The second largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the United States is Pittsburgh. The estimated population of the city is roughly 312,819 at the city core, and an estimated metropolitan population of around 2.4 million residents. The city has been nicknamed the “City of Steel” and “Steel City” due in large part to the large steel-manufacturing complex that is housed in the area. While steel is not the primary revenue source, the area still keeps the name. If you are looking for office space or an executive suite in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, or New York then call us, we can help.
The economic picture of Pittsburgh is quite diverse and revolves around technology, robotics, health care, nuclear engineering, tourism, biomedical and finance industries. The area has a large bustling economy with many large companies calling the area home. Some of the big companies in the area include Allegheny Technologies, American Eagle Outfitters, Kennametal, Atlas America, Bayer USA and many other companies. There are also a great deal of companies listed in the Fortune 500 that call the area home. There are a great number of opportunities for people looking to further their career in a variety of different paths. Despite the great amount of options, the area has an unemployment rate around 7% and is just above the national average. The local economical picture is looking to improve in the coming months, and analysts are quite optimistic at the many possibilities.
The greater metropolitan and downtown areas have a vast array of office space options to help business of all shapes and sizes get a foothold in development. The office vacancy rate of the area hovers around, 15% and has worse in the past, so it’s not quite as troublesome. In a local survey of Pittsburgh office suite options, the area yielded many different results around $1.50 a square foot for 1,000 square feet and much more. Some options included retail storefronts in prime locations, alongside private entries and temperature controlled storage areas. The area is rich in commercial developments as the city takes advantage of an above average growth rate in recent years. Leasing a Pittsburgh office suite is a good investment for any business who hopes to expand - even if you have to sign a 6 or 12 month lease. Read more about the local commercial real estate market in our office suite articles section.
After you work out your lease terms (and hopefully you rented a good office) and are preparing to move into your new office suite, you need to start thinking about an "office floorplan" and how you want the interior of your executive office space to feel, maybe you want a feng shui feel. Selecting the right office layout is very important for many reasons, but the main reason is to ensure your company is efficient. You don't want to rent space that you don't need, and
you don't want to pay for amenities that you don't need (like parking or a kitchen). Every company is different and has unique needs, maybe you run a call center and need a bullpen design, or maybe you have a financial or real estate business and need a larger office that can handle over 50 employees with a professional reception area. Medical offices, lawyers, private professionals, etc., still need to plan ahead and choose how many square feet they need, and how they want the office floorplan to flow. Using software to design an office space is a great idea, mix that with the right decor and you
might have a winning formula.
For residents looking to get a good education in the area, there are many different options that abound. Some of the colleges that call the area home include, Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, Chatham University, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Point Park University, Carlow University, and many other options to explore in terms of higher learning.
The local airport is Pittsburgh International Airport, and was formerly known as Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and is commonly referred to simply as Pittsburgh International. It not only serves as a commercial airport, it also has a large military presence. It is located roughly 20 miles west of the downtown area. It helps connect nearly 8 million passengers with flights around the country and beyond.
The local crime rate in the Pittsburgh area is roughly 59 per one thousand residents and is somewhat high compared to other areas of similar size. There are pockets of gang activity in the area, but overall it is somewhat safer than larger cities. Like all major cities there are areas that are saver than others, and local law enforcement is beefing up efforts to fight the growing problem areas.