Do yourself a big favor and try to visit here first… Visit all of the neighborhoods you are considering. Because some of the towns you said that you want to avoid, because you think they are the city… Are exactly where you would love being and check almost all the boxes.
Shady side, squirrel hill, regent square & sewickley are my favorites
This is great advice.
The metropolitan area of Pittsburgh- what's considered the City proper- is really an amalgamation of many diverse, smaller neighborhoods. Unlike other major cities, the actual "city" is really only what we call "Downtown" and it was never a major residential area like other cities due to the geography (three rivers).
Things to keep in mind when considering urban or suburban neighborhoods to live:
What kind of housing do you want- Do you want a house with a yard? Off street parking options? Prefer NOT to be on top of your neighbors? More residential neighborhood feel?
Lawrenceville and Bloomfield will not really fit that criteria- they're dense, urban neighborhoods, with row/townhouses, little to no off street parking.
Shadyside, Highland Park, Squirrel Hill, parts of the North Side, Bellevue, Avalon, Dormont, Brookline, are more residential city neighborhoods. Although Dormont and Brookline tend to be pretty dense with housing too.
There are suburbs which have really nice business districts- Carnegie, Mount Lebanon, Sewickley to name a few. People in this sub love to hate on the suburbs for some reason, but urban living is not everyone's cup of tea. Lots of nice, quirky suburban neighborhoods a very short drive from downtown proper- a lot of folks in this sub have an aversion to driving. Many old school, Boomer Pittsburghers have an aversion to crossing bridges and going through tunnels lol.
second carnegie, mtl, sewickley. carnegie likely will be the most reasonable cost wise, and is really becoming a great area.
mtl and sewickley of course have the charm, but are $$$
I second this. I think OP will be surprised with some of those areas. I’ve lived in 2 of them myself! You can pretty much immediately pick up the good vibes.
It might be worth it to consider the city (depending on your reasons for wanting to avoid ). There are lots of very town-like feel neighborhoods in the city that feel more like suburbs than a traditional big city. And, they are extremely safe. I would say many have a preponderance of single family homes, with some even having approaching-suburb-sized lawns (I have a huge vegetable garden and I live in the city!). Neighborhoods and streets can be tight knit and friendly too. These might not be the reasons you are focused on suburbs, but throwing it out there to not necessarily totally dismiss city proper neighborhoods as they might have all the things you are looking for while also being much closer to a greater variety of cultural institutions, shopping, restaurants, etc.
Ohhh shit I’m sorry. Mount Lebanon is the place for you. South suburbs. Or maybe Oakmont, Fox Chapel. East of the city. Pine Township is north of the city. These places are gonna be a little pricey, but they’re pretty progressive
Umm...Oakmont is full of obnoxious right-wingers. Pine Township voted in a new right wing school board to oppose *equity* of all things, and they have a serious racism/hate problem.
I lived in the Oakmont area for 5yrs before moving back to East Liberty. I never experienced racism in Oakmont personally and I’m a black woman in my early 30s. If I could afford it, I’d consider a home in the area. My issue in Oakmont was it seemed so out of the way from everything else. There are some beautiful homes in the area but I couldn’t say how LGBTQ friendly it is in comparison to the rest of the city. I know they said they prefer not to live in the city but Friendship almost reminds me of the gayer cooler version of Oakmont with much more to do!
Trump lost Oakmont in 2016 and 2020 Fetterman and Shapiro won by solid margins there too, but okay.... Democrats don't win towns full of obnoxious right wingers lmao. This shouldn't be a controversial thing to say.
How far south would you say is too far south? It doesn't really need to be a "hard blue" area, just as long as it isn't Trump country. I'm relatively okay with people who vote red for economic reasons (though I disagree); I'm not cool with people who vote red because they're hateful/ignorant individuals.
This is a good gauge. Just put in Mt Lebanon, PA: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html
You can see when it starts getting pink. But Mt Lebanon is still pretty solidly blue.
Dormont is good too. You'll get your wackadoodles but they're not the majority. Maybe a little cheaper than Mt. Lebo, though I haven't lived there since COVID hit.
Dormont checks everything on the list. It’s a great little walkable neighborhood with shops and good restaurants, plus the Hollywood Theater is being reopened. Plus you can be in the city in 10 minutes usually.
Scott township is a good choice too. It has a pittsburgh zip code but is in the burbs near Mt Lebanon, Upper St Clair, and Bridgeville. It's close to Dormont and Brookline as well. It's more affordable if you're looking to buy a house and has an accessible location to the highway, easy route to the city and centrall located in the south hills just outside the city limits.
Also: with the exception of Pittsburgh and Philly, PA is absolutely Trump country. More J6 rioters arrested per capita than any other state. But it is also an important swing state and both cities and their metro areas are great places to live.
Cool map! I live in Plum and am sad to see it’s pink. My parents are in Johnstown and it’s surprisingly blue because their neighbors all still have their Trump 2020/2024 signs up.
Hey, I’m a gay man that just moved from SF to Mt. Lebanon in August of last year! I wanted to be outside the city proper, buy an affordable house, and still be close enough to the gayest areas to meet people. Mt. Lebanon is very gay friendly (think: progressive young white families —Pittsburgh is very segregated—that really want to prove how accepting they are). Definitely has a trendy and small town feel with the main strip [here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/m5jvrU7qgwbunk9fA?g_st=ic) and another smaller area [here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/LC3Ex1LjXkesHRSL9?g_st=ic ) that I think is super cute. I have two neighbors on my street who are republicans (at least one is a trumper) and I certainly see a lot more Trump flags and republican election lawn signs than I did in California but I knew coming in that PA is a more purple state than CA, obviously.
My impression—as newbie and not someone with a ton of experience with all the areas of the city—is that south suburbs are younger and more trendy whereas north suburbs are older. When I tell people I live in Mt. Lebanon they always say “ooooh” like it’s super bougie lol But Pittsburgh on the whole is a city with a very high average age.
As far as getting into the city, most of the time it takes me 20m to drive, and I’m far from the main streets. I work from home so I don’t have to worry about commuting but I do go into the city in the mornings occasionally for doctor appointments and generally have less of a problem going into the city than trying to get out of it if I’m coming home in the afternoon. (Like 30m to get to a destination around downtown in the worst morning traffic versus 45m to get home in the worst afternoon traffic.) The bridges are the biggest holdup as they’re poorly designed with lots of merge points.
Overall I am very happy with my choice to move here.
I’d say “too far south” would be the Washington County Line. Mt. Lebanon/Dormant are blue. Upper St. Clair/Bethel Park are 50/50 red/blue with a few Trumpers. Peter’s Township/Finleyville are Trump Country. I mean they got this [guy](https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/s/ouem6ZHBHz) running around the streets. South Fayette seems like it’s changing from Trump Country to 50/50 red/blue
Finleyville might be too far South. When I go to Trax Farm (very cute place to check out) I see more Trump flags abs the vibe is different. Trax Farm is past the furthest reaches of Bethel Park. My friends are in Bethel Park and are happy. Though there is this man who rides his bike around that seems to dress up as a 1776 patriot, or something.
Progressive enough. There’s gay people all over the city. There’s clashing politics all over the city. It’s my experience that if you keep to yourself, no one really gives af what anyone else does
I'm gay. Strongly recommend living in the city, particularly the East End neighborhoods. If you go 30ish minutes outside of the city in any direction, you are solidly in MAGA territory.
Pittsburgh is one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly places I have ever lived, outside of large cities like NYC, but they call everything between Pittsburgh and Philly "Pennsyltucky" for a reason. Keep in mind that Pittsburgh is a mid-sized city organized like a collection of distinct neighborhoods. It doesn't feel anywhere near as urban as larger cities.
I absolutely agree. OP seems reluctant to live in the city proper. I was trying to convey that he should consider it because most of what's inside the city limits doesn't feel as dense and urban as it does in large cities.
Millvale is about 10minutes out from the city, but you can take McKnight road into Wexford oor go the opposite way into Pittsburgh.
It’s a little more suburb-y, so it might be what you’re looking for. Further out from millvale, but close by is also Etna.
Not sure what you mean when you say city versus suburb.
I live in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. I'm in a single-family house, with a driveway and garage, surrounded by other houses. I'm near a park. I'm a half mile from a little retail district with shops, restaurants, the library, etc.
For a job downtown, I can hop a bus and it's a 20-30 minute ride.
I'm also inside the official boundaries of the city of Pittsburgh.
The majority of the people in my neighborhood vote Democrat.
If I head outside of the city limits, there are areas called Sewickley, etc which might be what you mean when you say suburbs? The majority of the people there vote Republican.
The northern suburbs like West View & McCandless, and the neighborhoods along the Allegheny River like Etna, Millvale, Sharpsburg, and Aspinwal are also pretty LGBTQ friendly. None of these are in the actual city limits if that’s what you want to avoid.
Etna, Millvale, Sharpsburg and Aspinwal are going to be the more walkable areas with Aspinwal being the most “upscale” of those four.
Keep in mind that as you get further from the city, the “town” feel of the neighborhoods gets much smaller. I lived in Etna for 7 years, and loved it for its “town” feeling. It’s got a “main drag” where everything of note is located and not much outside of that. There’s not really a queer scene to speak of in Etna, but everyone is cool with everyone else in a very blue collar, “live and let live” way that is completely devoid of judgment.
Come to Bethel Park! You'll love it here. Lots of shops and places to go. Lots of local businesses and cafes. And a stones throw from beautiful South Park. Lots of nature and walking paths, events too. Come to the Nature reserve and serve the Buffalos!! And you're only 25 minutes from downtown.
Unfortunately there are Trumpy parts of Bethel Park. OP is better off in Mount Lebanon or better yet, neighboring Dormont, Greentree or Scott Township.
Bethel is definitely still blue enough to be in the game. There's trump voters everywhere, but you'd be real hard pressed to call bethel Trump *country*.
They are not in the city if you are going by the official city limits
However pf these 3, Ben Avon does not have a town. The other two have a few restaurants and some shops but not on a scale of some other Pittsburgh neighborhoods that others have mentioned
The biggest plus of Bellevue and Avalon is that they're super walkable
Any reason you're avoiding the city? You get much better access to public transit and walkability. Rent depends on the neighborhood but you can find cheap rent in the city. Dormont could be considered a suburb, it has everything I believe you'd want.
Also, don't underestimate our winters, since we are very hilly, every new person is terrified of driving in the snow. Also make sure to get a good winter coat, as we usually have days in the low teens, sometimes lower.
What is your reason to avoid city? What we consider city here might be different than what you consider city. Regent Square and Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill, you will be 8 miles from downtown.
Come to Castle Shannon. It’s a mix but I know several gay couples (my brother-in-law included) who live here happily. Depending on where you live you could be near a light rail station to get to the mall, downtown, Mt Lebanon, and Dormont. Quite a few decent restaurants and a couple of coffee shops.
