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No-Camp9363 OP t1_ix0odnd wrote

Thank you for all of the replies. It does feel like a good fit. I actually feel really excited about the area. I have looked and researched online for two years trying to find the right place, not just one that is good enough. There is no perfect place, but I want better.

We are in the mountains south of SF. It takes two hours to get there so we don't go often.

True that it is not the midwest. I forget that. My family is all still in the Canton/Akron area of Ohio.

What suburbs should we focus on? I would like good schools that support gifted children and well as those with delays. My son is in first grade and fits the bill for both, but our district won't give him much assistance because they are not funded.

I do worry about the air. I have read conflicting opinions on it, but my 4 yr daughter has viral asthma after an rsv infection as a newborn and her lungs will likely never fully heal. She needs breathing treatments with every cold and has chronic sinus issues.

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BusyPhase t1_ix0r1jv wrote

As for what suburbs to focus on, I'm sure the locals will know better than I, but I've heard great things about Upper Saint Claire, Fox Chapel, Mt Lebanon, and North Allegheny school district being the best (McCandless.)

As for the air quality, look online to see if you can find statistics over the past couple of years and compare it to places your children have been. Everyone seems to be all over the place with their opinions of it.

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pAul2437 t1_ix3iv8t wrote

Neither Ross nor sewickley are north Allegheny

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countrymanor t1_ix1149q wrote

For ease of getting to and from Akron/Canton I would recommend the Northern and Western suburbs. Sewickley and Moon are very nice in the West. Sewickley has a very cute/quaint downtown area. Gibsonia, Pine Township and Cranberry are also very nice in the North/North Hills areas. Moon and Sewickley are 20 minutes from the city but have a fairly easy commute into the Downtown area for access to hospitals etc. when needed and you don't have to deal with the the daily hassle of the roads/ traffic situations that exist in some of the closer in neighborhoods where you generally also get much smaller homes with much smaller lots.

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No-Scrubs-1974 t1_ix1qlzy wrote

South Fayette school district was always high rated. And it’s not close to any mills that I can think of. air quality in the mon valley area usually sucks thanks to Clairton works. That can reach out towards homestead too. But you wouldn’t wanna go to that district anyway.

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dingurth1 t1_ix2c2bv wrote

regarding the air, I think the locals make a bigger fuss about it than is warranted. Yes there are bad parts downwind from plants, but those are easy to look up and avoid. If you're in a suburb you're going to be pretty ok.

For reference, I recently relocated from LA, which typically has 80 days per year where the air is bad enough that people with asthma should be on high alert. In Pittsburgh its only 15 days per year. I'm not sure what the northern CA numbers are but I assume they're closer to LA than Pittsburgh so I think a move here would be a similar improvement in air quality.

With everything else I think Pittsburgh fits your bill. It did for me and so far I love it here.

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SaturnRisingReddit t1_ix3qfx7 wrote

Check the air quality reports when you are looking at neighborhoods. There are nice suburbs north, south, and east of the city proper - you can find mixed density and single-family zoned. (Mixed for the win). The main hospitals are in the central Oakland area and it is not difficult to get to them from almost anywhere, and it is not difficult to get downtown usually. Normal mid-sized city traffic. Hillman Center center is great and CHP in Lawrenceville is a regional magnet for your kid. (I am biased I work for them)

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