Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, explained by people who’ve lived in Pittsburgh:

*Click here to share your experience living in Pittsburgh*

*Response format = Answer (Your name, How long you’ve lived in Pittsburgh)

Pittsburgh Favorites

What’s your favorite thing about living in Pittsburgh?

  • The friendly people. (Laura, 16 years)
  • The topography. How the neighborhoods are built smack in the mountains. That, and there is always a “back way” to get where you’re going. (Mike, 23 years)
  • Rural atmosphere. (Ted, 23 years)
  • Diverse communities. (Nancy, 28 years)
  • The food. (Sarah, 30 years)
  • Separate neighborhoods full of friendly people. (Anonymous, 32 years)
  • Small town feel for a reasonably large city! (Tom, 33 years)
  • Architecture. (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • Neighborhoods. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • People, food, culture. (Heather, 43 years)
  • My family. I love the history of this area, the neighborhoods. Great schools, museums, restaurants, and the Penguins. For the most part, the people are friendly. (Renee, 48 years)
  • The neighborhoods. (Deb, 50 years)
  • Family. (Michele, 54 years)
  • Downtown is compact as in everything is close by. (Mike, 56 years)
  • The warmth and friendliness of the residents. (Kathy, 67 years)
  • The friendliness of the people. (Arlene, 70 years)

Pittsburgh Least Favorites

What’s your least favorite thing about living in Pittsburgh?

  • Cold weather. (Laura, 16 years)
  • The “yinzer” slang. (Mike, 23 years)
  • Attitude of some of the residents. (Ted, 23 years)
  • Snow and potholes. (Nancy, 28 years)
  • Traffic. (Sarah, 3o years)
  • Rising cost of living. (Anonymous. 32 years)
  • The weather. 360 days of bad weather a year. (Tom, 33 years)
  • Driving. (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • Potholes. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • Weather. (Heather, 43 years)
  • Traffic/construction. PA taxes. I wish PGH was closer to the ocean. (Renee, 48 years)
  • At times, the weather. (Deb, 50 years)
  • Weather. (Michele, 54 years)
  • The challenge of keeping the roads in good shape. (Mike, 56 years)
  • The roads – potholes! (Kathy, 67 years)
  • When our teams lose. (Arlene, 70 years)

Pittsburgh Things To Do

What are fun things to do in Pittsburgh?

  • Ball games, zoo, parks. (Laura, 16 years)
  • Mount Wash and inclines. North Park. Gateway Clippers cruises. And dunking on fools at Leolyn Park. (Mike, 23 years)
  • Sightseeing. (Ted, 23 years)
  • Kennywood, Pirates, Steelers. (Nancy, 28 years)
  • Museums. (Sarah, 30 years)
  • Explore green spaces and river access. (Anonymous, 32 years)
  • Pro and college sporting events, museum trips, the Strip District on a Saturday morning! (Tom, 33 years)
  • Tons of museums, events, etc. (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • Eat and drink. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • Steeler games, parks, point, pirate games, festivals. (Heather, 43 years)
  • Get out and explore the city neighborhoods. We have great local coffee shops and restaurants. Look for street art. Go to Randyland. Walk the river trails. Ride the incline. Explore the big cemeteries- so much hidden beauty. (Renee, 48 years)
  • Explore neighborhoods, eat. (Deb, 50 years)
  • Anything outdoors. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking. (Michele, 54 years)
  • The Cultural District and sports teams. (Mike, 56 years)
  • Museums, parks, sports, concerts. (Kathy, 67 years)
  • Zoo, Kennywood, Duckie Tour, museums. (Arlene, 70 years)

Pittsburgh’s Reputation

What’s Pittsburgh known for?

  • Sports. (Laura, 16 years)
  • City of Champions. (Mike, 23 years)
  • Sports championships. (Ted, 23 years)
  • Super Steelers and Steel. (Nancy, 28 years)
  • Bridges! (Sarah, 30 years)
  • Being polluted. (Anonymous, 32 years)
  • Successful sports teams, colleges, a tech hotbed. (Tom, 33 years)
  • Bridges and rivers. (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • Steelers. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • Sports. (Heather, 43 years)
  • A tough industrial town with a huge heart. (Renee, 48 years)
  • Friendliness, sports teams. (Deb. 50 years)
  • Obviously sports. Technology/medicine advancements. (Michele, 54 years)
  • UPMC and the sports teams. (Mike, 56 years)
  • Our three rivers, our fantastic medical facilities, our sports teams, our hills. (Kathy, 67 years)
  • Steel before, now technology. (Arlene, 70 years)

Pittsburgh Crime

What’s the crime like in Pittsburgh? (hot spot areas, etc.)

  • Like every city, has its bad spots. (Wilkinsburg, Carrick, Mt. Oliver, East Carson Street after 1am.) (Mike. 23 years)
  • Average for cities of the same size. (Ted, 23 years)
  • Some areas are great but I couldn’t go in the Hill District after dark. (Sarah, 30 years)
  • Downtown can be rough, the hill district and homewood too. (Anonymous, 32 years)
  • Pretty good overall. If you’re in a part of town that starts with an ‘H’ you should probably be more aware of your surroundings. (Tom, 33 years)
  • All areas have their good and bad spots. (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • In the city. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • There’s good and bad parts of every city. Be smart and know your surroundings. (Heather, 43 years)
  • There are some areas to avoid at night and a few you avoid in the daytime too. (Renee, 48 years)
  • Not bad compared to many other places. (Deb, 50 years)
  • I live in an area where I don’t encounter major crime on any regular basis. (Michele, 54 years)
  • Pretty much non-existent if you stay in your lane. (Mike, 56 years)
  • Some areas are pretty bad but that is in every city. Where I live we have our share of car break-ins, home burglaries and drugs. (Kathy, 67 years)
  • About the same as other cities its size. (Arlene, 70 years)

Pittsburgh Advice

Any advice for people moving to Pittsburgh?

