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Goodbye Pittsburgh.


outapitts

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After living in the Pittsburgh region for our whole lives, my wife and I have decided to begin the process of moving. We can no longer take the stagnet atmosphere and lack of vision that this area has. Currently we are looking into Central PA, although we are open to other areas as well. The process of our exodus is still in it's infancy, however the goal is crystal clear: Anywhere but here.

Both of us were born and raised here and are now in our late 20's. I am self employed and my wife is utilizing her degree to the best of her ability, which means she makes about 30k less per year than she would nearly anywhere else. Not to mention that she is now with the third company in five years since she graduated, because of "cutbacks". We are both tired of the "wait and see", "on hold", and "times are tough right now" business climate in this area. This region has had more than enough time to re-vamp itself after the great steel downfall in the 80's. Instead the area is plauged by an out-dated union democrat way of dealing with the issues. We want no part of that. We both work hard and want to get ahead in this world. That will not happen for us if we remain in Pittsburgh. We have held-off on having children because neither one of us wants to raise a child here. We want our children to look at the world with optomism and exitement, instead of them being taught by their peers and neighbors to look forward to a union job and the "gold mine" of living off of a disability check for the rest of their lives.

We tried to sell our house last year, but our offers were about 1/2 of what we were asking, even though we had completely re-modeled the interior and made drastic improvements to the rest of the home (new windows, roof, etc). That's when someone mentioned HUD. The idea of "selling out" my home to the government makes me sort of sick, but if we can't sell this place then what choice do we have? Whatever it takes. We want out now.

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Not sure how to respond...sorry the offers for your house are low, but my home value just doubled. Sorry about your job and "cutbacks", but I found a great job, and several friends and family members have just moved here from Central PA and found great jobs and happiness.

The comments about optimism and excitement are especially absurd.... get out of your house and find it - there's so much here in terms of arts and culture... but I won't waste anymore of my time responding to your disgruntled one-time post. Good luck....swing the U-Haul into the Cracker Barrel outside of your new dreamy smalltown, PA residence, breathe a sigh of relief and think to yourself: "Now I'm livin' the dream, baby!".

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Not sure how to respond...sorry the offers for your house are low, but my home value just doubled. Sorry about your job and "cutbacks", but I found a great job, and several friends and family members have just moved here from Central PA and found great jobs and happiness.

The comments about optimism and excitement are especially absurd.... get out of your house and find it - there's so much here in terms of arts and culture... but I won't waste anymore of my time responding to your disgruntled one-time post. Good luck....swing the U-Haul into the Cracker Barrel outside of your new dreamy smalltown, PA residence, breathe a sigh of relief and think to yourself: "Now I'm livin' the dream, baby!".

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Other than mere spite, I'm not sure why you ventured to post on this forum at all. Is there a need for expressing your dismay with Pittsburgh? Discussion is encouraged on these forums, but I'm still scratching my head over why you might have posted. Good luck to you.

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Other than mere spite, I'm not sure why you ventured to post on this forum at all. Is there a need for expressing your dismay with Pittsburgh? Discussion is encouraged on these forums, but I'm still scratching my head over why you might have posted. Good luck to you.
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I'll agree that many cities are all too ready to open their coffers to craven business interests for the purpose of building sports stadia. I don't know the figures for Pittsburgh, but there may be some truth to what you say. Having visited Pittsburgh a few times, I have found it mostly pleasant. Just remember that these forums are populated with partisan souls who may not take kindly to an outright dismissal of their home turf. I hope you may find what you are seeking outside the urban environment.

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Interestingly, the Per Capita Personal Income for the Pittsburgh Economic Higher is significantly higher than "Central PA". Pittsburgh's PCPI is 100% of the national average and growing faster than the national rate of growth. Not sure where in Central PA you're moving to... but the Harrisburg-York-Lancaster-Williamsport Economic Area has a PCPI 94% of the national average... and the State College-Altoona-Johnstown EA has a PCPI at 76% of the national average.

Kudos for your inspiration to actually create an account with the name outapitts and make your personal story of failure your sole contribution to our little community here.

btw, outapitts... if you actually wanna learn some hard facts on the region's economic and population trends... instead of equating your own anecdotal experience with reality... check out the "Future of Metro Pittsburgh" thread in this forum: http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=29777

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Wow! I was going to suggest moving to the Pittsburgh of the south - Charlotte. But whew, with that attitude, I'm not too sure.

