One of the best agents in the area and a worldwide real estate adviser with Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty, Racheallee Lacek, has her eye on other places that locals are rediscovering. She was recently chosen to host the Pittsburgh chapter of TV’s “The American Dream” real estate program. Her area of expertise is new building and condo development, and she collaborates with many trade associations to stay abreast of subsurface developments.
Read More: Pittsburgh Neighborhoods
Manchester-Chateau
According to the 2017 Manchester-Chateau Neighborhood plan, this North Side neighborhood, rich in both history and housing stock, “has the most historically significant collection of architecture of any neighborhood in Pittsburgh.” Information from the
According to West Penn Multi-List, Manchester’s average house price increased by 37%, from $235,000 to $322,000, between 2022 and 2023. According to Lacek, these developments are “key indicators for the neighborhood.” These include proposals to expand the light-rail system through the district on its route to Bellevue and Emsworth, among other things.
Esplanade, a 15-acre inclusive riverside community being developed by Piatt Companies, will revitalize the former industrial area by bringing in housing, business, hotel, and entertainment. Congressmen Bob Casey, a Democrat, and Summer Lee, a Republican, said earlier this year that a study looking at options to reunite the two neighborhoods that were divided when State Route 65 was built in the 1960s would get a $1.4 million investment from the federal infrastructure law.
Homestead
This municipality, which is only.6 square miles in size, is rich in history, having roots in the Homestead Steel Works and the Industrial Age of the late 19th century. An economic engine is the Carnegie of Homestead Library and Music Hall (established by Andrew Carnegie in 1898), which also contains an athletic club. Although the facility high on the hill is located in Munhall, its website claims that for every 50 performances in the music hall, the Carnegie contributes more than $1 million to the Waterfront and Eighth Avenue commercial areas. There are several privately owned stores lining East Eighth Avenue. “Homestead has a lot of investors who are acquiring derelict homes,” says Lacek, adding that “average property prices have climbed from $77,000 to $93,000 during the first half of 2023 (compared with the same time last year) and inventory has surged by 200% during the same period.
Sharpsburg
This Allegheny rivertown, which is part of the Fox Chapel School District, is seeing a boom. First, there’s the bustling Main Street that runs the whole length of the little borough, with bakeries, restaurants, and other small businesses springing up all around amid the traditional social organizations that maintain the tight-knit community. On Canal Street, beer enthusiasts are drawn to Dancing Gnome Brewery, Hitchhiker Brewing Co., and Tortured Souls Brewing, three establishments that can be bookended by Gran Canal Caffe, one of the neighborhood’s classic, family-run restaurants. Meanwhile, coffee shop Redhawk Coffee Roasters exudes a laid-back retro vibe.