The Updated Guide to Moving to the Strip District

Until recently,  few people ever considered moving to the Strip District. Except for a few scattered row-houses along Penn Avenue, the Strip has appealed more to business owners than residents. But now that this dynamic neighborhood has transformed into a commercial hot spot, more real estate developers are taking interest. And in a way, it’s about time.

Like so many warehouse districts before it (the Garment District in New York, San Francisco’s SoMa), the Strip suffered a major downfall with the collapse of industry, and many of its buildings were abandoned and eventually condemned. The Cork Factory, the prime example, was reduced to a brick-and-steel husk and neglected for decades.
Now the old brick buildings have become a hot commodity for developers interested in creating spacious lofts. For city-dwellers of a certain tax bracket, the Strip is rapidly becoming a touchstone of hip urban living, where the ceilings are high, the windows are tall, and luxurious spaces can still be rented for less than cramped, ordinary tenements in larger cities.

Got milk?
The latest residential development activity in the Strip is at the Otto Milk Company building which is being renovated into 57 lofts and called -- what else?--the Otto Milk Company Condos. The location right near the heart of the shopping district is superb and the amenities in the one to three bedroom condos sound quite promising: rooftop terraces, panoramic views, brick walls, ceilings up to 11-feet high--you get the picture.  Also encouraging to homeowners are the special tax credits. These slick and elegant spaces are still available for as little as $183,000 (up to $1.3 million), although units are selling fast.

Further up the street you'll find the Brake House. Formerly the Kerotest Building, the Brake House was named for the air brakes which were invented right here, the former site of the Westinghouse who invented it. Located at 2501 Liberty Avenue, this place features 18 units where tenants enjoy exposed original masonry, steel beams running along the ceiling, and moveable, semi-transparent walls, so residents retain privacy but still receive a generous flood of natural light.

Thanks to a $2.5 million makeover in 2001, the 30,000-sq. ft. building broke new ground in the Strip for luxury living. The Brake House, where the movie "Flashdance" was filmed, has attracted a range of residents, from attorneys to an erotic dancer (who likes the space because it’s close to her job).

The Cork Factory
It wasn’t long ago at that the Armstrong Cork Factory was just a pair of abandoned industrial buildings. These two brick towers were more or less gutted of furnishing and machinery, leaving only floor upon floor of dusty debris. But after years of planning and renovation, the Cork Factory Lofts have completely transformed the Strip District: The neighborhood’s population has more than doubled, and its reputation has transformed from abandoned factory park to upscale bohemian paradise.

Located on the river’s edge and standing a full seven to ten stories high, the buildings were originally designed by John Osterling, a famous local turn-of-the-century architect, and the restoration has been nothing short of remarkable. Now there are 297 units, all occupied and featuring striking architectural elements such as tall windows for ample daylighting and open floor plans with exposed brick walls and dramatic high ceilings.

To help all those residents connect, top-notch amenities include a fitness center, full business center, outdoor pool and hot tub and a garden patio with fire-pit. Not to mention laundry facilities in each unit, stainless steel sinks and peninsula kitchens – all the amenities fit for a true Dwell Magazine enthusiast.

Where there once was an engine room, there is an expansive community room, a great gathering spot with a bar area and fireplace, two plasma TVs, pool table and game table and more. Guest suites? Check. Wi-fi? Check. It's available in the common area. Nothing is overlooked on this long list, including the exclusive private marina so tenants can park their boats.

In the parking garage across the street from the Cork Factory you will now find cheap and plentiful parking along with ground-floor retail that includes Right By Nature, Cioppino's and Il Mercato. With all the activities offered and the lively Strip shopping nearby, there's no chance of boredom here, ever.

The one, two and three-bedroom lofts feature 35 different floor plans ranging in size from 682 square feet to 2, 327. Prices start at $1130 a month. But you’ll have to wait for a miracle: The waiting list for a chance to live in the jam-packed Cork Factory is growing by the week.

