PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by popstar

It is strange how any article about the transformation of a city neighborhood is attacked in the comments section. I think there's a large contingent of people who want to see the city remain blighted in certain areas just to affirm their own uninformed, probably racist, views.

I think part of it too is that over time a lot of people have made significant sacrifices to live far away from the City, in terms of housing costs, transportation costs, commuting times, fewer nearby amenities, and so on. Of course some people just inherently prefer that lifestyle anyway, but for those who on some level know that they were making an otherwise costly decision to avoid the City, it can cause them stress to hear the City is improving, which implicitly means that maybe all those sacrifices they have been making were not fully justified.

And even if not that--a metro area is not entirely a zero-sum game, but there is probably some truth to the notion that a newly-thriving City will lead to a somewhat lower return on investments made in prior years in residences in far-flung parts of the Metro.

[BrianTH]

I know the Riverhounds had possible expansion plans (in phases) laid out even before the new ownership. That would be great--it is a really fun venue, and I bet it would continue to draw well at a much higher capacity. It could also allow the Riverhounds to move up the U.S. soccer ranks (they are currently in a Division III league, USL Pro).

[deja vu]

I recently received a brochure in the mail from Carnegie Mellon about the new University Expansion Center. Cannon Design is the architect. To date, these are the only renderings I've seen of the project, and though very schematic, give a sense of how this addition will appear from Forbes Avenue. The additional performance, rehearsal, and fitness space is badly needed by the campus.

One thing I question is where the service entrances, loading docks, etc. will fit into the new scheme.

Here's an article from CMU's "The Tartan" in September 2013 with some extra info.

Current View:



View From Forbes Ave:



View From Second Floor Lobby:

[BrianTH]

This is nominally a story about a failed plan to build a convention center hotel, but it is actually full of good news:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2...r-hotel-idea-fading/stories/201311060084

To summarize: developers wanted huge public subsidies to build the convention center mega-hotel, but meanwhile three new privately-funded hotel projects (Drury in the Fed Reserve building, Monaco in the Reed building, and Embassy Suites in the Oliver building) have together taken up the slack, leading people like County Executive Fitzgerald to say public funding should be going to things like transportation instead.

That's great! Those three competing, privately-funded hotels are better than one big publicly-funded hotel, and plus they are all creative reuse projects of significant historic properties. And Fitzgerald is right--the public should be focusing on places where public leadership and funding is necessary (e.g., transportation), and letting the private sector handle things like hotel development.

That said, I'd like to see the lots they were going to use for the convention center hotel developed at some point. Maybe even with a hotel--but not on the public's dime.

[photoLith]

So I guess peduto is officially mayor now. I hope he is the savior of all mankind and of preservation.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2...draws-ire-in-Slopes/stories/201311060085

Tearing down city steps draws ire in South Side Slopes

November 6, 2013 1:50 AM

By Diana Nelson Jones / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A demolition project to remove most of the Monastery Street steps in the South Side Slopes has members of the Slopes neighborhood association outraged that they were not informed, but the project has been pending since 2011, when the condition of the steps made the city's list for replacement.

The city's public works director Rob Kaczorowski said the steps were in bad condition and that the people who will be most affected -- those who live closest to the steps -- were informed.

Demolition was temporarily halted Tuesday in response to outraged residents who say they were blindsided by the work, which began Monday, but it has resumed, Mr. Kaczorowski said.

Some residents question the need for the demolition and the grade of the replacement sidewalk.

"We have partnered with public works on all manner of steps improvements and we have leveraged investments," for steps, said architect Peter Kreuthmeier, a member of the association's board. "So this came as quite a shock."

The Monastery Street steps, which were built in 1950, were part of this year's StepTrek, a tour of public steps in the Slopes, on Oct. 5. Association board president Brian Oswald said there was no issue with the steps at that time. "They weren't in the greatest shape, but there were no repairs required."

Mr. Kaczorowski said the project "has been on the books since 2011 and finally made it to the top of the list. Why didn't we inform [the Slopes association]? Maybe it was an oversight, but I didn't think to seek their approval. Those steps were in such bad condition that the contractor pulled the railing out and the whole structure fell."

...

[themaguffin]

So I guess peduto is officially mayor now. I hope he is the savior of all mankind and of preservation.

I think most here simply want more than a frat boy or old machine guy and one who has basic standards for development and growth, rather than what we have seen.

[WillyC]

Originally Posted by popstar

It is strange how any article about the transformation of a city neighborhood is attacked in the comments section. I think there's a large contingent of people who want to see the city remain blighted in certain areas just to affirm their own uninformed, probably racist, views. Unfortunately, though, all of those ultraconservative (dumbass) comments can sway a reader's opinion about a subject. .. so thanks for taking the time to put them in their places.

I do all I can to keep myself from scrolling down to the comments section because every time I read them, I want to flee the city and leave it to the yinzers. I love Pittsburgh, but the yinzers (especially now that they have internet) do their best to drive me away.

