Lofty Living: Downtown living now offers many different possibilities

Pricey condos and rental units are finding takers
Saturday, March 25, 2006By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette




James Stranahan had no doubt where he wanted to live when he boomeranged back to Pittsburgh last fall. Having lived in Miami and San Francisco, the 25-year-old commercial director wanted to be smack dab in the middle of all the action.
"I really wanted that urban, industrial feel," says Mr. Stranahan, who grew up in Mercer.
Last month, he found just that when he moved into a 3,000-square-foot loft in River City Flats, a new loft development on Forbes Avenue, Uptown. Located in a carefully restored turn-of-the-century linen factory, the 12 rental units offer exposed brick walls, extra-tall ceilings and huge windows with city views. There's also a rooftop deck and an outdoor courtyard for entertaining friends.
But what really sealed the deal, says Mr. Stranahan, was that he had a say in designing the loft space, which includes a sliding metal door between the two rooms and a kitchen bar made from plexiglass and metal. That, and the relatively "cheap" rent of $850 per month.
"It's urban living the way I always imagined it -- industrial but also modern," he says.

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Photo by Andy Starnes, Post-Gazette