Affordable-ish Housing in Pittsburgh: Spring cleaning edition (2025)

It was just Easter, and I just drank a can of Penn Brewery & Oakmont Bakery’s Packzi-flavored Pittsburgh Cream Ale, which might surpass all flavors of Turner’s Iced Tea to become the Most Pittsburgh Drink Ever Invented.

That doesn’t mean it’s good. But, like Striking Distance or Sudden Death, sometimes the pure Pittsburgh content (like fighting a terrorist dressed as Iceburgh) is reward enough. I’d drink it again.

What does that have to do with housing in Pittsburgh?

Not a lot! But, to twist it into a clumsy metaphor, I often let my affection for this city paper over its many obvious shortcomings. I like certain things about Pittsburgh that other people may not: weird little houses, steep hills, oddly named rivers, the phrase “You can’t get there from here,” inclines, four seasons, baseball stadiums located in cities, etc. These things aren’t inherently good (or bad); they’re just things I appreciate.

Last week, I visited family in Greenville, S.C., a thriving small city of 70,000 that has a downtown considerably more vibrant than our own. They have completely different politics, economic base, culture, etc., so I don’t know how much we can learn from them. But there’s a lot that others happen do better than us, so we should be ready to try.

For instance, that waterfall in the middle of downtown Greenville is pretty nice. We should figure out how to get one of those. (Impossible? Have you seen how much water we have?).

For sale: 2433 Edgar St., Carrick, $240,000.
By 1930, the mass-produced automobile was an inescapable fact of American life, but not yet the cultural behemoth that reshaped everything in its image. This 1930 buff-brick home in Carrick was prescient enough to feature a garage but wasn’t ready to give up the public/private space of the front porch. Even though I regularly reiterate my disdain for houses/neighborhoods/cities built for cars instead of people, I do drive a car and it’s nice to have somewhere out of the weather to put it. This place combines the best features of pre-car and post-car Pittsburgh, and it looks great doing it.

For rent: Schoolhouse Apartments, 500 Tripoli St., Deutschtown, $1,325/month.
I have this odd romantic notion that schools should look like important places, where important things are happening — the old Schenley High School is a good example, as is the current Allderdice. Concrete, windowless bunkers to warehouse kids until they are semi-presentable (like all the schools I attended) are depressing. But if you can’t find a use for a school as a school (and we should have tried a lot harder in the case of Schenley), the next best use is housing. I don’t know much about the history of this particular place, but it was one of the earlier conversions in Pittsburgh and adds a lot to the urban fabric (or doesn’t detract from it) as housing. I’m just guessing here, but Pittsburgh seems to have developed a bit of expertise in this type of conversion, and given the declining birthrates across the developed world, this knowledge could be useful elsewhere.

For sale: 1124 Brabec St., North Side, $144,900.
Oh, it’s time for yet another edition of, “Is this house weird/Am I weird for liking it?” No, and also no. Sure, it looks like it was built for much shorter people, but nutrition wasn’t great back in 1915 and people were likely more petite. Inside, this house looks like it has normal dimensions, and plenty of updates (granite countertops, new shower) that people want nowadays. And honestly, 1,739 square feet is positively roomy in a lot of city neighborhoods, with plenty of space for a small family. Since we don’t build “starter homes” anymore, 1915 versions will have to do.For rent: 3358 Ridgway, Fl. 2, Hill District, $1,395/month.
There’s something about bright white walls that’s unnerving — like waking up in a hospital room devoid of color and light. Yet, when you’re looking for a place to rent, it’s a good thing. If a place looks clean and tidy, well, that’s better than the alternative. This second-floor unit in the Hill is pretty small (600 square feet), but somehow looks spacious without someone else’s junk cluttering it up. Maybe it feels like that in person, too.

For sale: 1764 Perrysville Ave., North Side, $310,000.
In most places, you pay extra for the view. In Pittsburgh? Well, given our wild, unkempt topography, million-dollar views are a dime a dozen. Seriously, we’re giving them away. Come and take them. This North Side spot is a little more expensive than we usually go here, but that’s an extra-nice view, and there are two bright-orange back decks to sit and enjoy it. The home dates from 1920 and is full of weird shapes, odd ceilings, curious recesses and alcoves. But if the walls feel like they’re closing in, just grab a cup of coffee and head out back.For sale: 1710 Montier St., Wilkinsburg, $195,000.
There are still some places in the region where you can get a beautiful, historic home for under $200,000, and Wilkinsburg is one of them. Why is it so cheap here? Well, it’s technically its own municipality, so property taxes are even higher than in Pittsburgh (which aren’t exactly cheap). Some things that should be assets — like the excellent, walkable Wood Street corridor — are clearly still marred by decades of disinvestment. But if you’re an optimist and are in it for the long haul (as most homeowners are), a house like this one, built in 1900, seems like a good place to start.