Pittsburgh Homes Daily

If you can afford it, you’ll enjoy it.  The borough of Fox Chapel and the surrounding area has something for everyone.  Whether you have just moved there and are eligible for the Fox Chapel Area Newcomers’ Club, or you have been there so long that you feel comfortable catching up with John Kerry when he’s at the Heinz family estate, you’ll find it a great place to live and raise a family.  Like most places in Pittsburgh, they take pride in their community and seek to improve it, as evidenced by the Fox Chapel District Association (a good place to learn about the history of Fox Chapel).

If you’ve been following along this series, Fox Chapel is across the Allegheny River and a little bit north of Highland Park, about 12 miles from downtown Pittsburgh.  Directions from downtown and the PA turnpike are available on the borough of Fox Chapel website.  The nearby communities are Aspinwall, Indiana Township, and O’Hara Township.

Fox Chapel has a pdf file available of recent sales activity (1996 through the present).  You’ll notice that it is considerably more expensive than most of Pittsburgh.  From what I’ve read, Fox Chapel prides itself on its large lots and open spaces, which probably explains the difference in price.  It’s not the place to go for a Pittsburgh rowhouse.  The borough has its tax information on the website for prospective buyers as well.

The public school district in the area is the Fox Chapel Area School District.  Newsweek recently ranked Fox Chapel High School in the top 5% of public high schools in the country.  The district also performs pretty well on SchoolMatters — a service of Standard & Poor’s.  On the school website, there is a pdf format letter to prospective home buyers.  The school district also has set up a frequently asked questions page for prospective residents.  If you can afford Fox Chapel and you don’t trust public schools, try Shadyside Academy.

Shopaholics might be concerned that the borough of Fox Chapel website proudly proclaims that there are no businesses in the borough on its F.A.Q. page.  But you’ll be able to get your fix nearby, either at Waterworks Mall or the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills (a short drive away in Tarentum).  The lack of businesses seems part of the Fox Chapel philosophy of open green spaces.  You can read more about this at the Fox Chapel Area Land Trust.

If you’re wondering what people do in Fox Chapel, it looks like they prefer to play; there are a number of clubs dedicated to sports and recreation: the Pittsburgh Field Club, the Fox Chapel Golf Club, the Fox Chapel Racquet Club, and the Fox Chapel Area Youth Sports.

If you prefer to work out on your own, this map of trails and parks should be useful.