I second this advice, Ben Avon is a really lovely spot not too far from downtown. We didnt know about it when we moved here, unfortunately, or would have considered it.

As a family we moved here after 26 years of military (Navy) life. Our kids were in 3rd & 4th grade at the time. This was in 2000. Since I was teaching at UPitt & my husband was working out of RIDC park in O'Hara Township, we chose to buy in Highland Park & send the kids to private school. Moving here was a great decision for the whole family. We made great, long-lasting friendships, the kids got a top-notch education & we have never been bored at all.

We had had lived in Kansas City (our hometown), San Francisco (back when Treasure Island & Mare Island were still Navy bases); Puget Sound (Bremerton), Washington; Honolulu, Hawaii; Groton, Connecticut; Charleston, SC; Norfolk, VA; and Boston area (Andover). Pittsburgh offers a very affordable lifestyle compared to those other places, except KC, of course. The people are friendly & down to earth here. A good mixture of midwest & east coast sensibilities, imo.

Pros:

• cost of living,
• 4 seasons,
• beautiful neighborhoods where you can live within city limits (Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Highland Park, Regent Square, Edgewood, all good options)
• the schools! I teach in Fox Chapel & the schools are excellent. Lots of programs for gifted students & students with special needs. Caring teachers. Definitely check out neighborhoods in FC, including adorable Aspinwall. There are many, many more school districts that are really good: Riverview (Oakmont, Verona boroughs), Quaker Valley (Sewickley borough et. al.), Avonworth (Ben Avon et. al.), North Hills, Pine Richland, Hampton. Shaler is a popular spot for many of my co-teachers with children & they seem happy with the schools there. South of the city excellent districts to consider: Mount Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, Keystone Oaks. City of Pittsburgh Public Schools is also a good option, depending on the area of the city. Alderdice high school is very good with a more diverse population than you'll find in the suburbs.
• the arts: there are wonderful museums all over the city & a very vibrant theatre scene
• the restaurants- eating out is very popular here
• the public parks- there are a ton of beautiful parks with all kinds of amenities (check out Frick, Schenley, Highland Park as a start)
• the zoo & aviary & Phipps Botanical gardens
• the views & hills & rivers, check out Mt Washinton or Perry Hilltop, stunning views!
• a fascinating history of immigrants settling here from all over. so we have Polish Hill, Deutschtown, Bloomfield area (very Italian), Squirrel Hill with many practicing Jewish families. check out the Cathedral of Learning at UPittsburgh for more about the immigrant groups
• lots of universities & medical care facilities
• boating & biking are popular here

Cons:

• the infrastructure is old & needs work
• their is a grittiness & certain bleakness to be found in many areas
• when you leave the city proper, it turns politically conservative very fast
• I have heard it can be a very racist city for people of color, particularly blacks
• you wont find a large number of hispanic people or great mexican/cuban food here, unfortunately
• the weather can be very grey for long periods of time with a lot of rainy days. gets gloomy & if you are highly affected by that is can be rough
• the air quality needs to be improved
• not close to the ocean & a bit of a drive to the cities on eastern seaboard
• some people can get in their own little neighborhood 'bubbles' here & that causes a lack of exploration or interest in other areas.

Think that about sums it up! Come visit & check it out! and feel free to hit me up with any other questions or advice. I'll try to answer & help as best I can, or point you in the right direction.

Best of luck to you & your family💝