If you read any national newspaper you undoubtedly know the housing market is cooling off. If you live in Cranberry, your story is no different. However Western Pennsylvania in general and Allegheny County in particular are faring much better.

According to a recent Tribune-Review article, there has been a surge of about 40 percent in housing permits issued in Allegheny County, and a 27 percent decline in permits in Butler County, where Cranberry has seen its total slip to about 31 single-family units, from about 76 single-family units a year ago.

It wouldn't suprise me if a micro-look at other housing markets revealed similar trends. Gas prices are up, households are smaller and more and more of us are tired of the traffic and commuting. A video on ABCNews.com web site reveals the monster houses are falling hardest.

If you're afraid of the big bad bubble, look for reasonably sized urban homes.

Pre-industrial Pittsburgh is hard to imagine. In fact, it's almost as hard as getting the world to realize we're in post-indutsrial Pittsburgh. We still celebrate our industrial heritage. Smokestack's line the parking lot by the Homestead Waterfront. The U.S. Steel Building still dominates our skyline. Our Steelers, by winning the Superbowl, reminded the world "Pittsburgh" and "Steel" are forever linked.

There is a certain beauty to industry. The smoke, the fire, the molten liquid and the I-beams that now hold up the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. Those are pieces of Pittsburgh and they can never be forgotten or removed from our memory.

Yet there is a pre-industrial Pittsburgh that remains to be rediscovered. Before railroads, there were canals, before canals there were trails. Before smoke filled the skies there was clean air and a natural beauty that brought artists here to capture.

We may not notice them, but there are remains and reminders of a pre-industrial era around us. One is a street on Spring Hill named "Hetzel." It's named for the family of "Scalp Level" landscape painter George Hetzel. Today Hetzel's work is well represented by the Westmoreland Museum of Art in Greensburg.

George Hetzel was born in France, but would leave his mark by painting Western Pennsylvania. He lived in Allegheny City and traveled to Johnstown to paint the landscape, long before Steel came to likewise define that city.

If you look closely you may find some buildings that existed in the pre-industrial days of Pittsburgh. Many are found in East Deutschtown, then a German community in the City of Allegheny. Although Hetzel claimed to be French, German was the family's native language (Another claim to Germany, he studied at the Dusseldorf Art Academy).

One such pre-industrial Pittsburgh building is the Block House at the Point. It's unlikely many noticed it in those days, however, and a miracle it survived. Many buildings built during Hetzel's life he may have actually visited also remain standing. Many of these are threatened by years of neglect.

This has been owned for years by PennDot with long-ago dismissed plans of building a 28-279 connector.

Today we're continually faced with the option of embracing our industrial past or rejecting it. Pittsburgh is emerging as a very different post-indutsrial city, yet the Pittsburgh of tomorrow may be able to embrace the natural beauty of our landscape as much as the steel might of our more recent past. So little of pre-industrial Pittsburgh remains to be preserved, however, and what is left isn't well prepared for the future. Even in the City of Allegheny, outside of a few homes on Spring Hill (which don't need preserving), there's little beyond East Deutschtown George Hetzel would recognize. We need to save East Deutschtown before only structures from the age of steel are left to define the history of our city.

My sister told me about an article over the weekend. It's one of the most exciting statements about Pittsburgh I've heard in a long time. The Clark Building (downtown) was recently sold for $22 million. The buyer isn't looking at conversions to housing as many have been looking at in downtown recently. No, the Clark building was bought with a look forward to new industry that could rival the age of steel and put Pittsburgh in a new category. Here's a quote from the Pittsburgh Business Times article:

"Gorman said he's bullish on Pittsburgh because of the high-tech companies coming out of Carnegie Mellon University.

'I believe that Pittsburgh is going to be the center for artificial intelligence and robotics. Within 10 years, that will be one of the biggest businesses in the world," Gorman said. "Pittsburgh will be to artificial intelligence what Silicon Valley is to chips.'" Link to article

In the past few months we seem to have really increased our momentum here in Pittsburgh.

