Previously, on Corporette…

18 Comments

1. Can any Pittsburgh-area ladies tell me what they like and dislike about living there? My partner is considering accepting a job there (but will only do it if I’m on board). We’d be coming from NYC but have also lived in a couple smaller cities. I really like public transit and having lots of ethnic food options, so the loss of those two things is giving me pause. But obviously the lower COL is a plus, as is the easier access to outdoorsy activities/hiking. What else should I be considering? What is the culture like?

   1. Are there specific ethnic food options that you are going to miss? I lived in Pittsburgh 15 years ago as a grad student and thought that many of the European ethnic influences were well represented (Italian, Polish, German, etc) along with a thriving Jewish community. There are some sizeable universities in town and large medical centers that also contribute to the diversity. Parts of the city are really beautiful and there is a lot of city pride. It’s a good town if you like professional sports too.

   2. PBG has a lot of major research institutions within the city which really give it a great vibe / street culture / energy.

      My company’s HQ is there and while I think it’s far from my usual stomping grounds, I could see myself being very happy living there (and I am a picky person from the NYC suburbs). I used to be the sort of jerk in the New Yorker cartoon about places not touching an ocean, but it’s a big river city and there is a ton of history there and civic pride. PBGers love, LOVE there city (and they are into their sports — it’s a bit like Chicago that way, but the winters are not as awful).

      Whatever you do, do not drive there and get stuck in the Breezewood interchange in the PA turnpike (I-76).

   3. My ex is from Pittsburgh, so I’ve visited a lot (from NYC). I really like Pittsburgh – there is a lot of culture and a lot of ethnic foods. The town has become pretty cosmopolitan, and it’s changed from being steel and manufacturing focused to tech focused with a lot of start ups.

   4. I grew up less than two hours from there, out in the hills. I always thought of it as another steel down, getting more run down every day. I had a conference there a few years back, and was amazed at how much it’s changed. By then, I’d spent a few years each in Austin and Berlin, so I knew what a city feels like. By the end of the weekend I was thinking it’d be nice to live there so I’d be close to home and in a real city.

      1. PS The true qualification of a real city: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/”/ikea+pittsburgh/@40.4519399,-80.2381889,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x88345949a3ef3109:0x685bd65993c411eb!2m2!1d-80.168149!2d40.451961

   5. Yes! I moved to Pittsburgh four years ago for work.

      Pittsburgh is a good place to live. VERY affordable with a good quality of life. It has a growing restaurant scene, good access to nature, and good architecture.

      It’s very much a city in the middle of change though. While it’s a huge med/tech/ed destination, attitudes and the workforce are not quite the same as what I was used to in large cities. It’s exceptional to see women in leadership roles in many places and the city is vey much set up for people to have a spouse at home (i.e. I could not find a dry cleaner open after 6 on a weekday anywhere near me and there was no dry cleaner downtown because everyone has their wife pick up their suits.).

      I have many other thoughts! If you are still reading this, respond back and I can share more.

      1. I had a case review in Pittsburg a few year’s ago. We took an airplane there from LGA and it was a cute place. I remember a nice tall building that looked like a MIRROR! The people there were ALSO nice, and a guy wanted me to go out with him. If he would have been willing to MARRY me, like your guy, I would have gone. So I would recomend it highly!

      2. Thanks very much for the responses, and hopefully you see this! This is all super helpful. Keep thoughts coming! In particular, what do people do for fun? How did you meet people when you first moved there? What are your favorite neighborhoods? Aside from things like dry cleaners, how “late” a city is it (i.e., are 24-hour restaurants a thing, what time do things like the gym close, etc.)? What is the culture like / is the fact that Pittsburgh is surrounded by a sea of red evident at all in day to day life?

         I’d be making the plunge without knowing a soul in the area (other than my partner), which is pretty scary for me. I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts.

2. Yea or nay on this dark pink suit? Not for court of course, just regular days at the Biglaw office.

   http://us.asos.com/asos-tailored-crepe-suit-in-dusky-berry/grp/12795?sgid=12795&clr=Duskyberry&SearchQuery=dusky%20berry%20suit&SearchRedirect=true

   1. I like the color but not combined with capri pants (I know they say cigarette, but it’s above ankle). I think you can do either fun color or cut in a suit but not both like this without it being a whole lot of look. And at that price point, the fabric is also likely to read “play suit” versus creative and sophisticated professional. I love that color though. Definitely the right way to wear pink. I could see that flattering for all sorts of women of different coloring and ages. As separates, I’d wear the heck out of both.

      1. I agree with this completely.

         1. I bought that hot pink J. Crew suit. I love it. I’ve worn the pieces as separates a ton and the whole suit a couple of times, which is about how I planned it to work out. I did get some looks when I wore it as a suit, but this is more subdued. I think you should keep it.

      2. Oh good point! Maybe I’ll just keep the jacket.

         1. Good luck with the color. I like “berry” colors, and frequently find that something I’ve ordered online arrives in a color very different from what I saw on the web.

            As for pant length, I suppose that depends on your height/inseam.

3. Does anyone in Human Resources know what sort of creditation or certification is needed for job seeking these days? I have an ESL student who worked in HR in her home country and would like to continue in that area here. I just have no idea, since I’m an engineer, and I’m wary of the various online courses that claim to be legit. TIA.

   1. I know people in C-suite HR jobs at public companies who have masters degrees from ivy league schools in industrial psych (not sure if that helped at all). But no one at my current BigLaw HR at HQ has anything fancy. I suspect it varies a lot.

   2. SHRM, maybe. Or CEBS if focused on employee benefits.

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