230 McKee Place,
Suite 500
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-647-8283
Fax: 412-647-8225
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About Pittsburgh
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| Local Neighborhoods |
Museums, Science Center, Zoo & Aquarium |
| Recreation |
Out on the Town |
| Concerts, Festivals, Things to Do |
Professional Sports |
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| Local Neighborhoods |
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A City of Neighborhoods
Pittsburgh is a city of neighborhoods…each with its own personality and style, and each filled with a multitude of options for culture, entertainment, recreation, and socializing! There is always something new and unique to try in this diverse city. Here is an introduction to a few of Pittsburgh’s distinctive neighborhoods:
Oakland: UPMC Presbyterian, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University are located in this neighborhood. Oakland and the East End of Pittsburgh in general offer diverse international entertainment and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. There are a wide variety of inexpensive restaurants and pubs, ranging from Asian to Middle Eastern to European, geared toward students, residents, and faculty. The main streets are Fifth Avenue and Forbes Avenue. This is where residents spend a large amount of their time, and there is affordable housing in close proximity.
Squirrel Hill, about a mile and a half from the Center for Emergency Medicine in Oakland, is a large, diverse, family-oriented neighborhood centered at Forbes and Murray Avenues. Many emergency medicine residents elect to live here. Squirrel Hill is one of Pittsburgh's most popular neighborhoods, with a variety of ethnic and vegetarian restaurants, delicatessens, bakeries, taverns, and old-fashioned grocery stores, as well as chic new eateries, trendy boutiques, movie theaters, and upscale shops. Squirrel Hill offers easy access to Schenley Park and Frick Park, which are filled with opportunities to enjoy nature and the outdoors, including hiking and biking trails, a running track, and designated leash-free areas for pets to explore. The parks also offer a variety of playgrounds and recreational facilities such as basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, an ice skating rink, and a public swimming pool.
Just a few steps removed from Oakland, Shadyside is a supremely walkable neighborhood with great Victorian architecture, fashionable shops, and hip restaurants where many young professionals meet to socialize after work. Many of the wonderful old homes here have been converted into apartments, and many residents choose to live here.
South Side is an eclectic neighborhood where rents are reasonable and there are an abundance of restaurants and shops within walking distance. It is easily accessible to most of the Pittsburgh area. There are many shows and concerts here, and the restaurants are some of the most interesting in the city. It is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and boasts a slightly off-beat culture and the largest number of coffee shops per capita anywhere in the city.
Bloomfield, a historic “Little Italy” area of the city, is home to another of Pittsburgh's active business districts, along Liberty Avenue. There are card shops, shoe stores, Italian restaurants, and groceries abound, attracting shoppers not only from nearby neighborhoods but from the entire Pittsburgh region. This area of town was originally designed for single families and their businesses, and today its well-maintained row houses along quaint, narrow streets are Bloomfield’s emblem. Homes here are often passed down through families, and grandchildren often live just a few blocks from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The new Children’s Hospital, scheduled to open in 2009, will be located in this area of the city.
The Strip District: Once the center of Pittsburgh’s wholesale produce industry, “The Strip” has grown into a marketplace of specialty groceries and restaurants, coffee shops, street vendors, museums, art galleries, and boutiques. Shopping in the Strip is a cherished Pittsburgh experience seasoned with the sights, scents, and sounds of Pittsburgh’s ethnic diversity. Whether your favorite cuisine is Chinese, Polish, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Syrian, Thai, Greek, Korean, or Irish, everything you are looking for is available within a few blocks. After sundown, the Strip takes on another identity as one of the city’s most favored nightspots. Its wide range of dining and entertainment options range from relaxing at a tapas bar to listening to sophisticated jazz or dancing the night away at the newest nightclub.
Adjacent to the Strip is Lawrenceville, an area which is developing into a magnet for Pittsburgh’s arts scene, with galleries, artists’ studios, antique shops, and off-beat eateries. Several of our residents have bought houses there.
Regent Square is a tree-lined, affordable neighborhood on the eastern edge of the City of Pittsburgh, just beyond Squirrel Hill. With its reasonably priced apartments and houses, and a small but vibrant shopping and dining area on Braddock Avenue, Regent Square has become a favorite neighborhood for many residents. It is bordered on its western edge by scenic Frick Park, which helps to define the neighborhood’s unique physical character and strong sense of place. The Regent Square Theater, the largest nonprofit arthouse cinema in Western Pennsylvania and one of the last remaining single-screen theaters in the nation, screens international, independent, documentary, and classic films in a charmingly retro setting.
Here is a link to maps of the various neighborhoods.
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| Museums, Science Center, Zoo & Aquarium |
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Pittsburgh is home to many of the region's great museums, the Carnegie Science Center, and the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.
Carnegie Museum of Art
The Carnegie Museum of Art offers a distinguished collection of contemporary art that includes film and video works. Other collections of note include works of American art from the late nineteenth century, French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, and European and American decorative arts from the late seventeenth century to the present. The Heinz Architectural Center, the Hall of Architecture, and the Hall of Sculpture are points of interest.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
From Mesozoic monsters to Egyptian mummies, Carnegie Museum of Natural History is an adventure that has been millions of years in the making. Noted as “one of America’s top natural history museums”, it features Dinosaur Hall, Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt, and many other great rotating monthly exhibits. Experience everything from exhibit tours and expert lectures to digging for fossils in Bonehunter's Quarry and having hands-on interactive fun in the Discovery Room.
