I was also born and raised in Pittsburgh (Mt. Washington area) and still live here. It's a blue collar town with a blue collar attitude. It's really not as bad as people are saying. It has the typical amount of crime that any city has in my opinion. As with any city, there are good (Shadyside) and bad (Hill District) parts of town. Both of these neighborhoods border Oakland, which is where the University is located. If you like an Urban campus, you can't beat it. If you're looking for a nice, scenic, 'university feel' campus, It's probably not for you.
Ditto on the Go Steelers!