Mt. Lebanon might be a popular place for young families to live, but it's not on top of the list for young businesspeople who have disposable income and the time and energy to hit the social scene. A handful of Mt. Lebanon residents wants to change that.

What started with conversations between town officials and a couple of young, hip businesspeople has turned into an online community of 500 people, monthly get-togethers and plans for an August street party to benefit charity.

The group is called LEBO, which stands for Lifestyles Enriched by Opportunity.

It began in September, when Commercial Districts Manager Mame Bradley recruited young Mt. Lebanon natives and professionals in hope of turning the town into a vital spot for 21- to 35-year-olds.

"I love it here. I've grown up here. I'm still here. It's not like I haven't had my options to leave," said LEBO co-founder Anne Fleming Babish, 23, who graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in 2001.

Ms. Babish, who got her broadcast journalism degree from West Virginia University and lives with her mother, has just begun working as a media consultant with Creative Visions Multi Media Services in Washington, Pa.

Along with co-founders Andrew Lamboley and Jaime Lebo, she helped start several Web sites, including pages on Facebook and MySpace that created the buzz.

The feedback was immediate.

"Oh, yes, we need this," her friends told her. "We're sick of being in the South Side. We need something fun to do. Bring it on,"

Ms. Babish, the niece of Mt. Lebanon Magazine editor Susan Fleming Morgans, said the group was not formally structured and would never have membership dues. Any money LEBO needs will come from fund raising and sponsorships, she said.

The core group meets weekly to plan the annual event and has get-togethers once a month in Mt. Lebanon bars and art galleries.

LEBO's first large-scale event, in the spirit of the chic bars called Ultra Lounges, will be called Ultra Party, from 8 to 10 p.m. Aug. 3 on Washington Road. The event will follow another event called First Fridays, a family-style street party with activities and dining that starts earlier in the evening.

But for Ultra Party, the street will be blocked and a young-adult atmosphere will take over. Bands will perform at Clearview Common and partygoers will be able to eat and drink on the avenue. The event will be a benefit for a children's charity, although the group has not been selected, Ms. Babish said.

It's all in the hope of developing a social networking group for those who grew up in Mt. Lebanon and find themselves back in town and for those who recently moved to the area and might like Mt. Lebanon.

Mt. Lebanon competes with the South Side and the Strip District for the young crowd's nightlife dollar and it competes with places such as Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, the South Side and Lawrenceville for their rental housing, Ms. Bradley said.

"Mt. Lebanon is not a place that comes to mind as a location decision for young people," she said.

While part of the goal is to create a demand for housing for the younger set, some of the infrastructure already is there. For example, the light-rail transit line that runs through downtown is a vital link.

In addition, Mt. Lebanon is six miles from the city, as is Squirrel Hill, but with lower income taxes.

And younger people have money to spend.

"Young professionals are the demographic that any city and town want to show developers and investors that they have," Ms. Bradley said. "Young people bring all sorts of economic vitality to a region."

Ms. Babish hopes businesses respond and that landlords renovate buildings with the young set in mind.

In turn, the group hopes to remind the young of Mt. Lebanon's assets.

"Don't write Mt. Lebanon off," Ms. Bradley said.

For information about LEBO, log on to youngmtlebo.blogspot.com.