I think this is the first day of "All-Star" week and I'm not sure how good of a start we're having. This is a big day for Bob the Mayor and I'm sure it could've beenone of the highlights of his life to cut the ribbon opening the ceremonies, but instead, he's in the hospital. I also remember reading several new restaurants would be open on the North Shore in time for the week, but I suspect they're not going to make it.

Oh well, on July 4th I noticed the banners on the Roberto Clemente Bridge. They look great, and Pittsburgh has been looking better all the time. I don't imagine the mayor's cough or the fact that visitors can't go to a restaurant they didn't know existed will matter much.


I also had my first real visit to the new Schenley Plaza. I remember this was kind of pushed through by former Mayor Tom--with great results whatever your view on the politics. It's amazing how this wonderful plaza could have been a parking lot for so long.

Finally, I'd like to comment on my favorite topic, the Garden Theater block. For years I have been advocating selling off the buildings individually to private developers. For more than a decade the URA has been holding the buildings for development at the time the last is acquired. The last of course is the Garden Theater and it's still a hold-out. Well, at this time the largest of the buildings, the Masonic temple is advertised on the URA web site as available. This could be the beginning of something really good.

North City fared well in a recent magazine article about neighborhoods. Pittsburgh Magazine recently re-emphasized the affordability factor and noted that Pittsburghers want a bargain. Northside is one place homeseekers can find such a bargain. (The magazine defines that bargain as a home for less than $75,000).

What else to homebuyers want? An easy commute, a coffee shop and good shopping. No suprise here. My customers ask for the same things.

Brighton Heights won the most prominent spot among North City neighborhoods in the article with the median home price hitting that bargain barometer at $75,000. I also suspect it may not have made the magazines list if it wasn't for The Vault, a coffee shop on California Avenue.

I don't think it's the coffee shop itself that many homebuyers want, as the article infers, it's the "third-places" where people can connect with neighbors.

Brighton Heights also offers some shopping opportunities with a modern, full-scale pharmacy, butcher shop and other stores. North City neighborhoods may benefit in the future as both downtown shopping improves, and perhaps more importantly (and perhaps at the expense of downtown) Ross Park Mall solidifies its position as the regions premeir shopping mall.

Observatory Hill was mentioned in a sidebar labled "Seven Neighborhoods On The Rise." A lack of immediate shopping options or a coffee shop, I suspect kept it from making the main article. East Allegheny was also mentioned in the seven, although the median price listed of $33,000 is first unrealistic and second could actually scare away lookers. Those familiar with East Allegheny know the bargains are on the East side of the highway. Neighborhood group feuds (along with the highway) have in some minds created two neighborhoods (although with only 800 or so residents I can't imagine the benefits of an even smaller city neighborhood(s).)

What do we draw from this? Things are getting better and people are noticing. More, we know where we need to build, coffee and shopping. Read The Article

I've been hearing a lot on the new book "The Bridges of Pittsburgh." Apparently we do have more bridges than any other city in the world. The author, Bob Regan, previously published a book on the stairways of Pittsburgh. Yes, these are great assets and likely fine books. But the state of our bridges and stairways are not such that we can take full advantage of those assets.

While wondering around Brighton Heights one day, I discovered a walking bridge off Termon Avenue. Today I had a few minutes to kill so I walked the bridge. I had thought it was closed to pedestrian traffic since it was blocked by a baricade, but on closer inspection I noticed you could go around the baricade which was likely placed to keep bicycles or other small vehicles from traveling on the bridge.

Like San Francisco and other great cities, Pittsburgh is connected by an intricate system of pedestrian walkways. In fact, many homes are not accessible by automobile, and as this bridge in Brighton Heights illustrates, many connections are not possible by auto.

My walk today revealed that this pedestrian system is in danger of not surviving but a few more years. Yet, like the Street Cars in San Francisco, Grand Central Terminal, once obsolete these bridges can be a major component in an exciting future.

