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Pittsburgh's Mexican War Streets

Evergrey

By Evergrey
in Pittsburgh

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chucka Unincorporated Area

chucka

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Did anyone else notice that there were a lot of houses for sale in these pictures? How long do they stay on the market? Average sale price?

My friend just bought the house with painted side wall/fake brick on the front and is renovating it.

55229342.100_3983.jpg

I would love to buy 1010 Cedar Avenue. It has been on the market for a couple years and has a price tag of $159,900. It needs to be completely renovated inside.

20050123bwrealestatee011305_450.jpg

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UrbaniDesDev Whistle-Stop

UrbaniDesDev

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Thanks for the great pics. My favorite area of Pittsburgh. The War Streets are (or could be) the Georgetown of Pittsburgh.

1010 Cedar Avenue has one draw back. Those damned helicopters. As a former resident of Cedar Avenue, they are so loud you can't hear your television as they land at AGH. It is a great house tho.

Any news on development on Federal Street. The last I've heard there were a lot of plans. None very exciting but at this point anything will do. They were planning on building townhouses along Federal. Ithink they would have done better to include some upscale apts taking in the great views of downtown. Townhouses along Federal will not be a big success. Too much traffic for home buyers that could go 2 blocks over to a nice quiet street. Pittsburgh tends to be very conservative, in preserving a neighborhoods character does not mean there can only be one type of construction. 4 or 5 story apartments along Federal would turn the neighborhood around. Townhouses along Fed will be a very slow process.

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Evergrey Hamlet

Evergrey

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There are a few "corner businesses" in the neighborhood... like the rib place and the new coffeeshop featured in my photos... North Ave is the "main street" that forms the southern border of the Mexican War Streets... with a park on the other side... this street is unfortunately rather neglected. There's a highly regarded "bed and breakfast"... a giant porno theatre (Garden) and long-shuttered businesses...

the eastern side of Federal Street (which I suppose technically is just outside the border of the Mexican War Streets... designated the more anonymous "Central Northside")... has a small collection of businesses... like a barber shop and a couple soul food joints...

However... the Mexican War Streets are minutes away from more developed business districts... like Western Ave in Allegheny West... and East Ohio St. in Allegheny East (North Side's largest business district).

In addition, the Mexican War Streets is one of the most convenient neighborhoods to downtown.

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Frankie811 City

Frankie811

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Very nice historic homes like you'd find in just about any city up here in New England. I did notice in some of the pictures that people were parking left wheels to the curb. Can you do that in Pittsburgh? Also, how did the city behave after winning the superbowl? Any problems?

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mercurypa Whistle-Stop

mercurypa

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Frankie,

There was a lot of celebrating, but very little violence. I am glad that it was a peaceful celebration! And yes they do allow you to park on the wrong side of the street here for whatever reason. I've heard that its not legal but people have been doing it anyway so they don't enforce it. I personally don't care for it because sometimes you think you may be on a one-way street. Its one thing Im still getting used to coming from CA. My friends and I affectionately dub it "white trash" parking.

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Evergrey Hamlet

Evergrey

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Great shots! Wasn't the Mexican War Streets the original Millionaire's row of the old Allegheny City (present day Northside)? Great to see the area continue to improve!

No. The original "Millionaire's Row of Olde Allegheny" was West Allegheny (featured in another photo thread of mine). It's where Allegheny Community College is. Unfortunately most of the grand old mansions were demolished in the mid 20th century. Mexican War Streets were home to upper middle-class people... a notch below Allegheny West. You can see it in the architecture... Mexican War Street houses are very nice... but they still aren't in the league of the remnants of Allegheny West.

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bradsp Unincorporated Area

bradsp

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I want one of those properties. But the way they have been going lately it seems like a year from now there will be nothing but scraps and flipped houses left.

There is plenty of housig stock. I know of a couple for 5000. There are many under 100,000 and several under 50,000.