I have to admit, I kind of felt that way Outapit feels now, when I was there seven years ago, and I did leave. After arriving down here, I did have pangs of "did I do the right thing?" Overall, I love it down here, but don't have a strong desire to move back to the 'burgh.

Believe me, Charlotte has its problems too and is no utopia by a long shot. I do miss a LOT of the cultural experiences that I took for granted in the 'burgh. And I desperately miss Primanti's as well.

I love my hometown and do get back up there at least once a year. I, like MANY transplanted Pittsburghers here, show our Steeler, Pens and Pirates pride on our cars, flags on our houses and all sorts of clothing.

Pittsburgh, in my opinion, is still an old city. It has its grit, but is stretching its reach into the future with growth and cleanliness along the rivers. There is so much more to do now on the Southside, Strip District and pretty soon the North shore. Take a ride up and down 79 from Butler county to Washington county and you see growth and expansion of business.

Central PA, well, aside from State College (and I went to Penn State too) is great if you can handle being in a true college town. Even during the summer, with the arts festival, it can stay pretty hectic. But it still has an isolated feel. And some may very well like that. Being there puts you between the two big cities of Philly and Pittsburgh. Short drive to each - relatively speaking. Altoona - it ain't the big city. But as I mentioned, that may be the pace one seeks.

Before getting way off topic. For all of my fellow "hometowners" still in Pittsburgh, don't take Outapit's comments to heart. Every time I see one of these kinds of posts, everyone gets bent out of shape. Hey, no matter how many people move away, there still seems to be a ton of people still there, just based on all of the traffic that I deal with every time I go back. So there HAS to be a pretty big population there.

And Pittsburgh still keeps chugging along. It ISN'T going to fade away!

Even though I chose to move away, and I have a "home" in another city, Pittsburgh is HOME. And I think that those that are from Western PA, understand that ideology moreso than any other major city in the US.

I enjoy going "home" whenever I get the chance. And I know a bunch of others that do too!

OutaPit - I truly hope you find a good place to settle down and start a family. I just hope that you keep the values that we as "Pittsburghers" were raised with. Those aspects are what make us special and unique from any other part of the country.

And everyone reading this - just kick back with a cold Iron and relax!! :silly:

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It's funny you should call it my "personal story of failure", since I started my business @ age 19 and became a homeowner @ 23. How many people in this area can say the same? Most of the people from my high school graduating class are enjoying herion addiction, poverty, and pontiac grand ams right now.

Also I laugh out loud everytime I hear a Pittsburgher call Charlotte the "Pittsburgh of the South". That's about as accurate as calling Neville Island the "Key West of the North".

It's clear that some of you think Pittsburgh is the greatest place in the world to live, and you are certainly entitled to your opinion. However, when you knock Central PA and try to tell me Pittsburgh is such a better place, you sound absurd. Keep throwing me those statistics until you run out of them. We're talking about two completely different places. At least in central PA the air is cleaner, there's about 250lbs less litter per square yard, and more than one political party.

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Viewing your hometown with disdain is nothing new. By all means, get out and see some of the world. Doing so is good for you, and good for Pittsburgh. I applaud anyone who has left Pittsburgh and explored possibilities in a new location. The best of any region, leave that region.

Ironically, the demographic problem in Pittsburgh right now is that not enough people leave. Of course, since so few people are coming to the Burgh, the region can't afford to lose the folks currently living there.

I wasn't born and raised in Pittsburgh. In fact, I lived there for all of six months back in the late 1990s. But I love Pittsburgh. I see a place with great potential and energy. Opportunity abounds, if you know where to look. However, that's the provence of us outsiders. We will usher the region into the next era of prosperity (with the help of the Diaspora, of course).

As for Central PA, sons and daughters leave that region all the time for the same reasons you are leaving Pittsburgh. I hope you find what you are seeking, wherever you go.

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It's funny you should call it my "personal story of failure", since I started my business @ age 19 and became a homeowner @ 23. How many people in this area can say the same? Most of the people from my high school graduating class are enjoying herion addiction, poverty, and pontiac grand ams right now.

Also I laugh out loud everytime I hear a Pittsburgher call Charlotte the "Pittsburgh of the South". That's about as accurate as calling Neville Island the "Key West of the North".

It's clear that some of you think Pittsburgh is the greatest place in the world to live, and you are certainly entitled to your opinion. However, when you knock Central PA and try to tell me Pittsburgh is such a better place, you sound absurd. Keep throwing me those statistics until you run out of them. We're talking about two completely different places. At least in central PA the air is cleaner, there's about 250lbs less litter per square yard, and more than one political party.

