Stately homes and country clubs in the North Hills
In the North Hills of Pittsburgh, Fox Chapel is an established residential borough where custom-built estates sit amongst esteemed private institutions like the Pittsburgh Field Club, Fox Chapel Golf Club and Fox Chapel Racquet Club. “What comes to mind first about Fox Chapel is the character of the homes. It’s also pretty rare to have three country clubs within a stone’s throw of one another,” says Jane Herrmann, a Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway who has lived in Fox Chapel since the 1970s. Established in 1934, the borough has a long history of attracting prominent individuals, including the Heinz family and football players for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fox Chapel is also known for its top-rated school district and prestigious Shady Side Academy. “It has a great reputation for award-winning public and private schools,” says Jeannine Mullen, a Realtor with Howard Hanna Real Estate Servies and a Pittsburgh native.
While there are no major employers in Fox Chapel, the borough is less than 4 miles from RIDC O’Hara Industrial Park. Located in O’Hara Township, it's one of the country’s first planned light industrial parks and is home to more than 130 companies. According to the Regional Industrial Development Corporation’s 2023 Annual Report, the park features over 3.75 million square feet of space and supplies the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area with thousands of jobs. Major employers at RIDC O’Hara include life sciences companies like Kalivir Immunotherapeutics and tech companies such as Aerotech. Fox Chapel is also less than 3 miles north of UPMC St. Margaret, a teaching hospital within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health System. As the largest non-governmental employer in the state of Pennsylvania, UPMC employs 100,000 people across its hospitals and outpatient facilities.
As of the 2020 census, Fox Chapel’s population was just over 5,300. The borough is currently partnering with O’Hara Township to develop a joint comprehensive plan that will guide its next decade of development. A draft of the Plan for Our Future was released in July 2024 and identified the following five issues as priorities within the two communities: stormwater and greenways, active transportation, recreation and programming, traffic management and development. Overarching goals for each of the five issues include the continued preservation of green spaces, the improvement of the borough’s pedestrian infrastructure, the expansion of community programming, the installation of traffic calming devices and a revitalization of the RIDC O’Hara Industrial Park.
Like many other municipalities in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, the borough offers suburban living with top-rated schools and proximity to the Steel City. Fox Chapel is entirely residential, and an expansive park system helps to maintain its verdant landscapes. “It’s minutes to the city, but they keep their community preserved with the parks, walking trails and wooded lots to enjoy that natural setting,” Mullen says. Pennsylvania Route 28 runs along the southern edge of Fox Chapel, and Pittsburgh is about a 10-mile drive away.
A lot of the larger homes in Fox Chapel, PA are on a private road.
UPMC St. Margaret serves the Fox Chapel area.
RIDC Park is located in O'Hara Township not far from Fox Chapel.
Fox Chapel has many trees lining home owners property.
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Custom-built estates, forested lots and high prices
Single-family homes are spread out along wooded hills. “There aren’t too many developments, and each house is unique and set on a different-sized lot. It’s a different feel than if they were all lined up in a cul-de-sac,” Herrmann says. Spacious lots average about an acre, and custom-built properties embrace a variety of architectural styles. Most houses were built between the 1930s and ‘80s, and architectural styles include grand Colonial Revival, Tudor-style, French Country and contemporary estates. Homebuyers can also find smaller ranch-style and Craftsman-inspired homes. The median price of single-family homes is just over $1 million, and in October 2023, Forbes listed Fox Chapel as the third-richest city in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of just under $250,000. With the median price of single-family homes reaching over $1 million, the borough tends to be significantly more expensive than the rest of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area, with the National Association of Realtors reporting that in the second quarter of 2024, the median sales price for single-family homes in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area was around $236,000. Prices are also more than twice the national average of about $422,000.
Some of the larger homes in Fox Chapel, PA have tennis courts.
Fox Chapel showcases some of the finest European Style homes in the Pittsburgh area.
Come and see if a Colonial style is your next home in Fox Chapel.
There are large custom built homes with driveways that can be seen throughout Fox Chapel.
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An award-winning public school district and Shady Side Academy
The Fox Chapel Area School District earns an overall grade of A-plus from Niche, which ranks it as the seventh-best school district in Pennsylvania. The FCASD consists of four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school, all of which receive an A-plus from Niche. All six schools have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools for their academic excellence and progress in closing achievement gaps between students, with Dorseyville Middle School most recently earning the distinction for the second time in 2024. The school district is also known for its musical programs, with the National Association of Music Merchants recognizing the FCASD as one of the Best Communities for Music Education each year since 2012.
Fox Chapel is home to three of four Shady Side Academy campuses, a private school system serving prekindergarten through 12th grade. The Shady Side Academy Country Day School, Shady Side Academy Middle School and Shady Side Academy Senior School are all located in the borough. The senior school offers an optional boarding program to students preparing for the transition from high school to college, and Niche ranks it as the best private high school in the Pittsburgh Area, with an overall grade of A-plus.
Enter Fox Chapel Area High School and change forever.
Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel, PA is an independent preparatory school.
Dorseyville Middle School develops young adults in the Fox Chapel School District.
Fairview Elementary School is preparing students for middle school in Fox Chapel, PA.
