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NeighborhoodsMany different neighborhoods, consisting of single family residential homes and multi-family residential homes, are located within Clairton. The City of Clairton is known for its strong sense of community with many unique neighborhoods where children play in the parks and on the streets and neighbors know each other’s name.
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL The single-family residential category encompasses all single-family detached residential structures and uses. The neighborhoods that are primarily single family residential in nature are described below. Wilson The Wilson district of Clairton – also commonly referred to as the First Ward – is a distinct area in the City. Once an independent borough, Wilson was part of the consolidation of Blair (North Clairton), Clairton, and Wilson at the turn of the last century. Walnut Avenue (State Route 885) is the main thoroughfare “up the hill” and includes a mixture of residential, light commercial and institutional uses, including the old Walnut Avenue Elementary school, Finney’s Funeral Home, and T and D’s restaurant. St. Clare of Assisi parish and Wilson Presbyterian Church are also local landmarks in the neighborhood. The houses in Wilson date from the first half of the twentieth century. Lots in Wilson tend to be a little larger than in the main section of Clairton, and many homes have back alley access with detached garages. There are also several highdensity housing developments: there is a large section of attached townhomes along New York Avenue and Holly Way, and there is a similar section along Pansy Way. Small neighborhood parks with playgrounds are scattered throughout Wilson, providing valuable recreational and green space for the neighborhood. Colonial Village This subdivision neighborhood was planned out in a circular fashion and features detached single-family frame two story homes that recall the early suburban patterns of the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. The houses are in good condition and feature larger lots and many if not most have garages. It includes the streets of Layfayette, Grandview, Farnsworth, Independence, Constitution, and Thompson. The First United Methodist Church acts as a gateway to this neighborhood. Blair The Blair section of Clairton consists of the area from State Route 837, St. Clair Avenue, and Reed Street. Blair was originally an independent community – like Wilson- but was later incorporated into Clairton at the time the community became a City. Much of what was formerly Blair proper is now part of the US Steel property. State Street (State Route 837) still contains remnants of the former Blair business district; however, most of these structures have severely deteriorated and are vacant. Immediately adjacent to the former commercial strip is the Blair Heights neighborhood, which consists of mostly detached single-family homes- although there are some multi-family units - that are relatively recent in construction. Central Business District The central, and primarily oldest, section of Clairton is between Shaw Avenue, St Clair Avenue, and Ravensburg Boulevard. This neighborhood is anchored by Clairton’s main commercial thoroughfare, but also consists of a large mix of homes, many more than one hundred years old, that were primarily constructed for housing mill workers at the turn of the century. Lot sizes and yards are somewhat smaller in this district, and condition of structures can vary greatly, from well kept and tidy to in need of minor repairs to vacant and abandoned. The educational center, which includes the elementary, middle, and high school, as well as Ascension Our Lord Byzantine Church and Morning Star Baptist Church are important local landmarks in the neighborhood. Worthington Avenue The Worthington Avenue Neighborhood of Clairton is located in the western portion of the City along Worthington Avenue between Desiderio Boulevard and the City boundary with Jefferson Hills. It consist mostly of one-story red brick ranch homes dating from the post-World War II period as well as some older frame and brick homes that are two- to two-and-a-half stories in height. Worthington Avenue is somewhat mixed use in nature, with several small businesses interspersed with single-family and two-family homes. This neighborhood is immediately adjacent to the Dollar General, formerly the community’s only grocery store. Homes along Toman and Gary Avenues are located on a steep incline that affords residents a view of the City and the bend in the Monongahela River. There is a small park and playground area, which includes play equipment and a basketball court, as well as a picnic pavilion. St. Clare’s Cemetery is also located in this neighborhood. Sylvania Heights The Sylvania Heights Neighborhood is located off of McKinley Drive and consists of single-family homes. 