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timesuck t1_ix0jme0 wrote

While I don’t think you should necessarily cross Pittsburgh off your list, I’ll say I think there are going to be a lot of things you don’t like once you get here. The people take a lot of warming up to and you will have some. . .challenging interactions. Pittsburgh is NOT The Midwest and if you do not have family here it can be hard to find your rhythm.

Also, coming from a large metro, as an adult, you will be bored. Just prepare. Pittsburgh has museums, sure, but ultimately it is small. You won’t have the same access to food and entertainment that you would in a larger area. Also this can be an issue if you ever want to switch jobs. Opportunities can be limited depending on your field.

The air quality sucks. Everyone loves to pretend it’s not a problem, but it is. New cracker plant just opened and we continue to let the local steel mills in town continually pump garbage into the air. You will feel it and smell it.

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Upbeat_Estimate1501 t1_ix22hxt wrote

Also I have to say moving here from the east coast I was NOT prepared for the weather. the cloudiness and Seasonal Affective Disorder completely demolished me my first few years, took me a while to get used to not seeing the sun. I'm used to hard winter, but not just clouds and more clouds.

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mabellerose t1_ix23y7y wrote

> Also, coming from a large metro, as an adult, you will be bored.

Prior to moving to Pittsburgh, I lived my entire adult life in Chicago and LA, and so far I don’t find myself bored here at all. While there aren’t as many offerings, and they aren’t as diverse, I find whatever I want to do here to be much more accessible, especially compared to LA, because the traffic is easier, the cost is lower, the crowds smaller, the weather’s sometimes milder (yes, really, sometimes it is), and there’s not so much gatekeeping, one way or another. YMMV.

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timesuck t1_ix2dbn4 wrote

I think it’s exactly like you said. YMMV. I also moved here from LA and while I can see what you’re saying (except about the weather), things being easier is not enough to make up for the lack of things to do for everyone.

I’ve been here for awhile now and this is a small town. I’ve watched a lot of friends come here from the coasts and go back to the coasts. You have to accept the lower cost of living options along with the lower cost of living and that’s not for everyone. I wish I would have had a clearer idea of that before I moved.

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Legitimate_Plum9 t1_ix2hmjv wrote

>The air quality sucks. Everyone loves to pretend it’s not a problem, but it is. New cracker plant just opened and we continue to let the local steel mills in town continually pump garbage into the air. You will feel it and smell it.

The sky was literally orange in the bay area not that long. Maybe Pittsburgh has air quality problems but I've never walked outside and thought the sky was on fire.

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BusyPhase t1_ix0oixm wrote

I've been here for a year now and still don't understand the issue with air quality. The AQI is always so much better than any other place I've lived. I never "feel it or smell it." I'm definitely not a fan of the cracker plant though. At least it's far north.

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timesuck t1_ix15f0i wrote

This article does a pretty good job of summing up the current state of things.

We did not have many inversions and Code Orange days this summer (thank goodness), but 2020-2021 was brutal. Consistently the city smells bad enough that there’s an app to track it. It’s definitely a problem, especially for those with respiratory issues and over the long term.

A lot of it also depends on your distance from the emitters. You’re less likely to experience it if you are at an elevation or further away from the problems (Edgar Thompson and McConway and Torley).

edit: here’s an article about our area’s increased cancer risk because of pollution.

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BusyPhase t1_ix16dkx wrote

No wonder I've never noticed it. Every city I've lived in has had worst air quality. 😂 Thank you for the info! OP should be fine considering the worst air quality is mainly CA.

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