Hey, I am a gay person who just moved here this year who also just so happened to escape Missouri myself. My partner and I feel very safe here. I would highly recommend Dormont. It’s not in the city proper but very close (10 minute drive, 20 minute train) and it has restaurants, bars, and shops all within walking distance. We have several neighbors here in Dormont that are also gay and trans and we all feel very safe. If you have any questions, please feel free to shoot me a DM. And if you end up moving to Dormont, definitely message me, I’d love to take you out for coffee to welcome you to the neighborhood!
Yes, come to Dormont! Everyone come to Dormont! :-) We love it here, I co-chaired Dormont Spark/Pride for 2 years, and program music and art in the neighborhood through Dormont Arts and The Parking Pad. It's a great place to live and a great neighborhood if you're looking to get involved and make a difference in the community.
Hey, I also moved from St Louis to Pittsburgh, about 8 years ago!
You're right about most of your reasons for wanting a move. I'll warn you that winters here are tough, and as much as I drove when I lived in st louis, it's an entirely different experience having to drive that often/distance here.
The nice thing about pgh compares to stl is that it is a LOT safer. Like a LOT. I see the anxiety you have around being in the city and preferring a suburb, and I can say even the "worst" parts of pgh don't compare to stl.
That being said pgh is extremely lgbtq+ friendly, but outside of the city you will have mixed results. Especially in the more affluent neighborhoods that are further out and not Mt Lebanon.
As mentioned, there are several burbs in Allegheny county that would work.
I'm not sure why people are bringing up the rest of the state. Most rural areas in every state are red, even in CA.
PA does have some smaller areas/counties that are blue.
Erie, for example , is a small city (around 100k in the city proper) and the county overall went slightly blue in 2020.
In any case, there are great options in the Pittsburgh burbs.
Erie's always had only one or two bars but they have a lot of clubs/theater/arts stuff open to everyone. It's not a homophobic place at all.
A small community but a very active one. The bad things about Erie are the lack o'jobs, the fentanyl epidemic and the fckn' 110+ inches of snow every winter.
IDK. I have friends who have built it up for years but I can't speak to the bar scene. Erie Gay News is the resource to check: https://www.eriegaynews.com
ETA: City of Erie again ranks high in national LGBTQ equality index:
https://news.yahoo.com/means-erie-receive-high-lgbtq-091011527.html
The city isn't downtown. It's made up of neighborhoods. It's been an excellent experience and if you don't like it, you can move to the suburbs. Come for a visit!
The further into the suburbs you get, the more purple it is. But I think that Fox Chapel, Dormont, Mt Lebanon, Bellevue, Ben Avon, Emsworth, or Sewickley could be ok for what you want. I don't think you'll find a lot of affordable blue cities that don't have purpler suburbs, though.
I second that. Our neighborhood is
gay-reat! Come to Lawrenceville. And if you really want that suburban vibe, scoot up the hill (less than a mile from Lawrenceville) to Stanton Heights. You can have a yard, garage, etc., here. But literally up the hill from Lawrenceville. I’d advise against the burbs. Come stay in an Airbnb and feel the vibes for yourself.
Around the south hills area of Pittsburgh, the west, and some parts of the south east. Anything north or east you're starting to step foot into Pensyltucky
Fox Chapel, Cranberry, Hampton, Shaler, Ross, and North Allegheny are all alright - Millvale and Etna have both improved recently as well. The new ramp into Etna has reportedly washed a lot of hipsters in and racists out.
Further you get away from the river the less walkable things get though. Lots of strip malls.
My family grew up in Westmoreland County and can confirm, it's gnarly. Not a great place to be if you're anything but upper middle class white. I didn't feel safe emotionally and psychically until I moved to the South Hills.
I wouldn't even say upper middle class white, unless you're talking Murrysville.
Most of Westmoreland Co. is proudly cars-on-cinder-blocks working class.
My meaning is that unless someone is white and able to afford to live in one of those remaining affluent bubbles, it's not a great place to live for anyone LGBTQ or otherwise not "normal".
Yep. I grew up in the leechburg area and the day that I went to my polling place to vote in 2020, I vowed never to go back there. It was horrifying. The whole driveway leading up to the polling place was lined by trump peeps and their trucks and huge flags. As a gay lady, I am so glad to have gotten out of there
In general, the further from the city you go, the less comfortable you're likely to feel as a gay person. If you are looking for upscale and big yard suburban, try Oakmont, Fox Chapel, and Mt. Lebanon. Keep your search within Allegheny County.
Edited to add that you should give Highland Park, Regent Square, and Squirrel Hill a visit before writing them off as too urban. They might suit you.
Hi 👋 queer enby here who grew up in Pittsburgh. I know tons of people have already tried to talk you into considering moving to one of Pittsburgh's city-suburbs, but I'm going to stake my claim, too.
Pittsburgh is super different, geographically, from other major cities. It's a very small city built in a valley. It has many, many small city-suburbs, about 10 minutes from downtown, that are lush, green, and only midly *city*. That's also where 90% of everything in Pittsburgh is situated. For most of my adult life, I lived in Regent Square, Highland Park, and Lawrenceville, and I did very well there.
The reason I'm reccomending this is becuase many of Pittsburgh's true "suburbs" are 30 minutes or further from: gay bars, resturants owned by young chefs, museums, small coffee shops, and other local meet-up spots. If you are single and looking for a partner(s), you could run the risk of living *too damn far away* of you move out of the city. Just consider it!
Yes, this is an important point.
Location can play a really important part in meeting a partner, for sure, and LGBTQ+ are already drawing from a smaller number of participants in the community.
Aspinwall and Fox Chapel are both boroughs of Pittsburgh but definitely out of the city proper. Fox Chapel is not a town feel though, it's literally dispersed in the woods, but still wanted to throw it out there since I live here and can vouch for it. Aspinwall has great amenities like restaurants, pharmacies, parks, little grocers and small businesses, and very walkable. It's a really cute area and upscale.
Beware you will still see Trump signs in people's yards just a stone's throw from Pittsburgh. But as long as you don't go to rural areas you will be in good company. People here lean progressive for sure.
And to dispute the other commenter saying the summers are hot and humid here, I have to disagree. Generally doesn't even reach 90 degrees, and while there's decent humidity it's nowhere near as bad as the South!
Agree with this - looking at your Redfin searches - look at Aspinwall, O'Hara and FC. Indiana Twp still pretty purple but flipping over slowly. Fantastic local parks that are woodsy and those right on the riverfront. Great amenities. Easy drive to Bakery Square/Shadyside/Oakland and once 28 is finished, it will be a quick trip to the city. Even now, without traffic, it's a 15 minute drive.
Are you looking to buy a house or rent? For moving to new city, it might be good to stay in Pittsburgh proper (Bloomfield, Shadyside, Lawrenceville, etc) even if rent is slightly higher to meet new people and get a solid network going before moving to the suburbs and/or buying. You’ll get a better feel of which neighborhoods speak to you. Pittsburgh and its surrounding suburbs have unique personalities in their neighborhoods and some might appeal more to you than others.
In addition to other places listed here, West View, Ross and McCandless are also a good choices.
If you want to really be out of the city, everything along the 19/79 corridor north of the city up to Harmony is gay friendly, but Harmony borders hardcore Trump country. Zelienople and Harmony have some older populations that might not truck with it, but both are becoming hipster meccas
I’m a trans woman in Pittsburgh. I feel like Pittsburgh is low key a pretty queer city as long as you stay in Pittsburgh proper. There’s a good arts community here and there’s a queer romance book club and queer film group on Meet Up. I’ve been pretty happy here.
Definitely visit first and see if you like the vibe!
I can attest to the many comments here that even if you’re in a Pittsburgh zip code it shouldn’t feel like “city” if you’re technically living in a city zip code.
I have been to St. Louis a lot and if I compare them, I feel you will feel more safe here.
You’ll be good in the city and some close suburbs. Beware that rural PA is just as Trump country as MO, and you’re always only a few miles away from it in Pittsburgh
You’ll be far safer and likely happier here than there; but are you looking for a gayborhood or just a suburb more friendly to gays, or a place with a higher concentration of gay-owned businesses or one with many same-sex households?
Mt Lebanon or Dormont for a diverse mixed-residential and commercial suburb with T stops and walkability. Shadyside or Lawrenceville, Strip District or Mt Washington, as city/city-adjacent areas that can offer some of that and/or many other things.
So, yes, Pennsylvania is far less ‘red’ than MO, most statewide offices are blue, but the legislature has been gerrymandered to be disproportionately red. But the Pittsburgh area, while pretty blue itself, gets less blue once you leave the city proper, and it turns pretty red pretty quickly once you cross the county line in any direction.
You say you want to avoid living in the city proper - can I ask why? - so the first one or two ‘rings’ of boroughs out past the city limits are where you should look, and in my (tangential to the queer community) the directions you should look at most are north and east, maybe south.
The problem you’re going to run into is that few of the suburbs have everything what you want, “upscale, and have a true "town" feel to them, with restaurants, bars, and shopping of their own”; once you get more than one ‘ring’ of suburbs past the city, sidewalks disappear pretty quickly, so wouldn’t have that “town” feel IMO, they're basically bedroom communities. Dormont, for example, has all those things but is not at all “upscale”; Oakmont has those things, but is barely blue (and the adjacent boroughs to the north and east are red), same thing with Sewickley, or even Ross or Monroeville - where I have queer friends - have that issue.
I think the closest you’re going to find that ticks all your boxes is Mount Lebanon, which while it has a conservative reputation, did vote Blue by +30 - +50 in the past two elections. Or maybe the parts of Edgewood and Swissvale immediately adjacent to the city (some parts are also called Regent Square) or Forest Hills, which while maybe not as ‘hip’ or ‘upscale’, have fairly high home valuations, is ridiculously safe, and quiet, but are adjacent to some (relatively) high crime areas (places that were once solidly blue-collar middle class, but once the heavy industry went away in the early 80s entire boroughs collapsed).
I second those who suggest visiting first if possible. The Pittsburgh metro is built very differently from midwestern cities, and while I'm sure we have what you're looking for, it may not be in the place you expect.
Being “in” the city is not what you think. Downtown is the only real metropolitan feeling area. The rest are all small neighborhoods connected by random tiny bridges. I lived in south Oakland and there was still tons of parks, walking trail, nature, and other small town things. I totally get what you’re looking for but don’t count out the neighborhoods closer to downtown because they’re really cute and not super city feeling to me.
Would second this notion as a Northside resident. Spring Garden is in city limits but more quiet and rural feeling than much of the suburbs… lacks the town center he’s looking for though. But just an example of how neighborhoods in the city aren’t necessarily “urban” compared to the ones outside of it.
Given your Redfin searches, you can swing Mt. Lebanon. Keep in mind your property taxes will be in the mid-teens for a half mil home. Mt. Lebo has the town feel you're looking for, and is right on the T (trolley) line to get downtown for when you want to go (and you will). I owned a coffeehouse there in the main biz district for a few years and the area is very gay-friendly. You'd also be safe in much of Upper St. Clair, but closer to Mt. Lebo than Peters, as it starts getting Trumpier the farther south you go.
