OWH article on Pittsburch's Downtown residential boom

Kansas City, Denver, Minneapolis, and Coast to Coast

Moderators: Coyote, nebugeater, Brad, Omaha Cowboy, BRoss

Post Reply
StreetsOfOmaha
City Council
Posts: 6865
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 4:46 pm

OWH article on Pittsburch's Downtown residential boom

Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

Does this not TOTALLY sound like Omaha?

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10597626
Published Sunday    March 29, 2009
Urban boom and bustle in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (AP)

...While bigger cities like Miami and Phoenix struggle with mass foreclosures and stalled housing projects, Pittsburgh is enjoying something of a renaissance...

...All the bustle will eventually lead to thousands of square feet of retail space including a new YMCA, a light-rail extension, a new hockey arena, a slots casino and a $5 million renovation of Market Square, a historic courtyard-type area ringed by restaurants, bars and coffee shops...

...Since 2001, when Pittsburgh began actively working to bring residents downtown, the population has more than doubled, from barely 2,500 in 2000 to 5,174 in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau...

...Currently, there are almost 1,500 occupied downtown units, not including student apartments. Within five years, that number is expected to rise to nearly 2,700, only including projects already planned, said Patricia Burk, vice president of housing and development at the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership...

...In cities such as Miami, Las Vegas and Phoenix, homes have lost more than 20 percent of their value since 2006, and new construction has largely come to a standstill...

..."Five years from now," he said, "downtown Pittsburgh is going to look dramatically different than it looks now."...
DTO Luv
City Council
Posts: 9678
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 4:22 pm

Post by DTO Luv »

DTO has a higher population than Pittsburgh? Go Omaha.
DTO
User avatar
Big E
City Council
Posts: 8017
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:12 am

Post by Big E »

DTO Luv wrote:DTO has a higher population than Pittsburgh? Go Omaha.
Downtown Pittsburgh is actually pretty kick |expletive|.  It gets a bad rap in my opinion (or no rap, which might be worse).  You can tell it is a city that had it's boom during the industrial revolution: there's lots of deco, lots of grit and a whole crapload of potential.  If it were closer to a coast it would be much more high profile.
Stable genius.
User avatar
TitosBuritoBarn
Planning Board
Posts: 3035
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 7:08 pm
Location: St. Louis

Post by TitosBuritoBarn »

Pittsburch, eh? Where's that? Mighigan?
almighty_tuna
City Council
Posts: 105418
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:34 pm
Location: Somewhere between downtown and Colorado
Contact:

Post by almighty_tuna »

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:Pittsburch, eh? Where's that? Mighigan?
New England...  :;):
User avatar
Big E
City Council
Posts: 8017
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:12 am

Post by Big E »

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:Pittsburch, eh? Where's that? Mighigan?
Says the who spells "burrito" wrong...   :;):
Stable genius.
DTO Luv
City Council
Posts: 9678
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 4:22 pm

Post by DTO Luv »

Big E wrote:
DTO Luv wrote:DTO has a higher population than Pittsburgh? Go Omaha.
Downtown Pittsburgh is actually pretty kick |expletive|.  It gets a bad rap in my opinion (or no rap, which might be worse).  You can tell it is a city that had it's boom during the industrial revolution: there's lots of deco, lots of grit and a whole crapload of potential.  If it were closer to a coast it would be much more high profile.
I had a cousin that went to school there and she loved the place. You're right about it's popularity based on location. Myy family in NJ thinks of Pitt as being the "midwest". :roll:
DTO
User avatar
Big E
City Council
Posts: 8017
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:12 am

Post by Big E »

DTO Luv wrote:Myy family in NJ thinks of Pitt as being the "midwest". :roll:
I would actually tend to agree with them.  I think locally we misidentify ourselves as the Midwest when we should consider ourselves the Plains.  But whatever.

That's not nearly as important nationally as the argument as to what is Midtown vs the middle of town. :D
Stable genius.
DTO Luv
City Council
Posts: 9678
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 4:22 pm

Post by DTO Luv »

I really hate to go off on this but how the |expletive| are we not the midwest? I HATE that term the great plains. We're in the MIDdle of the country and WEST of the Mississipi river. MID-WEST.
DTO
User avatar
Big E
City Council
Posts: 8017
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:12 am

Post by Big E »

Well, you're essentially making the same argument as people who think Midtown is 114th and Dodge.

