Pittsburgh Perfection

pittsburgh night

I have a new love, and her name is Pittsburgh. She is bright-eyed, well-kempt, artistic, and friendly. Granted, my sister says that she was just putting on a good show for me for the four days I knew her, but I am still smitten.

For the longest time, Philadelphia has been my number one Pennsylvanian love (to be fair though, this was my first visit to Pittsburgh). I still adore Philadelphia, but Pittsburgh just has that something extra special–that spark that Philadelphia no longer has for me. Add to that the fact that it’s smaller, cleaner, safer, and generally just prettier, and I am sold.

Coming a long way from its past, Steel City is counted among some of the best cities in which to live in the United States. There’s a growing arts scene, fabulous universities, lots of sports teams, and it was recently named not only the smartest city in America, but one of the top five happiest cities to work in.

It may have taken me a long time to finally make the 3.5-hour journey out there, but I can guarantee that it won’t be long before I head there again. I spent four beautiful, sunny, and warm days in Pittsburgh exploring and doing as much as I could. Some of my favorite things about the city are the breakdown of neighborhoods and the sort of small-town feel in a city of its size.

strip district pittsburgh

Strip District:

I love-love-loved this area. It’s a lot of old warehouses, cool little shops, street markets, fish markets, a tobacco and candy shop (yeah, in one–I don’t get it either), and it’s home to the original Primanti Brothers (don’t worry–I ate there!). The architecture is fantastic, it’s easily walkable, and it’s a great little area to spend a couple of hours checking out.

downtown pittsburgh

Downtown:

Pittsburgh’s downtown area is really beautiful and much cleaner than I’ve experienced in most major cities. The views of the skyline from the Andy Warhol bridge are fantastic and worth a stroll across. When I was there, the bridge was covered in yarn for something they were calling the “knitted bridge”; I think the idea was for it to be an art project of knitted quilts lining the bridge, and then I believe they were going to be donated to homeless shelters (and if they weren’t, the city should seriously rethink that). Downtown Pittsburgh is also home to a couple of inclines, but when I heard the views were the best from the Monongahela Incline, I chose it and wasn’t disappointed. The cost is about $3.50 for a return trip and the views are worth every single cent. If you head up just before sunset, you’ll get the best of all worlds–daylight, sunset, nighttime.

pamela's diner pittsburgh

Squirrel Hill:

I didn’t get to spend much time in Squirrel Hill, but the reason I mention it is that it’s home to Pamela’s Diner, a Pittsburgh institution (note: there’s more than one in Pittsburgh, but this is the original location). They’re best known for their hotcakes and Lyonnaise potatoes. Both are amazing and worth the visit. If you’re heading there over the weekend, be prepared to wait for a little while as it’s always packed.

Garfield:

So, this area is what I guess most people would consider the “ghetto” area of Pittsburgh, but it’s being gentrified and rejuvenated now. They host a first-Friday type of gallery opening, where all the galleries and shops open their doors for people to come to check out local artists, including painting, photography, musicians, mixed media, and performance art. I saw some of the strangest things I’ve ever seen in my life happening in galleries in that neighborhood. It kind of had an Austin-vibe to me: artistic, weird, and teeming with hipsters.

pittsburgh night

Regent Square:

If I lived in Pittsburgh, this is the neighborhood in which I’d live. Even if it cramped my sister’s style (it’s where she lives). It is quite possibly the cutest neighborhood in the world, with old Victorian-style homes renovated and turned into apartments, full-grown trees offering the most amazing shade and breezes, and cute pups being paraded around all day long. It’s seriously got major charm, is calm and quiet, feels incredibly safe, and has a few restaurants and shops, meaning you don’t have to take that 10-minute drive downtown if you want to go out.

Author: Megan

Megan is an ordinary girl who outgrew her small town and decided to try the world on for size. She's on a mission to travel, photograph, and write about the world.

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