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Obama Arrives In Pittsburgh, Wallflower To The Recession

James Santelli |
October 11, 2011 | 2:30 a.m. PDT

Staff Writer

Pittsburgh's riverfront has seen economic development despite the absence of steel. (James Santelli)
Pittsburgh's riverfront has seen economic development despite the absence of steel. (James Santelli)
The Friday night sun is setting over Mill Grove High School stadium near Pittsburgh. Fans clad in red and white sweatshirts and jackets cheer on from the shimmering silver bleachers as their football team breaks through the cheerleaders' banner. It's game time in Western Pennsylvania.

Cut!

"All right, we're gonna go again," one of the assistants says. "And this time, really stand up and cheer!"

Okay, so the football game doesn't count in the standings. It's late June. And Peters Township High School is playing the part of Mill Grove on filming for "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" movie. Those "fans" may be local extras sweating through their long-sleeve shirts on a warm summer evening, but they have to look the part of a high school football fan on a fall night.

Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh

The "Wallflower" book adaptation is an example of the dozens of movies to be shot in the Pittsburgh area, thanks to a state film tax credit adopted in 2004. Film production is one of many types of businesses that city is trying to create jobs in.

The upcoming movie "Steel Town," starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, was also shot in Pittsburgh, but the name no longer describes the city's industry. Only two steel mills remain in Allegheny County, none within city limits.

When the steelworkers' jobs left Pittsburgh, the people left too. The city's population has been cut in half since 1950, from approximately 604,000 people to about 306,000. Allegheny County has shrunk by almost 25 percent since 1960, from 1.6 million to just over 1.2 million.

U.S. Steel Building
U.S. Steel Building
Instead, when President Obama's Jobs Council arrives on Tuesday, it will be to an area where nearly 10 times as many people are employed by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center than by United States Steel. In a nice bit of symbolism, the U.S. Steel Building, Pittsburgh's tallest skyscraper, now features the letters "UPMC" at the top.

In addition to a growing medical care field, Pittsburgh has seen growth in the education and financial sectors, as well as new jobs in technology. Titles like "America's Most Livable City" have been cast upon it. Google has grown in the city to a 150-employee operation, with its main offices in an old Nabisco factory.

Obama has recognized Pittsburgh's penchant for innovation after the departure of the steel industry, selecting Pittsburgh to host the 2009 G-20 Conference, amid chuckles from the White House Press Corps (in the first 30 seconds of the clip below).

"Pittsburgh stands as a bold example of how to create new jobs and industries while transitioning to a 21st century economy," the President said in a 2009 statement. "As a city that has transformed itself from the city of steel to a center for high-tech innovation – including green technology, education and training, and research and development – Pittsburgh will provide both a beautiful backdrop and a powerful example for our work."

Those industries have provided a steady economy that has weathered the recession relatively well. Among 41 top metro areas, the region is fifth in green jobs per capita. Countywide unemployment numbers have risen remained about two percent below the national average. And what real estate decline? Home prices in the area steadily rose 42 percent from 2000 to 2010.

Pittsburgh unemployment
Pittsburgh unemployment

"We weren't at the party, so we didn't get a hangover," real estate agent Patrick A. Gray told the Wall Street Journal.

Nothing comes easy in a city that appreciates "three yards and a cloud of dust" more than "high octane football." Reports that population decreases are beginning to slow are newsworthy. But overall, there was no bubble in Pittsburgh. At least not one big enough to burst.

For Pittsburgh, being a wallflower to the economic party has had its perks.

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Reach James by email or follow him on Twitter, @JamesSantelli.

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