Chuck Reynolds

Not too long ago I realized I started to get an accent, not from a foreign country, but from Pittsburgh. After three years at Allegheny College, a year and half at Carnegie Mellon and another year and half of working I consider myself a Pittsburgh’er. For all of the reasons Pittsburgh receives press I bucked the trend in deciding to stay in Pittsburgh after graduating school.

While growing up outside of Washington, D.C. I never thought about Pittsburgh, let alone thought about living in Pittsburgh. In fact, while I studied at Allegheny College I had ambitions to live and work in DC. That changed when the opportunity to attend graduate school at Carnegie Mellon presented itself. Living in the city during a “safe” period of my life (school) gave me the insight I needed to figure out that I wanted to stick around.

Pittsburgh is such a diverse and wonderful place. I’ve lived in Squirrel Hill, Shadyside and just bought a house in East Liberty. I believe in the East End and look forward to seeing the city, and East Liberty thrive. What is going to make that happen are people like Ethan “Rooster” Clay the enterprising entrepreneur behind Oh, Yeah and Eve Picker the owner/architect/editor behind we do property and Pop City Media.

With all of the neighborhoods, Pittsburgh truly has a small town feel. The restaurants and coffee shops treat their customers as their neighbors, not just another way to make a profit. Case in point, all of the local restaurants like Murray Ave Grill. I spent many evenings there with friends and grabbing a quick bite for myself. Never once was I not greeted by name as I entered – and I heard plenty of other names, in fact the manager knew most of the patrons.

Each neighborhood has a different feel, offering everything from the urban adventure in the Strip District to the cultural events of Downtown and huge parks in Regent Square. The extensive park system and low cost of living made the decision to stay in Pittsburgh easy.

The key was the accessibility, beauty and potential Pittsburgh holds. Of course neighborhoods like Lawrenceville and East Liberty have been “up and coming” for years, but development doesn’t happen over night and I see the fruit of the civic leader’s labor more everyday. But, these neighborhoods aren‚Äôt the only one‚Äôs on the move. Mt Washington has always had the view, but now is continuing to grow. The Hill District is being completely transformed by Consol Energy Arena and despite a few recent hiccups, the North Side is a variable hot spot highlighted by the Mattress Factory.

Green energy has been highlighted by the press and honored by President Obama, but what draws my attention to the city are the efforts of organizations like the Mattress Factory and the Carnegie Museums. Their efforts at promoting the city reap rewards that will drive more talent to the city.

While I was determining what career path I wanted to make, and where I wanted to make my mark I was reminded by a mentor that Pittsburgh is a technology hub. deepLocal, MobileFusion, Resumator and the AlphaLab grads are testimonials to the innovation taking place in the city. All of this despite the hurdles they face.

Pittsburgh grabbed my attention because of the vibrant neighborhoods and low cost of living. Every day, thanks to organization like Pop City and the amazing blogging community I am reminded of why I choose to stay in Pittsburgh and encourage my colleagues and friends to do the same.