Living Pretty in the City

 This is a partnered post but all opinions are my own.

 

As you have probably figured out, I am in love with Pittsburgh. More so now that I live here too. I am living the dream here, although that is probably the most cheesy statement I have ever made. So when I was approached to talk about why people should follow the trend and move to Pittsburgh, I was more than happy to say yes.

Personally, I am living downtown, which is right for me at this time, but I know not right for everyone. But that's the great thing about Pittsburgh, each one of the many neighborhoods has it's own style and vibe to it, so anywhere here can easily become home for you. A way to find out which one would fit you best would be to visit, talk to the locals and actually spend the day in the neighborhood but I understand if you don't have that kind of time. An easy way to find out where you might fit best is through Pittsburgh City Living, and their Neighborhood Match. For me it was very accurate, and listed downtown, South Side and Lawrenceville as places where I would probably be the most interested in living. Spot on. Those are the three areas I am looking at for my next apartment and that is based on really knowing the areas, so if you're thinking of moving here, the match can be helpful.

See this infographic larger, in detail at Heartland Homes.

Although the suburb areas around Pittsburgh have a consistent growth, more people have been coming to live in the city as well. WQED recently aired a special about how growth in the city has been going. This interest in moving to the city is focused on young adults ages 20-29 who are coming to Pittsburgh for proximity to work, livability, and entertainment. For me, those are all the top reasons as well. Proximity to work and school was the reason I moved downtown after deciding on going to Point Park for my master's degree. It is convenient to be able to walk to work, school, shops and restaurants. Just imagine what it's like to not have to worry about parking or traffic. Sigh. So wonderful.

Entertainment is obvious in this city, whether you're a sports fan, music or history buff, theater lover, club hopper, outdoor adventurer, shopaholic...the list goes on, you will not tire of what this city has to offer. And as for livability has become known as the cost of living, variety of living and cultural opportunities and crime rate, and Pittsburgh has been rated the 2nd most livable city in the United States (30th in the world) for a few years running. (That's a big deal, you should live here!)

And I know some of you Debbie-Downers might be saying that this is all nice but that Pittsburgh comes with a high price tag. Well, Debbie's, any place this fabulous should, but Pittsburgh is actually below average in price. The average Pittsburgh home is $162,000 which is below the national average of $264,540 and apartments average at about $789 per month as opposed to the average of $1,087 elsewhere. (And for the record, I have seen great places for far less than that average too.)

But trust me, wherever you live in this city, the experience of living in the "no longer sleepy steel city" will be more than worth what you pay for it. This place is an experience in itself, live here and you'll understand what you've been missing out on and what you can look forward to. This is an exciting time to be living in Pittsburgh. The city is going through a beautiful Renaissance and I, like many other locals encourage you to join in on what we already know. Pittsburgh is the place to be.