I've heard more rumors that a coffee shop could soon ad to the retail scene on East Ohio Street. A coffee shop is a step towards enhancing the viability of the housing in Deutschtown and other residential neighborhoods.

It may seem like "just a coffee shop," but such steps may be as important or more important than larger developments.

Take in point the new entertainment complex planned for the North Shore. Entertainment is not exactly what we need to boost the viability of housing. More than entertainment, urban housing needs grocery stores and drug stores and coffee shops.

Recently Trader Joe’s announced it's moving into East Liberty. It doesn’t immediately benefit North neighborhoods, but the success of these stores could send companies like these looking for other city locations. I expect our best hope is that with continued downtown residential development, we’ll see retailers like Trader Joe’s and Walgreens looking at spaces—many which already exist on the North Shore and maybe even North Side.

Still, we (North Side) really need to resell parts (Deutschtown, Mexican War Streets and North Shore) of the North Side as "DOWNTOWN" living. These neighborhoods are the remainder of downtown Allegheny, which ajoined downtown Pittsburgh until it was annexed. They should, more than a century later, be officially united with the rest of downtown Pittsburgh.

Fortune magazine and CNN recently published a list of seven real estate dead zones, five danger zones and several safe zones. The seven dead zones are some of the biggest markets that have seen the most market heat in recent times. They include Boston, Las Vegas, Miami, Washington, DC, Phoenix, Sacramento and San Diego.

The danger zones include Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

What’s safe? Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Omaha and Pittsburgh.

What makes a market safe, dangerous or dead? Compare Pittsburgh with San Francisco and Boston. In Pittsburgh the average home price is listed at $155.3K and the fair market value is listed as $182.1K, fifteen percent undervalued. CNN gives San Francisco and Boston an overpriced rating with the average price exceeding the fair market value as much as 53 percent.

Fortune says right now the ratio of home values to incomes in the bubble zones is about 40 percent above its historical average.

The analysis says homeowners who can stay put have little to worry about. Those who bought high and have to move may have difficulty. In a separate article, the magazine tells real estate investors who have hoped to hold and flip to get out.

Of course things are different in the safe cities like Dallas, Cleveland, Omaha and Pittsburgh. The bubble never took prices into the stratosphere and homes are affordable to a far larger percentage of the population.

Will that send investors and homeowners to Pittsburgh? As far as investors are concerned, that might depend how well alternate investments like cds and stocks are performing. Where home values increase at five percent or so, a cd paying five percent is easier money. Rentals can have much higher return, but not without effort.

As for potential homeowners, I suspect the outflow from major cities may subside as prices fall, but it’s unlikely prices can fall enough to make high-priced cities much more affordable. Cities with affordable housing should continue to have some lure. Those who already own homes in high-priced markets can’t easily move without incurring losses, instead they are dependent on looking for salary increases to make up the difference.

You've probably heard by now that Pittsburgh was ranked among the top ten "smart" cities--meaning you can afford a pretty good life here without breaking the bank. I guess that's kind of like buying a loaded Buick instead of a Lexxus. Anyway, I was never one for fancy cars.

If you've ever thought life was too expensive where you live, you might have looked to other cities. Many people have considered quitting their jobs, retiring early, selling their condos and just high-tailing it out of San Francisco, LA or New York.

Pittsburgh, Nashville, Minneapolis and the other seven cities would seem to be smart choices; the folks who move here undoubtedly will find a good quality of life at an affordable price.

These affordable cities aren't the only place people are moving to, however. While on one hand condos are filling America's downtowns, the far exurbs are filling with new housing. Unlike the affordable cities, moving to the exurbs is not a smart choice.

Despite the lure of affordablility, most cities are losing people. In fact, the census says nearly every large metropolitan area had more people move out than move in from 2000 to 2004.

Likewise the New York Times recently anylized IRS data and found that with the single exception of Las Vegas, no city proper makes the list of substantial population gainers; "American taxpayers by and large are outward bound. But this isn't uniformly a migration to exurbs, or to traditional Sunbelt or Western destinations like Florida or Arizona.

