Wallethub.com recently ranked the best and worst places to start a career, and Pittsburgh clocked in at 5th best.
WE’RE NUMBER 5! WE’RE NUMBER 5!
Steelers/Pens fandom has trained us to demand blood for anything less than a championship, but #5 out of 182 American cities is pretty decent. Of particular interest to this column — Pittsburgh arrived at that ranking partially because of affordability; we ranked 11th for housing affordability. You can easily take issue with Pittsburgh’s unnerving no. 1 ranking for unemployment rate, which is basically a wash (unemployment is at historic lows everywhere). We’re also 58th for starting salary, if you need something to be unhappy about.
That seems … about right? Basically fine?
In other words, the least interesting option for a column. But we don’t care about engagement (outrage!) we care about the truth.
Doubts have begun to creep in recently that Pittsburgh’s status as an affordable alternative to the usual big city blues may be in terminal decline, or even a mirage. It’s always good to hear a dissenting opinion, even if it’s just dissenting to the voices in your head.
NORTH SIDE
For sale: 1200 San Pedro St., Brighton Heights, $189,900
The cycles of nostalgia seem to be getting ever shorter and stupider. Soon, perhaps, we shall arrive at the vanishing point of yearning for a past that hasn’t even happened yet; maybe that’s how we’ll know we’ve finally made it to the future. What’s that have to do with this stereotypical suburban house, built in 1959? Well, there’s (probably) some kid busy right now creating an aesthetic called “cul-de-sac-core” or something, based on fetishizing the vast garages, lawns and stucco of the American suburbs. And suddenly, places like this will become cool again, for a while. In some yet-undiscovered level of irony, we can pretend that the era of prioritizing the comfort of cars over people was actually correct — the Eden from which we’ve all been exiled. No, this place isn’t technically in the suburbs — but it feels like it is.
Everything is a trade-off. Yes, these rooms feature carpets and walls with colors not found in nature, and a creepy basement that would make George Romero shiver. And yet, there’s a porch with a million-dollar view. Troy Hill is known for its tight-knit community and sense of history, yet it’s also got a top-notch restaurant or two (like the outstanding Scratch & Co.) This house is a lease-with-option-to-purchase, so if it feels like home after a while, you can make it so permanently.
OAKLAND
For sale: 9 Edith Pl., $145,000
You either want to live in close proximity to 50,000 college kids, or you don’t. Some people never want college to end — and others would end all colleges, if it means that the piles of empty beer cans and pizza boxes will go away. If you are one of those who like the close-to-campus vibe, there’s almost nothing available, and even less that’s affordable. This is the exception, and its kitchen is painted bright yellow.
For rent: Dakota, 259 Melwood Ave., $765-$910/month
Melwood Ave. in Oakland was once home to Pittsburgh Filmmakers, an actual film school and all-purpose haven for weirdos that had its own art cinema and a do-it-yourself ethos that fit the city perfectly. It’s long gone now, and this street seems to be destined to house extensions of the local academic behemoths and new high-end apartments. However, there are some tiny flats here (345 square feet is really tiny) that don’t cost much, and surely beat living in the dorms.
WEST END
For sale: 3122 Landis St., Sheridan, $150,000
The wild West End is where sub-$200,000 homes still roam, like this no-frills brick four-square from 1924. Four bedrooms and 2,015 square feet is actually quite a bit of house for this price, so this isn’t even strictly “starter home” territory. It’s got front and back porches and the verdant hillsides of Sheridan Park in walking distance, as well as a Carnegie Library.
For rent: 1018 Crucible St., Fl. 2, Elliott, $1,350/month
Rumor has it that Elliott’s Little League ballfield has the best concession stand in the City League. We’re talking made-to-order breakfast, lunch and dinner — like cheesesteaks and such. Look, there’s a non-zero chance your life is going to revolve around Little League baseball games at some point, so this is crucial information. This place features four bedrooms on one floor, and everything has clearly been painted recently (and white paint must have been on sale, because they used all of it).
