Pittsburgh Homes Daily

Pittsburgh Crime Down

PHD — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:16:14 +0000

A preliminary report from the FBI has noted a slight decrease in violent crime in Pittsburgh and a dramatic decrease in property crimes in 2007. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review coverage is here.

Ahhh - Hacked

PHD — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:41:20 +0000

So I discovered that someone dumped some code linking to a bunch of spammy sites into my last two posts. I’ve since eliminated it and upgraded wordpress - so - here’s my TEST POST to see if I’ve got it fixed or if I’ve got to go back to the drawing board.

Upper St Clair Best for Intellectual Retirees.

PHD — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:20:55 +0000

The U.S. News & World Report named Upper St. Clair one of “The 10 Brainiest Places to Retire.” USNWR was looking for thriving intellectual and cultural centers where retired individuals who want to keep on learning can stay as busy as they want to be - and with Pittsburgh’s thriving downtown area and 29 colleges and universities - the editors found plenty to offer here.

RiverParc Suspended

PHD — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:27:58 +0000

The downtown Pittsburgh cultural district project that was once called one of the linchpins of the revitalization of the City of Pittsburgh and a project without equal in the United States was indefinitely suspended last month by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust blamed the poor economy and credit markets as the cause of the suspension, but the lead developer on RiverParc, Concord Eastridge, blamed mismanagement and a loss of nerve by the Cultural Trust - and is reportedly considering its legal options.

Although Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said that the majority of Pittsburgh projects are going forward, I’ve wondered for a few months when Pittsburgh would start to see the suspension or cancellation of projects that other cities have seen. Although the credit crunch is the stated reason, it seems likely that flat to declining real estate prices and sales - the loss of easy revenue from the development of housing - is also to blame.

I’m curious regarding the practical effect of the suspension of the project on the surrounding area. It may have been preferable to cancel the project altogether and put in place an alternative plan for use or development of the area. Now, with an indefinite suspension, the area may be waiting for a long time for the return to normalization of the credit markets and the rebuilding of support for the project. With the choice words spoken by the current developer about the management of the project, I suspect that the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust would have to smooth some serious concerns about its leadership before another developer would step forward. And in the meantime, a section of the city is frozen awaiting the development or announcement of new plans for the area.

Recent News Coverage: Post-Gazette, Tribune-Review (here and here)
Past Pittsburgh Homes Daily articles about the project: Riverfront Pittsburgh

South Side Historic Home Tour

PHD — Sat, 31 May 2008 20:45:19 +0000

The South Side’s 17th Annual Historic Home Tour is coming up on June 17th from 10 AM to 4 PM. Advance tickets are $12.

Photo by brunkfordbraun with a Creative Commons license.

Pittsburgh Art Festivals

PHD — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:13:04 +0000

With all of the opportunities to observe art in Pittsburgh, it’s no wonder that Pittsburgh was named one of the five best places for the creative class (read more here).

Starting June 6th, the Three Rivers Arts Festival will descend onto the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. Apparently, they didn’t hear that there is a shortage of shipping containers in the United States right now. They have purchased ten used shipping containers to drop onto the streets of Pittsburgh during the festival to create makeshift art galleries - allowing patrons to enjoy the art exhibits rain or shine. Read more in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

There’s a lot that you can do with a container!

The Three Rivers Arts Festival (which will once again be forced from its traditional location because of the Point State Park construction) will not be the only major art festival to call Pittsburgh home this year. For 16 days in October, the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts will be making another appearance (the first Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts was in 2004) to celebrate contemporary art which hasn’t been previously exhibited in the United States. Read more in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Photo by caterina via a creative commons license.

Pittsburgh Marathon - Welcome Back!

PHD — Fri, 23 May 2008 23:49:46 +0000

In what is being called a positive sign for the city of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Marathon will run in 2009 for the first time since 2003, thanks to sponsorship by Dick’s Sporting Goods. It will be the 20th running of the Pittsburgh Marathon.

Read more in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, or the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Photo by Joe Shlabotnik via a creative commons license.

Market Square Rally - Much to Celebrate!

PHD — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:07:02 +0000

At Noon on Friday, when Pittsburgh Penguins fans rally at Market Square to celebrate the Penguins Stanley Cup Finals appearance against the Detroit Red Wings, they’ll have much more to celebrate than the Penguins successful hockey season.

They’ll be able to celebrate the absence of bus noise, the renovations leading to Market Square Place, the redesign of Market Square (more in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review), and Market Square’s Stay & Play Fridays.

North Shore Hotel Approved

PHD — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:09:54 +0000

Development on Pittsburgh’s North Shore continues.

The Pittsburgh Planning Commission approved the Hyatt Place hotel near PNC Park despite the opposition of Pittsburgh United, which will have an opportunity to air its concerns in front of the Pittsburgh City Council.

The nearby Marriott Residence Inn on the North Shore broke ground this month and is scheduled for completion in Fall 2009.

Other North Shore development projects include the North Shore Connector, the Majestic Star Casino, and Federal-North.

Pittsburgh Real Estate Market Heating Up?

PHD — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:21:04 +0000

Dare I even suggest that the Pittsburgh real estate market is heating up in 2008?

And to do so at a time when foreclosures in the Pittsburgh area set a near record in the first quarter, with economists believing that the Pennsylvania housing market could still get worse, and with the amount of sales activity and the median home price on the decline.

Why would I even suggest that the Pittsburgh housing market would do anything other than decline? Well - The Pittsburgh Business Times reports that foreclosures are down in Pittsburgh. And two articles in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently - which you can check out for yourself - are titled Downtown Condos Selling Fast & When houses are hot, they’re hot.