Monessen

Woven into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rostraver Township is a locality whose location makes it an apt setting for housing development. This Westmoreland County community is conveniently close to Pittsburgh, and its reasonable taxes sweeten the pot for those looking for a landing spot a short distance from the city. “It has a good school district. It’s a close-knit community,” says local Realtor Jeff Dawson of Century 21 Frontier Realty. “It’s very rural and taxes are very reasonable. You’re close to Route 51, Interstate 70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It’s 35 minutes south of Pittsburgh.” Homes Multiple new housing developments are under construction in Rostraver Township, so new homes are available. Rostraver Township’s taxes have helped attract the new investment. This area is close to Allegheny County — which includes Pittsburgh and is the second most populous county in the state behind Philadelphia County — but Dawson says the taxes in Allegheny County are probably double those in Westmoreland County. Most of the recently built homes here have new traditional architectural elements. The new construction adds to the existing inventory of houses, most built over the course of the 20th century in an array of styles, including quite a few colonials and ramblers. Homes in Rostraver Township tend to come with a good bit of lawn space across the board, part of lots that are usually at least 9,000 square feet and commonly half an acre or more. Sale prices in Rostraver Township typically sit between the $200,000s and the $400,000s. Schools Children in Rostraver Township can attend schools in the Belle Vernon Area School District. A child may start at Rostraver Elementary, which has a B-minus overall grade on Niche and an active PTO, before advancing to the C-plus-rated Belle Vernon Area Middle. Belle Vernon Area Middle has a full list of athletic teams, including baseball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, cheerleading, football, girls volleyball, softball, track and wrestling. Belle Vernon Area High carries a B overall rating on Niche and boasts a standout football team, that won a state championship in 2022. Parks The 479-acre Cedar Creek Park is Rostraver Township’s recreational centerpiece. With a playground, a dog park, a 60-person-capacity activity center, an amphitheater, sledding and tubing areas, a waterside area along the Youghiogheny River, hunting land and even an airfield for remote-controlled planes, Cedar Creek Park has a little something for everyone. “Cedar Creek Park would be the most influential as far as recreation,” says Dawson, who has about four decades of experience in the area. “We also have the Great Allegheny Passage going by us.” The Great Allegheny Passage cuts through Cedar Creek Park, a hiking and biking path that stretches 150 miles in total. Rostraver Township sits by not just the Youghiogheny River but also the Monongahela River and anglers can nab species like bass, muskie and walleye in both. Shopping and Dining Residents have quite a few dining options to choose from around the township. Dawson considers Sonny’s Restaurants among the particularly popular picks in the area. This includes Sonny’s Prime steakhouse and sister restaurant Sonny’s Grille, a more casual option. Both Sonny’s Prime and Sonny’s Grille boast what they proclaim to be the best crab cakes on the Eastern Seaboard. Sonny’s Grille sits along Rostraver Road, a bustling commercial thoroughfare that’s lined with chain restaurants ranging from KFC to Wendy’s and that’s in the vicinity of three supermarkets: a Walmart, a Giant Eagle and an ALDI. Events Cedar Creek Park hosts a free all-day event each summer dubbed August Fun Fest, featuring live music, bounce houses, an arts and crafts marketplace, a flea market and a car show. The park is also home to a summer concert series from June through September Transportation Dawson says that many people who live in Rostraver Township commute to Pittsburgh for work. Residents can use Route 51 to reach Pittsburgh in just about 25 miles. I-70 can connect those in Rostraver Township to Greensburg, the seat of Westmoreland County, and Washington, the seat of Washington County — both are less than 30 miles away.