March 2008 - test-neighbhorhood@test.highlandparkpa.com

[Highland Park] list of architects
by Sue Mietzner 03 Mar '08

03 Mar '08

My thanks to all you sent me recommendations and ideas for getting our project done. Below are all the replies that I received. Sue Mietzner -------------------- Fred Fargotstein is excellent; live in Morningside in a great Craftsman house and did two projects for me (412) 362-1537 Direct 1717 El Paso Street Pittsburgh, PA 15206, 1141 I can recommend a plasterer to you who could recommend an architect. CMAC Plastering and Stucco 412/478-3242 - Quality Work. You might try Janet Peterson, at 412 441-2766. If you call her, please tell her you got her number from me. I am an architect who livesin and practices from Highland Park,and I often work on small projects of that kind (I'm currently working on oneon Heberton). Please call me or e-mail me, and I'd be more than happy totalk to you about it. - Michael Eversmeyer Michael Eversmeyer Architect PC 1124 N. Euclid Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206 412-443-4727 Bill Power is a great independentarchitect. He does small work, depending upon his work level. Truly, he does beautiful work. His phone #’s is: 412-635-4659 Tony Albrecht is in Squirrel Hill. He can be reached at 412-303-8578. Chard Carter is incredible. He does great work and he is fine with small and large projects. He completely redid our basement and we LOVE it. He can be trusted in your house and is very respectful. http://www.131shapes.com/ I can heartily recommend Ray Schinhofen at rjs.arch(a)verizon.net or412.441.0112. This is just the kind ofproject he specializes in. The CommunityDesign Centerof Pittsburgh- http://www.cdcp.org has a program called Ren Plan to help homeowners make intelligent decisions about home improvements; they hook homeowners up with an architect for an initial consultation before proceeding. My friend Rick is a very experienced architect who primarily does renovations and additions, to both commercial structures and homes. R. L. Beattie Jr., Architect 2141 Ardmore Boulevard Suite 1 Pittsburgh, PA 15221 412-351-7711 412-351-7503 (fax) Frank Nelson 412-231-1425 I am sending you a reference of an architect that has incredible aptitude and great design skills. I have copied him as well. When you are ready, I would like to bid on your project. I am a local general that specializes in city homes and I have many references for you to contact. Best of luck… Michael Sciarretti City Dwellings Restoration Company, LLC 949 Wellesley Road Pittsburgh, PA 15206 citydwellings(a)verizon.net 412.363.5005 Hi-A few years ago, we used Jim Noe (sp?) pronounced NO_EE. He may not be thereany more, but firm is good and not high priced. Lami & Grubb in Edgewood. We met with three architects. This firm was ona whole different imaginative level than others. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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[Highland Park] Window Shades and Blinds
by christy 03 Mar '08

03 Mar '08

Hello HP Neighbors, Many thanks to all who responded to my first email posting in the fall!! It is great to do business with my neighbors here in Highland Park. Spring is around the corner and many of you may want a fresh look for your windows. You may also have issues in dealing with sunlight in your home from glare and damage from UV rays to living with inefficient windows that don't provide the protection you need from intense heat during the summer months. I'm a stay at home mom and have started a home business offering Hunter Douglas products through a great company called Custom Decorators. We provide in-home design services through Costco but can provide that same pricing for all of our customers. Custom Decorators prides itself on exceptional customer service and every aspect of your order is taken care of by them, from consultation to installation. The advantages of purchasing these products through Custom Decorators extend well beyond the pricing. I have over 10 years experience as an interior designer and I provide in home consultations free of charge. Our professional installation service is reasonable and can be integrated into the order so you won't have a need to find an installer and pay them separately. Check out Hunter Douglas's website if you'd like to learn more about their products and see some photos. The website is extensive, providing lots of images for their products in the Photo Gallery. The iMagine Design Center is an interactive tool that allows you to view different Hunter Douglas products in various room settings. It allows you to choose the room, floor covering, and paint colors with a desired shade or blind so you can visualize the product in your own space. My customers have found it to be a very useful tool. Thanks so much, Christy Fitzpatrick 412-260-2255 www.hunterdouglas.com <http://www.hunterdouglas.com/> _____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51733/*http:/mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8H DtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ%20> it now.

