I recently had the pleasure of spending a little more than a week in the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill on the east end of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Squirrel Hill is a large residential neighborhood that had it’s early beginnings with a few country homes in the mid 18th century.  In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a large boom aided by the advent of the streetcar, transformed it into a vibrant urban environment.  Because of this, Squirrel Hill today is a quaint, dense, walkable, smaller scale residential neighborhood typical of the ideal vision for city-living during the early 20th century — before the complete domination of the automobile. 

During my time there, I was taken away by the walkability of the streets, however what impressed me most of Squirrel Hill is the wonderful housing diversity within the neighborhood.  Unlike the single income, single type neighborhoods typical of planning and cities of today, Squirrel Hill provides a variety of housing needs for different types of people.  Within this one neighborhood one will find both small and large single family homes, sprawling brick mansions, duplex’s and triplex’s, as well as small low-rise and large mid-rise apartment buildings all next to each other.  Because of this, the streets of Squirrel Hill have a culturally and economically diverse population that includes a harmonious mix of families, affluent older homeowners, young singles, assisted/elderly living, and students. 

The architecture of the neighborhood is also varied and diverse — the architectural style of the neighborhood changes from building to building and few buildings are the same.  Nevertheless, certain architectural elements, such as brick and stone, the dormer, and the front porch are used constantly to create a symbiotic relation and identifiable character  on the streets.  As my friend living there put it, “every building in Squirrel Hill is different, but also the same in many ways”.

In addition, the neighborhood provides many of the recreational, social and cultural amenities required within walking distance.  The commercial streets of Murray and Forbes Avenues cut through the neighborhood and provide a wide range of retail and public services including a post office, various banks and restaurants, markets, taverns, bakeries, movie theaters, and much more. There are also a variety of churches and synagogues (due to the large Jewish population in the neighborhood), as well as schools and other cultural institutions.  The neighborhood even has two massive parks, Schenley and Frick parks, that buttress the neighborhood to the east and west.

As a testament to the architectural diversity of the neighborhood, the area is even home to a couple houses designed by renown international-style architects.  Near Chatham University in Squirrel Hill one can find the Frank House by Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer from 1939 — a classic international style house that contrasts the Victorian brick architecture of the neighborhood.  Nearby, on the same street there is also the Giovanitti House by Richard Meier in a post-modernist style.

Overall, Squirrel Hill shows all the healthy signs of a vibrant and diverse neighborhood.  From the students attending the universities nearby to the large Jewish community and the long time residents of the neighborhood, Squirrel Hill provides an eclectic and spontaneous mix of human diversity.  This is perhaps why Squirrel Hill escaped relatively unscathed during the collapse of the steel industry.  In recent decades, the loss of this important industry in the city has seen many of the streets of Pittsburgh deteriorate due to the large exodus of people and jobs.  Unlike much of the rest of urban Pittsburgh, which is full of abandoned buildings and empty lots, Squirrel Hill is as vibrant and developed as ever. 

Housing diversity is a key element of a healthy neighborhood.

Related posts:

1. The American Front Porch in Squirrel Hill
2. Brick and Stone Use in Squirrel Hill
3. Outdoor Terrace in Charleston
4. Mission to Noe Valley
5. Charleston Single and Double House