Duquesne, Pennsylvania | How Did It Get To This?

I went to Duquesne, PA to see how bad it really looked...here's what I saw. Located within the Metropolitan of Pittsburgh this area has been severely hit hard by the collapse of the industrial era. Known as a Steel Town, after the manufacturing went away this place has declined in a very sad way and it doesn't look as if recovery is in sight anytime soon. Abandoned buildings, homes, businesses are all over the place. Poverty is upwards of 35%, unemployment is 8%, and the population is declining every year. Let's take a drive and check it out. This is a documentary for educational purposes.

[@LisaNC832]

I can only imagine how depressing it is for the people that are still living there😢

[@johnmurphy5466]

Another sad steel town gone ghost town. I had a brother-in-law who was from Duquesne. His whole family worked the steel mill since 1900.Told me when he was growing up ,it had everything. Now 50 years past and it this is what it became today.

[@ladymsthing6056]

You can tell the area used to be beautiful, very sad.

[@hoodsnhollers]

Would have been nice to see it back then. Thanks for watching!

[@davidmcclellan9621]

Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County used to be beautiful, too ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️.

[@CTCDetroit]

Nice to see brick streets! Haven't seen such streets since my childhood.

[@pinknoise5716]

Of all your videos (that I’ve seen), this one shows the fewest people; there aren’t people roaming about, hanging out in front of homes or businesses. It’s … disquieting. Also, this is the first city I’ve watched you drive that’s given me more sad vibes than scary.

[@CommercialsandMiscellaneous]

Funny enough, I actually live here. It's rather depressing to see my hometown fall into disrepair.

[@janetcarbone4213]

I’m so sorry. I’m about to watch his vid on Ambridge. Beaver County. My hometown 😢!

[@donnapenzich5788]

Duquesne used to be filled with nice people and many stores. Many of the good working peope had to move out due to crime.

[@martinmurcek583]

Took my dad to one of his brothers' funeral in Duquesne. My mom insisted I accompany him. He looked around as I drove and said "My mom and dad would cry if they lived to see this.

[@bridgetmccracken1381]

Lived there for about a year, it has gotten even worse now I see. My Husband grew up there and said it once was a beautiful place, it is sad to see how bad it has gotten

[@w.h.p.3430]

Wow another sad, but beautifully done video. Thank you for sharing this.

[@hoodsnhollers]

Thanks so much for watching

[@nono-su3iu]

That's my brother's house in thumbnail and on the left at 1:27!! I knew he'd be famous one day...

[@joeg2634]

As an older person I can remember when these towns were thriving. What a shame now, rundown and almost ghost towns.

[@dgeo0392]

My aunt used to live in West Mifflin years ago. It's sad to see how depressed the area is now. 🙏

[@JH-th9th]

This might be the worse place yet for poverty....appears that at one time some of the structures were sturdy ...I don't think a different season would help much....Thank you for the ride around...makes me very thankful for what I have !!!! Stay safe !!!

[@christopherwall6155]

I lived in the duke my mother did too I grew up in Pittsburgh but lived in the duke for awhile my mother and sister moved from there in 2020 and now live in Phoenix AZ I left for Phoenix in 2013 and been here since Pittsburgh and the Mon valley will always hold a special place in my heart no place like it 💛🖤

[@Volker_GR]

Precisely because it is so bleak, I have the deepest respect for the inhabitants who have not given up yet on their city. Greetings from Germany

[@slappedhappy9549]

Oh man!👍🏼Would like to drive around with you. Germany here. I really like your Videos! Respekt and a Merry Christmas!🎄

[@hoodsnhollers]

Thanks so much for watching, Merry Christmas!

[@thejudgmentalcat]

Saddest thing was the empty strip mall with a branch of the District Court 😢

[@412StepUp]

I’ve worked as a delivery driver in the Pittsburgh area and have been everywhere. I was actually just telling someone recently that I thought Duquesne looked the worst of any place I’ve been to.

[@charlottemiller7675]

This place is literally across the river from one of the largest steel mills in US history. It's a fraction of what it was. Imagine 1940s and all this is new buuuut, the air, the air quality is bad here now, I can't imagine what it was like during the hay day of steel production.

[@missy8757]

This used to be a nice, prosperous area then the steel mills left and it slowly went down hill, very sad. Now hopefully things will turn around 🙏

[@sweetpeanmolly]

Thank you for all of your efforts bringing this to KZbin. It’s heartbreaking to see, especially knowing that beautiful people live there. Humans sure are resilient, but you can only take so much.

[@overnight_doughnut_fryer]

Big brick houses that, amazingly, are still standing and the ever present churches sprinkled throughout the neighborhood - you can easily tell that this was once a vibrant, thriving, family community. My father worked for Pittsburgh Steel but here in Philadelphia, not Pittsburgh, and he lost his job when the company closed and the industry collapsed. Although this community was devastated, the effects were far reaching.

