Moving to Pittsburgh, maybe?
September 3, 2023 2:39 AM Subscribe
Thinking about moving with a partner to Louisville or Pittsburgh, Leaning towards Pittsburgh, but for various reasons , Louisville is more convenient. Anyone got good info to share on both or either?
So one of muy oldest friends and I are tired of solo living on practically opposite sides of the country from one another and we have decided to throw in on cohabitation. We are looking at different places and two that have caught our interest are Louisville and Pittsburgh. Now, I have knowledge of Louisville, but neither of us are too familiar with Pittsburgh. There was a good post back in 2019 about the city and its offerings, but I'm wondering what might have changed in the last four or so years. Do you live there? Do you like it? Do you think it;s better than Louisville, if you're familiar with the two cities?
Also details- we are both queer late era Gen X'ers who have parlayed our slacker job histories into Restaurant/ Bar management and Spa/Hospitality management- so we aren't office/work from home types, if that gives you some idea of our lives and work location needs etc.
So one of muy oldest friends and I are tired of solo living on practically opposite sides of the country from one another and we have decided to throw in on cohabitation. We are looking at different places and two that have caught our interest are Louisville and Pittsburgh. Now, I have knowledge of Louisville, but neither of us are too familiar with Pittsburgh. There was a good post back in 2019 about the city and its offerings, but I'm wondering what might have changed in the last four or so years. Do you live there? Do you like it? Do you think it;s better than Louisville, if you're familiar with the two cities?
Also details- we are both queer late era Gen X'ers who have parlayed our slacker job histories into Restaurant/ Bar management and Spa/Hospitality management- so we aren't office/work from home types, if that gives you some idea of our lives and work location needs etc.
Best answer: The only update I would make to my response in that 2019 thread is that most of our self driving car startups shuttered so we have fewer Uber clones these days. Otherwise I would say not much has changed in the interim, beyond the sort of general “remote work has changed traffic and living patterns” and “our healthcare systems remain stressed” stuff you’re probably going to find anywhere in our pandemic world. I noted our ongoing segregation issues in 2019 and so I will note that we have our first Black mayor now, which obviously has not solved gentrification by any means but may be a point of interest in changes between 2019 and now.
I still love it here and heartily recommend it as a place to live. But I’m not familiar with Louisville and can’t do a compare and contrast.
posted by Stacey at 12:23 PM on September 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
I still love it here and heartily recommend it as a place to live. But I’m not familiar with Louisville and can’t do a compare and contrast.
posted by Stacey at 12:23 PM on September 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
Pittsburgh born and raised nonbinary late 30s person and have been back here since 2015. Feel free to DM with any specific questions!
posted by anotheraccount at 2:46 PM on September 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by anotheraccount at 2:46 PM on September 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
I would suggest joining the Pittsburgh subreddit to get a feel for what it’s like there. And the sub’s “Community Info” section might be helpful.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:46 PM on September 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:46 PM on September 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Louisville has a great restaurant and bar scene. And if you like bourbon you'll find plenty of opportunities for employment!
posted by pjsky at 8:00 AM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by pjsky at 8:00 AM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I moved to Pittsburgh last year, and I like it a lot. I'm not super familiar with Louisville. I think the advantages of Pittsburgh are partly the advantages of PA in general, namely, it's a blue state with a progressive governor and a pretty good public healthcare system.
Things I like about Pittsburgh:
It's got a robust arts scene (both highfalutin' and independent) but it's not very touristy.
It's so gorgeous here. So many views, such great architecture, so many parks. People think it's very grim and industrial but that hasn't been true for a while.
People here are cool! Generally approachable, will help you if you have a problem, kind of a higher baseline level of competence than a lot of the places I've lived.
While parts of it are indeed REAL white, it's quite diverse in the sense that many different communities are represented in the area, though the distribution is definitely patchy. I think the South Side is the most diverse overall, and the whole city seems fairly queer-friendly.
Things that are not ideal:
Winter is intense. I actually was pretty into all the snow and mellow inside vibes, and even I was pretty over it by the time it was sleeting again in freakin' April. It can frost into May. On the other hand, summers are comparatively bearable.
Driving here can be hard. Lots of little narrow roads and Victorian infrastructure. It's hilly in, like, a whole different way.
You have to pay city income tax! And you have to file a separate freaky little return! ON PAPER if it's your first year, even. I have never heard of this happening anywhere else, it's some feudal shit.
There are a ton of restaurants and even more bars, and plenty of hotels too (Pittsburgh does a fair bit of convention business) so if that's the work you do, you should be able to get employed here. Feel free to MeMail me, I'm still getting a handle on things but I might be able to recommend specific neighborhoods and such.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 12:44 PM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Things I like about Pittsburgh:
It's got a robust arts scene (both highfalutin' and independent) but it's not very touristy.
It's so gorgeous here. So many views, such great architecture, so many parks. People think it's very grim and industrial but that hasn't been true for a while.
People here are cool! Generally approachable, will help you if you have a problem, kind of a higher baseline level of competence than a lot of the places I've lived.
While parts of it are indeed REAL white, it's quite diverse in the sense that many different communities are represented in the area, though the distribution is definitely patchy. I think the South Side is the most diverse overall, and the whole city seems fairly queer-friendly.
Things that are not ideal:
Winter is intense. I actually was pretty into all the snow and mellow inside vibes, and even I was pretty over it by the time it was sleeting again in freakin' April. It can frost into May. On the other hand, summers are comparatively bearable.
Driving here can be hard. Lots of little narrow roads and Victorian infrastructure. It's hilly in, like, a whole different way.
You have to pay city income tax! And you have to file a separate freaky little return! ON PAPER if it's your first year, even. I have never heard of this happening anywhere else, it's some feudal shit.
There are a ton of restaurants and even more bars, and plenty of hotels too (Pittsburgh does a fair bit of convention business) so if that's the work you do, you should be able to get employed here. Feel free to MeMail me, I'm still getting a handle on things but I might be able to recommend specific neighborhoods and such.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 12:44 PM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by slidell at 11:21 AM on September 3, 2023 [1 favorite]