The trails often lead north, to the lakes of Minnesota and Wisconsin; to the foothills of northern Georgia; to the forests of northern California; to the fields of northern Michigan. Cass County, Minn., 120 miles from Minneapolis, is on the list, as is Shasta County, Calif., 180 miles from San Francisco," the paper revealed.

The cost of gas not withstanding, none of these places folks are moving to made the list of "smart" choices. Live in an expensive city? Thinking about relocating? Pick up a copy of Kiplinger's Personal Finance and choose a smart city before you go.

Millcraft industries suggested recently that bus traffic be routed off of Fifth Avenue downtown. According to a Post-Gazette article, the company believes smog from the buses, loitering in front of buildings, and traffic congestion could hinder its plans for residential and retail development on Fifth.

As someone who wakes to the sound of "12A-Downtown" I can relate to the concerns. Diesel buses in Pittsburgh are also far less tolerable than the electric buses and streetcars in San Francisco. Replacing buses with more living-friendly forms of public transportation would be a great goal. However, the desire to eliminate the "clutter" of the street is as old and damaging as ever.

The desire to bring residents to enjoy urban downtown is welcomed, but the desire to make downtown into a suburb is misguided and harmful. Also mentioned in the article is a desire to eliminate "loitering." I guess that means waiting for buses.

Let's refer here to Jane Jacobs. Just when I thought she'd won, we need her more than ever.

"Under the seeming disorder of the old city, wherever the old city is working successfully, is a marvelous order for maintaining the freedom of the city. It is a complex order. Its essence is the intricacy of sidewalk use, bringing with it a constant succession of eyes. This order is all composed of movement and change, and although it is life, not art, we may fancifully call it the art form of the city and liken it to a dance -- not to a simple-minded precision dance with everyone kicking up at the same time, twirling in unison and bowing off en masse, but to an intricate ballet in which the individual dancers and ensembles all have distinctive parts which miraculously reinforce each other and compose an orderly whole."

A recent headline caught more than a few urban advocates off guard. “American’s Fleeing Big Cities.” According to a new census report nearly every large metropolitan area had more people move out than move in from 2000 to 2004.

Working in real estate leads to a natural interest in trends such as these. It’s hard to tell whether Pittsburgh can be included in this category. The first question is whether Pittsburgh is a big city to be fleeing from or a small town to be fleeing to.

Folks have been leaving Pittsburgh (along with Cleveland, Buffalo, Youngstown) for decades now, and while there is incidental evidence that people are now coming in, census data hasn’t yet showed that (while the losses continue to lessen).

The reason given for fleeing the biggest cities, high cost, certainly aren’t present here. That at least leaves the door open for Pittsburgh to be a place to flee to, if she plays her cards right.

The conundrum is that traditionally it has been places that people are fleeing to that experience the high real estate prices. Today it’s the places being emptied. About 60,000 people left San Francisco between 2000 and 2004, Chicago experienced similar numbers. New York City lost some 210,000. Los Angeles had losses topping 110,000.

Richard Florida, (fomer Pittsburgher and) a professor of public policy at George Mason University told USA Today that smaller, wealthier households are replacing larger families in many big metropolitan areas.

“That drives up housing prices even as the population shrinks, chasing away even more members of the middle class.”

That may be, but the question of how long can prices continue to rise when people are leaving needs to be asked. In most cities, smaller, wealthier households moving in marks a paradigm shift and poses new questions for economists. It also poses questions for the direction of the markets in places where former urbanites are moving to. It isn’t the working poor as much as the young and upwardly mobile who are choosing to relocate outside major metropolitan areas.

On the subject of trends, there are two other issues that are sure to come into play. The first is the high cost of fuel. What is that expected to do to housing markets? My inclination is it will favor cities or transit communities. Yet the fuel costs probably aren’t going to increase enough to warrant the price of urban Boston. The combination may just make life harder without having a net impact favoring suburban or urban geography.

The second is global warming. We know it’s happening whether or not it’s caused by humans. This may not in itself favor urban or suburban locations, but is sure to favor regions. Where? Thoughts?