To people in Scottsbluff, Omaha is east, but it sure as heck ain't the East.
Stable genius.
User avatar
Stargazer
County Board
Posts: 4106
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:06 am
Location: Bennington

Post by Stargazer »

My son and I must have missed the gritty parts when we were visiting Pitt/CMU.

It looked absolutely gorgeous to me (makes you wish we didn't have these 'wonderful' wide streets here) ... maybe just the tiniest bit of run down area between downtown and the universities.  Otherwise, I'd say Omaha's way grittier.  This looked to be a city which re-invented itself AFTER the steel bust... to me.  The historic neighborhoods clinging to the surrounding bluffs is almost as impressive as the skyline.

Image
Shoot for the Moon... if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
User avatar
Big E
City Council
Posts: 8017
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:12 am

Post by Big E »

Stargazer wrote:My son and I must have missed the gritty parts when we were visiting Pitt/CMU.
Well, I suppose in fairness I was in Pittsburgh the day after the hurricane that put most of downtown under water (when NU played Pitt in 2002 or 03, whatever it was).

That whole park/marina area in the bottom left was under water, as were the roads that line downtown against the river.  On Sunday when the water went away there were boats in the streets around the stadiums (just left out of that frame).  Pretty wild stuff.

I'm assuming you took the incline-thingies up to take that photo?
Stable genius.
User avatar
Brad
City Council
Posts: 1033312
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2004 6:03 pm
Location: Omaha, NE
Contact:

Post by Brad »

Stargazer wrote:Image
Incredible photo Jeff!!!  That's why Council Bluffs needs a few observation towers along the river!
DTO Luv
City Council
Posts: 9678
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 4:22 pm

Post by DTO Luv »

I'm pretty sure Jeff didn't take that but nice pic none the less.
DTO
User avatar
nativeomahan
County Board
Posts: 5316
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:46 pm
Location: Omaha and Puerto Vallarta

Post by nativeomahan »

Pittsburgh is a fantastic town!  While the metro population stagnates, the downtown is rockin', and there is an alternative shopping/dining district not too far away.  Did you know that Andy Warhol was from Pittsburgh, and there is a wonderful Warhol museum just across the river from downtown.  This is one of few cities I have been to that is actually MUCH hillier than Omaha.  They have a great airport, as well.
User avatar
Stargazer
County Board
Posts: 4106
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:06 am
Location: Bennington

Post by Stargazer »

Yeah, we didn't have time to take any pictures... we covered Nashville, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh by car in three days (including commute time)... and I did ALL the driving.
Shoot for the Moon... if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
User avatar
Big E
City Council
Posts: 8017
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:12 am

Post by Big E »

nativeomahan wrote:Did you know that Andy Warhol was from Pittsburgh, and there is a wonderful Warhol museum just across the river from downtown.
YES.  Damn thing was under water when we were there.
Stable genius.
DTO Luv
City Council
Posts: 9678
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 4:22 pm

Post by DTO Luv »

Here's an update I found on DT Pittsburgh's population. I still think it's impressive that Omaha has double the DT population of a metro of over 2M.

Landlords like chances for growing population in Downtown area
Tribune-Review wrote:Since the 2000 census, Downtown's population has increased 25 percent and stood at an estimated 2,148 as of the end of 2008

Add 2,428 university and technical students, as well as 89 private houses and other housing and the total population within the Golden Triangle was about 4,576 at the end of 2008, according to the Downtown Partnership.
DTO
StreetsOfOmaha
City Council
Posts: 6865
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2004 4:46 pm

Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

And what's DT Omaha again, D'Shawn?
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
DTO Luv
City Council
Posts: 9678
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 4:22 pm

Post by DTO Luv »

Around 8,000.
DTO
the1wags
County Board
Posts: 3850
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 7:43 pm
Location: Denver
Contact:

Post by the1wags »

This link says 5240 for the 68102 zip code.

http://www.brainyzip.com/zipcodes/68/68102.html

City Data says that 5240 is from 2000 and gives a 2007 guess at 5670.
http://www.city-data.com/zips/68102.html

Image
Post Reply