[photoLith]

Yinzers are pretty bad, wish they would just move to West Virginia. Pittsburgh is awesome, I love this city more than anyone but this city is tragically white trash.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Yinzers are pretty bad, wish they would just move to West Virginia. Pittsburgh is awesome, I love this city more than anyone but this city is tragically white trash.

The city is the people. How can you honestly say that you love the city if you don't like the people who live here?

[BrianTH]

Defining "yinzers" as white, working-class natives of the area, I have met plenty of "yinzers" who are interesting, open-minded, pro-urban, and so on. I have also met plenty of non-yinzers (i.e., middle-class or higher, or non-native) who are boorish, ignorant, anti-urban, and so on. And in fact I am quite sure many of the anti-City commentators on local media websites are non-yinzers.

So I would say that if you have nothing but contempt for "yinzers" as a group, you are guilty of your own sort of bigotry (a sort of classism).

[DBR96A]

I think the concept of "yinzers" can be quite confusing sometimes. Some people define them as white, working-class natives, while others define them as white Pittsburghers in general. But considering the term "yinzer" was intended as a derogatory term, I keep the definition rather derogatory, and I also differentiate between yinzers and normal Pittsburghers.

Somebody can be white and working-class, love the Steelers and use the word "yinz," and still be a normal Pittsburgher in my eyes, as long as they're not trashy. To me, a "yinzer" is somebody who has the following traits:


- He only listens to WDVE, or maybe WDSY too, if he's expanded his musical horizons.

- He hates black people unless they play for the Steelers. He really hates black people if they coach the Steelers, though, or if they have any position of power.

- He thinks all Hispanics are illegal immigrants, and publicly makes fun of Asians because he's convinced they won't retaliate. He thinks they should all "go back where they came from."

- He seldom crosses a river, let alone drives on a two-digit Interstate. It's possible that he's never left western Pennsylvania.

- He has an excessively sports-oriented idea of Pittsburgh culture, obsessing over the Steelers, and trying to co-opt the Penguins when they win. He hates the Pirates, though, because they're "losers," and he barely follows college sports.

- He actually hates the city of Pittsburgh, preferring to live outside the city limits. Increasingly, people like him are leaving Allegheny County altogether.

- He's ready to throw down at even the slightest provocation.


Simply speaking "Picksburghese" or hanging a "YOU'RE IN STEELERS COUNTRY" banner on your front porch doesn't necessarily make you a yinzer. Being trashy does, especially if you have more than one of the characteristics I listed above.

[BrianTH]

Defining "yinzer" to only include "the bad ones" is bound to cause confusion since many people use the term more broadly. In fact, see this Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinzer

Of course it literally refers to people who speak in the Pittsburgh regional dialect, which is not inherently pejorative. As reflected in that article, it has really only taken on a pejorative connotation more recently, and it is far from clear that to the extent people associate certain negative traits or behaviors with the term, that is as a limiting definition. The alternative is such people are simply engaging in a negative stereotyping of the whole group, which again is a form of bigotry.

Moreover, such lists are often subject to over-universalization. For example, someone could be super into the Steelers, and even (horrors!) DVE. But they could also be not at all racist, like living in the City, and so on. And if someone then starts talking about hating yinzers, and making fun of liking the Steelers and DVE, are they supposed to understand the speaker doesn't really mean them, but just those other bad yinzers who are also racists and such?

The bottomline is yinzer is one of those class/ethnic terms that can sometimes be used neutrally or positively without harm, but as soon as you start using it negatively you are very likely going to cause unintentional and unjustified offense--unless, of course, you actually embrace being bigoted.

[photoLith]

A yinzer to me is a piece of trash who only wears steelers jerseys and pajama pants to go out in public. They don't respect the city or it's history, and think it's still 1987 or something. Classic yinzer communities are millvale, etna, sharpsburg, parts of the southside slopes, etc. Millvale and sharpsburgh are the worst offenders in my mind. A yinzer can share many traits to Arkansas trailer trash and may or may not have a confederate flag plastered over the back window of their trucks. They also have lots of trashy tattoos and most likely have had one kid by the age of 17. They also wish they lived in Florida or South Carolina, instead of pittsburgh. When you say you went to the north side they think you're lucky to have not gotten shot. They also still think you're risking your life for walking around east liberty. They don't know much about the region or their own city beyond their own neighborhood. If they have ever taken a vacation it is either to Panama City, Florida; or gambling in Jersey. Most also think making over 13 dollars an hour is doing well.

[BrianTH]

Case in point. If you are a working class native who lives in Millvale and likes the Steelers, are you not supposed to be offended by photolith's rant just because some of it might be untrue as applied to you?

This same basic dynamic applies to all sorts of bigoted slurs:

"It is OK that I used [slur], because when I use [slur], I just mean the really bad members of [group to which slur refers], not all of them."

