>would like to have a bit less of a "city" living feel.
>
>having "things" to do

Greenfield is close to things by car I guess, but there isn't a whole lot of "things" to do there. Getting less "city" than Shadyside is probably going to reduce the amount of "things" to do pretty significantly. Not talking shit on Greenfield because it's a nice place and convenient/affordable... just not sure what your priorities are.

This is either a pro or a con, but neighborhoods like Greenfield have a lot of cranky yinzers who haven't moved for in some cases generations.

Parts of Greenfield away from Murray and Greenfield Ave can feel very isolated and not very walkable.

The housing stock is very hit or miss and could be a victim of deferred maintenance.

All that being said, as someone who has spent a lot of time in both Greenfield and Shadyside, I would be happy to live there.

It’s not as affordable as it used to be.

Lived there during Covid. Keep looking at apartments and other rentals and yeah, unless it’s total crap it’s not as affordable anymore.

Pros: close to the city, the Parkway East, Schenley Park, universities, tons of good food places in nearby neighborhoods.

Cons: fewer local businesses than other neighborhoods, prices can vary depending on which part of Greenfield, normal city things like houses being old or close together

It really depends on where you buy. Lately, I see a lot more doctors or nurses buying in Greenfield due to close access to so many hospitals, and that seems to be helping drive up prices.

I moved from the heart of squirrel hill to squirrel hill south (which kinda feels like greenfield)

Squirrel hill is about a 20 minute walk now, so it really did kill walkability. But, it’s nice being able to get to the waterfront or squirrel hill proper in 5 minutes (car) and being right off the parkway, so when I do go to the office, it takes 12-15 minutes.

But right, not much going on around the area. The greenfield pool is a solid city pool, but other than that, the biggest perk is proximity to other places via car

Greenfield's alright. I've lived there about 10 years.

Pros: Close to everything, walkable (if you like to walk) to places like Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Frick Park, Schenley Park, and even Shadyside and beyond (about 35 minutes to Walnut St, if you hustle), and all the dining and shopping opportunities that entails. More affordable than those neighborhoods, and your mortgage may end up being significantly cheaper than what it'd cost to rent in Greenfield, though the cost of the average starter home around here is already up around 100K from when were were buying a decade ago (now most of the cheaper homes are in the 225 - 270K range for a basic 3BR/1BA place, with it going up if there's any sign of recent remodeling). Many of the homes at least have a small yard, which is good for a dog and a garden. Regular bus service to Oakland, Downtown, and the Waterfront. People are generally friendly if/when you get kids into school, and I've generally been pleased with the school communities and opportunities on the sports teams and at the Rec Center. Really great views from some of the hilltops. Lots of wildlife, which is fun to watch but bad news for our plants.

Cons: A lot of the homes are really old and suffer from remuddling and deferred maintenance, as I've been discovering (purchased after a series of owners who only stayed there for a year or two), which has meant a ton of extra work on things like roofs, chimneys, heating, insulation, etc., plus any decorative changes. Drivers are really shitty because it's a cut-through neighborhood, so people who don't actually live here end up running stop signs and red lights all the time. Then again, the people who live here also speed and ignore signs as well. The Nextdoor is toxic, but that seems the same everywhere.

Pros: Accessibility to both Frick Park and Schenley Park. You can also get on the jail trail and down to Duck Hollow quickly. My family frequently walks over the Greenfield bridge and into Schenley Park for hikes.

There is a grocery store in the neighborhood (within walking distance depending on where at in Greenfield you end up).

From talking with my neighbors Greenfield K-8 is a wonderful school and I have no issues sending my children there in a few years.

Speaking of children, there are a bunch of playgrounds spread throughout Greenfield so you'll likely be within walking distance of one. Plus, Magee Field has a swimming pool.

Again, depending on where you end up in Greenfield...the views of Downtown and the surrounding areas are amazing. When we were house shopping we looked at a home with a deck out back that had the most picture perfect views.

Cons: The houses are most definitely hit-or-miss. Personally I would put extra scrutiny into any flipped house in Greenfield, there's been a plethora of them recently and some are just horrible. However, there are some great homes that just need updated, but they get snatched up quickly.

While there are two distinct business areas in Greenfield and some really nice bars, there isn't a whole lot of stuff "going on". I'm hoping that in the near future with the influx of young people moving in that might change.

Because of the location of Greenfield, many people cut through certain residential streets to get out of the city, so be careful what street you end up on if you have little kids to worry about.

I hope this helps you! You can reach out to me if you have any other specific questions I'm more than happy to talk.