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An expansive park system, nature trail and private clubs
A longitudinal park system with 345 acres of green space anchors the borough. The Eliza Fox Trail connects the park system, spanning about 4 miles from the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in the northwestern corner of Fox Chapel to the border of O’Hara Township Community Park in the borough’s southeastern corner. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve is an independent wildlife sanctuary with over 5 miles of hiking trails, family-friendly nature programming and birdwatching opportunities. At McCahill Park, Annie’s Field of Dreams offers a wooden playground with swings, a zip line and interactive Lilliput Play Homes. The field is named in honor of Annabel Whittingham, a child who loved playing in the park before tragically passing away in 2019. Following her passing, the community came together to raise almost $200,000 for her family, who used the funds to create a whimsical play area in honor of their daughter’s memory. After receiving grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, the borough is investing $820,000 into upgrades at McCahill Park. Renovations are expected to be completed by the end of 2024 and will include new pickleball courts, upgraded ballfields and a paved walking trail.
Locals can pay to become members of the Pittsburgh Field Club, the Fox Chapel Golf Club or the Fox Chapel Racquet Club. While membership dues and application processes vary, both the Pittsburgh Field Club and the Fox Chapel Golf Club feature 18-hole golf courses, racquet sports complexes and aquatic centers. The Fox Chapel Racquet Club hosts various social events and offers tennis programs for all ages. It's also home to the local Piranhas Swim Team.
McCahill Park has a unique jungle gym in Fox Chapel.
Fox Chapel is a Wildlife and Nature preserve .
O'Hara Township Community Park has a beautiful pond right next door to Fox Chapel.
Fox Chapel features the Pittsburgh Field Club for golf and other activities.
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Local festivities include the annual Fox Chapel Day
Annual events bring residents together throughout all four seasons. In June, Fox Chapel Day celebrates the borough with a day full of carnival games, food trucks and more in McCahill Park. Light Up Fox Chapel marks the beginning of winter, as a 30-foot-tall spruce tree outside the Fox Chapel Borough Municipal Building is illuminated by twinkling lights. After the tree lighting, residents can head to Cooper-Siegel Community Library and take pictures with Santa Claus. The library offers year-round programming for all ages, including craft clubs and story times.
Just across the street from the municipal building, Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church is one of several houses of worship in the borough. Its annual Harvest Fair has been a staple in the community for over 65 years, raising more than $2 million for local charities with a rummage sale featuring clothes, furniture, home goods and more.
Stop in to the Cooper-Siegel library in Fox Chapel.
Watch the tree lighting at Light Up Fox Chapel.
Attend Sunday service at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church.
The kids love doing crafts at Light Up Fox Chapel.
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Shopping and dining in the Waterworks Shopping Center
Fox Chapel is exclusively residential, although the borough is less than 3 miles north of several shopping plazas along Freeport Road. At the Waterworks Shopping Center, red-brick sidewalks lead past stores like Barnes & Noble, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. Dining options in the complex range from fast-casual restaurants such as Panera Bread and Five Guys to local chains like Uncle Sam’s Sandwich Bar and Mad Mex. MovieScoop Waterworks Cinema is a go-to spot for entertainment, and Giant Eagle Market District sells kitchen essentials. Next to the Waterworks Shopping Center, Fox Chapel Plaza features more shops and restaurants. Residents can also grab a bite to eat at several local spots next to the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, including acai bowls at The Spot Pittsburgh and wood-fired pizzas at Brick and Barrel Cross Keys.
Uncle Sam's Sandwich Bar is a popular spot to eat in the Fox Chapel shopping district.
The Giant Eagle in Fox Chapel is always bustling with activity.
Viva La Vida is just down the hill from Fox Chapel serving amazing food.
Fox Chapel residents love Walnut Grill in the Waterworks Shopping Center.
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Pennsylvania Route 28 provides access to Pittsburgh
Fox Chapel is largely car-dependent, although the proposed Plan for Our Future identifies an active transportation plan to improve pedestrian infrastructure. With proximity to Pennsylvania Route 28, residents are about a 10-mile drive from Pittsburgh. Public transit is available at the borough’s southern edge, with several Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus stops along Delafield Road near the H. John Heinz III Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Pittsburgh International Airport is about a 27-mile drive away via PA 28 and Interstate 376.
Low crime rates, a four-season climate and environmental conservation
According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, there were no violent crimes reported to the Fox Chapel Police Department in 2023. The borough saw six reported property crimes in 2023, and its property crime rate is about 173% lower than the state’s.
Fox Chapel offers a four-season climate, with moderate summers and winters. Temperatures typically reach the 80s in July and August and dip into the 20s throughout January and February. While the average annual snowfall in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area is around 44 inches, Fox Chapel residents only saw 13 inches of snow in 2023.
As part of the proposed Plan for Our Future, stormwater management is a priority for Fox Chapel after flash flooding in 2018 and 2019. This includes the addition of greenways, more than 5,000 trees and 3,000 bushes throughout the borough. Sycamore Run bisects the borough and is a major contributor to flash flooding. To prevent future flooding, the borough recently completed 3,200 feet of streambank restoration along the watershed. Thanks to its commitment to environmental conservation and a restoration project at Salamander Park, Fox Chapel earned a 2024 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.
Barbara is proud to say that she is a full-time Realtor and a top producer in the Pittsburgh market, having earned the National Sales Excellence Award as being in the top 5% of Realtors nationally, 10 years in a row.
She will be honored to work together with them to explain the process of selling their home every step of the way in an effort to maximize their profit and minimize their cost. Barbara is trained specifically to help them understand the marketplace, negotiate successfully on their behalf and work together with them to get a clear picture of a proposed transaction from start to finish.
In this supercharged market, they need more than just a Realtor. They need a professional with the unique training and know-how to create opportunities, identify potential pitfalls up front, and make their home-selling experience an unqualified success.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
