Pittsburgh Advice (not hobby related)

So-- I did this thread once before in Rochester when it was looking like I was going to land there for a promotion-- now it looks like Pittsburgh might be the destination instead so... lets try this here.

I'm wanting all the intel you can offer on the area. Safe areas to live-- areas to avoid like the plague, etc.

If this is the city they send me to-- I'll be working in the Homestead area. Commutes don't bother me, I'm from Dallas originally and used to nightmares in that regard. Just looking for a safe, reasonably priced area to live (will likely rent the first year before I buy-- I don't want to commit if I hate living there).

So-- any advice is appreciated!

Close by most of the towns / areas close to Homestead I would avoid

If you want close, the one area which is part of the City of Pgh you could consider is Squirrel Hill

If you don't mind a reasonable drive, south hills suburbs like Dormont, Mt Lebanon, Greentree, Bethel Park, etc would meet your needs of safe and reasonably priced (although there could be a range of pricing)

Based on my cursory searches on Real estate sites-- as far as buying goes, I'd be leaning heavily towards Washington or Westmoreland Counties-- either would give me a 30-40 mile drive, which is really not a big deal-- particularly considering how reasonable real estate seems overall.

Renting the first year will be the bigger challenge. I've not rented in a few years and... wow... prices have gone up considerably on the rent side of the fence.

Washington or Westmorland counties are much better choices. Holmstead is a shithole.

Westmoreland, by far, is the better choice. If/when you decide to buy, the taxes will be much cheaper. Plus, while I know the commute will not be an issue for you, Pittsburgh traffic is different than most other areas of the country, thanks to our topography. The drive to Homestead from any western community in Westmoreland will be less than 30/40 minutes, versus an hour + from Washington.

Washington is close to being a shit hole as well. Westmoreland is nice.

There's some pretty nice areas close to Homestead. Maybe try renting closer to Homestead, get the lay of the land, and then start looking at buying outside of Allegheny County later.
https://crimegrade.org/safest-places-in-pennsylvania/

Jefferson hills, pleasant hills, Elizabeth and rostraver to the south. Irwin and north Huntington to the east

Thanks so much-- keep it coming. Ideally-- after looking at the layout of the city, I'm going to take the same approach I took here in Cincinnati and try to stay on the same side of the river as my work to avoid the traffic headache of having limited avenues of escape.

For buying-- it certainly looks like Westmoreland County will be a lock. For the first year-- I think I'm just going to have to play the rental game by ear since I don't know the area well. I know if I end up in Pittsburgh-- I'll have a month in a hotel while I figure out a more permanent solution.

Need more info on where the work will be. It’s tough not having to cross a river to get places around here, it will drastically limit your choices. Check out the Finleyville, Venetia, Nottingham Twp, Eighty Four areas of Washington County. There’s still some decent deals to be had, the high rent districts of McMurray/Peters/Canonsburg/USC haven’t creeped all the way there quite yet.

Butler County. Armstrong County (if the nightmare of Rt28 construction isn't a problem).

Need more info on where the work will be. It’s tough not having to cross a river to get places around here, it will drastically limit your choices. Check out the Finleyville, Venetia, Nottingham Twp, Eighty Four areas of Washington County. There’s still some decent deals to be had, the high rent districts of McMurray/Peters/Canonsburg/USC haven’t creeped all the way there quite yet. Originally Posted by Jacuzzme

Mentioned it in the initial post-- my work will be in the Homestead/Munhall area... that's partially why I'm looking towards Westmoreland County-- couple of houses I've looked at would be within 30 minutes, without crossing a river.

Yeah, if you don't mind that long of a drive, both Washington and Westmoreland Counties are very good options

As Jacuzzme noted, in Washington County, the Finleyville, Venetia, Nottingham Twp, Eighty Four areas of Washington County are very nice and quite reasonable. McMurray and Peters are even nicer but more pricy.

For renting, unless you are looking for a full house to rent, look in the Mt Lebanon / Greentree / Scott Township areas. Many decent apartment complexes and much closer to Homestead, on the right side of the river

My preference is a house-- I currently own a home and not fond of the idea of having to drastically downsize-- but if that's how it ends up going then... that's what I'll do.

Working in Munhall/Holmstead you might want to see what you can find in West Mifflin. It’s close and, if renting for the now, you won’t have to worry about Allegheny County property taxes.