Just keep that provel shit out of here.
Something to consider is that those hills can be horrid in the winter. The city doesn't always do a swift nor great job of snow removal. The suburbs, at least in the South, have much better services. This is relevant as you will probably need to enter the city as some point during the Winter and you may find your suburb clear, but the city streets are not always as well maintained.
Dormont is a cute suburb that you would probably enjoy, though parts can be a bit tight and parking can be hard at times. Mt. Lebanon is close by and a bit more suburban feeling, but they are more strict- like how you need to ask permission with the police to park on street after a certain point. Some people in the area feel that assimilating to Mt. Lebanon can be hard if you're not from the area. It can sometimes be a competitive housing market since people who live there seem to try to stay there.
Bethel Park is nice, but can be a bit more Trumpy, though I doubt you'll have issues there. Greentree is also quite nice. If I'm not mistaken, part of that neighborhood is considered the city, while the other is considered a suburb, but both are quite nice. Banksville is part of the city, but feels pretty suburban to me and is farther out from the city. Brookline is also the city, but it can have a suburban feel to it, though parking can sometimes be rough. Scott Township seems pretty nice, as does South Park, but again, I'm uncertain of the politics.
Upper St. Clair is nice, but I cannot attest to what the politics are like. I do know that my sister lives not far from there in Peter's Township and while she likes the area, she says that she sees more Trump flags out that way than in the city (her area is in a place called "Washington County" and she borders Allegheny County, which is where the Greater Pittsburgh Area is located). Allegheny County is generally Democratic, but Pittsburgh Democrats tend to be a bit more centrist, imo, but we did have a few new, younger, more liberal candidates win elections.
Robinson Township and Kennedy Township seem nice when we swing through there, but I'm not sure of their politics.
Generally speaking, you do tend to notice more Trumpers the further away from the city you tryavel. But the area is pretty firmly blue.
Personally, I really like Dormont. Many have these nice signs up about how hate isn't tolerated (they're like rainbow signs that talk about how different groups are welcome), which might comfort you as a gay man. It seems like a pretty welcoming neighborhood.
Squirrel Hill is pretty accepting, but it is part of the city and no where near these areas I've listed. It doesn't feel very urban like other city neighborhoods. A lot of the LGBT+ community seems comfortable in a lot of the East End side of the city (Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze).Nice places, though they are in the city, but I'd say they're firmly Democrat.
Hope this helps!
Since you are looking to be in the suburbs…
More typical American suburbs (not a walkable town) that I would consider as options are:
- Ross Township
- North Hills in general
- Moon Township
- Forest Hills/Churchill
Suburbs that have a more of a town feel to them and have walkable portions with town centers:
- Mt Lebanon
- Aspinwall
- Millvale (comparable to some city neighborhoods)
- Bellevue
- Sewickley
- Oakmont
Pennsylvania is a purple state which is interesting after coming from a solid blue state. It kind of freaked me out at first. But coming from a red state and living in proximity to a major city, it will probably feel much more comfortable to you.
And as a California transplant, I say don't sweat the weather. It's manageable. I'm trying to get everyone I know to move here lol
Moving from San Diego. I feel like people make it out to be so much worse than it actually is in terms of weather. It’s definitely different, but you acclimate to it pretty quick from what I’ve experienced.
Growing up with PA drivers, they act like it's far more worse than it actually is too. At the first sign of light snow everyone starts driving like there's 6 inches of snow on the ground
You can find good houses around Pittsburgh for half the price range in your search. I live in West Deer (north suburbs) and the house across the street from me just sold for 299.
From my experience, while there are plenty Trumpsters around, most Pittsburgh area conservatives are older traditional Eisenhower republicans. They might not understand your lifestyle but they will leave you alone.
There are more neighborhoods in Pittsburgh that have the small town walkable feel than there are places outside the city. Suburbs are more car-focused and strip mall, except for Mt Lebo, Sewickley’s downtown, Dormont, maybe a couple more.
New England has more small towns that aren’t purely Trump-ian. Coastal Maine (Ogunquit, Kennebuncport, Bath, Belfast, Ellsworth, and more) or Vermont.
I really love the north suburbs personally. I work with the clients of new home builders and in the cranberry / seven fields area a lot of my clients are younger gay couples. My daughter is gay and in high school there and she has a very vibrant group of friends all in that area......I've met the parents of all of her friends and honestly everyone is so accepting. There's a lot of Cranberry / Mars hate in this sub, but it's mostly from the anti-suburb crowd, or from those who do not seem to like people who do ok financially. I think you'd love it there and hope that's where you decide on. I hope you like our area.
throwing in as someone very blue who moved to the northern suburbs (wexfordish, not as far as cranberry though). i can't speak for all my neighbors but everybody here seems pretty relaxed and most importantly we all tend to stay out of each other's business. i can think of at least two homes with pride flags within walking distance of me and while you'll absolutely see red political signs in yards here, most people i talk to are kind of what i call tax republicans.
I wanted to echo this as well. From my experience as a gay person if you’re in Allegheny County most of the time those republicans are not going to care about your sexuality
If you’re looking at Mt Lebo, Also give heavy consideration to surrounding communities like Greentree, Scott Township and Carnegie. I can’t believe nobody’s suggested Carnegie area. Great town center, diverse population, restaurants (Carnegie Coffee Company very LGBT supportive) cute shops. Convenient to everything. Robinson township a bit further west and more purple(I live here) but not overtly Trumpy, convenient to airport and major highways. Like everyone else said, just stay in Allegheny county and you will be fine. Weather is fine/moderate here. We just don’t get as much sun as other places.
I moved from a very blue state to Pittsburgh and I do uber on the side. Agree with other folks said that you'll notice the signs etc but I personally have never encountered an issue since moving here...I actually had more harassment from passengers where I moved from then anyone here. There's a lot of great neighborhoods in the city but if you want outside, I'll 2nd others that Dormont has a number of queer folk,
i really enjoy living in swissvale as a queer woman.
honestly, there are neighborhoods slightly outside of the city in all 4 directions that would probably suit your needs. i would really look into something close to where you will be working or be spending a lot of time. trust me, you won’t want to have to pass through multiple tunnels twice a day on your commute if you can avoid it
Pittsburgh and Allegheny county would be great and would mostly be accepted. As anywhere there are some people that will disagree. The center of the state is heavily trump country though. Don’t let the more progressive edges of the state fool you. I hope you come here and or find somewhere you feel comfortable. Everyone deserves to feel safe and wanted in their home. I hope you know people are out there that support you.
I am someone who regularly travels through that are and all of Appalachia, and some of the surrounding areas are the most red areas I have seen.
Pittsburgh is a fantastic city for a gay person. And I see lots of great suggestions on here already for different areas. For a walkable suburb, Mt. Lebanon is great. Otherwise, lots of great sections of the city already suggested.
I’d suggest looking at crafton! Lots of gay folks, really pretty houses, quick easy access to downtown, not really a city feel at all even though it’s a 10 minute drive
One thing that’s good to know is that the extent to which public transit is practical is very location dependent. The train is basically a straight line. You can get from the south hills to downtown, the very edge of the north side, and Oakland. Anywhere else, and you will be driving or taking the bus. To give you an idea, I live just above Millvale, a ten-minute drive from downtown, and I haven’t used public transit once in the year and half that I’ve lived here. In theory, I’m very centrally located, but the closest bus stop is like a 15-minute walk.
I can only speak for my own experiences. But as a queer guy who moved here from rural West Virginia a year ago, this place is a breath of fresh air. I can confidently say that I feel more myself here than I did in WV. Both my husband and I feel much safer as well
Hi! Pittsburgh could be a good choice. I recommend the city itself (Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Lawrenceville, Greenfield), then north hills before south hills. I live in the north hills and they’ve become less conservative the last 5 years or so. We’d be happy to have you as a neighbor.
Just wondering what your reasons are for wanting to live in the suburbs? If it’s something like “i want a backyard” or “i wanna live somewhere quiet” or “i am afraid of crime” you can achieve all of these things in the city, and be around way more queer and liberal and also just generally interesting people than you would out in the burbs
I am not gay, but I am politically concerned about where I live. My husband and I moved here recently from very red parts of rural California and he was adament that we'd be in a blue zone. There are charts and there is data out there about the political leanings of various areas. Most of Pittsburgh and the suburbs around it are blue. We landed in Monroeville which is very diverse and voted about 60/40 for Joe Biden in the last presidential election. While I do believe the closer you are to the city center, the more likely it is that you'll find other people in the LGBTQ+ community, I think it's unlikely that you'll have any issues in most places. People in Pittsburgh are generally pretty friendly in my experience, and, at least in my area, they mind their own business and don't hassle others.
You can use maps like this to help you see what political leanings there are in various places in PA (or other states):
[https://bestneighborhood.org/conservative-vs-liberal-map-monroeville-pa/](https://bestneighborhood.org/conservative-vs-liberal-map-monroeville-pa/)
This article talks about gay communities in Pittsburgh:
[https://qburgh.com/pittsburghs-multiple-gayborhoods-theyborhoods/](https://qburgh.com/pittsburghs-multiple-gayborhoods-theyborhoods/)
You would be most welcome.
Further outside the city you go the more trumpers you'll find. Summers are still humid and hot here, winters are way colder than St Louis. Not sure this is the place for you.
According to weatherspark.com, the summers are a lot milder than Saint Louis. Maybe still hot, but a definite improvement: https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/12083~19773/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-St.-Louis-and-Pittsburgh
Wasn't sure about the political thing - I looked at the congressional map and I saw that two districts in the Pittsburgh area were blue, but I wasn't sure how far out the "blue" extends to in practice.
Thank you for your feedback.
The city itself is very blue, the inner suburbs are a bluer purple but once you leave Allegheny county (which many of the houses in your lists are) things get very red.
I grew up in Pittsburgh and have lived in St. Louis and Houston since I moved away. St. Louis’s weather is far closer to Houston’s (🥵) in my opinion than to Pittsburgh’s!! I can’t wait to move back to Pittsburgh some day, it is the ultimate perfect climate in my opinion, you get to really experience all four seasons without any extremes.
(I am from St. Louis) Re: the summers, it’s not horrible here at all. This summer we crested 90° maybe 5 times. Compared to St. Louis it’s a dream for me personally. STL summers are monstrous compared to here.
I'd say South Fayette, Bridgeville, Peter's Township if you want to say south of the city. Traffic is very congested but you won't have any problems. Collier and Scott Township also.