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[Highland Park] Nice article about "Pittsborg" from a Highland Park resident
by Ted Melnyk 03 Mar '08

03 Mar '08

Dear Neighbors, The link below (or text in the email) is an editorial by a Highland Park neighbor. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08061/861571-35.stm First Person: Return to Pittsborg What is it about this place? Saturday, March 01, 2008 By Gary Cravener, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette After moving back to Pittsburgh from New York two years ago, the question I'm asked most often is, "Why in the world would you come back here? Are you crazy?" Gary Cravener is art director for the University of Pittsburgh's Department of News and Magazines (cravener(a)pitt.edu) Once, I responded that I had missed Pittsburgh and knew that it offered a better quality of life. After a pause, my questioner shifted course and said, "You're absolutely right. It's why I never left. I actually love it here." Why do so many Pittsburghers undervalue their city, when they genuinely love living here? Why do so many of us leave, only to return? What is it about this place that creates such an intense connection? • In July 2001, beset by an odd midlife crisis, I decided to move to the big city and packed my bags for Manhattan. I quit my job, sold my house, said tearful goodbyes and bid farewell to the city I had loved for 30 years. My house sold in four days, which I took as a sign that I had made the right decision. It was meant to be, right? The moving van arrived to pick up my stuff on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. My euphoric expectations were suddenly replaced with dead space. My mother and others tried to convince me that this was an omen that I shouldn't leave. But days later I was on my way. After 11 hours of driving, dog in tow, I collapsed inside the front door of a friend's apartment in Brooklyn, where we would live for several months. I began exploring my new surroundings. The traffic, noise and activity I loved about New York were more subdued now. The 9/11 plume of black smoke created a pungent gray cloud that hung over Brooklyn like an otherworldly fog. I wondered if the once-vital energy of this great city would ever return. I rented office space on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to begin my freelance graphic design business. After piecing together some office furniture, I was ready for business. Unfortunately, business was not ready for me. In post-9/11 New York, I waited just to get telephone and Internet access in hard-hit lower Manhattan. But, in time, everything worked out, and I eventually moved into Manhattan. I had arrived. • Months turned to years and the novelty began to wear off. My compulsion to see every Broadway show and patronize every restaurant waned. I became another jaded New Yorker. Most of my wardrobe was black, I was in therapy twice a week, I learned how to deal with cab drivers, navigate the subways and, begrudgingly, to shed the Pittsburgh "nice" factor. I grew accustomed to the loud and hectic pace. But still, for the most part, I was loving it. So why then did I still think, reminisce and immerse myself in everything Pittsburgh? In conversation, I still seemed to wear Pittsburgh on my sleeve. I wouldn't miss a Steelers game on TV or consider becoming a Jets fan. I read the Post-Gazette and stayed connected to the people, politics and weather of my former city. Why did my attention keep wandering back to Pittsburgh? Sitting in my small, very expensive apartment, sipping a cosmopolitan, I contemplated the answers. Pittsburgh offers many things difficult to duplicate in Manhattan: an affordable house, a yard for a dog, grass and trees, a place to park a car, an actual car, the ability to fashion a more comfortable and less stressful life. I thought about the physical beauty of Pittsburgh, with its unexpected vistas and the hills that surround, support and caress the houses sprinkled on their slopes. I missed the strange way the streets seem randomly dropped into place. I thought about the relationships one forms in Pittsburgh -- the kind that sustain themselves for decades -- and the neighbors with whom you could have impromptu drinks on back porches, content to sit and listen to the night. But, beyond all this, why had Pittsburgh become such a part of my DNA? Whatever the answer, I knew I needed to return. • I assured my therapist that I wasn't running from myself, but running back to it. The expatriate Pittsburghers in New York understood my desire to return. They too had considered it more than once. My native New York friends, without a clue, would remark, "I've never been to 'Pittsborg' " (pronouncing it as they do in "Auntie Mame"). I hear it's nice. I'll visit." New Yorkers are curious about the existence of life west of the Hudson. Driving back to Pittsburgh and emerging from the Squirrel Hill Tunnels, I felt elated at the possibilities of my old, new life. The lights on the South Side slopes glistened in the night and winked at me as if to say, "It's OK that you left, we knew you'd come back." The skyline appeared like the Emerald City, seeming much smaller now by comparison to New York, but so beautiful. I was home. • Just four months later, I'm sitting in my house on Jackson Street in Highland Park, sipping a cosmopolitan from the same glass, gazing out the window at the dark green hillside dotted with lights from neighboring houses. I'm awaiting the arrival of dinner guests and feeling confident about the future. I reflect on the pierogi party I attended recently. I am looking forward to the spring planting season, attending a Pirates game again and having that impromptu drink on the porch. I'm smiling as I hear my neighbors converse in Pittsburghese, and feeling good about making the right decision. I still don't have all the answers to explain the loyalty and sense of belonging Pittsburghers have, why they seem hesitant to embrace or appreciate their city, or why some leave, only to return. I do know that I have a renewed appreciation and a better understanding of my own connection with my old/new city, the city I never really left -- my Pittsborg. First published on March 1, 2008 at 12:00 am Ted Melnyk, MPPM MAREastminster Presbyterian Church250 N. Highland Ave.Pittsburgh, PA 15206work (412) 361-7788 ext 108wireless (412) 215-0010home (412) 361-0533 _________________________________________________________________ Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging. You IM, we give. http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/?source=text_hotmail_join