17 Acres The 17 Acres Neighborhood is located off of Woodland Avenue and offers resident’s convenient access to recreation as a small park is located within the center of the neighborhood. MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL The multi-family residential category encompasses multi-family dwelling units, including row homes, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, and apartments. In Clairton, the majority of multi-family residential homes can be found in the Century Townhomes neighborhood, the New Town neighborhood, the Southside neighborhood, as well as portions of the Wilson neighborhood. Century Townhomes This development is a multi-family residential development consisting of a mix of apartments and townhomes. It is somewhat secluded in location, located near the edge of the City limits on Woodland Avenue. It is newer in construction and generally in good condition, though there are some units in need of minor repairs. There is very limited commercial, as the area is mostly surrounded by open space, woodlands, and other housing developments. The neighborhood has the benefit of a playground and basketball court. New Town The historic Pine Run Methodist Church, one of the first Methodist congregations in the area, anchors this neighborhood which is located off of Pennsylvania Avenue. This neighborhood is unique in that it is somewhat limited in access, with streets mostly circling back on themselves. The neighborhood consists mainly of attached two-story townhomes. There are a few detached two-story single family homes and a few small commercial buildings. Southside This neighborhood formerly had many vacant lots and homes in poor condition; however, due to recent efforts by the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County and the Community Economic Development Corporation of Clairton a new traditional housing plan has begun to replace the dilapidated structures and overgrown lots. The primary streets in this neighborhood consist of Mitchell, Wylie, and Baker Avenues. Most of the development is attached housing done in a traditional style with siding, with a few single-family detached homes intermixed. A new playground anchors the development. At the end of Wylie Avenue, there is access to Millvue Acres, a large, older multifamily residential development for low-income families. COMMERCIAL/OFFICE This category includes all commercial uses, including small-scale offices, retail uses, mixed uses, restaurants and other eating establishments, drive-thrus, automobile-oriented businesses including gas stations and automobile repair and service shops, and other miscellaneous small businesses. There are four business districts within the City of Clairton; the Main Business District (St. Clair /Miller Avenue), Wilson Business District, Blair Business District, and Worthington Avenue. CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT Miller Avenue is a traditional commercial corridor that anchors the neighborhood to the east and features some smaller chains and retail outlets, including a Uni-Mart. Miller Avenue has some vacant commercial properties in fair to deteriorating condition. St. Clair Avenue, features a wide variety of retail and small businesses, including a new Rite Aide. However, most of the businesses located along St. Clair are vacant. WILSON BUSINESS DISTRICT The main business district for the Wilson neighborhood is located along State Street (State Route 837) between Division Street to the south and the Glassport Bridge to the north. It includes many small commercial office and retail spaces, including the Wilson Civic Center, a karate studio, the Boston Diner, insurance office, and other local commercial uses. Near the edge of this business district is the local VFW, at Connecticut and State Streets. Several of the businesses have been in their same locations for many years and are actively supported by local residents. There are some vacancies, and in particular, a few dilapidated buildings along State Street just north of Walnut Street. BLAIR BUSINESS DISTRICT The Blair Business District is located along State Street (State Route 837) and consists of mainly of vacant commercial buildings. WORTHINGTON AVENUE The Worthington Avenue Corridor is somewhat mixed use in nature, with several small businesses including a Dollar General, towing business, auto body shop, and Johnny’s Glass interspersed with single-family and two-family homes. INDUSTRIAL This land use category encompasses all uses that are industrial in nature, including warehouse space, manufacturing facilities, and other similar uses that are higher impact than typical commercial establishments. STATE ROUTE 837 The State Route 837 Corridor is where most of Clairton’s industrial uses are located. The largest industrial use is US Steel and its various industrial operations along the Monongahela River. While most of the Corridor is active industrial there are areas available for new uses in now vacant industrial lots. RAILROAD/UTILITY This category includes all land owned by a utility company, including electric, gas, telephone, cable, any pipelines, and transportation rights-of-way. In Clairton, the majority of land in this category is owned by the railroad company, Norfolk Southern. PUBLIC This category encompasses all tax-exempt lands, which include schools, cemeteries, churches, and land owned by the government. The City of Clairton, the Clairton School District, the Allegheny County Housing Authority, and the Clairton Municipal Authority are the primary owners of the land in Clairton that is classified as public. VACANT This category consists of three different vacant classifications; commercial, industrial, and open space. Generally the vacant category means that there was once a structure but it is now unoccupied or has been demolished. The open space category includes land that has not yet been developed, whether it is open space or wooded. VACANT COMMERCIAL This category includes uses that were once thriving businesses but are now unoccupied. Of the commercial vacancies most are located in the Main Business District, but some also exist in the Blair and Wilson neighborhoods. VACANT INDUSTRIAL This category includes uses that were once industrial in nature but are now unoccupied. Only a small portion in Clairton is classified as vacant industrial, along State Route 837. OPEN SPACE Most of the open space in Clairton is located within the Southside and Blair neighborhoods. The open spaces in these neighborhoods at one time included residential structures but have since bee |