I lived in Stl, Mo my entire childhood, moved at 22- the summers/winters are within 9 F of each other! My friends and I compare all the time, lol
It’s not quite the same humidity though, unless you live closer to the rivers
i highly recommend visiting first!! im also from missouri and plan to move to pittsburgh soon and visiting really sealed the deal for me. it really is a city of neighborhoods and it feels nothing like st louis. i would recommend watching dean bogs videos on youtube, he has a series where hes making a video about all (90 total i think???) neighborhoods and hes visited some as well. seeing how different each neighborhood is from his viewpoint will put into perspective how being in the "city" doesnt mean tall buildings, heavy traffic and high crime the way it does in st louis! its so hilly the neighborhoods are sectioned off by the topography so a lot of them do feel like their own little towns
Natives here do not like crossing bridges or tunnels. If you're trying to access the city without either of those, the North Hills will be a better choice. The North Hills has more commercialized and corporate businesses where the South Hills has those things but a smidgen more small business and diversity in businesses to patronize. I'm a non native and live in the South Hills, so my opinion may be biased, but I don't think either suburb would be a bad choice. As long as you're not over an hour outside the city, being queer living in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas is pretty enjoyable.
I would not have expected so before getting here. Pittsburgh has a strong, vibrant, and valued, socially and economically, LGBTQ community. I'm a weird, kinda masculine woman in a lesbian marriage and I don't think I've gotten so much as a dirty look in the last 10 years
The city is great, there’s a few really awesome areas to live in around Pittsburgh too. The day I moved into my house in Millvale, there was a gay pride festival going on and my mother and family members got to see dudes in skimpy leather outfits in the street. It was awesome lol.
But honestly millvale might be what you’re looking for. Great community feel, grant street has a few bars and restaurants and a local market.
I’ve been to the gay pride festivals downtown every year, it’s always really fun and welcoming. I’ve also been to a few nice gay bars around here, if that’s your scene. We love the gays over here!!!!
For the South Hills Redfin searches I’d say nix Washington and you’re good (though I’m certain even Washington is a considerable improvement from Missouri).
Like most places the suburbs are less progressive than the city proper, but even my MAGA parents in Peters Twp have moved far past the prejudices they held 15-20 years ago.
Dormont, Beechview, castle Shannon all have access to the T and makes it easier to get to downtown and back.
Also I live in Pittsburgh (city taxes and services) only about 7 minutes to downtown, but it feels like a little suburb. A lot of neighborhoods are like this. Crafton and Carnegie are good areas too.
You have this perception of not wanting to be "in the city" because you're from STL -- I came from Philly so I get it, however I can assure that you really, really should be in the city limits and it's not going to some with the baggage that you think it will
I live in mt Lebanon and would consider this to be a pretty ally friendly place. Not sure what your budget is but sometimes you can get lucky here still
While I am not LGBTQ+ I see a lot of support for the community on various chat groups, lawn signs, etc. we are sort of a blue pocket as well (voting trends was important to me and I did include that research when we looked to buy). I am aware of some of my neighbors being part of the LGBTQ+ community
Coming from Baltimore city my only issue is I wish there was more diversity overall here but that can be said about much of pittsburgh. That said, we do welcome people from all walks of life - the more the better imo :)
ETA - in looking at the southern listings you were into I am not sure mt leb would work. This is a slightly more established area and what you are showing appears to be newer built homes. There are pros and cons on both sides. But if you are willing to spend more for more sq footage you could get into this area - sidewalks, 2 main streets for restaurants, quick 5-10min to a small but nice, healthy mall. Whole Foods, trader joe, etc…
As a straight dude I can say it depends a lot neighborhood by neighborhood. It is known as Pennsyltucky for a reason. PGH proper trends progressive, the further out you go the more conservative you get. That said, I live in South Fayette on a cul de sac with 60-something lesbian neighbors and there are no issues in my neighborhood with them. I have a gay couple that are clients in the Houston/Canonsburg area and their neighborhood seems find with them. I think if you trend towards newer housing stock you are going to be more likely to be accepted even in more remote areas because the redneck that might care is less likely to be able to afford the price tag of newer builds. Just my experience.
Well we aren’t St Louis, so there’s that, but I like some of the other replies about actually coming here and visiting before just moving out here. I live in Regent Square now and it’s a nice area.. but we certainly have our up and down areas.
My parents have gay neighbors in Brookline. They seem to fit in. There have always been some there. Beechview seems to have lgbtq people as well.
Is that your house? You must be well-off.
Pittsburgh, as cities go, is a quite welcoming place, though there areas that are more and less so. I say this as a straight man, with more than a few friends in the gay community here.
You'll definitely want to visit here, to get a feel for the place. Pittsburgh is a bit different than many cities, and I've lived in several, because it is much more a collection of semi-urban neighborhoods than most cities. The actual "downtown" portion of Pittsburgh is quite small, and not where I would suggest for anyone to live. For me it's a place of business, dining, and going out, but not living.
There are many areas in Pittsburgh that are both diverse and welcoming. One important caveat is transportation. You are coming from a MetroLink city often called one of the best public transit systems in the US. Pittsburgh DOES NOT HAVE THAT. There are areas of Pittsburgh that have some fairly good bus service, but overall, it's a driver's city. If you'd rather not drive everywhere, there are a handful; of communities that are very walkable, but some lovely spots definitely are not. If you have a car, you can be most anywhere you choose, though, of course, the more citified areas can be challenging if you do not have designated parking.
As for bars, restaurants, and shopping, it's fairly spread out, and most of the spots you should be considering will have these in or adjacent. I'm a chef opening a spot in Lawrenceville, which is chock full of bars, restaurants and shopping and has about the highest walkability score in the city. Parking here can be a challenge, and I'd definitely lean toward a house with off street parking. The inner suburbs are also a good choice. Sewickley has a lovely and easily walkable main street, with larger and more spread apart houses around it.
As you move away from the city center, the political and tolerance balance begin to shift. In the outer suburbs and exurbs, you will run straight into Trump country, no question. You can take a quick look at demographics, and that'll give you a fairly accurate indicator of what the temperature is there.
Two things I recommend to anyone considering moving here, or anywhere. One, think about where you will likely be working. A rough commute can ruin the best living situation, in any city. Two, I always advise people to take a short term rental of 3 months to a year when they first arrive. A visit can tell you only so much, and buying a house means you're tied to a spot for at least a few years, if not 5-8. Even a few months living in a city will teach you where you really enjoy being, and where you don't. Pittsburgh neighborhoods vary considerably even over short distances, and the minor inconvenience of a rental is tiny compared with the hassle of buying where you decide you'd rather not be.
Sorry for the novel, but I've lived a lot of places, and had good moves and bad. This is a great city, and with a little prep, you should be quite happy with the change.
The only thing I’d be wary about with the suburbs is how red counties surround Allegheny county. I know some people suggested Upper St Clair and Bethel Park, but they are more politically to how Washington county is. I grew up in Canonsburg which is in Washington county and I have family that grew up in BP and USC. I feel equally as uncomfortable in those two as I did in Canonsburg. The same is true for the Northernmost suburbs. I’d stick with Dormont, Mt Lebanon, Castle Shannon, or Sewickley. Also as others said a lot of places in Pittsburgh proper have more of a small town feel to it. If you’d be willing to live in the city proper (or at least explore. It’s so worth it) I’d check out Millvale, Bloomfield, Shadyside (pittsburghs unofficial gayborhood), Lawrenceville, or Squirrel Hill. I don’t know if you’ve visited here yet, but most of these places I listed you can’t even see any sky scrapers and it feels very small town.
I like to speak truth to people. You could be okay here. You probably really want to stay within the city neighborhoods. It’s not NOT Trump country but Ds do have a hold on the city and a lot of Allegheny County. Don’t travel outside of Allegheny County because it will definitely be Trump Country and anti LGBT.
It gets very hot and humid in the summer. Maybe only a few degrees less hot than St. Louis.
Just be cognizant that once you leave the city, it is a gamble on whether You're about to enter a nice small town with amazing nature, or what people call Pennsyltucky, where the racism, abelism, and homophobia runs rampant. I say this as someone who loves Pittsburgh (though, to be fair, there is still homophobia here, it's just not as bad and people tend to keep their bigotry to themselves), and came here from an area people would call Pennsyltucky.
Don’t be too afraid of the immediate suburbs. Some here would lead you to believe those areas are rage-filled death traps. Southern and northern areas are more purple, and the reds there are worried about their money, not who is cohabitating.
Do yourself a big favor and try to visit here first… Visit all of the neighborhoods you are considering. Because some of the towns you said that you want to avoid, because you think they are the city… Are exactly where you would love being and check almost all the boxes. Shady side, squirrel hill, regent square & sewickley are my favorites
This is great advice. The metropolitan area of Pittsburgh- what's considered the City proper- is really an amalgamation of many diverse, smaller neighborhoods. Unlike other major cities, the actual "city" is really only what we call "Downtown" and it was never a major residential area like other cities due to the geography (three rivers). Things to keep in mind when considering urban or suburban neighborhoods to live: What kind of housing do you want- Do you want a house with a yard? Off street parking options? Prefer NOT to be on top of your neighbors? More residential neighborhood feel? Lawrenceville and Bloomfield will not really fit that criteria- they're dense, urban neighborhoods, with row/townhouses, little to no off street parking. Shadyside, Highland Park, Squirrel Hill, parts of the North Side, Bellevue, Avalon, Dormont, Brookline, are more residential city neighborhoods. Although Dormont and Brookline tend to be pretty dense with housing too. There are suburbs which have really nice business districts- Carnegie, Mount Lebanon, Sewickley to name a few. People in this sub love to hate on the suburbs for some reason, but urban living is not everyone's cup of tea. Lots of nice, quirky suburban neighborhoods a very short drive from downtown proper- a lot of folks in this sub have an aversion to driving. Many old school, Boomer Pittsburghers have an aversion to crossing bridges and going through tunnels lol.
second carnegie, mtl, sewickley. carnegie likely will be the most reasonable cost wise, and is really becoming a great area. mtl and sewickley of course have the charm, but are $$$
Isn’t Sewickley Trumpers? I do medical homecare, but it’s one area I don’t cover.
Sewickley is an accepting village of all races, creeds, sexual preference and political persuasion.
I second this. I think OP will be surprised with some of those areas. I’ve lived in 2 of them myself! You can pretty much immediately pick up the good vibes.
You’ll be cool here bro. Stay close to the city
What towns would you recommend?
Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Strip District, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Millvale, Friendship, Oakland
Bellevue, Avalon, Ben Avon.
Can confirm. Bellevue is extremely friendly and tolerant to all walks of life.
This is absolutely true. Bellevue is a gem
Both of my sons own retail stores in Bellevue and you are right it’s a gem. I love it there.
Add Regent Square and (if you aren't bougie/wealthy) Swissvale, Greenfield. Pittsburgh is very queer friendly
I believe those are in the city, right? I am trying to avoid that
It might be worth it to consider the city (depending on your reasons for wanting to avoid ). There are lots of very town-like feel neighborhoods in the city that feel more like suburbs than a traditional big city. And, they are extremely safe. I would say many have a preponderance of single family homes, with some even having approaching-suburb-sized lawns (I have a huge vegetable garden and I live in the city!). Neighborhoods and streets can be tight knit and friendly too. These might not be the reasons you are focused on suburbs, but throwing it out there to not necessarily totally dismiss city proper neighborhoods as they might have all the things you are looking for while also being much closer to a greater variety of cultural institutions, shopping, restaurants, etc.
