Munhall is considered a suburb and won't have as many transportation opportunities that the city would have.

Munhall is safe but it borders Homestead which is not. There are regularly shooting there in the early AM hours that are reputedly gang related. That being said, Homestead is pretty much a bigger draw with regards to dining and nightlife than West Mifflin which borders it to the south. You just have to be mindful of crossing the train tracks because some pretty long ones roll through Homestead during all hours of the day and there's no going around the crossings. The nearest access to the Parkway is to go across either the Homestead High Level or Glenwood bridge but the on ramp is in Squirrel Hill and it can be a nightmare during rush hour.

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Check out Carnegie. I live there and there’s a bus station in the small borough that will take you into the city in 10-15 minutes. It’s a busway so minimal stops. We have a really nice business district. I’m a photographer/illustrator myself. We have a farmers market in the summer I sell my stuff at.

I’d be interested where you saw Munhall being one of the safest areas. I don’t think it’s particularly unsafe but I’m sure there are safer areas around Pittsburgh.

I would recommend Pittsburgh. Pop on over to r/Pittsburgh for more neighborhood specific advice.

I would not recommend munhall or McKeesport as others are for public transportation.

Ideally you’d be on the T-line or a bus route of sort. South Hills of the Pgh area (dormont) or greenfield-Oakland area for more of an art scene adjacent vibe.

Good luck!

I live in a near by mon valley borough and we don't have any problems but would be surprised to hear any part is among the safest in the state. Geographically Pittsburgh is larger and more economically diverse. If you have a job lined up I'd look at commute options. Public transportation in general sucks but there are a few good routes. Real estate is somewhat affordable but keep in mind most of the houses are older. Have the house checked out. If looking to buy a new house there are not many options in the valley. We have the Waterfront area with shopping and newer rentals near the river. If you're near there you can walk for most shopping.

>I would like to live in an area with access to public transportation as I do not have a car.

I wouldn't personally want to live in Munhall then, that's going to be a rough commute using public transit. I love Munhall, would be one of my top choices to buy a house (along with Bellevue on the western side) but neither are great places to be dependent on transit.

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>I am also an artist so I would love to get involved with the local art scene if at all possible.

Try to find something in Dormont close to the T (only sort of light rail we have).. direct line downtown and Dormont is somewhat artsy. Regent Square might be a decent fit on the East End. Lawrenceville has a lot going on but is relatively pricey to live, so I'd probably go to Millvale or Etna if I wanted to be closer to there (or Highland Park, but also pricey). Polish Hill is a fairly convenient location in the middle of everything. All of those would give you a little bit of a buffer from the college crowd but keep you out of sketchy neighborhoods.

What art medium do you use? Is that your source of income or just a hobby? What do you need to have nearby?

Depends on what you're looking for and what your situation is. (Single/ married w kids etc. ) Squirrel Hill, Shadyside area is nice but pricey. Munhall is affordable but the commute to dahntahn by bus is cumbersome though not intolerable. Where will you be working exactly. Southside? Dahntahn? Oakland? That is important in determining your commutes. All in all Pittsburgh is a great big small town with all of it's unique neighborhoods. Good Luck!

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Consider McKeesport. Look at Upper 10th ward or Christy Park. House prices are way below what the rest of the country are at but are moving upwards. There’s plenty of houses that are 4 bedrooms you can snag for $100-150k. Upper 10th ward is considered a hidden secret to McKeesport, there’s hardly any traffic, because it’s on a hill, no violence. Port vue is also nice, it’s a bordering township also on the hill, but it’s on the other side of the river so it’s also very safe.

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