“I'm a city guy,” says new Cork Factory resident Pete Toma, “so I really feed off the energy and uniqueness of a neighborhood.” Toma is one of the Cork Factory’s more interesting renters: A native of Chicago, this TV producer signed on to produce broadcasts of Pirate Games for FSN Pittsburgh. While he will not move permanently from his apartment in Lincoln Park, he’s loving the Cork Factory’s amenities and the Strip District lifestyle.

“[My wife] Susie found the Cork Factory on-line,” Toma explains, “and we fell in love with it. It's exactly what we were hoping for, and the amenities make you feel like you are on vacation in a really cool, boutique hotel. The staff at the Cork Factory helped seal the deal, but I really love the neighborhood… it doesn't get any better than the Strip for great produce, fish, meats and imported Italian cheeses. Now if I could only find the time to cook!”

31 is the New Pink
The building located at 3052 Smallman Street used to be a schoolhouse. Ever since the Pittsburgh Decorative Arts Center purchased it in 2000, the $2 million renovation was dubbed “The Pink Building,” referring to its all-pink exterior. The Pink Building served many purposes – as artist lofts and small retail outlets, among other things. For the past two years, Art and Bonn McSorley have owned the building, and they’ve decided to change it once again – the re-titled 31st Street Lofts will be a 14-unit loft apartment building.

But these are no ordinary rentals: The ceilings are 12-14 ft. high, and once again residents can enjoy the open plans (1,200 to 2,600 sq. ft.) that have become all the rage in the Strip. “Everything is natural,” says Bonn McSorley, who works for the Lavaliere lightning manufacturer in Carnegie and used to co-own Kool Kitchens with her husband. “Everything is taken back to the original schoolhouse feel.”

The McSorleys know all about comfortable urban living: They’ve been living in downtown’s Gateway Towers, a quick hop from their new project. “If you’re an outdoor person,” says McSorley, “it’s perfect. You can walk to Washington’s Landing, along the river, and all the way to the Point. Plus it’s a little bit outside the chaos of Downtown” – referring to the congested traffic and competitive parking.

The Pedestrian Life
The Brake House and Cork Factory both boast their own garages; the Cork Factory’s, when complete, will stand on the opposite side of the street and hold up to 427 vehicles. More importantly, the Strip is pedestrian-friendly: Wide sidewalks, slow traffic and flat terrain make for safe and easy promenades. Residents who work Downtown can enjoy an easy stroll down Penn Avenue or Smallman Street. There is also a fleet of Port Authority buses that run through the Strip, including the 54C, the 86A, 86B, 91A, 77D, 77F, 77G, and countless others.

Greg Rogers is a major proponent of walking to work – from the Brake House to Duquesne – in the spring and fall. When the weather dissuades him, he opts for one of several Downtown buses that stop directly outside his building’s front door.

For residents like Rogers, the Strip has two seemingly contradictory benefits: The neighborhood is a magnet for discriminating shoppers, tourists and history buffs, who arrive from all over the city and, indeed, the world, making the three-mile stretch one of the most cosmopolitan in the city. On the other hand, the pedestrian nature of the Strip offers residents a face-to-face familiarity with locals, so that, over time, the neighborhood can seem like a small-town. Retailers are fond of boasting how well they know their clientele – a familiarity that will grow with the neighborhood’s population.

Whatever residents’ reactions, today is a key moment in the Strip’s evolution – from a warehouse district damaged by industrial fallout to a touchstone of new development. By moving to the Strip, new renters and owners become part of a cultural movement, boldly transforming a commercial sector into an increasingly residential one. A row of once-abandoned warehouses now offers limitless possibilities – spaces like the Otto Milk Company property is on its way with its five buildings and thousands of square feet of unused interior. As upscale renovations attract newcomers, we can expect that the row houses along Penn Avenue will experience makeovers as well, making the Strip not only more livable, but a magnet for new tenants and ideas.

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Captions:  Cork Factory lobby; distant view of Otto Milk condos; Peter Toma... and his apartment; 31st St. lofts; Brake House.

Photographs copyright Brian Cohen