I'm looking for people from Pittsburgh to essentially share what's
their favorite outdoors activity in the area. For all those who are
from Pittsburgh or who have spent a few years there,could you tell me
about some of the outdoor activities that people of Pittsburgh enjoy
doing and which places (e.g. parks, bike trails etc) they go to?
I could have got this info from the website of the city, but wanted to
hear from some more ?original and authentic? answer, hence I?m
bothering you.

Also, what could be given as a good reason for a couple in their late
twenties to relocate to Pittsburgh for a job?

Thanks

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Request for Question Clarification by siliconsamurai-ga on 02 Apr 2006 07:19 PDT

Hi, 
Perhaps you would consider my comments an answer?

It is unlikely you will get much additional input after this amount of time.

Anyway, don't know where you are now, but Pittsburgh is probably a
good move. If you move to Oakland it is like being in a giant
university town with the benefit that there is also a big business
side to the city.

Good reasons? It's a reasonably small geographic area and relatively
easy to get around in with lots of strong ethnic neighborhoods, decent
housing prices, and a strong medical/high tech market.

There is also a great grand prix race every summer.

As far as the arts go, it is useful to remember that there is also a
Carnegie hall in Pittsburgh - the real Carnegie also so it isn't
exactly like living in the middle of Death Valley.

Reasons against - weak infrastructure. My friends who live there (CMU
types) have far more power and water outages than I do and I live on a
remote (for central PA) ranch.

I?ve lived in Pittsburgh for 11 years now.  I?ll leave the outdoor
recreation part of the question to someone who does more of it, except
to say please check out http://www.wpfi.org/ .  They are real people
who do not work for the city.

Also, in regard to the earlier commenter, the infrastructure varies
widely in different neighborhoods, and once you are outside of the
city itself, is even more varied.  I lived in one suburb that had
power outages constantly.  The suburb where I live in now has them
only very rarely, maybe a couple of times a summer during
thunderstorms.  Same thing with water ? I?ve had one problem in the
six years in my current house.  I don?t know what the problem is in
the CMU area (Oakland), but I daresay it is not typical.  I?m not sure
what grand prix race there is here, though.

Reasons for a young couple to move to Pittsburgh:

?	The cost of living is extremely low.  You can buy a starter house
for well under $100,000 in the city or close suburbs.

?	Three major league sports teams (if the gaming board does the right
thing and awards the slots license to the Isle of Capri so the
Penguins can get a new arena and stay).

?	Lots of college sports.

?	You are already a couple, so the lack of educated single people won?t bother you.

?	As mentioned, lots of highbrow cultural activities, both at Carnegie
Hall (which is in Oakland) and downtown, where the symphony, ballet,
and Civic Light Opera are.

?	Many other types of music, arts and sports activities including the
Arts Festival and Regatta.

?	A good public transportation system.

?	In addition to medicine and high tech, banking is big here.  Jobs
won?t pay what they do in other areas of the country, but again, the
cost of living is very low.

Thank you all for your comments, you've been really helpful.
Really appreciate it.

Try Judy's Book!
http://www.judysbook.com/

Pittsburgh ? Sports & Recreation
http://www.judysbook.com/cities/pittsburgh/Recreation-and-Sports/*/p1/6/

This is a great place to get information about things to do in your local city!

Here's some other links which may be useful. I actually had a
pittsburgh web site but can't post that link here. Instead I compiled
a few of the better links:

www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cp/maps/listings.html

www.carnegielibrary.org/subject/art/

www.artistsandcities.org/ice_house.html

www.carnegielibrary.org/locations/musicart/links/art.html#onlineartists

www.carnegielibrary.org/subject/art/

www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cp/html/census_map.html

Those Carnegie Library and the City sites have plenty of info.