  • Expect to love it. (Laura, 16 years)
  • Primanti Brothers is overrated, unless you’re drinking, then it’s the bee’s knees. (Mike, 23 years)
  • Go to Primanti Bros. for lunch. (Ted, 23 years)
  • Get out and experience the different cultures. (Nancy, 28 years)
  • Explore. There’s so much to do. (Sarah, 30 years)
  • Do your research to figure out which neighborhood you want to live in. (Anonymous, 32 years)
  • Buy a house, don’t rent. House prices here are dirt cheap and usually cheaper than renting. (Tom, 33 years)
  • Start small and work your way up. (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • Suburbia. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • Have fun! (Heather, 43 years)
  • If you live in the city limits, be prepared for crappy roads in the winter. Construction season is long and traffic often sucks. (Renee, 48 years)
  • Explore the city. (Deb, 50 years)
  • Be prepared for concerned/nosy neighbors, block parties, people being very open/friendly. (Michele, 54 years)
  • Move to the South Hills. (Mike, 56 years)
  • Do your research – especially about schools if you have children. (Kathy 67 years)
  • Buy lots of black and gold clothing. (Arlene, 70 years)

Pittsburgh Stories

Share an experience you’ve had in Pittsburgh (fun, crazy, dangerous, etc.).

  • Grew up here when you’d run into sport stars all the time. (Laura, 16 years)
  • While working at Heinz Field after the big rain and flood of ’08 I think, maybe ’07, watching entire sections of dock with boats still attached rushing down the river. Was sad and crazy at the same time. (Mike, 23 years)
  • Met local sports stars. (Ted, 23 years)
  • Visiting the West End Overlook….always a good feeling looking down on our city. (Nancy, 28 years)
  • I get up in Pittsburgh. All my happiest memories are there. (Sarah, 30 years)
  • Going to a Steelers game with the mayor. (Anonymous. 32 years)
  • I watched a guy run naked Downtown in the dead of winter. Drugs are bad. (Tom, 33 years)
  • Taking the Ducky Tour, and Gateway Clipper sightseeing! (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • Kennywood. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • My 21st birthday, Idlewild as a kid, Kennywood School picnics, wave pools, Mr. Washington. (Heather, 43 years)
  • I love going downtown to see the lights at Christmas. Stanley Cup parades are pretty awesome, too. (Renee, 48 years)
  • Attending the baseball wildcard game that ended the Pirates long losing streak of not making the postseason. It was the loudest, craziest, happiest sporting event I have ever and likely will ever attend. (Deb, 50 years)
  • Sports championship parades. (Mike, 56 years)
  • I walked thru the Liberty Tubes with friends when we were 16 years old! (Kathy, 67 years)
  • Walking around downtown during the Christmas season. The Santas Around the World at PPG Plaza are beautiful and the manger in the Steel Plaza is the most beautiful. (Arlene, 70 years)

Pittsburgh’s Future

How do you think Pittsburgh will change over the next 10 years?

  • Grow with more jobs. (Laura, 16 years)
  • Continue to gentrify, more hipsters. (Mike. 23 years)
  • Advancements in technology. (Ted, 23 years)
  • More tech companies. (Sarah, 30 years)
  • Poor people will be forced to move out of the city to the suburbs, where there’s no public transportation and not enough jobs. (Anonymous, 32 years)
  • I think it’ll get more white collar, but it will continue to lose population to the suburbs. (Tom, 33 years)
  • Much more technology. (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • More growth in outlying areas. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • Hopefully we’ll have an Amazon. (Heather, 43 years)
  • There will still be construction! (Renee, 48 years)
  • More technology growth. (Deb, 50 years)
  • Maybe more youngsters staying. More technology and medical advances. (Michele, 54 years)
  • More bike lanes hopefully more major industries moving in. (Mike, 56 years)
  • It will continue to grow in the medical and technical fields. I think more people will be moving here because of our reasonable housing prices. (Kathy, 67 years)
  • Just get better. (Arlene, 70 years)

Pittsburgh Facts

Any other interesting facts about Pittsburgh?

  • History of Port Perry near Braddock. (Ted, 23 years)
  • Public transportation is great. Lots of things to do. Neighborhood bars and grills are a great place to hang out to meet new people. (Nancy, 28 years)
  • The further east you go from here, the more you will get confused with being in Kentucky. (Tom, 33 years)
  • Jonas Salk, inventor of the Polio Vaccine, lived in and developed the medicine in Pittsburgh. (Jennifer, 34 years)
  • Melting pot. (Lisa, 34 years)
  • Best sports teams! (Heather, 43 years)
  • Andy Warhol is buried in a suburb of PGH. (Renee, 48 years)
  • Fantastic restaurant scene. Excellent museums. (Deb, 50 years)
  • Many people born here live here all their lives and die it’s a tough place to leave. (Mike, 56 years)
  • We have made an amazing rebound from the steel making days. We have more bridges than anywhere in the world. We still have 2 working inclines. (Kathy, 67 years)