I think it is the rivers, the hills and subsequent river valleys at this altitude (as in, low enough to make a difference), and to a much lesser extent the heat island nature of urban areas (although I would think Pittsburgh is too small to really contribute).

I blame the person that asked “which neighborhoods don’t get snow?”

I have no earthly idea why someone would downvote you for this.

1. 0-10% I usually make my determination based on a number of factors like if a restaurant is short staffed or they got my order really quick.

2. and 3. At least 20% I'm not totally sure why I would tip a driver less than a server. I've always tipped the same.

BONUS: If someone else pays for my meal or drink, I almost always tip what I was going to pay. I'm sure some people would think I'm crazy but, shit, times are tough. An extra $15 or $20 in cash might really help someone out. Nearly everyone I've known has been a server or a delivery driver. I just imagine how when they were young and broke, getting a little extra really made their day.

Randomness

And whatever snow other places around here are getting won't stick today. .we average about 50 inches of snow a year. Not all of it sticks. It doesn't need to stick to count as snow. A few days ago we had a micron stick but the official snow totals at nws were about 2.5 inches.

We’re the snownut hole

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🙄 I live downtown and love it. I can’t really understand the negativity around it when it’s so full of character, history, and things to do.

We had not-great experiences at a CCP practice, so I hesitate to recommend them. Dr. Clair at Pediatric Alliance Arcadia division is fabulous.

And Bellevue.

I have attached parking downtown, but most building managers will probably tell you what garage their residents prefer to use. Also consider that if you work downtown you might not actually need a car. Think of it like I did in college: you don't need a car, you probably just need a friend with a car.

Downtown without a car: You'll be reliant on Target and the strip district for groceries. Target is expensive (what isn't these days), probably 20-40% more than Aldi. You could take the bus on the busway to friendship/east liberty Aldi/Target/Trader Joe's/Whole Foods/Giant Eagle if you need things you can't get downtown.

Pros of downtown: Downtown gives almost unmatched public transit access to the rest of the city (many routs start in downtown). Most downtown destinations are walkable (cultural district, sports, the strip, market square, the point etc). If you work downtown, walking a block or two is convenient and sustainable vs driving a BMW from Cranberry. Downtown has bike lanes if that is your thing.

Cons: Dead after 9pm or so. Downtown caters to white collar workers who commute in to work. Coffee shops can close at 2pm. Restaurants can close at 9pm. Some businesses are not open on the weekends at all. Living in an urbanized area is noisy at night, there aren't the same protections for noise levels as in the neighborhoods (construction at 2am!).

Other thoughts: If your job is downtown, hat doesn't mean you have to live downtown, there are many neighborhoods with their own neighborhood centers that provide walkable groceries/shops etc. You can commute downtown via public transit fairly easily. You still might not need a car in places like East Liberty, Friendship and Shadyside.

Now I’m mad real mad joe jackson

It’s going to continue to get worse. Parents who are working 2 to 3 jobs just to make ends meet don’t have the mental capacity to parent their children. Instead, we get iPad kids, and children who are emotionally immature. This leads to children feeling neglected, and intern leads to negative behaviors and inappropriate handling of emotions. It literally all leads back to capitalism.

Then, throw in a teacher who is also overworked and underpaid, with zero support staff. Add in 30 to 60 students in a singular classroom. Teachers can’t be responsible for helping students work through and process emotions and teach an entire class a lesson.

Our country is in a state of chronic fatigue, and it’s just going to continue getting worse.

I tip at least 20% across the board.

Yeah, this comment makes it clear that you are fairly ignorant about Allderdice and about how wealth inequality works in general. You don’t become wealthy via osmosis. Exposure to people who have more than you for no discernible reason besides race or random happenstance doesn’t make you suddenly want to go out of your way to be perfect in every way imaginable. More likely, it makes you mad. And mad teenagers do stupid shit, especially when peer pressure is involved.

Beyond that, Allderdice is shockingly segregated and has been for decades. The PPS Gifted Program has historically been overwhelmingly full of white kids from “good neighborhoods.” Black students currently make up less than 35% of the students in the program, district-wide. That’s not because they aren’t hard workers or don’t have the capacity to excel at higher levels, but because they simply weren’t offered the same advantages as their white peers. So tons of brilliant kids are stuck in practically remedial mainstream classes by no fault of their own, bored out of their minds, with no resources to help them engage more and actually learn and excel.

And I feel like I need to mention again, wealth isn’t a communicable disease. Exposure to it doesn’t mean you’re more likely to become wealthy yourself, especially if that exposure is fleeting and superficial.

I think the real question is why live downtown?

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Sure. I was making the point that buses are cheaper overall even if you need more drivers to operate them. Whether you consider maintenance a capital cost or operating cost is besides the point

Dr. Pam Clair at Arcadia Pediatrics in the north hills is amazing!

I suggested this for a wedding a while back, but the trolley museum would be super cool! It’s near Canonsburg.

Counterpoint: Rail operations actually cost more money because you need to maintain the infrastructure 24/7. Check PRT's budget. Cost per passenger served is significantly higher for rail compared to bus.

Neighborhood pubs and taverns are always a good place to find blue collar folks after work. A lot of beer and shot bars like that are actually really cool in that they have really “Pittsburgh” heavy vibes and they’ve been around forever. Tons of history to be explored. Good luck on your search.

Dumbest idea of the day!

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People with road rage or an inherent inability to drive are much more of a risk to me than simply being in Shadyside, Homewood, Bloomfield, Wilkinsburg, Squirrel Hill, or anywhere else.

I have never once felt unsafe in any of the lower income neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh area.

The reality is that there is obviously a problem with SOME of the teens who are congregating in this area after school, and that it will take collective effort on behalf of Pittsburgh Public, PRT and the community to solve it.

But there are also a lot of people in this thread painting with some really broad brushes. According to the state, 41.6% percent of Allderdice students are economically disadvantaged. That means 58.4% percent are not. There is no way of anyone in this thread to know for sure what the socioeconomic demographics are of those who are causing problems. Everyone else is making a classist assumption.