[@harryhart3394]

Sad! So many areas around Pittsburgh have fallen. I grew up in North Braddock & Braddock, and it amazes me how all of these towns have declined & decayed over the years.

[@michaelfay8660]

Sad I've worked in steel mills sadly they are gone closed down

[@curtw8827]

My grandmother lived on Catherine St. We went there every Sunday afternoon.

[@Serviervorschlag-]

When I watch the night videos I often think that people jut sleep or stay at home. This video is different and it is even more sad to see all these ruins at daylight. It looks like a town after WW III.

[@barnabywilde69]

Back in the day you could make 1.25 an hour and own a giant house.

[@mildthing]

Big question, what are we suppose to do with these areas?? I have no clue. These buildings are dead. They won't be revitalized. What would you do with all that material?? It's a problem I'm glad I don't hafta tackle

[@johntrauger68]

Rust Belt. I left the area in the late 70's seeking factory work. Many people did. I knew a bunch of guys from Pittsburgh that picked up work down south.

[@Jenwuzhere-sp7bo]

I grew up in Duquesne 💔 it used to be thriving with the steel mill, schools, businesses, stores, and families. I ride thru there on my way home from work sometimes and it's really sad to see what it's become.

[@iansharp7422]

Thanks!

[@hoodsnhollers]

Thank you so very much!

[@Engelbird]

Places with only one main industry usually end up this way.

[@bas1010]

This is the world i was born into in 1953. It was nice. No going back.

[@BlackMesaNewMexico]

Ah. my old hometown. Honestly, I would move back there.

[@LindaZeno]

Good Tuesday afternoon Hoods N Hollers!

[@fredbalandran3182]

Cool old buildings so sad

[@bravewave2084]

That was so cool! It was like I was going on right there with you!.🎄⛄🗽❄️🌨️

[@hoodsnhollers]

thank you so much for watching!

[@dietrikstein1871]

Wow. Some parts of the city could be used to shoot a horror movie.

[@frankmedeiros232]

Typical of most towns in the US that relied on one industry (steel) Shame

[@barbarahaines7661]

Looks like scenes from the Deer Hunter,grey and cold

[@EASYAS123-o4v]

I’m born & raised in Pgh. This breaks my heart

[@angelroar883]

Luv your channel - Happy New Year to everyone, from Australia 🌸🌟✨

[@8G00SE8]

I feel that these towns will come back at some point due to the infrastructure being in place, even if the houses are demolished. The decline of industry meant that people left, the over priced hosing market and the ability to remote work moving forward may bring people back to affordable locations.

[@damnibroc31]

Grew up in McKees Rocks it is just as bad. It is so sad to drive around Pittsburgh.

[@ВикторияСазанова-э9р]

Понимаю теперь, что места из американских фильмов ужасов реально существуют🥺Привет из России! ❤

[@postal29]

My wife is from Duquesne. So sad.

[@mikeingeorgia1]

This is very sad to see. I grew up around there. I’ve built so many things since, so I can appreciate how much effort it would’ve taken to build all of those roads and structures. The catch is that it also costs a lot of money to maintain such things. Without industry and jobs, there simply isn’t any money to maintain anything. If you lived in the area, you could organize groups of folks to at least clean up the vacant lots, trim back the vegetation, etc. It would take time and energy, but it would at least make the place look nicer

[@miccajackson9729]

Where is 😢everybody???

[@mht5875]

Reminds me of Baltimore. Very, very sad.

[@ButterflyChik1982]

I live in Washington County, roughly about 35-45 minutes away from here. I've been in this area before, and yes, it is very sad that it's so run down nowadays. At one point in time it used to be a bustling area, filled with active families and thriving businesses. 😢

[@ggreg2258]

Depressing and hopeless

[@ka7705]

Saw this video pop up and was like wait I grew up there in the 80s. My parents still live there. Wasn't that great in the 80s to growup there though. The school system was like the lowest rated and class sizes were small. Only good thing about small class sizes was that everyone knew each other and teachers too. I hate even driving through there just to see my parents cause it's so run down and the crime. Sad how town's like that and others turned out like that all due to the mills shutting down.

[@davevan8864]

Wish we could see the same area in it's prime. thx

[@abandoMotel]

Wow some of those houses were still standing and people lived in them last time I was thru there just a couple years ago 🙁

[@graciefurryfriend2050]

This could be any town area in Ohio. Look at look at Akron Barberton, Massillon, Cincinnati. The list goes on and on. This could be any town in Ohio. Also, this is not just in Pennsylvania. Very sad

[@sknowman1424]

Looks like Logan and Mingo Counties WV, where I grew up.