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If that is your experience and how you feel, then you should go with it and see. It is good generally for people to live in different places. I left, not because of your reasons, but because having been out of college briefly, then was the time to try some place else. I do plan to go back to Pgh.

My only question - you joined the board to state this?

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Having moved here from CA a couple of years ago, I can understand the frustration with the negaburghers attitudes, but there are gems here. Congratualtions on your own business and home ownership at 23. It would be very difficult to do that in California unless you were from a wealthy family.

I think everyone should travel and live in other places before deciding on a location to settle in.

I wish you the best!

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Having moved here from CA a couple of years ago, I can understand the frustration with the negaburghers attitudes, but there are gems here. Congratualtions on your own business and home ownership at 23. It would be very difficult to do that in California unless you were from a wealthy family.

I think everyone should travel and live in other places before deciding on a location to settle in.

I wish you the best!

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Why not have two residences? It works for many and breaks up some of the monotony anywhere you live. I personally love the seasons, that is why I was drawn here. I think we have one of the most stable areas here ecologically. There is plenty of natural water (unlike socal where it is all imported from elsewhere).

I do think the Pittsburgh area, especially in the city, is a great real estate investment. So keep a part-time investment home for the summer.

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OutaPitts has finally discovered this site. He spends a great deal of time on another site constantly and consistantly thrashing and bashing Pittsburgh. His opinions are so bitter, so angry and obsessive. Now he is here. Its one thing to have a bad opinion of your own home town, but he is truly obsessed with spewing. Nothing ever constructive, just venom. I cant imagine what has happened to him here, or what he envisions if he goes elsewhere. If he takes the same attitude with him he will find only the same reception.

It wasnt just an occasional rant, but every thread, every day had a post of his poison. He has been doing it for years... dude get on with it... MOVE!

Even tho this thread has been very quiet lately, and he has jolted some life, atleast into this single thread, I hope he does not remain here. I will give you, outapitts, the same advice I gave you on the other thread. Get some help!

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The money being used to build the subway tunnel should be used to fix bridges instead? That's impossible. The port authority is not in charge of those bridges. And most of the money being used to build that tunnel is federal money anyway.

By the way the Homestead bridge is being fixed as we speak.

Aside from that I am only going to say this: Some comments in this thread seem like possible baiting to me, and I am going to keep a close eye on it.

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OutaPitts has finally discovered this site. He spends a great deal of time on another site constantly and consistantly thrashing and bashing Pittsburgh. His opinions are so bitter, so angry and obsessive. Now he is here. Its one thing to have a bad opinion of your own home town, but he is truly obsessed with spewing. Nothing ever constructive, just venom. I cant imagine what has happened to him here, or what he envisions if he goes elsewhere. If he takes the same attitude with him he will find only the same reception.

It wasnt just an occasional rant, but every thread, every day had a post of his poison. He has been doing it for years... dude get on with it... MOVE!

Even tho this thread has been very quiet lately, and he has jolted some life, atleast into this single thread, I hope he does not remain here. I will give you, outapitts, the same advice I gave you on the other thread. Get some help!

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I like what outapitts is saying. You can learn plenty from upset people. When the diplomatic walls come down all kinds of things that need to be said are said.

I got a laugh out of the "New People" comment. I hope he continues to critisize Pittsburgh within this thread. I will keep coming back to learn more. Personally I dont care what he may have said on another board because I will never go to that board and I hate to listen to gossip.

Rock on outapitts -- You are very welcome to say your thing in this thread. Trust me, everyone will continue to listen because you do make sense.

Brad

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OutaPitts has finally discovered this site. He spends a great deal of time on another site constantly and consistantly thrashing and bashing Pittsburgh. His opinions are so bitter, so angry and obsessive. Now he is here. Its one thing to have a bad opinion of your own home town, but he is truly obsessed with spewing. Nothing ever constructive, just venom. I cant imagine what has happened to him here, or what he envisions if he goes elsewhere. If he takes the same attitude with him he will find only the same reception.

It wasnt just an occasional rant, but every thread, every day had a post of his poison. He has been doing it for years... dude get on with it... MOVE!

Even tho this thread has been very quiet lately, and he has jolted some life, atleast into this single thread, I hope he does not remain here. I will give you, outapitts, the same advice I gave you on the other thread. Get some help!

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