When I was a teenager, I thought it would be fun to live near my favorite record store and a movie theater. The problem was that I had no idea this was even possible, except perhaps on a theoretical plane — maybe on the level of subatomic physics, or in a part of the 1950s that required time travel. Why? Because I grew up in the suburbs, where walking anywhere was a difficult, shameful thing done only by broke teenagers and people with busted cars.
Then I moved to Pittsburgh for college and found a magical land called “Squirrel Hill,” and I’ve lived within walking distance of Jerry’s Records and the Manor Theater ever since.
Is this a stupid reason to live in a particular place? Eh, I’ve heard worse. (Living above a bar because you like booze is probably not great). The point is — affordability is only part of the equation. Maybe it’s the most important part, maybe not. But you probably have something else that you want or need, and putting yourself closer to it is probably going to make your life better.
What amenity in close proximity would make your life better? Let’s start with food. We’ve all got to eat, right? Being close to a grocery store and/or some good restaurants is probably better than being farther away, right?
Now, since this is ostensibly about affordable housing, we’ll try to split the difference between good eating and affordability. If you just want good food and price is no object, by all means move to Lawrenceville, the Strip, Bloomfield/Garfield, or Downtown. But if you want somewhere a little cheaper with flavor, there are options for that too.
Plus, we can do this for anything. What else do you value? Live music, beer, bike infrastructure, trees, coffee, public transit, donuts, ice cream, Lombardi trophies, puppies…
BROOKLINE
For sale: 1500 Wareman Ave., $219,900
Brookline is kind of a mini-Strip District when it comes to small, culturally-specifc grocers, cafes and bakeries. There aren’t many buzzy, cutting-edge chef-driven spots, except perhaps the brilliant breakfasts at Oak Hill Post. It’s still a locally focused place, catering to local tastes. But those tastes run the gamut from old multicultural Pittsburgh to new, including Italian bakeries like Deluca’s, Pitaland’s Middle Eastern grocery/pita factory, and Las Palmas Carniceria’s exemplary tacos, butchery, and Mexican staples. This little house on a steep hill is pretty standard for Brookline, dating to that period between the wars when Big Steel was still on the rise, and you could get your own piece of the American pie in places like Brookline. (You still can).
Close to the Brookline Blvd. shops, this two-bedroom apartment looks like it was once part of a very big single-family home, built in the days when people just had tons of kids in the hopes that diphtheria or consumption left them alone long enough that they could go work in the mines. The floor is a very plausible wood-like material and was probably a little nicer when it was new. But hey, that’s a pretty good price nowadays, and you can walk to tacos. Hmm … modern medicine, child labor laws, and tacos — maybe the world isn’t getting worse after all.
NORTH SIDE
For sale: 1322 Lowrie St., Troy Hill $159,000
It’s weird to say “North Side” and think it means something, because it’s actually dozens of microneighborhoods that have little in common and look nothing alike, except perhaps a historical annoyance at old Allegheny City’s colonization (more or less) by Pittsburgh. The North Side has a few walkable main business districts that have attracted clusters of restaurants; Deutschtown, in particular, has slowly grown into a place that combines old multicultural Pittsburgh (Huszar, Max’s Allegheny Tavern) with new multicultural Pittsburgh (Subba, soon-to-open Amboy) and creative new cuisine (Siempre Algo, Fig & Ash, EYV). But there’s really nothing affordable anywhere near there at the moment, unless you don’t mind a hike up a steep hill. Troy Hill is pretty close and happens to have one of Pittsburgh’s best and oldest breweries at its base, Penn Brewery, and one of its most consistently creative restaurants, Scratch & Co., at the top. A short walk away is this cute little two-bedroom house, built in 1900, perfect for someone who is OK with a walk home from work that’s also a workout.
For rent: St. Michael’s Village, 1300 High St., Troy Hill, $1,000/month
You can’t feel low when you’re living on High Street (right?). A lot of mid-century apartments have not aged well, but this place is bright and clean. With rent this low, you usually don’t get a lot of superlatives, and there aren’t many to be found here. But if you want a brisk walk up a steep hill to work off those bier-cheese pretzels at Penn Brewery, here’s your spot.
BEECHVIEW
For sale: 208 Sebring Ave., $179,900
If you know one thing about Beechview, it’s probably that it has the steepest residential street in the world (Canton Ave.). If you know two, it’s probably that the T shares the road with cars, so the unnerving sight of having a train suddenly chasing you is likely. But Beechview is also becoming known as a landing spot for Latino immigrants, with all the delicious food that implies. Favorites include Chicken Latino (a longtime Strip staple that moved here a few years ago), and the mighty pizza merchants Slice on Broadway. There’s also another Las Palmas grocer, and homestyle Mexican (from tortas to popsicles) at Alquisirias Paleteria. This small quasi-Colonial home up a steep flight of stairs is pretty normal for Beechview, built solidly and functionally in 1910.
OK, so you're basically living on the T in this apartment, but there are worse things. This place is newly renovated, has off-street parking, and the monthly rent is less than the total square feet. You know that's a good deal.