DiBruno, DeLallo, whatever. It's a great choice for a market in downtown Pittsburgh. DeLallo Bros. has been chosen as the market that will be located in the former Lazarus department store in downtown Pittsburgh. Initially the possible outlets mentioned were Giant Eagle and Whole Foods, but in the end it was the local chain that won out. DeLallo is based in Jeanette. I had previously visited one of their stores near Greensburg. It reminded me of DiBruno Bros., a store that started in the Italian Market District in Philadelphia. I previously suggested something similar would be a good match for downtown Pittsburgh (DiBruno has a location on Chestnut Street in Philly--an area with many hotels and retail stores). From my small sample, DeLallo has great products and I feel the store is the perfect match for downtown Pittsburgh. It's sure to please downtown residents, office workers and vistors.

Visit DiBruno
Visit DeLallo

With a lot of out-of-towners looking for homes in Pittsburgh, I get a lot of questions asking just what a particular neighborhood is like. You can only tell so much from a map and a photo of a house.

There's really no substitute for going there, however, but a picture is still worth more than a map and photo. I've begun a site at pbase that will allow me to upload photos of our neighborhoods on an ongoing basis.

In anticipation of my persistence, the site contains a small fraction of what will eventually be there, but it's enough to help begin to provide some snapshots of Pittsburgh's great neighborhoods Link

PMI Mortgage recently listed Pittsburgh as one of the nation's least risky housing markets along with San Antonio, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Memphis. This echoes earlier reports inluding Smart Money magazine which called out city "undervalued."

These are the exceptions. PMI says forty-eight of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) face a greater risk of declining home prices this quarter, adding the continued strength of the national and local economies suggests that in the absence of an economic shock, the once red-hot housing market will cool gradually. Appreciation has slowed in nearly half of the MSAs as compared to last quarter. Affordability remains a problem with eight MSAs registering affordability levels considered low by historical standards, due to appreciation and higher interest rates.

U.S. Market Risk Index scores increased for all of the top 50 MSAs except Chicago, IL, whose score decreased one point (New Orleans was not scored this quarter due to the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina). Fourteen of the top 50 MSAs now have risk scores above 500, meaning they face a 50 percent or greater risk of home price declines in the next two years, up from 11 MSAs last quarter. The average score has increased from 261 last quarter to 287. The biggest change was in Minneapolis, MN, which gained 90 points, taking it to a score of 350 and up two spots in the ranking to No. 19.

Other U.S. Market Risk Index trends include:

-- In addition to Minneapolis, MN, MSAs that saw significant increases in risk were Virginia Beach, VA (+65 points to 274), Baltimore, MD (+62 to 279), Newark, NJ, (+61 to 427), New York, NY (+58 to 506), and Washington, D.C., (+56 to 401).

-- Riverside and Oakland, CA traded places, making Riverside No. 5 and Oakland No. 7. San Francisco and San Jose, CA also traded places, making San Francisco No. 10 and San Jose No. 11. Other than that, the top 15 are the same as last quarter with risk still clearly focused on the coasts.

-- There are now eight areas with Affordability Index scores below the vulnerability threshold of 70: San Diego, Santa Ana, Riverside, Sacramento, Oakland, and Los Angeles, CA, and Fort Lauderdale and Miami, FL. Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk), NY, San Jose, CA, and Tampa, FL are also considered potentially vulnerable with scores between 70 and 75.

-- While slowing, appreciation remains high by historical standards. Phoenix, AZ, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Tampa, FL, Washington, D.C., Virginia Beach, VA, and Los Angeles, CA saw year-over-year appreciation of more than 20 percent.

The PMI report coincided with numbers from the National Association of Realtors showing second-home buyers now made up 40 percent of the market. The bulk (27.7 percent) of these are purchased for investment purposes.

The San Francisco Chronicle noted however that while risk for that city's homebuyers may be increasing, in the past 20 years the return for any five-year period ranged from a gain of nearly 50 percent to a loss of about 10 percent, with a median gain of 33 percent. Those who owned their homes for 15 years or more almost never incurred losses.

