There’s a lot to be thankful for in Pittsburgh, believe it or not.

In fact, this might be the best time ever to be a Pittsburgher since ol’ George Washington first surveyed the forks of the Ohio through his looking glass. (Yes, I’m aware that this is blasphemy; we definitely look at the past through black-and-gold-tinted glasses and see our current glass of Iron City as never more than half-full).

This assertion actually isn’t that big of a stretch. Pittsburgh was an economically thriving, yet overwhelmingly polluted hellhole for most of its existence — a giant pierogi full of smog and cancer — until the catastrophic demise of the steel industry. Then it was an economically depressed polluted hellhole. Now, after a long hangover, we’ve discovered something else underneath: a nice, clean-ish mid-sized American city with really unusual topography, a distinctive culture, and a solid array of historic homes. As a result, it’s one of the only cities affordable to people without their own hedge fund or NFL contract. That’s pretty nice!   

Of course, we have our share of problems, some of them quite serious (schools, budgets, transit, take your pick). However, those problems seem somewhat surmountable when people are streaming in (OK, trickling in), instead of stampeding for the exits like there’s a three-score deficit to the Ravens. Growth isn’t automatically good and presents its own set of problems, but when there are more jobs, more taxes being paid, more ideas to throw at problems, and simply more of everything, there are more chances to get things right.

Because this level of positivity makes me uncomfortable — my most Pittsburgh quality — I’d like to also point out that the good times tend to end, and bad times tend to follow. Given the larger forces at work in the world, we’re probably closer to the end than the beginning.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For sale: 1532 Marquis Way, Mexican War Streets, $200,000.

For quite a while, I’ve been beating the drum that affordable housing exists in Pittsburgh, as long as you’re willing to look past the usual hotspots into the less-loved corners of the city and inner-ring suburbs. But maybe it’s time to reassess even that; if there are houses in the historic Mexican War Streets for $200K (normally they’d be double or triple that) then something big might be stirring. So far, it’s just one datapoint, but that can change quickly. Watch this space!

1502 Forsythe St. Credit: Courtesy of Zillow

For sale: 1502 Forsythe St., Marshall-Shadeland, $129,900.

One of Pittsburgh’s biggest problems also has an opportunity embedded inside — we’ve got tens of thousands of abandoned properties and empty lots left over from the bad old days. What do Americans say they want most of all right now?  Affordable housing! Sure, “it’s not that easy,” I get that, but what if it were?  (To be clear: this house isn’t abandoned and seems fine, actually. Still cheap, though).

Friendship Court, 261 S. Winebiddle St. Credit: Courtesy of Zillow

For rent: Friendship Court, 261 S. Winebiddle St., Friendship, $1,249/month.

I got taken to “Friendship Court” once for doubting my pal’s ability to recall how many sacks Kevin Greene had in 1996 (14.5, obviously), and my fine was a case of Iron City and everlasting shame. Would you believe that Friendship Court was a real place, actually, and it’s got pretty reasonable rents? I just wouldn’t rest anything, including your elbows, on the antique radiator there.

303 S. Negley Ave. Credit: Courtesy of Zillow

For rent: 303 S. Negley Ave., East Liberty, $1,050/month.

If you want to wait out the next recession with a desultory digression into grad school studying something wildly impractical, well, this place was made for you. Or move in and write that first draft of The Great American Novel, or that screenplay about how Sid Bream was actually out at the plate (he beat out Barry Bonds, really?), and how everything since was a simulation. I mean, I’m rooting for you, if that helps. 

1236 High St. Credit: Courtesy of Zillow

For sale: 1236 High St., Troy Hill, $215,000.

I think I featured this house’s neighbor a while back, 1234 High Street, which is definitely an address a totally-not-high person would come up with. This one looks considerably better — even the white vinyl siding looks like new, and the interior is almost blinding in its cleanliness. That blue carpet in the top bedroom is so blue that it looks like a pool, which is likely to seem quite appealing about February or so.

5524 Stanton Ave. Credit: Courtesy of Zillow

For rent: 5524 Stanton Ave., Highland Park, $1,320/month.

Housing prices are dropping everywhere; is The Great Rent Descent next? (If so, can I trademark that?). Eh, probably not, because that would involve making life easier for the not-wealthy, and we tend not to do that in this country if we can avoid it. When we start seeing sub-$1,000 rents in Pittsburgh’s Favored Quarter (the East End, basically), then we can call it. Until then, we’ll keep a lookout.

This article appears in Nov. 26-Dec. 2.

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