Summer time and the living was not always easy for residents of neighborhoods in the area we call the Route 51 corridor. We asked the question "What did you do on your summer vacation" and found that lots feel the heat of rising prices this summer of 2008.

Here are some responses from your neighbors as we get ready for one last blast of summer this long Labor Day weekend.

"It was a rough summer because of President Bush. We are fighting wars and the whole economy is messed up and everyone is hurting. He doesn't care about black people or the middle class.

--Jonathan Snow, 23, Baldwin Borough, a student at Everest University in Florida

"This summer was the best ever. I had a wonderful week in Ocean City, Md., with my wife, sons, and in-laws. We stayed right on the boardwalk. My boys, ages 2 and 3, thought that was the cat's meow. We also went to Kennywood, Sandcastle Waterpark, the Pittsburgh Zoo, as well as the beach.

-- Matt Fry, 34, Baldwin Borough, a corporate account manager for Verizon

"I worked a lot and used public transportation. Gas prices are so high. It was worse than most summers because I worked so much."

-- Rebecca Depoe, 19, Baldwin Borough, a food worker at Sandcastle Water Park

"I did nothing -- not because of the economy. It's just that we are always homebodies."

-- Marshall Smoot, 70, South Park, a cashier at Cool Springs Golf Center in Bethel Park

"Every summer we go to Deep Creek Maryland. It's only 1  1/2 hours away and that saves gas. The state park is at one end of the lake and Wisp Ski Resort is at the other end of the lake. But it's all within a short drive. You can visit Funland, rent dune buggies and ride the mountain coaster. It's always a good summer in Deep Creek.

-- Randy Mabon, 45, Whitehall, banquet chef at Valley Brook Country Club, Peters

"I was busy planning my move from the [San Francisco] Bay area to Pittsburgh. And, I was busy preparing for the classes I will teach this semester. But I did take a trip to Indonesia, consulting for the Asian Development Bank. We were trying to help poor entrepreneurs in the small villages secure financing and expand their businesses. The villages were hot, the accommodations and food were pretty poor. But I was blown away that a lot of Indonesian businesses are women-owned. Indonesians treat women better than most Moslem countries. Women are considered equals and treated with courtesy and respect."

-- Jaffer Qamar, 50, Whitehall, professor of Economics and Finance at the Katz School of Business at University of Pittsburgh

"We visited Washington State and spent four days travelling along the West Coast. We also enjoyed five days in Seattle. The economy had no effect because we planned the trip before the economy went south. I really enjoyed my summer. I have a great job. My two children were home from college. All is well with them and they were both employed. My husband was able to participate in weekend astronomy conventions."

-- Suzanne McHenry, 48, Baldwin Borough, an administrative assistant for the Pittsburgh Presbytery, North Side

"Gas prices didn't affect me too much. We Pitt Students have a bus pass. But I needed to plan activities in advance around the Port Authority schedule."

-- Carolyn Mazella, 20, Brentwood, a student

-- Compiled by Dev Meyers