While California struggles, my new home of Pittsburgh seems almost recession-proof

Even though I moved from Lodi to Pittsburgh nine months ago, I'm still torn between the East and West Coast worlds.

I follow California's mounting bad news daily. And I cross my fingers that all my friends and former Lodi Unified School District colleagues will keep their jobs even though the state's budget crisis makes that unlikely.

But as I approach my one-year anniversary in Pittsburgh, the town feels more like home. And California, where I was born and raised, is fading into a memory.

One thing that makes my transition easier is my sense that California is unmanageable and its final, total collapse is inevitable.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has proven recession proof. As long as that economic pattern continues, I pride myself on having made the right decision to get out of California while the getting was good.

In October 2008, Business Week named the U.S. cities where residents have the best chance to comfortably survive the recession. Pittsburgh ranked seventh.

What Business Week discovered is that states such as California, Florida and Nevada are buried under a growing mass of foreclosures and will be the most devastated by the prolonged financial crisis. Cities like New York and Chicago that had large numbers of now vanished financial sector jobs as well as manufacturing towns like Detroit that suffer from weak sales of cars and other durable goods will feel the most pain.

Notice that neither Pennsylvania nor Pittsburgh fits into any of those categories.

Once a steel town, Pittsburgh now employs people in varied fields such as biomedical, health and education. None of those suffered serious downturns. Two of Pittsburgh's major employers are the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Another similar study, this one by MSN Money, also recommended Pittsburgh as one of the seven most recession-proof cities for retirees.

Following the flock of snowbirds to warmer climes may seem like the best way to spend one's golden years. But it may not be the smartest, especially during a weak economy.

Warren R. Bland, the author of "Retire in Style: 60 Outstanding Places Across the USA and Canada," warns that "A retiree always needs to be careful about where he chooses to spend retirement, but with economic conditions changing so quickly, it's even more important to make a good choice."

Accordingly, Bland observes that not all places are created equal when it comes to weathering economic woes like the current real estate slump, credit crunch and shrinking job market. Retirees who move to the wrong city could suffer serious consequences.

Without a strong local economy, there's less money for social services, police patrols and infrastructure repair. Witness, for example, Lodi's recent municipal budget strains.

Although the weather may not be as good as California's, states like Pennsylvania, with a track record of slow, steady economic growth and home price appreciation, are ones that offer the safest haven. These same places are also likely to rebound more quickly when nationwide economic conditions improve.

Pittsburgh's cost of living is 5 percent lower than the national average. And although the median sales price of existing homes fell in the northeast, the drop was significantly less precipitous than it was on the West Coast.

What it all adds up to is that in the eyes of professionals who study metropolitan areas, Pittsburgh ranks as one of the nation's best places to live.

In fact, in 2007 David Savageau, who has been compiling the "Places Rated Almanac" since 1981, named Pittsburgh "America's Most Livable City."

Using the guidelines established by Rand-McNally (which previously authored the study), Savageau applies the same formula to rate the 379 metropolitan areas he surveys. He analyzes nine categories: housing affordability (cost of living), transportation, jobs, education, climate, crime, health care, recreation and ambience (museums, performing arts, restaurants and historical districts).

Pittsburgh is the only city to finish in the top 20 in all of the seven previous editors of the "Places Rated Almanac."

To fully understand how a grand a city Pittsburgh is, consider that it overcame its horrible 135th place weather ranking to finish on the top of Savageau's list.

Sure, Pittsburgh's climate is awful. But everything else about it is great. As I remind doubters, weather is only one determinate in life's quality.

Guzzardi says that spring is almost here, which removes Pittsburgh's one negative. Contact him at guzzjoe@yahoo.com.

Reader Feedback

Rhodie wrote on Mar 20, 2009 8:16 AM:

" "I'd also like to look at Oregon"

Cognito, Have you ever been in Bend Oregon? In the summer the temps are similar to Lodi but cools off nice at night (high desert enviroment) and in the winter, when it snows, it rarely stays on the streets long so you get all the scenery and snow fun without having to drive in it.

