Visiting Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Visiting Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh grew to prominence as a manufacturing center and earned the nickname “Steel City.” Today, the city has traded it furnaces for high finance and has become a hub for technology and innovation. The city has recently been named by the Economist as the most livable city in the United States. One visit and I could see why eight different Fortune 500 companies made their world headquarters in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. We hope you enjoy our Visiting Pittsburgh Pennsylvania post.

Higher Education

To the east of downtown, are two of the city’s many fine institutes of higher education, the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and Carnegie Melon University. Pitt counts among its buildings the awe-inspiring Gothic Cathedral of Learning with its beautiful Nationality Rooms. The East End is also home to many of the museums that help make up the Carnegie system of museums.

Attractions and Landmarks

As a result of the massive wealth produced by the city during its industrial age, the city has a spectacular tradition of imposing structures and homes. The great wealth lead to the creation of some of the country’s leading cultural institutes and beautiful public spaces. Many of the city’s landmarks can be found downtown around the juncture of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers.

Among the many free public venues you’ll find, are the Children’s Museum which is collocated with the zoo and the National Aviary, home to over 150 species of birds. The Mattress Factory Museum is one of the country’s leading avant-garde art venues, as is the Andy Warhol Museum, a six-story art gallery dedicated to their native son. Downtown is where you will also find the Carnegie Science Center and the Heinz Center which is home to the city’s symphony and opera. One of the most popular museums in that area is Bicycle Heaven which lies on the north bank of the Ohio across from Brunot Island.

In between the two universities, sits the Carnegie Museum of Art, considered the country’s first museum of contemporary art. Adjacent to the art museum is the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The museum collection equals that of the Smithsonian, and has the best dinosaur collection in the world. All this sits on the northern tip of Schenley Park and the stunning Victorian Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The gardens are a popular venue for concerts during the summer.

Neighborhoods

On the south bank of the Monongahela River you’ll find Mt. Washington. Originally known as Coal Hill, Mt. Washington is a treasure trove of Victorian architecture, where visitors can spend days exploring its many winding streets and hillside neighborhoods. But its most impressive landmarks are it two great inclines, the Duquesne and the Monongahela, two of few remaining operational inclines in the country. These two funiculars were built in the late 19th century to deal with the terrain in a pre-auto metropolis where large throngs of people were trying to deal with the town’s terrain.

Scaling the steep slope of Mt Washington as regular as clockwork, they provide residents a quick connection to downtown, as well as giving visitors memorable views of the city, especially at night. Once you make it to the top of either tram, you can walk along the appropriately named Grandview Ave for about a mile (there is also a bus route for those hot summer, or cold winter days), where you can descend on the alternate route. If you ride just one incline, most prefer the Duquesne. Not because of a superior view, but because you can watch the gears and cables works that control the operation of the incline. Also at the top of the Duquesne, you’ll find restaurants where you can enjoy the view of the city skyline while sipping on a cocktail.

Nightlife, Dining and Entertainment

After spending the day seeing the sights, you can explore a whole different side of the town after dark. As mentioned, the city has a world-class opera and symphony. The city’s has a number of professional theater companies around the city, who along with local universities’ performing art departments, ensure you will not be at a loss for a vast array of choices for entertainment.

If you would like to grab a bit to eat and do a little clubbing, there is no shortage of choices. South Side features Station Square which offers both dining and live music. Go a little further east on Carson Street, and you will find many of the city’s up-and-coming clubs featuring local artist. This is where you will also find many of the city’s casinos if you wish to try your luck. North of the downtown district along the Allegheny River is the Strip District. Once the site of much of the city’s shipping, the old warehouses have been transformed into boutiques, clubs and offer some of the best ethnic restaurants in the city. The areas around Duquesne University and Pitt are also popular night spots, especially with college students.

Sports Fans

The city has plenty to offer professional sport fans. The city’s three professional sports franchises, the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins, have all made black and gold the official colors of the city. PNC Park along the shores of Allegheny is the home of the Pirate while the Steelers play just a short distance away at Heinz Field, both just across the river from the popular Point State Park. The Penguins play downtown at Paints Arena just north of Duquesne University. The city also has a proud tradition of college sports with both Duquesne and Pitt competing at the NCAA Division IA level. Locals are proud to tell you that Pittsburgh Pennsylvania is Sports Town USA.

Visit Pittsburgh

VisitPITTSBURGH is the official tourism promotion agency for Allegheny County. Established in 1935, VisitPittsburgh is dedicated to generating convention, trade show and leisure travel business for the Pittsburgh region. VisitPITTSBURGH is a non-profit organization serving its business membership.

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We were hosted as guests of Visit Pittsburgh. We appreciate the hospitality and really enjoyed the amazing city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.