Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette Hilary Robinson, left, and David Orbison join other residents enjoying the view at Blackbird Lofts and Artist Studios in Lawrenceville on Saturday.

By Diana Nelson Jones
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette When Linda Metropulos and Becky Burdick began Artists and Cities Inc. in 1996, the "new urbanist" movement had just blossomed, and the market was moving back to its city roots.

Their goal was to create three multi-unit properties in the city of Pittsburgh where artists could afford to live and/or work. Ms. Metropulos recalls the owner's parting words when they closed on a 40,000-square-foot warehouse -- the former Consolidated Ice Co. building at the river end of 43rd Street in Lawrenceville, six years ago: " 'We certainly hope you girls know what you're doing.' "

It appears that they did.

Today, the Ice House Artist Studios is nearly full, the Spinning Plate Artists Lofts in East Liberty, priced specifically for low-income residents, is full with a waiting list, and the Blackbird Lofts and Artists Studios in Lawrenceville -- the last of the three -- has one unit remaining.

A new construction on Butler at 36th Street, the Blackbird will be one of the first residential buildings in the city to attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (L.E.E.D.) certification as a "green" building.

Of the 11 street-level studios that were supposed to fill with artists, just one has so far. Dancer Gina Desko claimed the 3,000-foot dance studio. The others will rent from $400 and $500. The residential units range from $99,000 to $385,000.

"We marketed specifically to artists early on and worked hard to get them," said Ms. Metropulos.

Attracting mostly young professionals and a few empty-nesters, the Blackbird's occupants affirm the original concept.

"We knew we had a good idea," said Ms. Metropulos of the three buildings. "They all tap into the same aesthetic. It's a group the powers-that-be are always lamenting aren't choosing the city, people predominately in their 30s.

"They're the new urbanists. They have bikes and they make use of the trails. I see them all the time in the commercial district, and they are involved in neighborhood functions."

Before ground-breaking, the Blackbird needed six pre-sales agreements. The first was to David and Beth Orbison in November 2003.

Mr. Orbison, a psychotherapist, and his wife, Beth, an attorney, moved from Murrysville a year ago, when many of their building mates began arriving.

"Most of our friends and weekend things were in the city anyway," said Ms. Orbison. "As soon as our kids were out of school, we put the house on the market."

"I like Lawrenceville because you don't have to conform," said her husband. "There are all kinds of people here, and they don't have rules."

The residents have held several cook-outs on the patio at the side of the building. One recent night, John Potanko and Colleen Auth began setting up early, wheeling out a grill, unpacking burgers, hot dogs and chicken. As residents arrived and there were greetings and hugs, they seemed more like childhood friends reuniting than neighbors who have known each other for just a year.

Ms. Desko brought her little dog along and shared her excitement at finally having a dance space near her digs. A partner in the Pittsburgh Dance Connection and a dance teacher at both the University of Pittsburgh and La Roche College, she said she hopes to open her studio in February.

"I moved here to live above my space," said Ms. Desko of her studio. She intends to use it as a dance studio, a performance space, and a place for events such as wine tastings and classes. "It's so like New York."

All the living spaces are laid out differently, either one- or two-stories. They all have terraces and underground parking. The Orbisons have a cathedral ceiling and a second floor that overlooks the first. They altered the lines of their second-floor loft and added wood floors. Mr. Potanko and Ms. Auth chose to keep their floors industrial concrete. "Low maintenance," said Ms. Auth.

"Linda (Metropulos) found a wonderful group of people to live in her project," said Susan Ferra, an accountant who works with her father in a southern suburb. After having rented in the city, she moved closer to the office, she said, "but I got bored and wanted to get back to the city. I love living here. I love the church bells. I love the trains."

Nestor and Cecilia Torres moved to Pittsburgh from Portland, Ore., in March. He works in corporate finance and she is a volunteer coordinator for a non-profit.

"We looked at over 60 places in two months," he said. "We wanted to be within five miles of Downtown. This building has a pretty eclectic group, and it reflects the neighborhood's diversity. We hoped to find a place like this."