<p>I have been admitted to the mathematics program. The deadline looms, and I still haven’t decided. Does anyone have any thoughts about the university, the department, the city, or getting a math PhD in general? I got a M.S. elsewhere so I’ve had experience with teaching, quals, orals, research, etc, but if anyone wants to share wisdom of any kind it would be welcome.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is nice in that big-city-in-a-small-city-package kind of way. Good museums, great sports scene, decent bars, good food, good cultural events (symphony, theatre, etc). Crummy roads (that describes all of Pennsylvania though) and nowhere near a beach if you’re in to that sort of thing, but people are generally nice and there is always stuff to do. Very affordable for a city too, so your grad stipend (or whatever) should allow you a decent standard of living.</p>
<p>The University is like any big public research university in that whatever catches your fancy somebody here specializes in that- and Carnegie Mellon is literally right down the street too. I don’t know anything really about the Math department specifically, sorry.</p>
<p>Thanks. I’ve decided to go. Any recommendations on finding housing?</p>
<p>Congrats and good luck. Personally, as a grad student, I think I would look in the Shadyside area, perhaps Squirrel Hill. Certainly you can live cheaper nearer the campus, but that is more filled with undergrads and the housing tends to be more run down. It depends what you are looking for. This website may help: [Off-Campus</a> Living | University of Pittsburgh](<a href=“http://www.ocl.pitt.edu/]Off-Campus”>http://www.ocl.pitt.edu/)</p>