We could be talking about a racial slur, ethnic slur, religious slur, class slur--here "yinzer" is not inherently a slur, but as being used by certain posters is a combined ethnic and class slur.

At a minimum, this defense of using such slurs is bound to lead to miscommunications as described previously. But it also makes no sense on a deeper level. If what you are criticizing is some other trait, why use a term associated with a particular group? If you want to criticize locals who are racist, why limit your criticism to local racists who are also yinzers? If you want to criticize locals who are anti-urban, why limit your criticism to anti-urban locals who are also yinzers? Any such terms are both over- and UNDER-inclusive, so it really is not a defense to say you didn't intend to be over-inclusive.

In short--people should just stop with the yinzer bashing (unless you are actually just a bigot). If you care about anything else of substance, you are unnecessarily offending some of your natural allies, and letting many of the real targets of your criticisms off the hook.

[photoLith]

/ssp political correctness.

The change this city is seeing is from people who are moving in from other regions bringing progressive ideals with them. The yinzers are holding this city back from progress. But defending people who think sweatpants and a jersey are good evening attire just seems, pointless.

[BrianTH]

Complaining about "political correctness" is the standard first line of defense of real bigots. But that concept is also a well-designed tool intentionally promoted by those who are perfectly happy to see their natural policy opponents fighting among themselves. Working-class straight white males shouldn't be causing unnecessary strife with working-class non-straights or non-whites or non-males? Bah, that's political correctness! (says the upper-class media owner who would rather not see his marginal tax rates increase).

Of course it is true cities often thrive in part because they attract ambitious migrants who bring new ideas, new capital, and other new resources. But in Pittsburgh's case (and most other cases), the fact is that even with increased net in-migration rates in recent years, the percentage of migrants is still WAY too small for them to have any sort of real policy impact entirely on their own, and that will remain true indefinitely.

So to the extent "progressive" migrants are having a positive impact on local policy, it is through actually combining with like-minded natives in common causes. Again, that sort of leveraging is absolutely essential, because otherwise the numbers would never work out in those migrant/progressives' favor.

And again, photolith may be incapable of seeing this plain fact, but it IS a plain fact that many people who fall into the category of "yinzers" are natural allies on issues like transit, development, historic preservation, and so on. That doesn't mean they are always going to have exactly the same ideas and goals as any particular migrant/progressive, but they are at least generally inclined in the same direction, enough to make common cause against those who are actually entirely opposed.

Unfortunately, there is a strain of "progressivism" these days which tends to prefer remaining in constant outrage mode against all comers, versus figuring out how to form coalitions that can actually achieve progress. Fortunately, this strain of "progressivism" is far better represented among Internet "activists" than among real world progressive activists (probably in part because real world progressive activists are both more likely to have actually spent significant time talking to people outside of their own narrow ethnic/class group, and because they have also encountered the stark realities of what it takes to actually build an effective coalition).

So no, Mr. Forbes, it is not just "political correctness" to point out that bigotry directed against "yinzers" is self-defeating behavior for self-declared "progressives" in Pittsburgh. It is a recognition both of what the complex world really looks like outside of your personal bubble, and a recognition of what it will take to actually achieve some progress in that real world.

[photoLith]

I love it when people on SSP call someone bigoted because they are against small minded regressive bigots. You are thinking Im talking about all native Pittsburghers, Im not. It always amazes me how only on SSP does someone have to explain in great length what they mean as to not offend anyones ultra politically correct motives.

Im talking about these people, although some in this video are not from Pittsburgh, they are still from the yinzer inbred parts of southwest, PA.

• Video Link

I always love it when people try to defend white trash or ghetto trash on SSP. There are good native yinzers, and then there is just the white trash version. If you cant admit that and you live in this city, then you must be blind.

[GeneW]

So you can be sincerely upset about specific actions of specific people, like a group of Kenny Chesney fans trashing my neighborhood, without feeling the need to denigrate an entire populous. For instance I harbor no blanket hatred of immigrants from Houston, Texas even though at least one member of that group feels the need to spew his hatred of the people that I've spent the last quarter century living and working with.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by photoLith

I love it when people on SSP call someone bigoted because they are against small minded regressive bigots. You are thinking Im talking about all native Pittsburghers, Im not.

Then why don't you just say what you mean, rather than use the term "yinzer"? Again, the term "yinzer" is both under- and over-inclusive if what you are actually concerned about is all Pittsburgh-area people who are small-minded regressive bigots, so why use that term at all?

You might also want to reconsider complaining about things such as people liking the Steelers, which doesn't have any necessary relationship with being small-minded, regressive, or bigoted.

There are good native yinzers, and then there is just the white trash version.

So again, if you admit there are "good" yinzers, isn't it obvious that your anti-yinzer tirades are both inappropriate and counter-productive?