I can write what I know about PIT, but it won't be comprehensive.
The jewish community is in Squirrel Hill. This is one of very few Jewish communities that haven't flocked towards the suburbs. It's relatively safe for city living, but not nearly as safe as other suburban communities.
Pros:-A Chabad school from Pre-K through Mesivta, though some may call this a con. It's run incompetently but there are precious few Chabad schools with English and this is the best of the sorry bunch. Only highlights IMHO are the 9th grade Rebbi and Mr. J, the social studies teacher. Many do move here for the school though.
-Not technically in the Midwest (or any other region), but people are much friendlier than on the East Coast.
-Many major cities (Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, NYC, Toronto, etc) are within driving distance.
-A nice growing young community, fueled by natives moving back home.
-Rita's. 'Nuff said
Cons:-Extremely hilly. Expect to fall in the winter as ice storms can be common.
-The kosher restaurant scene is non-existent. Just a mediocre pizza shop and a bakery in the grocery store.
-Job market can be very tough and most of the community is quite poor (hence the dozen restaurant closures in the past dozen years) and rely on housing boarders for the small extra income that provides at the sacrifice of privacy.
-Houses are from the 1800s and often need major repairs and updating. Housing is cheap by coastal standards but high compared to most midwestern cities. Rentals are also very high and hard to find. Many young couples are moving away from Squirrel Hill to Greenfield is search of affordable housing.
-Most houses don't have garages, and street parking can be hard, especially in the winter.
-Pretty limited shul options.
-The Chabad community is run like a small mafia, shlichus opportunities are generally reserved for those related to the head shliach, and there's little tolerance for any dissent.
Any locals care to chime in/disagree?
Topic Wiki