Carnegie Science Center
The Carnegie Science Center is a dynamic, interactive facility that promotes the critical role science and technology play in our world. With its commitment to presenting science that is entertaining, accessible, and relevant, Carnegie Science Center is recognized as the foremost science education center for students, teachers, and the general public in southwestern Pennsylvania.
A favorite for adults and kids alike, the science center currently houses the Rangos Omnimax Theater, an interactive planetarium, a genuine World War II submarine, and more than 300 exciting hands-on exhibits. It also offers a wide range of theater presentations, demonstrations, classes and workshops, and special events.
Andy Warhol Museum
Located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, The Warhol features extensive permanent collections of art and archives of one of the most influential American artists of the twentieth century. It is also a primary resource for anyone seeking insights into contemporary art and popular culture. The combination of art and archives make the Andy Warhol Museum the most comprehensive single-artist museum in the world.
Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is the 77-acre home to thousands of amazing animals representing over four hundred species, including 32 threatened or endangered species.
It also houses a 45,000-square-foot state-of-the-art aquarium, which flows with 380,000 gallons of salt and fresh water and features more than 40 aquatic exhibits. It is Pennsylvania's only public aquarium and makes Pittsburgh one of only six zoos in the country with a major aquarium.
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| Recreation |
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Biking, Hiking, Climbing, City Parks
The abundant wealth of the industrial age left us with large areas of land set aside as city parks. Schenley and Frick Parks are both right in the city, and are expansive. Schenley Park has a number of special-use areas such as shelters, a golf course, many playgrounds, and an ice hockey rink. Frick Park is mostly undeveloped and forested, and is known for excellent hiking and some of the best mountain biking in the area.
OK- so winter can be chilly. If you climb, there's a great indoor wall in the city.
The Highland Park Reservoir
The city water reservoir in the Highland Park neighborhood is prime exercise territory, with its long paved loop---perfect for running, biking, and rollerblading.
There are many state parks in the area, as well as rails-to-trails for the biking or jogging enthusiast.
Skiing
There's always time for skiing. There are two nearby resorts. Seven Springs offers an annual discounted ski pass and is popular among the residents. Hidden Valley Ski Resort is also nearby.
Both have year-round activities like hiking, mountain biking, tennis, swimming and concerts.
White Water Rafting
There is superb white water rafting located nearby in Ohiopyle, PA. For more information, click here.
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| Out on the Town |
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Like to eat? So does the rest of Pittsburgh. Pittsburghers like to put fries on their food--it's a local quirk. The most famous example is the famous Primanti Brothers sandwich. Primanti Brother's original restaurant is in the strip district, but many other locations have since opened.
But there are other options too: Ethiopian, Spanish, Mexican, sushi, vegetarian, etc...Most places are close to Oakland and Shadyside. Click here to find all kinds of great restaurants.
Don't forget to check out Station Square for shopping, night life, fine dining, the Chevrolet Ampitheater, a ride on the incline, and even carriage rides, located on the riverfront. There is also the new SouthSide Works and The Waterfront in Homestead.
How about a little clubbing? Here's Pittsburgh's "most hoppin'" place to pay your respects--The Sanctuary. |
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| Concerts, Festivals, Things to Do |
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There's always something to do in the 'Burgh from live concerts to the symphony, festivals, and cultural events.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
PSO has been a vital part of the City of Pittsburgh’s heritage for more than 100 years. With its noble history featuring the finest conductors and musicians and its long-time commitment to artistic excellence, the Pittsburgh Symphony has been claimed by audiences around the world as their orchestra of choice.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra most recently captured worldwide headlines with the announcement of an innovative model for artistic leadership to pilot the PSO into the 21st century. Beginning with the 2005-06 season, Artistic Advisor Sir Andrew Davis will be joined by Yan Pascal Tortelier, serving as Principal Guest Conductor, and Marek Janowski, assuming the Endowed Guest Conductor Chair position, bringing to the orchestra a richly diverse repertoire and ensuring music-making of the highest quality.
The Post Gazette Pavilion is a large outdoor music pavilion with plenty of concerts featuring all types of music.
Located near downtown, the Chevrolet Ampitheater has many open air concerts. For more concerts and theater information, see the Byham Theater webpage.
There are independent filmakers and an annual film festival too.
Pittsburgh is also home to probably the best independent radio in the country.
For the latest lists of upcoming events, check out upcoming events in Pittsburgh, and even more things to do.
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| Professional Sports |
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For the sports enthusiast, there is something for everyone. Pittsburgh is home to several professional sports teams.
The NFL Pittsburgh Steelers play at Heinz Field, August - January.
The MLB Pittsburgh Pirates play at PNC Park, April - October.
The NHL Pittsburgh Penguins are at home in the igloo better known as the Mellon Arena, October - May.
Don't forget - there is professional soccer too: The Riverhounds.
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