What are some safe, nice neighborhoods in Pittsburgh?

Question

I'm looking into moving there with my wife to go to Pitt, so the closer to Oakland obviously the better. What are the neighborhoods that are considered less safe? Which ones are kind of trashy? Just tell me where to look for apartments, please!

Answer 1

Rather than telling you which of neighborhoods are nice and which are not, I'll let you read about them, know where they are located in the city and you make your own choice: http://www.as.pitt.edu/gradguide/before_you_arrive/housing/neighborhoods.htm

P.S. Even though the reviews were written by graduate students, I think they apply to young professionals as well. Good luck!

Answer 2

I highly recommend Regent Square. It's a great part of town and has tons to offer with only a quick ride from Oakland but missing the Oakland 'mess.'

Another great option is Bloomfield - but definitely look at the areas before deciding, ESPECIALLY IF YOU BUY.

Pittsburgh areas go from great to bad sometimes in one block (not necessarily by neighborhood). You really have to get a feel for it in person.

Answer 3

South Oakland is very nasty so stay away from that part and also avoid the N. Side and Wilkinsburg. Good neighborhoods would be Highland Park, Shady Side, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Mount Washington, and the South Side. But if you to find some good apartments I would recommend looking here: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/ you'll find plenty of apartments, jobs, movers, etc.

Answer 4

Lawerenceville, the old strip district between 17th and 50th streets, between Penn Ave and Liberty Ave are the safest, most reasonably priced.
Stay away from the Hill District and North
side.
That is assuming you are looking for something in the city metro area. If you are interested outside the city, there are lots of choices.

Answer 5

Here is the Campus Crime Report for Pitt (which includes off-campus student housing areas):

http://www.pitt.edu/~safety/campuscrimeReport/index.html

If it was me, I'd stay North of Forbes and Fifth--in Schenley Heights or Shadyside.

Go here for apartments and renters/user reviews of them in Oakland:

http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate?a=vccbc&name=15213

Oakland is definitely student housing central. There are mixed use and single family housing units, too. But many of the once-single family units are now divided up into rentals, not privately owned single family housing, as used to be the case. Lots of cemmercial property there, too.

ANY major metropolitan university area has crime, sometimes lots of one kind. In the Oakland neighborhood, it's mostly property crime BUT some other types do occur with regularity, specifically robbery, sexual assault and simple/aggravated assault, so you do need to watch yourself and take standard safety precautions.

Go online here to see the crime stats for Pittsburgh itself, to see how it compartes generally to other cities of its size:

http://pittsburgh.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate


Sources:
I have lived in the Pittsburgh area for nearly 10 years, in Westview, Ross and McCandless Townships, but am now in Cranberry Twp (far North, just inside Butler County). I have worked in City of Pittsburgh, Ross & McCandless Twp.

Answer 6

Shadyside is a 'yuppie' style of place. previous spacious residences that have been refurbished! and close to to "city". it quite is particularly risk-free, yet what actual is risk-free now-a-days! Many up-scale shoppes, additionally.