Pittsburgh goes Hollywood goes Pittsburgh, politically

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | June 2, 2009 | Salena Zito

[Salena Zito]

Mt. Washington's Grandview Avenue "campaign" office of "Sanders for Senate" was so lifelike to those passing by that many stopped in to find out about the new candidate for the U.S. Senate.

"Every single one of them asked if 'Sanders' would be running against (Pennsylvania Democrat U.S. Sen.) Arlen Specter, and, if so, where could they sign-up to volunteer," said media expert John Brabender on the set of "Moving Numbers," a Webcast about to go national for a new political entertainment group.

[Vigilanteman]

Do you mean Mt. Washington, the Beverly Hills of Pittsburgh, doesn’t love Arlen Specter?

[Salena Zito]

:)

[HamiltonJay]

Beverly Hills of Pittsburgh????? Hardly, while there are a few properties with some nice views that sell for big bucks, most of Mt Washington is a rather depressed and dumpy old neighborhood.

The Beverly Hills type area is Shadyside/Squirrel Hill, that’s where the overprices chic shopping and such is located as well as the limosine liberal bunch.

[Vigilanteman]

Mt. Washington would probably be more accurately described as the Hollywood of Pittsburgh. The pricey properties along restaurant row with the beautiful views are all most of the visitors see, but you are right about some pretty seedy areas not far away if you get off the beaten track.

The same can be said about Shadyside/Squirrel Hill.

Funny thing is they all vote Democrat. There was a story last year about a Jewish guy in Squirrel Hill who was trying to collect a measly 200 signatures to be a delegate to the Republican convention and couldn't find 200 Republicans in all of Squirrel Hill.

[HamiltonJay]

While shadyside and sqirrell hill have some not so great areas, most of those neighborhoods are in pretty good shape, and Walnut Street is probably the closest thing to Rodeo in Pitt, though certainly not as high end or nearly as big, its got all the liberal couples and overprices shops there.

Mt Washington on the other hand, you just have to walk a block or two away from the summit and you are looking at at a low end blue collar neighborhood and if you go much farther you rapidly find yourself in some really delapidated streets.

Up by the summit there are the nice restaurants and views, and of course the overlooks, and a few bars etc.. but man you go a block or two away and it goes down hill quickly.

Sq. Hill and Shadyside are generally much nicer on average and definately have a lot more liberal types roaming around.

[Buckeye McFrog]

as John Edwards was want to say, there are two Mt. Washingtons...the one to the right of the yellow line on Grandview Avenue and the one for the rest of us. All the glamor is confined to the area with the view. The rest is a pretty modest working-class neighborhood. Much of the neighborhood contains shotgun shacks with rotting Insulbrick that put you in mind of Appalachia. Probably list for around $40-50K.

Very nice to know however that a fictional candidate is outpolling Arlen Specter.