After their first year, Pitt students have an array of housing options. They can stay on campus and move into upperclassman housing or they can stray from dorm-style rooms and move off-campus. Each area of Oakland attracts a different type of person, and I’ve broken it all down.
South Oakland
South Oakland is the most common housing choice for Pitt students. If you live here, you’re probably paying a lot of money for a run-down house that is barely standing. You fight with your landlord every other week, and your freezer is overflowing because you share it with four other people. If you live in South O, you are a warrior because you survived the “Hunger Games” that is apartment hunting. You probably toured five places before you signed a lease fast enough to beat the six other people that also toured it. I bet you go to Boots or Phats every Thursday and eat tacos from Las Palmas once a week.
Forbes
Those that live on Forbes are probably wealthy. Well, your parents are probably wealthy. The Bridge on Forbes and HERE Pittsburgh apartment complexes are some of the most expensive housing options in Oakland. Coffee makers in the lobby, gyms and courtyards are just a few of their bougie amenities. If you live here, you probably also get your groceries delivered and eat at CAVA or Chipotle twice a week.
North Oakland
If you live in North Oakland, you probably enjoy long, leisurely walks. Far from Pitt’s social scene, you don’t go out much and instead enjoy getting in bed by 9 p.m. with a cup of tea and a movie. Your roommates are your best friends, and you spend a lot of time hanging out in your apartment with them. You take the bus and use POGOHs often.
West Oakland
If you live in West Oakland, you probably have very muscular glutes and quads. You’ve probably made friends with the steep hill you live on and and no longer lose breath every time you hike up it. You spend most of your time sitting on your porch listening to rats shuffle through your trash.
On Campus
If you live on campus, you probably weren’t brave enough to face the South O apartment hunt and decided to put it off for another year. You probably put Bouquet Gardens as your first option, hoping for the South-O feel without the hassle. Your meal plan is your saving grace because you haven’t bothered to learn how to cook.
Oakland is a special neighborhood that has something for everyone. Whether you live in North, South or West Oakland, you’re bound to find something to love about it. Despite the rats in West Oakland, the landlords in South Oakland and the high rent on Forbes, Pitt students are proud to call this neighborhood home.
Madeline Milchman writes mostly about her college experience. You can write to her at [email protected].