(Another Viewpoint)

Alert Reader James S. writes (via email):

I absolutely agree with you on what should be done on the former church lots along Seventh Avenue.

In fact, you forgot to mention the homes built in the Hill District in Pittsburgh. These upscale joints lack the waterfront/marina location. I fail to see what the hell they have to offer, except proximity to Downtown Pittsburgh (to me a dubious feature!) There is also the redevlopment of East Liberty (I give that five minutes).

I would in a heartbeat buy a house in Downtown McKeesport if it was built as a townhouse or a single house faithfully styled as a late Victorian or Edwardian type that was typical of the architecture of the McKeesport area with modern features.

Unfortunately for me any new house is out of my price range, but I am trying to save to buy a house and the McKeesport area is my target (McKeesport, Glassport, Port Vue, Wilmerding, etc.) I think this area is underrated and has a chance to be developed.

In this economy a reasonably priced area that has good connections to Monroeville on one side and Pittsburgh on the other --- and is a hell of lot closer to "the action" than Cranberry --- is a decent bet.

Just don't build another "Shopping Destination," and concentrate on office/industrial/housing, and the Mon Valley can be restored. It has location, location, location! It just needs someone to sell it!

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Alert Reader Dominic writes from Spring Hill, Fla.:

Please send me the new map of McKeesport if they are still available.

I lived in 10th Ward on Atlantic Avenue and went to St. Pius and Holy Trinity. Dad, my grandfathers and all of my uncles worked at National Tube or (other) U.S. Steel plants. I last visited the area in '68 or '69 before I went into the U.S. Air Force in 1972, where I stayed 24 years and then retired. Everyone I knew there has since passed away, but I still have one cousin in Pittsburgh.

We indeed do have copies of the map available, and if anyone else wants one, they can send a self-addressed, stamped, legal-size envelope to "Map, Tube City Online, P.O. Box 94, McKeesport, PA 15134." And thanks for reading Tube City Almanac, James and Dominic!

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