Indianapolis vs Pittsburgh - the cities....

[shs]

Would those familiar with these two cities please share some insight as to how they both fare in terms of diversity of people (not only in terms of ethnicity but also dissenting/differing opinions on issues), arts, culture, recreational activities, etc....i.e. though almost not fair to compare, but if one had to, which of these two cities would more closely approximate the more cosmopolitan/multi-cultural metro areas of the country (e.g. New York, Chicago, etc).

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[jmugele]

Would those familiar with these two cities please share some insight as to how they both fare in terms of diversity of people (not only in terms of ethnicity but also dissenting/differing opinions on issues), arts, culture, recreational activities, etc....i.e. though almost not fair to compare, but if one had to, which of these two cities would more closely approximate the more cosmopolitan/multi-cultural metro areas of the country (e.g. New York, Chicago, etc).

I've never been to Pittsburgh, but my wife's family is from Indy, and I lived there for about 6 months. I couldn't stand it -- none of those things you're looking for. Lot's of racial diversity, but not a very cultured city, not a lot of arts, differing opinions, etc. For what it's worth.

 

[pikachu]

I've never been to Indianapolis, but I grew up in Pittsburgh and did a rotation at Pitt last summer. There is a reasonable amount of racial diversity in terms of the make-up of the city's population, but in a lot of cases the groups don't mix much. There are still Jewish, Polish, black, etc. neighborhoods that remain quite distinct. Politically the city is highly Democratic like most other big east coast cities. Culturally it approximates a larger city but on a small scale. The Carnegie museums are smaller than the Met or the NY museum of natural history, but have a great quality of exhibits. there is a ballet, symphony, some theatre companies, and every major sports team except basketball. It's also pretty scenic, with the rivers and bridges. There has been a significant amount of effort dedicated to cleaning up the air, water, and the city as a whole. I still wouldn't swim in the rivers or anything, but it looks a lot better than it used to back in the 80's. The major problem with living in Pittsburgh is that it is a very geriatric city. I guess this is good for doctors. However I wouldn't want to be a single person there. People with kids love it but all the single people I met last summer really complained about nightlife and trying to meet people under 60. I guess if you're married it might not matter to you that much but if you like going out the options are limited.

Pittsburgh also has a very unique cuisine. There are some nice restaurants, but eastern European foods are ubiquitous - like pierogies and haluszki (noodles and cabbage sauteed in butter). It's a city that's willing to deep-fry anything from apple pie to zucchini (including oreos, pierogies, and ravioli). They also put French fries on everything including salads, so be prepared to gain some weight if you move there.

 

[Llenroc]

I had an interview at the University of Pittsburgh. Driving into town, it looked pretty spectacular. That's mainly because I'm used to flat land, and I'm easily impressed by hills. But once you're in town, it is extremely ghetto. The part of town the medical school is in is scary. I would not want to be there.

 

[BerlinNeuro]

I grew up in the Pittsburgh subs, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents. I have never been to Indianapolis, but my friend who lives near there isn't so fond of the city. I agree with all the arts/sports/neighborhoods mentioned about Pittsburgh, and it is an older aged city in some respects. However, there is a lot to do there for singles, in my opinion. There are a lot of other schools besides U Pitt in town (Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne, CCAC, Point Park, Art Institute, La Roche, PTI, etc...) so there is a HUGE college and grad student crowd, especially in Squirrel Hill. Two hot spots are the Strip District and "The Point," lots of clubs, bars, cafes, and cool markets. I can think of lots of other places, but you just have to go out and explore the areas. Neighborhoods are very distinct throughout the city, so there's a lot of choice. It's not NYC, Miami, or LA, but pretty good for a mid-sized city. Crime is average and better than a lot of other places.

I laughed when I read about the pierogies. My parent's moved to Ohio when I was 18, and I was shocked to find other people didn't eat them. But you can boil them and put some "I can't believe it's not butter" on top, and they're just as awesome without the fat. But the fries thing on salads is true. I still have to add them to have a "real" salad.

I'm just a Pittsburgher at heart, and as long as you root for the Steelers, you can be one too. 😉

 

[Nosa]

i agree with the above posters. i grew up in pgh and am currently going to pitt. no it's not NYC, LA or chicago but it's an awesome city for students. reasonable prices mean that you can afford decent apartments in cool parts of town, dining out, going out, etc. the med school is in oakland and has a ton of undergrads and grad students. the part of town behind the med school is sketchy but nobody ever really goes into there and it's really not a factor.

the city is pretty liberal, esp neighborhoods like squirrel hill and shadyside. there's affordable, accessible theaters, museums, film festivals, concerts, etc. plus pitt students tend to be a rather diverse and interesting crowd.