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[Highland Park] family doctor
by Olga Watkins 03 Mar '08

03 Mar '08

Is there a list of good family doctors used by folks in the neighborhood? If so, would someone send it to me or send your recommendations? Thanks! -- www.olgawatkins.com www.myspace.com/soulkitchenband Olga Watkins, Diva 412-716-5119 Go ahead...Google me. Ich Chef. Du Nix. Now, get out.

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[Highland Park] Painting
by Cleve Cooke 03 Mar '08

03 Mar '08

Give your house a bright, fresh look to beat the Winter Blahs. Cooke's Painting, a fully-insured painting company located in Highland Park, is offering an end-of-Winter special of 10% off any job with total labor exceeding $500. Work must be booked before March 21, 2008. Contact Cleve Cooke at (412)441-1839, or clevecooke(a)gmail.com. Cooke's Painting (also insured for light handyman services)

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[Highland Park] GAS DRYER FOR SALE
by Betty Austin 03 Mar '08

03 Mar '08

I have a White Westinghouse Gas dryer that has been lightly used. Selling for $75.00. Betty Austin 412-362-4165

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[Highland Park] March 15 2008 dinner press release
by Alfred Mann 02 Mar '08

02 Mar '08

For posting.

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[Highland Park] Dinner & Live Music-Celebrating Reynold's on Bryant's 1st Anniversary
by Reynold Fernandes 01 Mar '08

01 Mar '08

Reynold's on Bryant 5904 Bryant Street 412-361-1921 Come and help us Our 1st Year Anniversary Enjoy an INTERNATIONAL Buffet with dishes from 8 different Nationsand experience the Cool JAZZ stylings of "Under Groove" Thursday, January 17th5pm - 9pm Check your e-mail for a list of Dishes to be presented!!! Chef Rey & SusanLive Well, Laugh Often, Love Much....Eat More! _________________________________________________________________ Watch “Cause Effect,” a show about real people making a real difference. http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/MTV/?source=text_watchcause

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[Highland Park] SEPHORA GIFT CARD AND KITCHEN AID FOOD PROCESSOR - SOLD
by frenchjap＠comcast.net 01 Mar '08

01 Mar '08

THANKS FOR YOUR MANY RESPONSES BUT BOTH ITEMS SOLD IMMEDIATELY! FRANCINE

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