Eric,

Don't you think that building all these "luxury" condos is a bit of a mistake, though? I was talking to the guys at Burt Hill, an arch firm that is in Pittsburgh (they were at some career fair thing here), and they were talking about how they're rallying to meet with the mayor and the planning dept etc to try to make a move to get these units to be more affordable. I mean, as a native I know where the cheap and cool neighborhoods in the city are, and would know exactly where to move to if I were to move back, but most of my fellow friends wouldn't, and the first thing they would ask is about downtown because it's in the center and close to everything. So shouldn't there be some kind of housing that those of us who are low on the totem pole salary wise should be able to afford? This is a problem Philadelphia is experiencing, too, and if I come back to Pittsburgh and find it's been condo-fied the way Philly has I'm going to be angry. One of the great things about Pittsburgh is that it hasn't jumped on that bandwagon, until now. But at least they're building housing downtown finally. Ack, prisoner's dilemma.

Amanda

Amanda-

The way I see it there wasn't any housing downtown before the luxury condo's came. Housing in general downtown will bring retail and make downtown better. That will make living in the areas around downtown without a car more practical and attractive. So, while a mix may be better, the condos themselves are good in my opinion.

In the short-term, however, a lot of people think all these new rental units are hurting the small landlords. That's likely temporary too. It could play out that the rental units are sold to homeowners who want to live near downtown. That would be good for the neighborhoods.

The downside? Well, in the last 50 years lower income people had to travel to the suburbs for jobs. In the future they may have to travel to the city. However, because the entire thing can't be developed at once, there will always be more of an economic mix and wide price range in the city.

An energetic, expensive city is better than an empty, cheap one. Is there a balance? I hope.

Eric

This exchange took place at the East Allegheny Yahoo Group

There's a lot of debate in the neighborhood recently about whether or not the market in West Deutschtown will support $200K and above houses. I have also had my doubts, but again and again those doubts are erased by new sales. Five eleven Tripoli Street is a new example. I recently noticed that a sale is in progress. I don't know the details, but the home was listed at $199,900. Likewise 1010 Cedar, a large home that needs renovated, is graced with a sold sign. The listing price was $149,900.

Market examples of homes that sold for more than $200,000 include five sixteen Lockhart which sold for $210,000. Four seventeen Lockhart sold for $254,500 this year as well.

But those are renovations of Victorian homes South of East Ohio Street, an area that is perceived as having fewer rough edges.

The two contingencies I first mentioned are North of East Ohio, and one isn't even renovated. And we still ahve the example of new construction sales north of East Ohio. One thousand two Middle Street sold for $188,000 in 2003. Add five percent a year for inflation and that's more than $205,000 in today's dollars.

There remain the matter of three unsold homes renovated by the East Allegheny Community Council that are also North of East Ohio. A look back shows this neighborhood has frequently been ahead of the market, and while some homes stay on the market for long periods of time, they do eventually sell.

Perhaps I am just in an optimistic mood today, but looking back, I'd guess new homes developed today and listed at $200,000 or more are closer to market reality than $150,000 homes listed in 2002.

Existing home sales are up, new home sales are down, condo sales are back up... it's credited to the weather, but wouldn't a warm January put all sales up? Perhaps it's showing the market favorability of existing homes in more central locations where there isn't much new construction. That would help explain why condo sales are also up.

The Commerce Department reported that sales of new single-family homes dropped by 10.5 percent in February. Previously on the downslide, sales of condominiums and co-ops were up again, this time by 8.8 percent in February and sales of existing single-family homes were up 4.7 percent.

I have an inclination that what we could be seeing here is a failure of development to keep up with an increasing demand for housing that's smaller, more efficient, low maintenance and centrally located near transportation and amenities.

I'll be on the lookout for supporting evidence.

