The interviews are complete. We listened hard. First, lets focus on the good stuff that incomers had to say about Pittsburgh:
Life is affordable in Pittsburgh. “Only two bucks for a beer” said one. The rent is cheap. You can afford to save here, go out and buy Pirates tickets here.
Pittsburgh is a family friendly place. You can raise a kid in an affordable way. There is innovation going on in the schools.
It’s easy to get around in Pittsburgh. It’s easy to get out of the city quickly. It’s smaller and more manageable, walkable and bikeable.
The authenticity of the city is important to incomers. Pittsburgh is less like living in a bubble, they say. Its “gritty, grotty” authenticity is appealing. “I imagined it to be my ideal city,” said one. “Even more charming than I could imagine,” said another. With it’s dramatic landscape, architecture, culture, interesting neighborhoods and rust belt chic it is easy to fall in love with.
There is room to succeed, create a niche and collaborate with others in Pittsburgh.
When setting out to find a new place to live, some asked the question “How do we find a place that has the amenities of a larger city that we can afford?” They found this in Pittsburgh with it’s great architecture, nice big houses and creative community.