Pittsburgh Homes Daily

About half an hour north of Pittsburgh, you’ll leave Allegheny County and its high property taxes behind.  Butler County is the home of growing Cranberry Township (about 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh at the intersection of I-79 and the PA Turnpike).  Butler County is also the home of the city of Butler and Butler Township (of course), about thirty miles from Pittsburgh (an hour according to Yahoo).

Whether you are looking for new developments in Cranberry or a sense of history and cheaper living in the city of Butler, you’ll enjoy the convenience of living near a big city without the same hole in your pocketbook.  From the pictures on the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission website, you’ll see that Butler County is quite charming.  For those who aren’t interested in charm, the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission website is also a good place to visit if you’ve got an insane obsession with demographic information.

According to Wikipedia, Cranberry Township is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States and harbors almost every major business found in Pittsburgh except a Kmart, a bowling alley and a pool hall.  At the intersection of I-79 and I-76 (the PA Turnpike), its location provides it easy access to transportation and steady traffic from travelers.  Many citizens of Cranberry were attracted by the same benefits that attracted businesses to Cranberry.  Because of the attraction of people and businesses, Money Magazine called it “One of America’s 50 hottest little boom towns.” (Still prominently displayed on the Cranberry Township website, even though it looks like the story ran way back in the mid-1990s?).  More recent news about Cranberry can be found in the Cranberry Journal.

If you are interested in business in Cranberry, the Cranberry Area Chamber of Commerce is the place to start.  If you are just visiting the area, play a round at Cranberry Highlands, a golf course that proclaims itself one of Western Pennsylvania’s premier golf courses.

Butler is a bit farther away from Pittsburgh than Cranberry, but not far enough that there isn’t bus transportation.  While you are on your trip, you’ll have plenty of time to read the local newpaper, the Butler Eagle.

There’s a lot of good information around about Butler and Butler County, including:

• The Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, whose resources include where to eat, shop, and stay in Butler County, as well as things to do;
• The Greater Pittsburgh Region Metroguide on Butler County;
• Slippery Rock University’s Butler County page; and
• Inside Butler County, which carries local news and headlines.