I may not be the best help, but I will certainly give my input.
I just moved to Pittsburgh a few months ago. The city is certainly not the most walkable city out there, but you can get around on a bike fairly well. I am sure it is nothing like Denver, but we at least have bike lanes, green ways, and pedestrian bridges to help you out.
As far as where to live, I am currently figuring that out myself. It all depends on what you want to be close to. As a whole, Pittsburgh isn't that expensive of a city to live in regardless of where you live.
The city is fairly bikable. There are a nice number of bike trails in the area, at least. Though I'm assuming you're more talking about getting around on a bike. A fair number of people bike around (especially near the universities).
The city of Pittsburgh is a great place to live. I moved here about 10 years ago and fell in love with the city. It is a confusing city to walk/drive around but if you take the time to find your way...it is a very great place. You can definitely get around via bike, I have a few friends that do. Depending on your commute, they even bike to work. As far as places to live, Shadyside is a great neighborhood that has some character, restaurants, bars and other things to do and is very close to the University of Pittsburgh and CMU. Hope this helps!
This past spring, I'm pretty sure they just completed giant bike route through the city.
As far as video, there has been movie after movie filmed in the city lately. About two years back the governor gave a big tax break - not sure the details - but film crews love to come here now.
The main issue with cycling comes if you work in the city and live in the suburbs, there are tunnels into the city from the south which make that tricky, but people do it.
it you're going to live out of the city in one of the surrounding areas, heres my take on things:
south hills: disadvantages - terrible traffic to drive to/through city. and its completely isolated from the city because there are only two roads (both highway like) that you can take to get to the city. yes that right - two roads for an entire section of town to get into the city. the advantage is that they do have a T (subway/train) that runs into town. also the south hills probably has some of the nicest neighborhoods. so if you work in town its not bad.
east hills: bad neighborhoods. tough to commute to the city during rush hours because of the squirrel hill tunnels. stay away.
west end: not great neighborhoods.
north hills: good neighborhoods, city is VERY accessible, and can easily commute to anywhere else around the pittsburgh area. the only downside is it probably has the worst public transportation into the city out of the three surrounding areas.
Consider the out lying areas. I lived north of the city in a less populated almost rural area (at least then it was 10+ years). Not a lot of night life in the immediate area but beautiful country side and only a short distance to the city and all its benefits. I grew up in small town PA and this was heaven for me.
I live in the East End, technically Wilkinsburg, but it feels closer to Regent Square. I don't own a car and bike everywhere I can. It's a great neighborhood, close to a bunch of good stuff, and the neighborhood is really developing. I would say, though, if you want to live closer to the action, I would recommend Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, the South Side, or Polish Hill. Bike Pgh has an awesome map for free at local businesses that shows you the best ways to get around by bike.
I'm thinking of moving to Pittsburgh, and am interested in hearing some thoughts.
What areas in town are good to live in, close to things, and not terribly expensive?
How bikeable is the city?
I'm a video editor- any idea how much video work is done in Pittsburgh?
Any other things I should know when considering to move to Pittsburgh?
1. It depends what you're looking for. Oakland is a college neighborhood with tons of stores and restaurants, and not very expensive as students reside there - but the downside is that students reside there, so it can get loud. I live in Squirrel Hill and love it, and you can find some reasonable apartments depending on whether or not you're splitting the rent. Edgewood/Swissvale isn't too bad, but not close to as many things. Lawrenceville is up and coming and, I believe, not too expensive. Bloomfield, Friendship, and Highland Park are also worth a glance.
2. I have several close friends who swear by biking and haven't died yet! They find the city to be pretty bikeable, though all the hills are a pain sometimes.
3. I spent my first two years in Pittsburgh working as a production assistant on local films. It has a rather booming film industry (three upcoming movies, "I am Number Four," "The Next Three Days," and "Love and Other Drugs" were all filmed here), but in my experience, editors are usually brought in from LA. Which isn't to say Assistant Editors can't be local. Check out The Pittsburgh Film Office for more info. I have a great connection at the Film Office, should you need it.
4. Other things? It really is a great city, despite the stigma of being a steel town. We've definitely moved past that and are frequently voted one of the most livable cities in the U.S. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
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