Sunday, September 25, 2011

CNBC's 10 Perfect Suburbs - No. 7 Wexford, PA

7. Wexford, Pennsylvania
Suburb of: Pittsburgh
Metro area unemployment rate: 7.0%
Median house value: $345,579
Safer from crime than this percent of all U.S. communities: 35%

Wexford is a mostly white-collar small city with lots of new housing and urban sophisticates (educated, wealthy, avid readers, well-traveled, supporters of the arts). It has better public schools than 96% of all U.S. communities, and its public schools are better than 99% of schools in the rest of the state. The majority of Wexford’s populace holds a four-year degree (58.3%), and a majority are homeowners (82.6%). Further analysis of the suburb is found on its Neighborhood Scout profile .

http://www.cnbc.com/id/44347217?slide=5

So what kept us off the list? Our taxes? Aging population? Lower median of home values?  Older homes? Higher percentage of rentals?
I remember the day when Mt. Lebanon made all the lists.  I guess I am showing my age.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess according to Travel & Leisure magazine (http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/coolest-suburbs-worth-a-visit/17) Mt.. Lebanon is a nice place TO VISIT!
Guess they're subtly saying, but you wouldn't want to live and pay taxes there!
Its a joke folks... laugh a little before you start going off half-cocked and getting all disagreeable and start shooting the messengers!
But, seriously maybe it is time to consider there is competition in these here parts now!
Dick Saunders

Anonymous said...

Do us all a favor and take a vacation.

Lebo Citizens said...

Don't ya love it? Couldn't sign your name.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Matt C. Wilson - As of yet I have not stopped reading. Nevertheless, Wexford is a possibility. No mention of plagiarizing board members or forums about how to disagree.
Thank you Elaine - for enduring the bullies. Wendy Hudson

Matt C. Wilson said...

Well thanks for sticking around, Wendy, if only virtually :)

South Hills to North Hills... that's like changing religions. Wow.

Do they even have running water and sanitary living conditions up there? I mean, it's like through a tunnel and across two bridges!

Anonymous said...

Don't ya just love Anonymous' 7:48 PM?!
It would be so simple for them to tune Elaine's blog out, pretending Elaine's on vacation.
But NOOOOO, Elaine and her contributors have to do them "A FAVOR and take a vacation."
Anonymous 7:48, I for one happened to enjoy reading Elaine's blog even though I don't always agree with every post.
So why don't you do open-minded residents-- that think it is best to investigate both sides of an issue-- a big favor and lock yourself away in your comfortable little box.
If you want to share information and engage in open debate then stay, I'd love to read your comments/opinions even if I don't agree with them.
But please don't shoot barbs at a fellow resident just because you don't like what they write.
Dick Saunders

Anonymous said...

Let me rephrase this comment: "If you want to share information and engage in open debate then stay, I'd love to read your comments/opinions even if I don't agree with them."
I didn't mean to preload that I disagree with comments you might submit anonymous. If you have a good point or position I'd like to think I'm open-mided enough to support it.
Dick Saunders

Anonymous said...

I think it warrants mentioning that Wexford isn't even a real town. It's essentially a zip code covering Pine, Franklin Park, Marshall, etc. It covers Pine Richland and North Allegheny school districts. I suppose Lebo and USC would look pretty strong if we were to loosely mold them together like Wexord. Oh, and there's plenty of registered sex offenders in the Wexford area too.

Joe Scronli

Anonymous said...

Joe, for not being a real town Wexford seems to have a lot of fans besides CNBC.
From Wikipedia: "Wexford is an unincorporated community in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The area known as Wexford is split among multiple municipalities, including Franklin Park, McCandless, Pine Township, and Marshall Township. It is named after County Wexford, Ireland.[1]

Home to many upper-middle-class people, Wexford's commercial landscape is dominated by a mixture of corporate chains, car dealerships, and a number of local small businesses, concentrated on the main thoroughfare of the "Wexford Flats", U.S. Route 19. It is also home to what is considered to be one of the top high schools in Pennsylvania, North Allegheny Senior High School.[2] Other schools in the area are Pine-Richland High School, and Vincentian Academy.

It was recently ranked the twenty-eighth best place to live by Money magazine,[3] despite it being essentially a postal zip code and a general descriptor of a section of suburban Pittsburgh, not a formal town. The presence North Allegheny Senior High School, a large, well funded public high school, the numerous businesses, and a number of churches along the "Wexford Flats" gives the area a more distinct community identity than simply an otherwise unremarkable suburb in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Adjacent to Wexford is North Park and North Park lake. This area is a great feature to the community featuring many hiking/biking trails, 5 mile paved running path around the lake, many pavilions for outdoor events, outdoor ice rink, golf course, dog parks, and local restaurants and shops. The lake is currently under construction including dredging and refinishing shore lines, but plans to be completed by 2012."

So while you're essentially correct Joe, it is still a competing "community" for new residents/taxpayers and businesses. While you wish to engage in minucia like "is Wexford a real town", Money Magazine describes it as their 28th best place to live.
Must we continually bicker(disagree) over trivial matters or do we work together as a community to put or keep Mt. Lebanon in the top 10 of everybody's list?
Dick Saunders

Jack Mulliken said...

I think we didn't make the list because all of you "child hating", "anti-sports" tightwads don't want to pay that $18/month (or less) for the school of the future (that $18/month sure does go a long way, doesn't it?).

Or maybe it's because the level of fiscal irresponsibility has lead to high taxes and crumbling infrastructure.

I think I'm going to go with #2.

Anonymous said...

Oh now Jack, you know the real reason Lebo's not in the Top 10 is because you "disagreeable" types just won't get with the program!
There are people in the community that- absolutely, positively- know what's best for the community. You on the other hand, as they well know, are a tight-ward and blabbering fool. ;-)
Their blogs, RealLebo, Voice of Mt. Lebanon, and Center Court, should you need refreshed or brought up to date on the "facts" are still available online. ;-)
So Jack, please get out of the way and let them start that $18/month project.