I am an old yinzer who has lived here since 1978. I live near the Greenfield GE. The bus transportation is great to downtown, Oakland and Point Breeze. It is walkable to Squirrel Hill. The city pool is nice and a season pass is cheap. The housing stock is mixed but the price will reflect the condition. Raised two children here.

Near the Greenfield GE is the best part of the neighborhood to live in, IMO.

I'm a dog walker, and a lot of the people in Greenfield will yell at you if a dog gets anywhere near their property. Like I've had people start yelling at me to stay off their yard when I'm just walking past. I actually had a lady come running out of her house in her underwear screaming that a dog I was walking peed on a bush on the edge of her property. The dog didn't pee on the bush. She called the cops and the cop pretty much told her she was being nuts. It seems like a very old-cranky-people neighborhood and doesn't seem very pet friendly. Almost every dog walker I know has had the same issue in that neighborhood.

It's weird, I've noticed that a lot recently. In the last couple weeks I had a teenager yell out at us "MOM, THE DOG IS POOPING ON OUR YARD" (it was walking, not pooping), and had an old guy yell out at us on the sidewalk to keep moving. I don't recall people being as vocal before, and there are tons of people walking their dogs all hours of the day. I get it, there are a lot of irresponsible pet owners: Nextdoor has postings almost every day about "lost" cats whose owners let roam, and I pretty frequently find poop on the sidewalks or in our front yard. But what is especially irritating about some of these crabby people is they are the same ones who put their garbage out days early, or let it blow all over the place, or let their cats walk all over the place, or make noise late into the night, or do other things that make it a less neighborly place. Or maybe I've just become more sensitive to rotten people with how ugly everything else going on is.

I don't walk dogs there anymore because of this. It's not new either. These incidents I'm referring to were before covid, and it's just gotten worse. I'll pick up dogs from the neighborhood and take them somewhere else to walk.

Wow. I didn’t know that. Thanks for the heads up since I was looking there as well

Good location, they don’t like outsiders

Depends on the part of Greenfield. I am a few blocks from the GE and while it use to be all of us old folks there is now a nice mix of singles, families and old farts 🤣. greenfield avenue and Murray avenue can be a bit crazy with cars depending on the time of day. But get off those onto the side streets it is a different vibe.

A bit more laid back although as some others have said there is always a few with don’t let your dog on my lawn and take your poop bag home with you.

It is close to hospitals, universities, the parkway, the waterfront and second avenue. Some hidden gems like Big Jim’s, Rialtos and not far to Squirrel Hill for Mineos or Aiello’s depending on which side of the pizza debate you fall on.

I used to live in Greenfield and used to have this issue when taking my dogs for a walk. Even when I clearly had a bag in my hand for picking up their poop, heaven help if they happened to stop at this one particular yard on the block -_- I did make sure they pooped there after dark just for shits and giggles though (always picked up after).

We love big Jim's! Been there many times, definitely a gem. Thank you for your response.

I actually sent a letter to the lady that called the cops on me detailing the city's ordinances and laws involving dogs being outside lol. She needed some educating.

Live on the border of Hazelwood/Greenfield at the bottom of the cemetery. Such a great area. Very close to everything.

Have enough loot set aside for housing emergencies, like a roof leak or sewer line problems, and Greenfield is damn well wonderful.

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We moved to greenfield in our late 20s prior to having kids. We have been here for 5 years and can comment on the section of the neighborhood that’s close to the giant eagle and squirrel hill. We love it.

Pros: -could afford a house with a yard. We have a big vegetable garden and so do a few of our neighbors, which is cool. The value for money is still very good, especially compared to other parts of the city.

-easy to get everywhere via car. close to 376 so can get basically anywhere very quick, including downtown, Lawrenceville, etc. Easy access to waterfront for all your suburban shopping needs.

-walkable. We can get to GE in 5 min by foot. Squirrel hill is a 20 minute walk, but we walk there very frequently in good weather even with our kids. Close to both frick and schenley parks.

-the two parks with playgrounds are nice. One has a community pool.

-the views are fantastic!!!

Cons: -the business districts immediately in greenfield have so much potential but just aren’t that great. I’d love some nice coffee shops, for example. Maybe a bakery. Etc.

-housing stock is very hit or miss

-hills—hard for biking.

-I wish there were more trees.

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I used to love riding my bike to pnc park. Would only take like 15 mins. I never did try the ride back up greenfield ave. That's what buses and friends are for.

Greenfield has the perks of being very within the city without being packed full like Shadyside. 10 mins to the waterfront, 10 to Oakland, 15 to Shadyside, 20 to Robinson/Monroeville without traffic because you are right off of 376. Walkable to Squirrel Hill/Schenley Park/Oakland depending on where you are!

Feel you on the coffee shop bit. Really wish there was one in super close proximity.