Elizabeth

Founded along the banks of the Monongahela River, Forward Township provides a more rural environment within the Mon Valley. Crop fields and forests press up against the township’s winding country roads, and local farmers serve as local vendors for the community. “Forward is just unique because the houses are a little bit more spaced out. People get a little bit more privacy,” says Realtor and local Devie Rollison with Realty ONE Group Gold Standard. “Within our school district, it’s the most rural.” Several marinas settled along the river, and many residents love to get out onto the water. Some restaurants in the neighboring towns, like New Eagle and Monongahela, offer dockside restaurants where people can easily move from their boats to dinner destinations. Properties in Forward Township are all about space. Lots typically start at a quarter acre and go for as many as 11. Many houses sit far from the roads, hidden behind the trees. In other areas, houses are more visible with open lawns, but long driveways and vast grass yards separate people from their neighbors. Homes vary in style, ranging from brick ranches to Colonial Revivals. Homes here can range in price depending on the size of the property and house, with options mainly listing between $50,000 and $450,000. With the Monongahela River flowing along the neighborhood, many residents use the water to get outside and interact with nature, where they can fish or just enjoy the fresh air. On land, Riverview Golf Course offers 150 acres of public green with a clubhouse and pro shop. At Whetzel Preserve Conservation Area, people can hike, bike and hunt through the 212 acres. Because Forward Township is more rural and residential, residents will likely have to venture beyond the township for shopping and dining. Elizabeth is right next door to Forward, featuring Rockwell’s Red Lion Restaurant, which offers everything from chicken and tuna to pierogies. Rosie’s Anchor Bar and Grille overlooks the river from New Eagle and offers a dock so folks can access the restaurant from the water. Giant Eagle Supermarket is just 5 miles from Forward Township, but there are also plenty of local grocers nearby, like Cox Market, 1.4 miles away in Monongahela. Triple B Farms is at the heart of the township. “You can buy fresh produce here,” Rollison says. “The owner’s mother-in-law makes phenomenal homemade pies.” Rollison also explains that the family owns cows and offers fresh beef. Forward Township students can attend William Penn Elementary School. They then progress to Elizabeth Forward Middle School, which features clubs for various interests, like art, photography and STEM. Elizabeth Forward High School offers sports ranging from football, basketball and soccer to skiing and snowboarding. Niche awards all three schools a B-plus ranking and scores the high school teachers as the 51st-best in the state. Residents in Forward Township will likely have to drive, with the winding roads lacking sidewalks for pedestrians or public transportation. Boatowners can navigate to towns like Monongahela and New Eagle along the river via boat, but the Monongahela River Bridge also connects those traveling on land. Pittsburgh is the nearest city, about 22 miles away, with Pittsburgh International Airport 42 miles from Forward. When traveling north to the city, residents aren’t far from major roads. “You’re close to 51, you’re close to 70, close to 43,” Rollison says. “But you still get the privacy.” Also across the river is Penn Highlands Mon Valley, the nearest hospital, about 4.5 miles away. Throughout the summer, people can boat up to Monongahela Aquatorium for live concerts. Around Halloween, the venue also hosts the annual WitchFest, where people dress up like witches and vendors sell unique tarot, jewelry, crystals and herbs. Schiwirian Sunflower Farm plants a sea of sunflowers right in the middle of the township. “When everything’s in bloom, he’ll have all these food trucks come in and invite everyone to come pick the flowers,” Rollison says. In the fall, the farm turns the extra flowers and seeds into sunflower oil and sells it.

Hidden behind old growth forests, Blaine Hill is a residential pocket rising above Elizabeth Borough known for quiet streets and close-knit community bolstered by the service and events provided by the Blaine Hill Volunteer Fire Company. “I grew up walking around Blaine Hill with my friends. People help one another, it’s just a nice, quiet little community,” says Devie Rollison, a Realtor with Realty ONE Group Gold Standard who lives in Elizabeth. A stone’s throw from small businesses and bordered by Route 51, Blaine Hill is positioned near small-town amenities and commuter hubs throughout the Monongahela River Valley and beyond. Most of Blaine Hill’s homes sit on sloping, grassy grids rising from steeper entry roads along McKeesport Road. A mix of small single-family homes built from the early 1900s through the midcentury like National gable-front styles with front porches and bungalows sell for $60,000 to $200,000 depending on square footage and upkeep levels. Subdivisions plotted in the 1960s and 1970s up Cemetery Road take on a longer, more winding form, lined by ranch-style homes and bi-levels in a variety of styles that sell for $100,000 to $300,000. Throughout Blaine Hill, homes are typically fringed by neat landscaping, decorated front porches and a mature tree or two. Although there are no sidewalks, the streets are quiet enough for walking or biking. Route 51 runs along the eastern edge of Blaine Hill and over the Monongahela River, providing a 16-mile drive into downtown Pittsburgh. While most rely on personal vehicles to get around, residents can head into Elizabeth Borough and hop on the last stop of the PRT Elizabeth Flyer bus to travel toward Pittsburgh or Clairton which is just 3 miles away. Blaine Hill’s sole restaurant is The Barn & Barrel Bar & Grill, a country-themed joint known for barbecue and American bar staples and a dining room decorated with Western murals and the occasional saddle-shaped chair. The small parking lot at DeCarlo’s Market at the corner of McKeesport and Lovedale roads is not a deterrent to locals heading to the fan-favorite grocer and deli. “They have the best hoagies, the best fresh fruit and veggies, candy – they have everything,” Rollison says. “The family that owns it is the sweetest. They remember you and ask how your family is when you’re there.” Along McKeesport Road and into Elizabeth Borough locals can shop for essentials at Giant Eagle or CVS or find specialty restaurants and shops ranging from Frosty Cone to Simply You Soap & Candle Company within a mile of Blaine Hill. The only designated green space in Blaine Hill is the ballfield and pavilion owned by the Volunteer Fire Company off Kendall Way, a rentable area known for holding family reunions and graduation parties. Down the hill in Elizabeth Borough, boaters can set out onto the Monongahela River from the public Elizabeth Monongahela River Boat Access. Nearby at Duke Park, also called Jacob’s Park, locals can find a handful of community park amenities in the middle of a grassy field including a basketball court and playground. Kids start off at William Penn Elementary School and continue to Elizabeth Forward Middle School and Elizabeth Forward High School which each earn a B-plus from Niche. Elizabeth Forward High School is known for producing Gene Kelly Award-winning musicals, which made a 2023 auditorium fire especially devastating. A new, larger auditorium and gymnasium are expected to be completed in 2025 and 2026. While the Blaine Hill Volunteer Fire Company puts on large and small events throughout the year, Blaine Hill Community Day is one of the most anticipated. Event sponsors set up booths filled with raffle prizes and carnival games in the VFC parking lot, joined by food trucks and bounce houses and rides in the neighboring field. In the evening, revelers gather for a parade and eventually end the night watching a fireworks show.