University of Pittsburgh

Living in Pittsburgh

Living in Pittsburgh

If you’ve never visited Pittsburgh, you may be surprised to learn that it is no longer a smoky steel town. The city’s picturesque skyline (rated among the world’s best) makes a dramatic first impression and the water views, many bridges (the most per capita in all the world) and green spaces add to Pittsburgh’s charm.

Adding to the downtown vista are the city’s two professional sports stadiums, Heinz Field—home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the University of Pittsburgh Panthers—and the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park—voted one of the nation’s 10 best ballparks. A new wave of development is taking place between these two stadiums on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, a great place to walk, run, rollerblade, and dine.

Walk across one of Pittsburgh’s famous bridges to access the city’s historic Cultural District. This 14-square block area is great place to take in one of the city’s art or live entertainment options, such as classical or contemporary music, ballet, modern dance, visual art, opera, musical theater, and drama. In addition to the Cultural District, the city has more than 200 museums and art galleries to explore—among them the world famous Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, which include the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, the Carnegie Science Center, and the Andy Warhol Museum.

The city of Pittsburgh is a wonderful place to live. In fact, the 25th anniversary edition of Places Rated Almanac (2007) named Pittsburgh the most livable city in America.

Pittsburgh also ranks among the top 10 best places to raise a family, own a home-based business, start as a young professional, relocate a family or business, and grow personal wealth.

Cost of Living/Quality of Life

The city of Pittsburgh, which includes Oakland, is a wonderful place to live. In fact, the 25th anniversary edition of Places Rated Almanac (2007) named Pittsburgh the most livable city in America.

Pittsburgh’s cost of living and housing costs are among the lowest in the nation, compared to similar size cities.

Pittsburgh is also home to world-renowned health care. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Health System has 19 Centers of Excellence and is ranked among the country’s best hospitals.

Given the University of Pittsburgh’s urban campus, it's important that Pittsburgh is known for being a safe place to live. The city is consistently recognized as being kid and family friendly, specifically in terms of public safety, health care, economics, and population change.