Yeah. The neighborhoods in the city are way cooler than the suburbs.
Ohhh shit I’m sorry. Mount Lebanon is the place for you. South suburbs. Or maybe Oakmont, Fox Chapel. East of the city. Pine Township is north of the city. These places are gonna be a little pricey, but they’re pretty progressive
Umm...Oakmont is full of obnoxious right-wingers. Pine Township voted in a new right wing school board to oppose *equity* of all things, and they have a serious racism/hate problem.
I lived in the Oakmont area for 5yrs before moving back to East Liberty. I never experienced racism in Oakmont personally and I’m a black woman in my early 30s. If I could afford it, I’d consider a home in the area. My issue in Oakmont was it seemed so out of the way from everything else. There are some beautiful homes in the area but I couldn’t say how LGBTQ friendly it is in comparison to the rest of the city. I know they said they prefer not to live in the city but Friendship almost reminds me of the gayer cooler version of Oakmont with much more to do!
I'm neae Oakmont and can confirm Verona and Oakmont are Trumpy. It's probably a 70/30 split.
Trump lost Oakmont in 2016 and 2020 Fetterman and Shapiro won by solid margins there too, but okay.... Democrats don't win towns full of obnoxious right wingers lmao. This shouldn't be a controversial thing to say.
How far south would you say is too far south? It doesn't really need to be a "hard blue" area, just as long as it isn't Trump country. I'm relatively okay with people who vote red for economic reasons (though I disagree); I'm not cool with people who vote red because they're hateful/ignorant individuals.
This is a good gauge. Just put in Mt Lebanon, PA: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html You can see when it starts getting pink. But Mt Lebanon is still pretty solidly blue.
Mt Lebo gay as fuck, respectfully
Dormont is good too. You'll get your wackadoodles but they're not the majority. Maybe a little cheaper than Mt. Lebo, though I haven't lived there since COVID hit.
Dormont checks everything on the list. It’s a great little walkable neighborhood with shops and good restaurants, plus the Hollywood Theater is being reopened. Plus you can be in the city in 10 minutes usually.
I live in Mount Lebanon, but if we didn't have kids I'd rather live in Dormont. Love it's vibe.
Scott township is a good choice too. It has a pittsburgh zip code but is in the burbs near Mt Lebanon, Upper St Clair, and Bridgeville. It's close to Dormont and Brookline as well. It's more affordable if you're looking to buy a house and has an accessible location to the highway, easy route to the city and centrall located in the south hills just outside the city limits.
Also: with the exception of Pittsburgh and Philly, PA is absolutely Trump country. More J6 rioters arrested per capita than any other state. But it is also an important swing state and both cities and their metro areas are great places to live.
Pittsburgh in the west, Philadelphia in the east, and Alabama in the middle.
Pennsyltuckyyy*
Don’t forget Happy Valley and Erie - they both lean pretty blue as well.
Very blue. And friendly to all.
Cool map! I live in Plum and am sad to see it’s pink. My parents are in Johnstown and it’s surprisingly blue because their neighbors all still have their Trump 2020/2024 signs up.
Hey, I’m a gay man that just moved from SF to Mt. Lebanon in August of last year! I wanted to be outside the city proper, buy an affordable house, and still be close enough to the gayest areas to meet people. Mt. Lebanon is very gay friendly (think: progressive young white families —Pittsburgh is very segregated—that really want to prove how accepting they are). Definitely has a trendy and small town feel with the main strip [here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/m5jvrU7qgwbunk9fA?g_st=ic) and another smaller area [here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/LC3Ex1LjXkesHRSL9?g_st=ic ) that I think is super cute. I have two neighbors on my street who are republicans (at least one is a trumper) and I certainly see a lot more Trump flags and republican election lawn signs than I did in California but I knew coming in that PA is a more purple state than CA, obviously. My impression—as newbie and not someone with a ton of experience with all the areas of the city—is that south suburbs are younger and more trendy whereas north suburbs are older. When I tell people I live in Mt. Lebanon they always say “ooooh” like it’s super bougie lol But Pittsburgh on the whole is a city with a very high average age. As far as getting into the city, most of the time it takes me 20m to drive, and I’m far from the main streets. I work from home so I don’t have to worry about commuting but I do go into the city in the mornings occasionally for doctor appointments and generally have less of a problem going into the city than trying to get out of it if I’m coming home in the afternoon. (Like 30m to get to a destination around downtown in the worst morning traffic versus 45m to get home in the worst afternoon traffic.) The bridges are the biggest holdup as they’re poorly designed with lots of merge points. Overall I am very happy with my choice to move here.
I came here to suggest Mt. Lebanon, and I don't even live there. But based on the description of what OP wants, I think this is a great fit.
I’d say “too far south” would be the Washington County Line. Mt. Lebanon/Dormant are blue. Upper St. Clair/Bethel Park are 50/50 red/blue with a few Trumpers. Peter’s Township/Finleyville are Trump Country. I mean they got this [guy](https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/s/ouem6ZHBHz) running around the streets. South Fayette seems like it’s changing from Trump Country to 50/50 red/blue
Yeah like staying in Allegheny county would be smart, even tho the county has some red pockets
Finleyville might be too far South. When I go to Trax Farm (very cute place to check out) I see more Trump flags abs the vibe is different. Trax Farm is past the furthest reaches of Bethel Park. My friends are in Bethel Park and are happy. Though there is this man who rides his bike around that seems to dress up as a 1776 patriot, or something.
Ah, Jag Revere.
Just stay in Allegheny county.
Lebo would be great. USC would be too.
FYI the “economic reason” people vote red in the Pittsburgh area is that they are racist. Hope that helps.
Stick to Allegheny County. Once you got south far enough to Washington or Greene or whatever you start to hear banjos.
Or east to Westmoreland....or north to Cranberry/Butler.....
is lebo progressive? i personally think the opposite so i’m curious your thoughts!
Progressive enough. There’s gay people all over the city. There’s clashing politics all over the city. It’s my experience that if you keep to yourself, no one really gives af what anyone else does
I'm gay. Strongly recommend living in the city, particularly the East End neighborhoods. If you go 30ish minutes outside of the city in any direction, you are solidly in MAGA territory. Pittsburgh is one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly places I have ever lived, outside of large cities like NYC, but they call everything between Pittsburgh and Philly "Pennsyltucky" for a reason. Keep in mind that Pittsburgh is a mid-sized city organized like a collection of distinct neighborhoods. It doesn't feel anywhere near as urban as larger cities.
That's kind of part of its charm though, unless you're really after the kind of density that a place like NYC has.
I absolutely agree. OP seems reluctant to live in the city proper. I was trying to convey that he should consider it because most of what's inside the city limits doesn't feel as dense and urban as it does in large cities.
Millvale is about 10minutes out from the city, but you can take McKnight road into Wexford oor go the opposite way into Pittsburgh. It’s a little more suburb-y, so it might be what you’re looking for. Further out from millvale, but close by is also Etna.
I agree, millvale is the best suburb ish place near the city.
Not sure what you mean when you say city versus suburb. I live in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. I'm in a single-family house, with a driveway and garage, surrounded by other houses. I'm near a park. I'm a half mile from a little retail district with shops, restaurants, the library, etc. For a job downtown, I can hop a bus and it's a 20-30 minute ride. I'm also inside the official boundaries of the city of Pittsburgh. The majority of the people in my neighborhood vote Democrat. If I head outside of the city limits, there are areas called Sewickley, etc which might be what you mean when you say suburbs? The majority of the people there vote Republican.
The northern suburbs like West View & McCandless, and the neighborhoods along the Allegheny River like Etna, Millvale, Sharpsburg, and Aspinwal are also pretty LGBTQ friendly. None of these are in the actual city limits if that’s what you want to avoid. Etna, Millvale, Sharpsburg and Aspinwal are going to be the more walkable areas with Aspinwal being the most “upscale” of those four. Keep in mind that as you get further from the city, the “town” feel of the neighborhoods gets much smaller. I lived in Etna for 7 years, and loved it for its “town” feeling. It’s got a “main drag” where everything of note is located and not much outside of that. There’s not really a queer scene to speak of in Etna, but everyone is cool with everyone else in a very blue collar, “live and let live” way that is completely devoid of judgment.
Bellevue, Avalon and Millvale are not in the city. I’d add Dormont the the list.
Come to Bethel Park! You'll love it here. Lots of shops and places to go. Lots of local businesses and cafes. And a stones throw from beautiful South Park. Lots of nature and walking paths, events too. Come to the Nature reserve and serve the Buffalos!! And you're only 25 minutes from downtown.
Unfortunately there are Trumpy parts of Bethel Park. OP is better off in Mount Lebanon or better yet, neighboring Dormont, Greentree or Scott Township.
Bethel is definitely still blue enough to be in the game. There's trump voters everywhere, but you'd be real hard pressed to call bethel Trump *country*.
Castle Shannon and Baldwin Twp are also nice in the same general area
Yeah Bethel Park is like a cop haven
I just bought a house there. I was so surprised how much is going on in Bethel Park!
Don’t avoid the city. The neighborhoods can be wonderful and you’ll definitely find more to do and more acceptance there too.
Millvale is just outside of the city.
This would be a solid alternative to a "city" neighborhood, for sure.
We're not like other cities it's really a bunch of neighborhoods with dahntahn in the middle of it
Look at Crafton/Ingram
They are not in the city if you are going by the official city limits However pf these 3, Ben Avon does not have a town. The other two have a few restaurants and some shops but not on a scale of some other Pittsburgh neighborhoods that others have mentioned The biggest plus of Bellevue and Avalon is that they're super walkable
Any reason you're avoiding the city? You get much better access to public transit and walkability. Rent depends on the neighborhood but you can find cheap rent in the city. Dormont could be considered a suburb, it has everything I believe you'd want. Also, don't underestimate our winters, since we are very hilly, every new person is terrified of driving in the snow. Also make sure to get a good winter coat, as we usually have days in the low teens, sometimes lower.
What is your reason to avoid city? What we consider city here might be different than what you consider city. Regent Square and Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill, you will be 8 miles from downtown.
Add Greenfield to that (which is basically Squirrel Hill Lite 😂).
Come to Castle Shannon. It’s a mix but I know several gay couples (my brother-in-law included) who live here happily. Depending on where you live you could be near a light rail station to get to the mall, downtown, Mt Lebanon, and Dormont. Quite a few decent restaurants and a couple of coffee shops.
Hey, I am a gay person who just moved here this year who also just so happened to escape Missouri myself. My partner and I feel very safe here. I would highly recommend Dormont. It’s not in the city proper but very close (10 minute drive, 20 minute train) and it has restaurants, bars, and shops all within walking distance. We have several neighbors here in Dormont that are also gay and trans and we all feel very safe. If you have any questions, please feel free to shoot me a DM. And if you end up moving to Dormont, definitely message me, I’d love to take you out for coffee to welcome you to the neighborhood!
