Ottawa didn't seem to impress anyone, so I thought I'd try good old Steubenville, the grittiest city on the Ohio (and that's a tough competition).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jefferson County Courthouse - mansard roof collapsed in 1950's storm...  :cry:

 

Finally getting cleaned!

 

Before

 

After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lady Justice in a cage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 60's weren't all bad

 

 

 

 

 

 

Better than Ottawa without a doubt.

Now that's gritty!  Fun shots too. 

 

 

Tons of potential.

i've spent some time there and found it a very depressing place, but what the hey -- any home of both ratpack crooner dean martin and porn star tracy lords cant be all that bad.

And one of those buildings (or more) can be yours if the price is right...

 

Click http://www.bayberryproperties.com/Downtown%20Steubenville.htm for info...

 

Steubenville also has a nice residential historic district immediately north of downtown.

There's tons to work with, but it's slightly depressing.

Tons of potential.

No potential without jobs.  I spend one day a week down there and it is by far one of the most depressing places I have been to.  By the street network, you can tell that it once was quite a prosperous place.  the funny thing is, with it's proximity to Pittsburgh, there is very little influence from Pittsburgh.  You would think it would be like Lorain or Elyria is to Cleveland or Painsville is to Cleveland where there is suburban development going on in those towns. I know we aren't into suburbs around here, but I can't believe there is not even that influence from Pitt.  Same thing with Wierton, WV which is even slightly closer to Pitt. 

I've always found the hills behind Steubenville to be visually interesting.

What are the two taller buildings? Are they empty or is there something in them?

 

I find the fact that a town that size (well it used to have more people but...) has a couple of buildings that tall facinating. It is neat to think of what that downtown could have looked like if the town wouldn' have died.

Tons of potential.

No potential without jobs.  I spend one day a week down there and it is by far one of the most depressing places I have been to.  By the street network, you can tell that it once was quite a prosperous place.  the funny thing is, with it's proximity to Pittsburgh, there is very little influence from Pittsburgh.  You would think it would be like Lorain or Elyria is to Cleveland or Painsville is to Cleveland where there is suburban development going on in those towns. I know we aren't into suburbs around here, but I can't believe there is not even that influence from Pitt.  Same thing with Wierton, WV which is even slightly closer to Pitt. 

 

Steubenville is trying to market itself as "The Burb of the Burgh".

http://www.theburb.org/

 

I could definately see Steubenville attracting some of that warehousing/distribution center type of economic activity (I think they just landed a Wal-Mart distribution center) due to its proximity to Pittsburgh and other markets and its strong transportation network.  US-22 is interstate-quality to Pittsburgh (only about 35 mile drive) and Pittsburgh International Airport is very close. 

 

Curiously though... I sense that the "collective consciousness of Pittsburghers" is largely unaware of Weirton/Steubenville's existance.  Perhaps it's "state lines" factoring in a bit...

 

Additionally, the western part of the Pittsburgh metro has always been the least developed... reducing the linkages with Weirton/Steubenville.  It is only recently that places like Robinson Township have boomed. 

 

Unless there are some really significant tax advantages for living and/or doing business in WV or OH over PA... I don't see this area becoming too popular due to its poor socio-economic demographics, deteriorated physical state and weak industrial mix.  It's only a half-hour away... but it truly does feel like its own little world out there.  If the state lines didn't exist... and that was all Pennsylvania... there may have been more of an effort to integrate the region into the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area through economic, development, cultural linkages. 

Looks like there's a hip hop clothing store with 740 in the name. I'm not sure if 740 is one of the more influential area codes in rap.

Steubenville received a Clean Ohio grant yesterday to demolish the Cools Hoagies building seen in this image just to the left of the building that appears to have lost its third floor:

 

Wonder what I.O.O.F stands for?  Wonder if it's something to do with the church as it's a very Catholic area.

Wonder what I.O.O.F stands for?  Wonder if it's something to do with the church as it's a very Catholic area.

 

I.O.O.F. stands for Independent Order of the Odd Fellows. They are still in existence, but were much more prominent in the earlier part of last century, leaving behind lodges all across older downtowns.

 

http://www.ioof.org/

Wait, why demolish that? It looks like it is active!

Wait, why demolish that? It looks like it is active!

 

I believe there was a fire at the rear of the building.

I love that view over the bridge looking straight into the West Virginia cliffs.