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peaceloveunderstanding Town

peaceloveunderstanding

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There is plenty of housig stock. I know of a couple for 5000. There are many under 100,000 and several under 50,000.

In that neighborhood? Are there any problems with that neighborhood? Is it safe?

If it's a safe place to live, and you can get one of the brick townhomes for anywhere under $200k, that's probably one of the best deals in America.

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blueblackcat Whistle-Stop

blueblackcat

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In that neighborhood? Are there any problems with that neighborhood? Is it safe?

If it's a safe place to live, and you can get one of the brick townhomes for anywhere under $200k, that's probably one of the best deals in America.

There are some very nice streets that have been largely rennovated and some that are in the process of being rennovated. But on the periphery and as you head up the hills there's actually a lot of streets with a lot of empty lots and boarded up wooden shacks with little architectual value. There are problems with stadium traffic taking up residential parking spaces and inventing some new ones. And it's still boxed in on 3 sides by highways. Then, going up the hills it becomes an area that's as crime laden as they come in Pittsburgh. I can't imagine that it would remain very safe without a strong police presence. But the North Shore area has been on the rise so we can all expect the area to improve greatly in the coming years.

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Inkdaub Whistle-Stop

Inkdaub

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I love the Mexican War Streets. My girlfriend and I almost moved into a place there. These are great pics but I have to say that the area is even cooler than photography will show. It's a place you have to visit and wander a bit to really get the vibe of those great old rowhouses. Plus you can then walk across that park and over one of the yellow bridges into downtown if I remember right.

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bradsp Unincorporated Area

bradsp

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There are some very nice streets that have been largely rennovated and some that are in the process of being rennovated. But on the periphery and as you head up the hills there's actually a lot of streets with a lot of empty lots and boarded up wooden shacks with little architectual value. There are problems with stadium traffic taking up residential parking spaces and inventing some new ones. And it's still boxed in on 3 sides by highways. Then, going up the hills it becomes an area that's as crime laden as they come in Pittsburgh. I can't imagine that it would remain very safe without a strong police presence. But the North Shore area has been on the rise so we can all expect the area to improve greatly in the coming years.

Mexican War parking does not compete with the stadiums. At the last community meeting there were complaints from residence that art exhibition and block parties by the arts community took up space. Our community holds nationally recognized museums so this is understandable. Personally I have never had a problem with parking but hen again I walk almost everywhere. :)

You mentioned the borders of the Mexican War Streets have highways. The closest highway is two neighborhoods away -- through East Alleghany and Deutchtown National Historic district. Saying the Mexican War Streets borders a highway is like saying Shady Side borders a highway because Squirrel hill is near a freeway.

You mentioned the Mexican War Streets has shacks in neighborhoods at its borders. Again it is like condemning Shadyside for having East Liberty at its border.

Since I had to correct you so many times, one thing I will agree with is your apparent snotty suburban Pit or East End attitude is true to form. Northside was never gentrified and the reason for this is because the people in the War Streets are a bit more sophisticated than certain other conspicuous dwellers of neighborhoods.

Feel free to come back and have a look at the Mexican War Streets during the National Trust for Historic Preservation, nation wide convention. We will be showcased. The neighbor on my left is running the entire Pittsburgh show, the neighbor to my right serves martinis at the cocktail bar down the block -- ill let him know you will stop in after the convention and will need a martini being that you suffered through all of the crime and despair of our community.

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UrbaniDesDev Whistle-Stop

UrbaniDesDev

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The Mexican War Streets is one of the great communities of the country. I lived there for years. It has crime and has had a number of shootings. There are gangs and drugs. They rarely bother the residents there. The shootings have been gang related. the residents are probably one of the most metropolitan of the city and urban crime has little effect on them. I find it the most diverse community in the city. prices vary greatly from block to block. It is definately an area for pioneers, artists and the open minded. It has moved slower than I would have liked to see it mostly due to poor community strategies

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