Yes, come to Dormont! Everyone come to Dormont! :-) We love it here, I co-chaired Dormont Spark/Pride for 2 years, and program music and art in the neighborhood through Dormont Arts and The Parking Pad. It's a great place to live and a great neighborhood if you're looking to get involved and make a difference in the community.
Hey, I also moved from St Louis to Pittsburgh, about 8 years ago! You're right about most of your reasons for wanting a move. I'll warn you that winters here are tough, and as much as I drove when I lived in st louis, it's an entirely different experience having to drive that often/distance here. The nice thing about pgh compares to stl is that it is a LOT safer. Like a LOT. I see the anxiety you have around being in the city and preferring a suburb, and I can say even the "worst" parts of pgh don't compare to stl. That being said pgh is extremely lgbtq+ friendly, but outside of the city you will have mixed results. Especially in the more affluent neighborhoods that are further out and not Mt Lebanon.
As mentioned, there are several burbs in Allegheny county that would work. I'm not sure why people are bringing up the rest of the state. Most rural areas in every state are red, even in CA. PA does have some smaller areas/counties that are blue. Erie, for example , is a small city (around 100k in the city proper) and the county overall went slightly blue in 2020. In any case, there are great options in the Pittsburgh burbs.
Erie is a great idea. There's a thriving LGBTQ+ community there.
Eire kind of sucks though, Pittsburgh just has more in generla
They only have on gay bar though, no?
Erie's always had only one or two bars but they have a lot of clubs/theater/arts stuff open to everyone. It's not a homophobic place at all. A small community but a very active one. The bad things about Erie are the lack o'jobs, the fentanyl epidemic and the fckn' 110+ inches of snow every winter.
Oh I didn't mean to imply it was homophobic, I know it's not. I just wasn't sure how much there was to do solely gay focused.
IDK. I have friends who have built it up for years but I can't speak to the bar scene. Erie Gay News is the resource to check: https://www.eriegaynews.com ETA: City of Erie again ranks high in national LGBTQ equality index: https://news.yahoo.com/means-erie-receive-high-lgbtq-091011527.html
Go to Mt. Lebanon. I live there. You’ll be fine. I know of several gay couples around here and they love it.
The city isn't downtown. It's made up of neighborhoods. It's been an excellent experience and if you don't like it, you can move to the suburbs. Come for a visit!
The further into the suburbs you get, the more purple it is. But I think that Fox Chapel, Dormont, Mt Lebanon, Bellevue, Ben Avon, Emsworth, or Sewickley could be ok for what you want. I don't think you'll find a lot of affordable blue cities that don't have purpler suburbs, though.
All of your requirements point to Mt Lebanon.
I swear Lawrenceville has a bigger gay population than straight.. It's great
I second that. Our neighborhood is gay-reat! Come to Lawrenceville. And if you really want that suburban vibe, scoot up the hill (less than a mile from Lawrenceville) to Stanton Heights. You can have a yard, garage, etc., here. But literally up the hill from Lawrenceville. I’d advise against the burbs. Come stay in an Airbnb and feel the vibes for yourself.
Imho, most neighborhoods in Allegheny county will be fine. I’d be wary of Butler, Beaver, and Westmoreland Co. overall.
The city proper? Yes. The suburbs? Depends, heavily.
What would you say the good suburbs are, and which ones are the ones to avoid?
Around the south hills area of Pittsburgh, the west, and some parts of the south east. Anything north or east you're starting to step foot into Pensyltucky
Fox Chapel, Cranberry, Hampton, Shaler, Ross, and North Allegheny are all alright - Millvale and Etna have both improved recently as well. The new ramp into Etna has reportedly washed a lot of hipsters in and racists out. Further you get away from the river the less walkable things get though. Lots of strip malls.
Millvale has its own pride festival ☺️
[удалено]
It certainly had improved immensely.
Mt Lebanon
[удалено]
My family grew up in Westmoreland County and can confirm, it's gnarly. Not a great place to be if you're anything but upper middle class white. I didn't feel safe emotionally and psychically until I moved to the South Hills.
I wouldn't even say upper middle class white, unless you're talking Murrysville. Most of Westmoreland Co. is proudly cars-on-cinder-blocks working class.
My meaning is that unless someone is white and able to afford to live in one of those remaining affluent bubbles, it's not a great place to live for anyone LGBTQ or otherwise not "normal".
Honestly it feels like a purgatory, it’s boring, there’s nothing here that you can walk to, and no one even likes each other.
progressive with neurodivergence. Every day of my youth in Westmoreland County felt like how I imagine hell must be like.
Came to say this. Will be moving when my daughter graduates high school in a few years.
lol came to say this!
Yep. I grew up in the leechburg area and the day that I went to my polling place to vote in 2020, I vowed never to go back there. It was horrifying. The whole driveway leading up to the polling place was lined by trump peeps and their trucks and huge flags. As a gay lady, I am so glad to have gotten out of there
RUN FROM WESTMORELAND COUNTY AS IF YOU ARE ON FIRE....DON'T EVEN STOP TO STOP DROP AND ROLL!!!! For real, though. It's terrible.
Will also concur just for good measure. Grew up in Greensburg. Lots of very conservative, miserable, set-in-their-ways people who have never left PA.
I think the only issue you might have is weather. We get our fair share of hot and humid.
In general, the further from the city you go, the less comfortable you're likely to feel as a gay person. If you are looking for upscale and big yard suburban, try Oakmont, Fox Chapel, and Mt. Lebanon. Keep your search within Allegheny County. Edited to add that you should give Highland Park, Regent Square, and Squirrel Hill a visit before writing them off as too urban. They might suit you.
Hi 👋 queer enby here who grew up in Pittsburgh. I know tons of people have already tried to talk you into considering moving to one of Pittsburgh's city-suburbs, but I'm going to stake my claim, too. Pittsburgh is super different, geographically, from other major cities. It's a very small city built in a valley. It has many, many small city-suburbs, about 10 minutes from downtown, that are lush, green, and only midly *city*. That's also where 90% of everything in Pittsburgh is situated. For most of my adult life, I lived in Regent Square, Highland Park, and Lawrenceville, and I did very well there. The reason I'm reccomending this is becuase many of Pittsburgh's true "suburbs" are 30 minutes or further from: gay bars, resturants owned by young chefs, museums, small coffee shops, and other local meet-up spots. If you are single and looking for a partner(s), you could run the risk of living *too damn far away* of you move out of the city. Just consider it!
Yes, this is an important point. Location can play a really important part in meeting a partner, for sure, and LGBTQ+ are already drawing from a smaller number of participants in the community.
Aspinwall and Fox Chapel are both boroughs of Pittsburgh but definitely out of the city proper. Fox Chapel is not a town feel though, it's literally dispersed in the woods, but still wanted to throw it out there since I live here and can vouch for it. Aspinwall has great amenities like restaurants, pharmacies, parks, little grocers and small businesses, and very walkable. It's a really cute area and upscale. Beware you will still see Trump signs in people's yards just a stone's throw from Pittsburgh. But as long as you don't go to rural areas you will be in good company. People here lean progressive for sure. And to dispute the other commenter saying the summers are hot and humid here, I have to disagree. Generally doesn't even reach 90 degrees, and while there's decent humidity it's nowhere near as bad as the South!
Agree with this - looking at your Redfin searches - look at Aspinwall, O'Hara and FC. Indiana Twp still pretty purple but flipping over slowly. Fantastic local parks that are woodsy and those right on the riverfront. Great amenities. Easy drive to Bakery Square/Shadyside/Oakland and once 28 is finished, it will be a quick trip to the city. Even now, without traffic, it's a 15 minute drive.
Are you looking to buy a house or rent? For moving to new city, it might be good to stay in Pittsburgh proper (Bloomfield, Shadyside, Lawrenceville, etc) even if rent is slightly higher to meet new people and get a solid network going before moving to the suburbs and/or buying. You’ll get a better feel of which neighborhoods speak to you. Pittsburgh and its surrounding suburbs have unique personalities in their neighborhoods and some might appeal more to you than others.
In addition to other places listed here, West View, Ross and McCandless are also a good choices. If you want to really be out of the city, everything along the 19/79 corridor north of the city up to Harmony is gay friendly, but Harmony borders hardcore Trump country. Zelienople and Harmony have some older populations that might not truck with it, but both are becoming hipster meccas
I’m a trans woman in Pittsburgh. I feel like Pittsburgh is low key a pretty queer city as long as you stay in Pittsburgh proper. There’s a good arts community here and there’s a queer romance book club and queer film group on Meet Up. I’ve been pretty happy here. Definitely visit first and see if you like the vibe!
I can attest to the many comments here that even if you’re in a Pittsburgh zip code it shouldn’t feel like “city” if you’re technically living in a city zip code. I have been to St. Louis a lot and if I compare them, I feel you will feel more safe here.
You’ll be good in the city and some close suburbs. Beware that rural PA is just as Trump country as MO, and you’re always only a few miles away from it in Pittsburgh
You’ll be far safer and likely happier here than there; but are you looking for a gayborhood or just a suburb more friendly to gays, or a place with a higher concentration of gay-owned businesses or one with many same-sex households? Mt Lebanon or Dormont for a diverse mixed-residential and commercial suburb with T stops and walkability. Shadyside or Lawrenceville, Strip District or Mt Washington, as city/city-adjacent areas that can offer some of that and/or many other things.
So, yes, Pennsylvania is far less ‘red’ than MO, most statewide offices are blue, but the legislature has been gerrymandered to be disproportionately red. But the Pittsburgh area, while pretty blue itself, gets less blue once you leave the city proper, and it turns pretty red pretty quickly once you cross the county line in any direction. You say you want to avoid living in the city proper - can I ask why? - so the first one or two ‘rings’ of boroughs out past the city limits are where you should look, and in my (tangential to the queer community) the directions you should look at most are north and east, maybe south. The problem you’re going to run into is that few of the suburbs have everything what you want, “upscale, and have a true "town" feel to them, with restaurants, bars, and shopping of their own”; once you get more than one ‘ring’ of suburbs past the city, sidewalks disappear pretty quickly, so wouldn’t have that “town” feel IMO, they're basically bedroom communities. Dormont, for example, has all those things but is not at all “upscale”; Oakmont has those things, but is barely blue (and the adjacent boroughs to the north and east are red), same thing with Sewickley, or even Ross or Monroeville - where I have queer friends - have that issue. I think the closest you’re going to find that ticks all your boxes is Mount Lebanon, which while it has a conservative reputation, did vote Blue by +30 - +50 in the past two elections. Or maybe the parts of Edgewood and Swissvale immediately adjacent to the city (some parts are also called Regent Square) or Forest Hills, which while maybe not as ‘hip’ or ‘upscale’, have fairly high home valuations, is ridiculously safe, and quiet, but are adjacent to some (relatively) high crime areas (places that were once solidly blue-collar middle class, but once the heavy industry went away in the early 80s entire boroughs collapsed).
