Northview Heights

Northview Heights is located on the North Side of Pittsburgh.  Once part of Reserve Township, it was annexed by the city in 1931.  While only about 2.5 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, at only 101 acres is size the land was mostly undeveloped and open space.  The civil war era saw a fort located near the top of the hill.

An effort to encourage residential growth in the 1950’s and 60’s saw Pittsburgh’s housing authority authorize and construct almost 1000 housing units, to include 2 ten-story buildings, 7 three-story buildings and over 500 row homes.  The development was known as Northview Heights, thus the given name to this small area.

Isolation on a hilltop and lack of available land for commercial development meant that many services, including groceries, were delivered to the neighborhood by truck or city bus.  As a matter of fact, 2 converted school buses served as mobile convenience stores.  They would park in different locations in the neighborhood selling food, bread, candy and more.  Mancini’s bread truck would also provide the area with bread and donuts… and the vegetable truck would provide lettuce, beans, corn and more.

The neighborhood’s population has hovered around 1000 residents, mostly rental residents, for many years.  Northview Heights is bordered by the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Summer Hill, Observatory Hill, Perry South and Spring Hill.  It is also bordered by the suburb of Reserve Township.