weekends if we want to visit, or vice versa.

    I will pass along your congratulations! I believe she is going to try to get active in the LUG, and I obviously will be.

    #68215
    Josh
    Keymaster
    +6

    woo hoo! It’ll be great to have to closer!

    I take the T in work, so any spots along the 2 lines of the T in the south hills will give you a stop right new duquense at the Steel Plaza stop.

    When I lived in the hill district from 2001-2013, I had no issues walking to work downtown, but I know it has a bad rap. I turned my house there into an airbnb in 2018 and all my guests have had no issues walking to pens games and such too. I realize it may not be for everyone though. I had lots of friends who enjoyed their houses in morningside (near highland park) and friendship. There were a few good rental options there.

    #68233
    JR
    Participant

    Hmm, thanks for the advice. Being from a rural area, I had only considered driving as a means of commute.

    I’m certainly excited to be closer to the LUG!

    #68977
    JR
    Participant

    Update: We have five apartment tours scheduled, with four in the South Hills/Bethel Park area (excuse my lack of knowledge, still learning the geography).

    Would anyone have any concerns or knowledge about the following:

    Ltd. Findlay in Coraopolis
    Park Place of South Park
    The Evalee Apartments
    Liberty Pointe
    Hamilton Place

    We have all these tours over the Easter weekend.

    #68978
    Greg Schubert
    Participant

    I think logistics to and from work are important to consider. You cannot travel each of the routes for a week to assess the traffic situation, but you could have Google maps provide an ETA from location to location at the times you would be in transit. Food for thought.

    #68980
    Gabe Vistica
    Moderator
    +9

    I don’t know anything about those specific apartments, but a general warning to never rent from Lobos and to be wary of Walnut Capital/WalCap, they’re generally known in Pittsburgh as being not-so-great landlords (downright terrible in Lobos’ case).

    #68996
    Josh
    Keymaster
    +6

    park place is on the otherside of the hill of the literal ‘park’ of south park, so lots of space, trails, etc. the apartments themsselves certainly look dated from the outside – i’ve dropped people off there before. did you try https://www.lindenbrookeapartments.com/

    #69105
    JR
    Participant

    We just scheduled a tour for Lindenbrooke at your recommendation. We’ve postponed our tour at Park Place until a later date as a backup. We are hearing consistently mediocre things about it so it can be a potential back up.

    #69160
    Josh
    Keymaster
    +6
    #69163
    JR
    Participant

    UPDATE: Assuming all goes well, we will be staining a lease at Hamilton Place Apartments in Castle Shannon! It works well for her commute and is around a lot of the school districts I’ve applied to.

    That said, if anyone knows of any school counseling jobs coming open or would be willing to look over my list, please let me know.

    Also looking for restaurant, hiking, and entertainment suggestions. I am looking for a good game store in particular.

    Thanks yall!

    #69168
    Will McDine
    Participant
    +5

    Hamilton Place Apartments in Castle Shannon!

    I told you that would be a good location for you! I have a ton of local spots. Castle Shannon was my stomping grounds growing up. Now im only about 10 minutes away from there.

    #69565
    JR
    Participant

    Howdy! With the apartment hunt out of the way, I’m now looking for jobs.

    I have a BA in Psych and a MS in Counseling, emphasis on School Counseling. If anyone sees any openings for school counseling positions, please let me know. I’m also looking for community counseling positions, but I would need one where I’d be supervised as I am not fully licensed.

    #69573
    Greg Schubert
    Participant

    Edit: WordPress is haunted – it has this post listed BEFORE a post that I created earlier.

    #69575
    Greg Schubert
    Participant

    the short version is look for teaching jobs by registering yourself on http://www.paeducator.net

    #69572
    Greg Schubert
    Participant

    openings for school counseling positions

    As you probably know, you need PA certification to work in a public school in PA, unless they are really desperate, then the Dept of Ed sometimes grants “emergency certifications.” Private schools don’t require certification, but they also don’t have as many counselors.

    Schools in districts which are deemed more desirable to work, often do not post openings because they don’t want to deal with a huge number of applications.

    https://www.paeducator.net/ is where jobs are posted and where prospective employees post their information so that schools can find them.

    Maybe @jrosie has a suggestion on this topic, she’s closer to the process. I found my first two teaching jobs through newspaper ads, the third from insider information.

    #70408
    JR
    Participant

    Howdy yall! Update time.

    We are all moved in and I have a job in Hancock County, WV. Bit of a drive, but oh well.

    Does anyone have any recs for restaurants, places to check out, etc?

    #70461
    JR
    Participant

    Also, does anyone in the LUG also golf?

    #70465
    Gabe Vistica
    Moderator
    +9

    There’s “Coffee, Etc” right in Castle Shannon, and Emiliano’s (Mexican food) near the Sheetz on Library Road.

    I know of no golfers.

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