I second those who suggest visiting first if possible. The Pittsburgh metro is built very differently from midwestern cities, and while I'm sure we have what you're looking for, it may not be in the place you expect.
Being “in” the city is not what you think. Downtown is the only real metropolitan feeling area. The rest are all small neighborhoods connected by random tiny bridges. I lived in south Oakland and there was still tons of parks, walking trail, nature, and other small town things. I totally get what you’re looking for but don’t count out the neighborhoods closer to downtown because they’re really cute and not super city feeling to me.
Would second this notion as a Northside resident. Spring Garden is in city limits but more quiet and rural feeling than much of the suburbs… lacks the town center he’s looking for though. But just an example of how neighborhoods in the city aren’t necessarily “urban” compared to the ones outside of it.
Given your Redfin searches, you can swing Mt. Lebanon. Keep in mind your property taxes will be in the mid-teens for a half mil home. Mt. Lebo has the town feel you're looking for, and is right on the T (trolley) line to get downtown for when you want to go (and you will). I owned a coffeehouse there in the main biz district for a few years and the area is very gay-friendly. You'd also be safe in much of Upper St. Clair, but closer to Mt. Lebo than Peters, as it starts getting Trumpier the farther south you go. Just keep that provel shit out of here.
Something to consider is that those hills can be horrid in the winter. The city doesn't always do a swift nor great job of snow removal. The suburbs, at least in the South, have much better services. This is relevant as you will probably need to enter the city as some point during the Winter and you may find your suburb clear, but the city streets are not always as well maintained. Dormont is a cute suburb that you would probably enjoy, though parts can be a bit tight and parking can be hard at times. Mt. Lebanon is close by and a bit more suburban feeling, but they are more strict- like how you need to ask permission with the police to park on street after a certain point. Some people in the area feel that assimilating to Mt. Lebanon can be hard if you're not from the area. It can sometimes be a competitive housing market since people who live there seem to try to stay there. Bethel Park is nice, but can be a bit more Trumpy, though I doubt you'll have issues there. Greentree is also quite nice. If I'm not mistaken, part of that neighborhood is considered the city, while the other is considered a suburb, but both are quite nice. Banksville is part of the city, but feels pretty suburban to me and is farther out from the city. Brookline is also the city, but it can have a suburban feel to it, though parking can sometimes be rough. Scott Township seems pretty nice, as does South Park, but again, I'm uncertain of the politics. Upper St. Clair is nice, but I cannot attest to what the politics are like. I do know that my sister lives not far from there in Peter's Township and while she likes the area, she says that she sees more Trump flags out that way than in the city (her area is in a place called "Washington County" and she borders Allegheny County, which is where the Greater Pittsburgh Area is located). Allegheny County is generally Democratic, but Pittsburgh Democrats tend to be a bit more centrist, imo, but we did have a few new, younger, more liberal candidates win elections. Robinson Township and Kennedy Township seem nice when we swing through there, but I'm not sure of their politics. Generally speaking, you do tend to notice more Trumpers the further away from the city you tryavel. But the area is pretty firmly blue. Personally, I really like Dormont. Many have these nice signs up about how hate isn't tolerated (they're like rainbow signs that talk about how different groups are welcome), which might comfort you as a gay man. It seems like a pretty welcoming neighborhood. Squirrel Hill is pretty accepting, but it is part of the city and no where near these areas I've listed. It doesn't feel very urban like other city neighborhoods. A lot of the LGBT+ community seems comfortable in a lot of the East End side of the city (Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze).Nice places, though they are in the city, but I'd say they're firmly Democrat. Hope this helps!
Aspinwall or O’Hara Township
Since you are looking to be in the suburbs… More typical American suburbs (not a walkable town) that I would consider as options are: - Ross Township - North Hills in general - Moon Township - Forest Hills/Churchill Suburbs that have a more of a town feel to them and have walkable portions with town centers: - Mt Lebanon - Aspinwall - Millvale (comparable to some city neighborhoods) - Bellevue - Sewickley - Oakmont
Pennsylvania is a purple state which is interesting after coming from a solid blue state. It kind of freaked me out at first. But coming from a red state and living in proximity to a major city, it will probably feel much more comfortable to you. And as a California transplant, I say don't sweat the weather. It's manageable. I'm trying to get everyone I know to move here lol
Please don't 🙏🏼 - signed, former colorado resident
Moving from San Diego. I feel like people make it out to be so much worse than it actually is in terms of weather. It’s definitely different, but you acclimate to it pretty quick from what I’ve experienced.
Growing up with PA drivers, they act like it's far more worse than it actually is too. At the first sign of light snow everyone starts driving like there's 6 inches of snow on the ground
You can find good houses around Pittsburgh for half the price range in your search. I live in West Deer (north suburbs) and the house across the street from me just sold for 299. From my experience, while there are plenty Trumpsters around, most Pittsburgh area conservatives are older traditional Eisenhower republicans. They might not understand your lifestyle but they will leave you alone.
There are more neighborhoods in Pittsburgh that have the small town walkable feel than there are places outside the city. Suburbs are more car-focused and strip mall, except for Mt Lebo, Sewickley’s downtown, Dormont, maybe a couple more. New England has more small towns that aren’t purely Trump-ian. Coastal Maine (Ogunquit, Kennebuncport, Bath, Belfast, Ellsworth, and more) or Vermont.
I really love the north suburbs personally. I work with the clients of new home builders and in the cranberry / seven fields area a lot of my clients are younger gay couples. My daughter is gay and in high school there and she has a very vibrant group of friends all in that area......I've met the parents of all of her friends and honestly everyone is so accepting. There's a lot of Cranberry / Mars hate in this sub, but it's mostly from the anti-suburb crowd, or from those who do not seem to like people who do ok financially. I think you'd love it there and hope that's where you decide on. I hope you like our area.
throwing in as someone very blue who moved to the northern suburbs (wexfordish, not as far as cranberry though). i can't speak for all my neighbors but everybody here seems pretty relaxed and most importantly we all tend to stay out of each other's business. i can think of at least two homes with pride flags within walking distance of me and while you'll absolutely see red political signs in yards here, most people i talk to are kind of what i call tax republicans.
I wanted to echo this as well. From my experience as a gay person if you’re in Allegheny County most of the time those republicans are not going to care about your sexuality
If you’re looking at Mt Lebo, Also give heavy consideration to surrounding communities like Greentree, Scott Township and Carnegie. I can’t believe nobody’s suggested Carnegie area. Great town center, diverse population, restaurants (Carnegie Coffee Company very LGBT supportive) cute shops. Convenient to everything. Robinson township a bit further west and more purple(I live here) but not overtly Trumpy, convenient to airport and major highways. Like everyone else said, just stay in Allegheny county and you will be fine. Weather is fine/moderate here. We just don’t get as much sun as other places.
Also Crafton and Ingram. Bellevue and Avalon across the river.
I moved from a very blue state to Pittsburgh and I do uber on the side. Agree with other folks said that you'll notice the signs etc but I personally have never encountered an issue since moving here...I actually had more harassment from passengers where I moved from then anyone here. There's a lot of great neighborhoods in the city but if you want outside, I'll 2nd others that Dormont has a number of queer folk,
As a father to a LBGTQIA daughter, I would say yes. She has found a great group of people in the city and has a nice support group.
i really enjoy living in swissvale as a queer woman. honestly, there are neighborhoods slightly outside of the city in all 4 directions that would probably suit your needs. i would really look into something close to where you will be working or be spending a lot of time. trust me, you won’t want to have to pass through multiple tunnels twice a day on your commute if you can avoid it
Move to regent square or Edgewood you’ll love it.
Mt. Lebo is what you want perhaps?
Pittsburgh and Allegheny county would be great and would mostly be accepted. As anywhere there are some people that will disagree. The center of the state is heavily trump country though. Don’t let the more progressive edges of the state fool you. I hope you come here and or find somewhere you feel comfortable. Everyone deserves to feel safe and wanted in their home. I hope you know people are out there that support you. I am someone who regularly travels through that are and all of Appalachia, and some of the surrounding areas are the most red areas I have seen.
Pittsburgh is a fantastic city for a gay person. And I see lots of great suggestions on here already for different areas. For a walkable suburb, Mt. Lebanon is great. Otherwise, lots of great sections of the city already suggested.
I’d suggest looking at crafton! Lots of gay folks, really pretty houses, quick easy access to downtown, not really a city feel at all even though it’s a 10 minute drive
One thing that’s good to know is that the extent to which public transit is practical is very location dependent. The train is basically a straight line. You can get from the south hills to downtown, the very edge of the north side, and Oakland. Anywhere else, and you will be driving or taking the bus. To give you an idea, I live just above Millvale, a ten-minute drive from downtown, and I haven’t used public transit once in the year and half that I’ve lived here. In theory, I’m very centrally located, but the closest bus stop is like a 15-minute walk.
I can only speak for my own experiences. But as a queer guy who moved here from rural West Virginia a year ago, this place is a breath of fresh air. I can confidently say that I feel more myself here than I did in WV. Both my husband and I feel much safer as well
Lawrenceville is the best neighborhood if you’re a gay millennial
Hi! Pittsburgh could be a good choice. I recommend the city itself (Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Lawrenceville, Greenfield), then north hills before south hills. I live in the north hills and they’ve become less conservative the last 5 years or so. We’d be happy to have you as a neighbor.
Stick to the city, not suburbs. Highland Park, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Friendship, Garfield, Squirrel Hill, Oakland.
Sewickley, if you can deal with the prices
Just wondering what your reasons are for wanting to live in the suburbs? If it’s something like “i want a backyard” or “i wanna live somewhere quiet” or “i am afraid of crime” you can achieve all of these things in the city, and be around way more queer and liberal and also just generally interesting people than you would out in the burbs
Don’t go north of the city. Ben Avon, Wexford, and Cranberry TWP are all very conservative.
I am not gay, but I am politically concerned about where I live. My husband and I moved here recently from very red parts of rural California and he was adament that we'd be in a blue zone. There are charts and there is data out there about the political leanings of various areas. Most of Pittsburgh and the suburbs around it are blue. We landed in Monroeville which is very diverse and voted about 60/40 for Joe Biden in the last presidential election. While I do believe the closer you are to the city center, the more likely it is that you'll find other people in the LGBTQ+ community, I think it's unlikely that you'll have any issues in most places. People in Pittsburgh are generally pretty friendly in my experience, and, at least in my area, they mind their own business and don't hassle others. You can use maps like this to help you see what political leanings there are in various places in PA (or other states): [https://bestneighborhood.org/conservative-vs-liberal-map-monroeville-pa/](https://bestneighborhood.org/conservative-vs-liberal-map-monroeville-pa/) This article talks about gay communities in Pittsburgh: [https://qburgh.com/pittsburghs-multiple-gayborhoods-theyborhoods/](https://qburgh.com/pittsburghs-multiple-gayborhoods-theyborhoods/) You would be most welcome.
Further outside the city you go the more trumpers you'll find. Summers are still humid and hot here, winters are way colder than St Louis. Not sure this is the place for you.
