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About Beechview
Beechview is located southwest of Downtown, and is surrounded by Banksville, Dormont, and Brookline. The Broadway-Beechview Avenue ridgetop forms the "spine" of the Beechview community. Nearly all of its commercial establishments and churches are along this corridor. The bus line and the "T" give quick access to Downtown or the South Hills.
The hilly topography is criss-crossed by cobblestone streets lined with single family homes built in the years around the turn of the century. From cozy cottages to original homesteads to the latest in architectural designs, Beechview offers homebuyers a diversity of choices in both size and style.
Beechview offers residents of all ages a variety of ways to fill their leisure time. Athletic programs, senior activities, and church, civic and social organizations are available there. Recreational facilities include two parks, four parklets, a senior citizens center and a public library. The seldom seen Greenway, one of the last undeveloped parcels of land in the city, can be explored by nature lovers. A splash park will open in the summer of 2009
Named for the many beech trees found on its hillsides, Beechview was originally settled by Scotch-Irish and English pioneers in the late 1700's. Welsh and Irish settlers soon followed working in the many local coal mines. The mid 1800's saw the arrival of German truck farmers. A small German community known as Seldom Seen developed adjacent to Beechview. Italian and Jewish families began arriving in Beechview before World War I. Today the population reflects a rich racial and ethnic diversity.
Incorporated as a borough in 1905, Beechview was annexed to the City of Pittsburgh in 1909. The arrival of a trolley line in 1904 led to the community's growth and development. This growth was further spurred by the opening of the Liberty Tunnels in 1924. Today, PAT's subway runs through the heart of the community carrying commuters between the suburbs and Downtown. The community is bounded by Saw Mill Run Boulevard, West Liberty Avenue, Wenzell Avenue, and Banksville Road.