[@josephebacon]

Heartbreaking. College pals lived in Duquesne. So sad to see what happened to that town...

[@ronaldgansler8812]

Kinda like Detroit but with hills.

[@hoodsnhollers]

Some parts are definitely similar for sure.

[@debbino4249]

One thing I notice is a lot of late model (expensive) cars! Seems out of place.

[@mlwtennessee322]

Heartbreaking.

[@sdrc92126]

If every person spent 1 hour per week cleaning the streets....

[@derekelliott6098]

We were at Kennywood when it flooded in 2017

[@edmilsonsilva8893]

Mostrando a realidade... Bom vídeo, gostei 👍 Estou assistindo do Brasil....parabéns!!!

[@brianboyle3998]

Hindsight and time being involved, you can see that homes were put up with no landshaping occuring. No real investment, just places for steel workers to live and support the industry.

[@richardsanty9063]

Sad!

[@iGame3D]

I knew this looked familiar, you're right across the river from Braddock, PA. Featured in Christian Bale film "Out of the Furnace"

[@arnesw2647]

Oh my gosh! 😱

[@jujube8067]

How sad. I’m sure it was teaming with life in the past. Kids trick or treating. Running around playing.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

I had thought that this city was a suburb of Pittsburgh and not a decrepitating, half extinct mill town. 😞😢

[@billrhallowell]

How was this filmed without showing the amount of people you would expect to see?

[@fwilliamcony28]

Ironically, just a short distance away from these depressed towns, you will find a thriving Kennywood Amusement Park and Sandcastle Water Park where thousands of residents from PA, WV and OH come each summer to entertain themselves and their families.

[@marial8235]

Good Lord. I think that Hood Mart is the only business open in the whole town!😮

[@FixIt1975]

The Hood Mart 😂😂😂

[@stevesandeman4697]

Where is everyone??

[@footsprints]

It looks almost abandoned... Hugs from Brazil 😘

[@KimSmith-b9v]

Why is it so many electric lines hanging like that up in the air? Is that a common thing in the USA?

[@ArtStoneUS]

yes. And also you're seeing cable TV lines

[@CollinMacQuarrie]

The building on the right at 4:22 is very interesting

[@gasm1100]

Great videos!👍🇺🇸

[@hoodsnhollers]

Glad you like them!

[@thomasschreiber9559]

Result of deindustrialization

[@BernardBouchard-qq9kq]

Money gets allotted to take care of blight but it gets misdirected.

[@nannerl6243]

Wow, it must have been so beautiful there, so sad to see this.

[@barbaraedgley2634]

no sounds of children playing. No one walking dogs. Nice cars. Everyone inside. Supper time?

[@duerremueller3609]

I lived near this area for about 2 years

[@christinesmith8187]

I lived there in 2017. Moved March of 2018 haven't been back since.

[@stevenkreiss2113]

Very sad

[@laretdenton9768]

Time stood still

[@westcoastbred7745]

Kids father is from here. I lived here for about 6 mos to be closerr to him when we were engaged 27 yrs ago. I'm from Los Angeles. It was def culture shock for me. NEVER knew how long a bus ride could be until i lived here. Didnt look like this in 1997. Wow!

[@michaelverwys8024]

Resembles Detroit.

[@Flanksteak]

Rust belt getting overtaken by nature

[@jimlarkin1400]

try Mckeesport same MO

[@hoodsnhollers]

McKeesport is uploaded on the channel both day and night check it out thanks for watching!

[@cheeseman9967]

@@hoodsnhollers Hazelwood or Beltzhoover, Even most sections of Mt. Oliver.

[@tom11zz884]

Like a ghost town. Would have loved to see what it looked like in its heyday. Probably similar to a town in Maine

[@KimSmith-b9v]

The church looks really nice.

[@donnapenzich5788]

That was my church years ago. I was from a neighboring town. It's still used today.

[@BobDeCaprio]

I really like the brick streets in this town. They look great, but they must be a lot of work to maintain. I wish the brick streets in my town were in such good condition.

[@terryparrott7593]

Wow I've never even heard of the place before until now

[@iwishyouroses.]

damn this place is rough looking. Never been out there.. I live on the other side of the city about 40 minutes away

[@richardthompson6366]

Its a wonderful life.

[@spaceghost8995]

The Great Allegheny Passage bike trail goes right through there and McKeesport . (Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD and to Washington DC) Once you get out of those decaying hoods it's rural and peaceful. It's mostly deserted and dead.

[@chucklaw1955]

How sad to see 😔

[@cherylkimbley3992]

So sad

[@ValerieDee123]

Im in shock! It wasn't always like this!