With the exception of concerns about young people leaving Pittsburgh, perhaps no subject has been discussed as much as the desirability of making the Golden Triangle a place where people live and not just come to work or be entertained.

The city's nightly out-migration has occurred despite the advantages of the Golden Triangle as a place to call home. Downtown is beautifully situated, compact and convenient, within walking distance of the rivers, sports arenas and the Cultural District. In a city where divided opinions are common, the desirability of residential living Downtown is the one thing that most people agree on and have worked to make happen.

Because different projects unfold incrementally, the breakthrough moment between the dream and its realization is hard to pinpoint, but it's clearly been close for a while. In April, noting the growing residential and retail plans and activity, we said in this space that a "growing, pulsating and revitalized Downtown seems headed for Pittsburgh's not-too-distant future."

As far as the residential component, the future appears to be now. As Post-Gazette writer Mark Belko reported Sunday, the first fruits of the residential renaissance are now evident. Some 246 condominiums are under construction or in final development Downtown. Many more are planned.

Any concerns that buyers might not subscribe to the general excitement about Downtown living have been answered. The new spaces have shown signs of selling like the proverbial hotcakes, although at prices that are sweeter for the developers than any syrup. For the chance to live Downtown, people are willing to pay upwards of $250,000 for a condo or pay rent as much as $3,275 a month.

This is good news because these new residential pioneers will inject new life into the city as nothing else can. Yet for the full benefit of the experience, the Golden Triangle can't be so golden as to house only the well-to-do. Clearly, it would be desirable to have a mix of housing to suit residents of different incomes. Point Park University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh are providing part of the mix by building more student accommodations.

Now that residential living Downtown is on the rise, the focus should be on how to encourage such development for those with more moderate incomes, particularly young professionals. Who knows? It may be that affordable Downtown living is just the ticket for keeping young people in Pittsburgh.