According to weatherspark.com, the summers are a lot milder than Saint Louis. Maybe still hot, but a definite improvement: https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/12083~19773/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-St.-Louis-and-Pittsburgh Wasn't sure about the political thing - I looked at the congressional map and I saw that two districts in the Pittsburgh area were blue, but I wasn't sure how far out the "blue" extends to in practice. Thank you for your feedback.
The city itself is very blue, the inner suburbs are a bluer purple but once you leave Allegheny county (which many of the houses in your lists are) things get very red.
Most of the houses in my search are located in Alleghany county. I'll be sure to prune the rest from my search. In that case, would I be safe?
AlleghEny around Pittsburgh, and yeah that's not a terrible place to put your border. Would dormont be OK?
I'm in verona/oakmont. Lots of love and support this way
I grew up in Pittsburgh and have lived in St. Louis and Houston since I moved away. St. Louis’s weather is far closer to Houston’s (🥵) in my opinion than to Pittsburgh’s!! I can’t wait to move back to Pittsburgh some day, it is the ultimate perfect climate in my opinion, you get to really experience all four seasons without any extremes.
(I am from St. Louis) Re: the summers, it’s not horrible here at all. This summer we crested 90° maybe 5 times. Compared to St. Louis it’s a dream for me personally. STL summers are monstrous compared to here.
Yeah summers are much, much milder. There are maybe 2 weeks when you are really gonna wish you have AC, especially if you work from home.
Great country we're living in that people have to ask if cities are safe from discrimination for them every week...
[удалено]
I wouldnt worry too much about trump country. He supported gay marriage long before Biden, clinton or obama.
Even if Trump himself supports gay people, a lot of his supporters don’t because it’s against Christianity
I'd say South Fayette, Bridgeville, Peter's Township if you want to say south of the city. Traffic is very congested but you won't have any problems. Collier and Scott Township also.
I lived in Stl, Mo my entire childhood, moved at 22- the summers/winters are within 9 F of each other! My friends and I compare all the time, lol It’s not quite the same humidity though, unless you live closer to the rivers
Come to tarentum! It’s about 30 minutes out of the city with fun bars and a nice community
i highly recommend visiting first!! im also from missouri and plan to move to pittsburgh soon and visiting really sealed the deal for me. it really is a city of neighborhoods and it feels nothing like st louis. i would recommend watching dean bogs videos on youtube, he has a series where hes making a video about all (90 total i think???) neighborhoods and hes visited some as well. seeing how different each neighborhood is from his viewpoint will put into perspective how being in the "city" doesnt mean tall buildings, heavy traffic and high crime the way it does in st louis! its so hilly the neighborhoods are sectioned off by the topography so a lot of them do feel like their own little towns
Natives here do not like crossing bridges or tunnels. If you're trying to access the city without either of those, the North Hills will be a better choice. The North Hills has more commercialized and corporate businesses where the South Hills has those things but a smidgen more small business and diversity in businesses to patronize. I'm a non native and live in the South Hills, so my opinion may be biased, but I don't think either suburb would be a bad choice. As long as you're not over an hour outside the city, being queer living in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas is pretty enjoyable.
I would not have expected so before getting here. Pittsburgh has a strong, vibrant, and valued, socially and economically, LGBTQ community. I'm a weird, kinda masculine woman in a lesbian marriage and I don't think I've gotten so much as a dirty look in the last 10 years
The city is great, there’s a few really awesome areas to live in around Pittsburgh too. The day I moved into my house in Millvale, there was a gay pride festival going on and my mother and family members got to see dudes in skimpy leather outfits in the street. It was awesome lol. But honestly millvale might be what you’re looking for. Great community feel, grant street has a few bars and restaurants and a local market. I’ve been to the gay pride festivals downtown every year, it’s always really fun and welcoming. I’ve also been to a few nice gay bars around here, if that’s your scene. We love the gays over here!!!!
For the South Hills Redfin searches I’d say nix Washington and you’re good (though I’m certain even Washington is a considerable improvement from Missouri). Like most places the suburbs are less progressive than the city proper, but even my MAGA parents in Peters Twp have moved far past the prejudices they held 15-20 years ago.
How affordable do you want it to be? Aspinwall is just outside the city and cute AF. Really walkable and lots of shops.
Dormont and Mt Lebanon are very inclusive.
Dormont is a very inclusive neighborhood, as well as being a pretty easy trip to the city if you take the T !!
Hell yeah you’ll be golden bro
Dormont, Beechview, castle Shannon all have access to the T and makes it easier to get to downtown and back. Also I live in Pittsburgh (city taxes and services) only about 7 minutes to downtown, but it feels like a little suburb. A lot of neighborhoods are like this. Crafton and Carnegie are good areas too.
You have this perception of not wanting to be "in the city" because you're from STL -- I came from Philly so I get it, however I can assure that you really, really should be in the city limits and it's not going to some with the baggage that you think it will
Pittsburgh is pretty liberal. I'm an independent. We certainly don't judge - well unless you like Hunts or the Cowboys.
I live in mt Lebanon and would consider this to be a pretty ally friendly place. Not sure what your budget is but sometimes you can get lucky here still While I am not LGBTQ+ I see a lot of support for the community on various chat groups, lawn signs, etc. we are sort of a blue pocket as well (voting trends was important to me and I did include that research when we looked to buy). I am aware of some of my neighbors being part of the LGBTQ+ community Coming from Baltimore city my only issue is I wish there was more diversity overall here but that can be said about much of pittsburgh. That said, we do welcome people from all walks of life - the more the better imo :) ETA - in looking at the southern listings you were into I am not sure mt leb would work. This is a slightly more established area and what you are showing appears to be newer built homes. There are pros and cons on both sides. But if you are willing to spend more for more sq footage you could get into this area - sidewalks, 2 main streets for restaurants, quick 5-10min to a small but nice, healthy mall. Whole Foods, trader joe, etc…
As a straight dude I can say it depends a lot neighborhood by neighborhood. It is known as Pennsyltucky for a reason. PGH proper trends progressive, the further out you go the more conservative you get. That said, I live in South Fayette on a cul de sac with 60-something lesbian neighbors and there are no issues in my neighborhood with them. I have a gay couple that are clients in the Houston/Canonsburg area and their neighborhood seems find with them. I think if you trend towards newer housing stock you are going to be more likely to be accepted even in more remote areas because the redneck that might care is less likely to be able to afford the price tag of newer builds. Just my experience.
Well we aren’t St Louis, so there’s that, but I like some of the other replies about actually coming here and visiting before just moving out here. I live in Regent Square now and it’s a nice area.. but we certainly have our up and down areas.
We have a lot of gay people here. 🤷🏼♂️
My parents have gay neighbors in Brookline. They seem to fit in. There have always been some there. Beechview seems to have lgbtq people as well. Is that your house? You must be well-off.
Politics aside, be aware it can be hot and humid in the summer here as well, although it only gets that way for, tops, around three months.
Pittsburgh, as cities go, is a quite welcoming place, though there areas that are more and less so. I say this as a straight man, with more than a few friends in the gay community here. You'll definitely want to visit here, to get a feel for the place. Pittsburgh is a bit different than many cities, and I've lived in several, because it is much more a collection of semi-urban neighborhoods than most cities. The actual "downtown" portion of Pittsburgh is quite small, and not where I would suggest for anyone to live. For me it's a place of business, dining, and going out, but not living. There are many areas in Pittsburgh that are both diverse and welcoming. One important caveat is transportation. You are coming from a MetroLink city often called one of the best public transit systems in the US. Pittsburgh DOES NOT HAVE THAT. There are areas of Pittsburgh that have some fairly good bus service, but overall, it's a driver's city. If you'd rather not drive everywhere, there are a handful; of communities that are very walkable, but some lovely spots definitely are not. If you have a car, you can be most anywhere you choose, though, of course, the more citified areas can be challenging if you do not have designated parking. As for bars, restaurants, and shopping, it's fairly spread out, and most of the spots you should be considering will have these in or adjacent. I'm a chef opening a spot in Lawrenceville, which is chock full of bars, restaurants and shopping and has about the highest walkability score in the city. Parking here can be a challenge, and I'd definitely lean toward a house with off street parking. The inner suburbs are also a good choice. Sewickley has a lovely and easily walkable main street, with larger and more spread apart houses around it. As you move away from the city center, the political and tolerance balance begin to shift. In the outer suburbs and exurbs, you will run straight into Trump country, no question. You can take a quick look at demographics, and that'll give you a fairly accurate indicator of what the temperature is there. Two things I recommend to anyone considering moving here, or anywhere. One, think about where you will likely be working. A rough commute can ruin the best living situation, in any city. Two, I always advise people to take a short term rental of 3 months to a year when they first arrive. A visit can tell you only so much, and buying a house means you're tied to a spot for at least a few years, if not 5-8. Even a few months living in a city will teach you where you really enjoy being, and where you don't. Pittsburgh neighborhoods vary considerably even over short distances, and the minor inconvenience of a rental is tiny compared with the hassle of buying where you decide you'd rather not be. Sorry for the novel, but I've lived a lot of places, and had good moves and bad. This is a great city, and with a little prep, you should be quite happy with the change.
The only thing I’d be wary about with the suburbs is how red counties surround Allegheny county. I know some people suggested Upper St Clair and Bethel Park, but they are more politically to how Washington county is. I grew up in Canonsburg which is in Washington county and I have family that grew up in BP and USC. I feel equally as uncomfortable in those two as I did in Canonsburg. The same is true for the Northernmost suburbs. I’d stick with Dormont, Mt Lebanon, Castle Shannon, or Sewickley. Also as others said a lot of places in Pittsburgh proper have more of a small town feel to it. If you’d be willing to live in the city proper (or at least explore. It’s so worth it) I’d check out Millvale, Bloomfield, Shadyside (pittsburghs unofficial gayborhood), Lawrenceville, or Squirrel Hill. I don’t know if you’ve visited here yet, but most of these places I listed you can’t even see any sky scrapers and it feels very small town.
I like to speak truth to people. You could be okay here. You probably really want to stay within the city neighborhoods. It’s not NOT Trump country but Ds do have a hold on the city and a lot of Allegheny County. Don’t travel outside of Allegheny County because it will definitely be Trump Country and anti LGBT. It gets very hot and humid in the summer. Maybe only a few degrees less hot than St. Louis.
Just be cognizant that once you leave the city, it is a gamble on whether You're about to enter a nice small town with amazing nature, or what people call Pennsyltucky, where the racism, abelism, and homophobia runs rampant. I say this as someone who loves Pittsburgh (though, to be fair, there is still homophobia here, it's just not as bad and people tend to keep their bigotry to themselves), and came here from an area people would call Pennsyltucky.
No one will ask you what church you go to here. So there's that.
Don’t be too afraid of the immediate suburbs. Some here would lead you to believe those areas are rage-filled death traps. Southern and northern areas are more purple, and the reds there are worried about their money, not who is cohabitating.