Western PA actually has a fair amount of affordable places to live. However, many of them are affordable for reasons that are pretty obvious — like there’s a giant derelict factory there that nobody knows what to do with, or a functioning steel mill that’s pumping toxic fumes into the neighborhood.
Then there are some anomalies like Bellevue. I’m not sure why Bellevue is so much cheaper than more-or-less equivalent neighborhoods elsewhere — prewar “streetcar suburbs” with a thriving, walkable main business district, historic homes, and a mix of housing types — but Bellevue seems to have a lot going for it.
So why is it so inexpensive to live there? Here are my guesses as to “What’s Bellevue’s Problem”:
So, yeah, Bellevue is nice. Sure, 75% of the reasons I like it — a vintage clothing shop selling ‘90s Buccos t-shirts (Andy Van Slyke, Barry Bonds), and the Pittsburgh Pinball Dojo — won’t mean much to most readers. But that’s OK. It’s got some nice houses, too, that are directly adjacent to the city.
For sale: 164 Sheridan Ave., $299,900.
Was there a lesser-known Civil War battle fought here? Because someone took the “a man’s house is his castle” dictum a bit literally here. This place has stone battlements, a flagpole flying Old Glory, and the high ground, just in case Bobby Lee’s boys in gray pull up in force. The pergola-thing over the entrance is kind of charming. That’s a pretty nice porch! Inside, the creamsicle-orange walls are certainly a choice, but an oddly compelling one.
This is fine. Definitely not thinking about what happens when you step out of your door and all three neighbors are doing the same thing. Definitely not thinking about how to make awkward small talk with people that you have nothing in common with, except a house. Definitely not thinking about how you can’t remember their names, because you can’t remember anyone’s names except Pirates infielders from the early ‘90s. Definitely not.
For sale: 923 California Ave., $185,000.
Considering how difficult it is to build dense multifamily housing (or anything but detached single-family) in the city of Pittsburgh, I can only imagine what a struggle it must be to do it in the suburbs. But these things are great for so many reasons — they’re perfect for singles, young families, retirees — so let’s be glad they got built before the most annoying, nebby busybodies in your neighborhood acquired veto power over all zoning decisions. The name on the front is Chaize Place, which I’m going to pronounce like “Chazz Palminteri” and not like “chaise lounge.”
For rent: 232 N. Balph Ave., #2. $1,200/month.
This nice brick home on Balph Ave. … wait, what? BALPH AVENUE? Suddenly, I need to know the backstory here. I imagine a lesser English lord, who already had a son named Ralph Jr., and not being especially creative, was like “Your name is Balph.” And everybody just ran with it and when he got shipped over to the New World and died of cholera nearby, Balph Ave. was dubbed in his dubious honor.
For sale: 20 E. Forest Ave., $240,000.
If this house was in Lawrenceville, the price would probably require another digit entirely. Yet it’s in Bellevue, where a little bit of color (light orange) sticks out and implies a warm, inviting interior. And that’s the case, though key lime-green walls are another odd (if fun) choice. Yes, you can still walk to a bunch of restaurants, just not the ones with “buzz” and waiting lists. Maybe that’s a good thing.
For rent: 424 Hallet Pl., $995-$1,495/month.
Yeah, so this house is yellow. Not the soft, pastel yellow of Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in Shadyside. It’s more of a ballpark nacho-cheesy yellow. But inside it’s bright white, clean, and even the wood floors shine like mirrors. Somebody is going to find the other yellow paint hue someday and this place will be … well, able to charge $500 more.