Plus there are a ton of golf courses around, camping, shopping and portland isn't to far away for a quick hope to the city if you want.

An side, and if you are looking for an older car there is a dealership up there that sells only cars from the 60's and earlier. 'bout snapped my neck I looked back so hard the first time I passed by. "

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Cogito wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:45 PM:

" Lodian, I really like some of the outlying areas of Phoenix/Scottsdale. Even maybe Flagstaff. Away from too many people, like Verrado (45 min west of Phoenix). I have friends who moved to Litchfield Park Az. They love it. She went from being a prime time news anchor here, to a traffic reporter there. You say too hot? Well, they say it's no different than here, except the few months you can't go outside happen to be in the summer. I'd also like to look at Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Nevada around Genoa. I have friends from here now living there, and they won't come back. "

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Lodian wrote on Mar 19, 2009 1:10 PM:

" Socrates: No state will thrill you if you don't have a job and fell for the mortgage loan scam. "

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Lodian wrote on Mar 19, 2009 1:02 PM:

" Cogito: I see what you're saying, but one gives up a lot by moving to a place like Pittsburgh when you're used to California. I've done a lot of "out of state" visiting and I have yet to find something worth the move for retirement. Have you found your retirement haven yet? I'm open minded about a move, but have just not found anything impressive enough to make me want to move away from California. "

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Socrates wrote on Mar 19, 2009 9:40 AM:

" California is in a depressing state when I came back for Christmas in Lodi from the East Coast.
California never fully recovered from the 2001 dot com burst. California has higher taxes, gas taxes, etc.
I left due to no job opportunities and I foresaw in 2005 the housing collaspse in CA. "

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Cogito wrote on Mar 18, 2009 9:20 PM:

" Really Lodian? I'd rather keep the money I worked my lifetime to save. I'm deferring as much as they allow me so I can move somewhere a little more tax friendly, income friendly, and well.....friendly. By that I mean state government friendly to it's citizens. I know a lot of people who've moved out of state who wouldn't move back if you gave them a house. Most of them are from Lodi too! "

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napa valley chef wrote on Mar 18, 2009 6:28 PM:

" I will be in Pittsburgh in July for a wedding. What can I look forward to besides an all-in-one from Primanti Brothers? "

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Lodian wrote on Mar 18, 2009 3:49 AM:

" Cogito wrote "I'd rather have snow and humidity."

Really? As I get older I see that snow and humidity are the first things I want to avoid as I look towards retirement. "

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Cogito wrote on Mar 17, 2009 9:08 AM:

" It's a good thing California does have good weather and beautiful scenery. Because there really are not very many other reasons to live here. If I were retired and had no ties here, I couldn't move away from this dysfunctional political climate fast enough. Our state is a fiscal nightmare, our financial collapse is a strong possibility. I'd rather have snow and humidity. "

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Lodian wrote on Mar 17, 2009 5:14 AM:

" Pittsburgh? LOL! No thanks. :-) "

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jramagic wrote on Mar 16, 2009 12:33 PM:

" Yeah Dogs...at least here in the Delta...nice and warm in the summer...no humidity....and no freezing, blowing snow and ice in the winter. Pittsburgh does have some gorgeous rivers in the summer, however...gotta give them that! Its probably just the winter that would kill it for me...and the humidity. It is a LOT cheaper up there, however! "

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dogs4you wrote on Mar 14, 2009 5:52 PM:

" Magic, got to agree with you there and I hope Joe can get used to freezing his azz off in the winter time and the humitity in the summer. I spent a year in So. Cal. compliments of the USMC at Camp Pendelton, when ever we got liberty we would head for the coast, Hunningting Beach was the best place on earth to live and if I had the money I would be living there now. Weather is everything along with the ocean. Sorry Joe can`t buy that move, I`ll stay in good `ol screwed up Kalifornia. "

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jramagic wrote on Mar 14, 2009 9:19 AM:

" It may be but one, but weather is a BIG BIG BIG determinant. "

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peppier2 wrote on Mar 14, 2009 3:00 AM:

" Please make a study on Oregon and see how it compares to Pittsburgh. I'm willing to say that it compares favorably. "

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