I read in Pop City this morning that Brighton Heights is planning to construct a grand entrance to the neighborhood, which includes a traffic circle. Brighton Heights went up on my scale of a livable neighborhoods earlier this year when I discovered The Vault, a coffee shop, had opened on California Avenue.

When I read the article this morning, I had the idea that a traffic circle which once existed next to the McKees Rocks Bridge was being recreated. It turns out that's not the case (the new circle will be a block or so away,) but still recalls an earlier desire to make things look good. Yes, there was a time when function followed form!

I don't mean to bring into question the function of traffic circles. They are of course aethstetically pleasing. They're also functional once the locals learn how to use them.

In any case, creating an entry way for Brighton Heights is a welcome idea.

If you haven't discovered it, it's worth a look. I was there on Monday visiting a client who was busy restoring a very large home. What a task! I would think the results will be quite satisfying.

There are also some condo's available in buildings designed by a noted architect (Osterling) just steps from the coffee shop.

If you don't know where Brighton Heights is, soon it will be easier to find. If you'd like to check out some properties there, give me a call at 412-322-2000.

I just heard about another artist who had moved to Pittsburgh. This one is a costume designer from Germany. Earlier this month I had taken picture-frame restoration classes from a French guilder, also now a Pittsburgher (he says his wife liked it here). Later today I'll meet up again with a San Franciscan who works in the opera there. She hasn't taken the plunge of becoming a full-time Pittsburgher, but she has purchased a home here.

I often hear Pittsburghers downplay the qualities of the city they both love and love to make fun of. I used to hear the question "why?" from Pittsburghers who had found out I had moved here after six years in San Francisco (I had lived in Pittsburgh previously). Today fewer are asking that questions, and even less are laughing.

The Pittsburgh landscape has inspired artists for generations. Andy Warhol might have left, but before him there was George Hetzel, Mary Cassatt and others. Today Pittsburgh's art scene is thriiving from Penn Avenue in Garfield to Penn Avenue downtown, Sampsonia Way, Regent Square and throughout the city. I know there's a significant cluster of artists on Spring Hill.

There perhaps two are two reasons they are coming. The first is the obvious beauty of the city and landscape (obvious to everyone but natives!) The second is the affordability and attractiveness of the city's building stock. There's a lot of great space in this place.

Something very simple happened today. In any other urban neighborhood, coffee shops come and go. Here in Pittsburgh's North City Flats, a coffee shop was a long time coming.

Over the years I've heard stories about neighbors coming out to oppose coffee shops because they would attract people and bring about "loitering." These city suburbanites lost out. From today on there will be more to our neighborhoods than just decorative doors with homeowners hiding beside alarm systems.

Yesterday was the first day of operation for Beleza. This coffee shop is opening at a time when many "coasters" are looking for new cities to live in. Pittsburgh is high on the list (New York magazine recently named Pittsburgh as one of the top places New Yorkers are moving to. Many city neighborhoods are overlooked and one primary reason is because we can't always answer positively questions about whether there are grocery stores and coffee shops nearby.

From today foreward I can say "there's a great coffee shop over on Buenta Vista!"

Beleza opened at 8 yesterday morning. I arrived at 11:30. A young women was sitting out front with her dog. Three people stood on the opposite corner taking photos. Inside I was greeted with warm colors and aromas. A few sat in their solitary corners, but for many others it was like walking into a friendly living room. I had the sense that all these coffee-starved folk knew of each other, had exchanged friendly glances, but had few opportunities to interact.

"Where do you live?" the person at the counter asked. Hell, I thought, that may be a rather rude question in Starbuck's, but here it seemed normal, even welcomed. "Over by the Schoolhouse," I said. She lived up the block on Buena Vista.

Sometimes it seems day by day each of our little pockets we call "neighborhoods" are entrenched in their own provincial corners. We're stuck on Deutschtown being somehow distinct, if not better than the Mexican War Streets or Allegheny West. Today those lines were not the only ones to blur. Today those lines that kept us seperated by the sense of personal space on a city street were blurred by this third-place where we can meet and interact from today on as neighbors.

A side note, Beleza serves Peace Coffee.