| Morningside development really took off around 1905 with the creation of the Chislett Street trolley line extended from Stanton Avenue into the neighborhood. The community was fully filled in with houses and a some small commercial district by the 1930s. Morningside first welcome Irish families and eventually large numbers of Italian families ending Pittsburgh’s last wave of Italian immigration in the 1970s. Morningside never experienced significant crime and blight issues but has seen a resurgence in interest in the past 5-10 years. Buyers are attracted by Morningside’s front porches, tight knit community, historic homes, convenient access, and modest back yards- a premium in the City. Renovated homes are now selling in the high 200Ks-300Ks. Morningside also has quality recreational spaces within the neighborhood and adjacent districts. What is needed for Morningside to transition from a good urban district to a great one is more dedicated retail and entertainment options, some additional multi-family housing , quality walkable schools, and dedicated bike infrastructure. |
| URBAN STRENGTHS * Good access to downtown via decent public transit access and easy driving. * Great economic and solid age diversity. * Good price diversity with home ownership ranging from 150K-400K but prices are certainly on the rise. * Decent ADA infrastructure with curb cuts at every intersection but not always ADA compliant. * Great historic architecture . * Residents have great access to several sport complexes, playgrounds, the morning side greenway, and Highland Park is nearby (although hard to access by foot). URBAN WEAKNESSES * No dedicated bike infrastructure. * Rentals are pretty limited but moderately priced. 1-bedrooms going for $800-$1,000 and 2-bedrooms in the low $1,000s. * No schools within Morningside but a couple decent ones in adjacent neighborhoods. * Really no modern in-fill in Morningside. * Some retail exists in Morningside including a cafe, several restaurants & bars, salons, Rite Aid, a daycare facility, and even a specialty fabric store. Most residents are 1 mile from the Bryant commercial district. |
Evaluating our Urban Communities [with a focus on America] 