Pittsburgh is a river city, the mighty Ohio river forms in Pittsburgh at the convergence of two smaller rivers. Being situated with direct access to America’s natural water-highways led to Pittsburghs rise in significance during the 1900s, when it became a top-10 US city, attracting immigrants from around the world and it producing almost half of America’s steel.

Starting around 1950, Pittsburgh diversified its economic base towards healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, tourism, finance and robotics. Although the city center suffered population loss as a result of deindustrialization, the metropolitan area is growing.

Counterintuitively, from 2006-2011, the worst years of the Great Monetary Crisis, when most MSAs suffered depreciation, Pittsburgh’s recession resiliency brought the local housing market 10% appreciation.