Pittsburgh Information What makes Pittsburgh distinctive

Pittsburgh has something for everyone. It has one of the most beautiful spots in the country (according to USA Today). The area is filled with history. It has magnificent architecture (including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater a short drive away). Amazing restaurants and quaint shopping districts are found throughout Pittsburgh . A number of excellent universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and Duquesne, make their home here. And it is the home of the 2005 World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Neighborhoods

Pittsburgh , located in Allegheny County, is known for its diverse neighborhoods. For a newcomer, it can be a little overwhelming. Especially since the real estate listings are organized by neighborhood. I recommend this overview about Pittsburgh neighborhoods from The New Colonist if you are new to the Pittsburgh area. About.com also has a pretty good description of the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh .

There are several good maps of the Pittsburgh area online so that you can navigate your way. The city of Pittsburgh has a map of Pittsburgh neighborhoods available as a pdf. It’s short on detail but it’s a good start. The City of Pittsburgh also has an “interactive” map that has more detail and allows you to focus in on particular neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh has a map of Pittsburgh neighborhoods that are popular with its graduate students and a brief description of what their residents love about them. The Map Network also provides a good resource. You may also want to keep Google or Yahoo available so that you can input specific addresses and get a map.

As you look for a home in Pittsburgh , you’ll quickly be confronted with the choice of which neighborhood you would like to live in. Roughly, there are three areas in Pittsburgh . If you’d like the guided tour, continue on. If you prefer to explore on your own, try Pittsburgh.net, Xplorion Connect, the Pittsburgh Portal, the Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau, University of Pittsburgh site on Pittsburgh, the Student Guide to Pittsburgh, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance.

North Shore, North Side & Beyond

This consists of everything east of the Allegheny River (more on the Allegheny can be found at the Allegheny River Crossings tour or the Watershed Atlas) and north of the Ohio River. My office here at Coldwell Banker is in the North Hills. There are many lovely homes and neighborhoods on the North Side. Among the neighborhoods here that you should consider are the Mexican War Streets, Ben Avon, and Sewickley. The Northside Leadership Conference has an excellent website about the North Side.

The North Shore is the home of the 2005 World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Because of the stadiums, there are a number of sports bars and restaurants in the area, such as Clark Bar & Grill (see review here) and Hi-Tops. There’s also UPMC SportsWorks, which is a part of the Carnegie Science Center next to Heinz Field. You can learn to Kayak at Venture Outdoors at the boardwalk next to PNC Park . The Penn Brewery, Heinz, the Children’s Museum, the National Aviary, and Allegheny General Hospital are nearby. This area has undergone a real revitalization in the past ten years. If you are interested in this area, also check out the North Side Chamber of Commerce, the Northside Community Development Fund, the Northside Supplier Network, and the Central Northside Neighborhood Council.

The Mexican War Streets are close to the North Shore . There are quite a few bed and breakfasts popping up in this area. Check out The Inn on the Mexican War Streets and The Parador of Pittsburgh for starters.

If you are looking for a mansion and willing to put in some work, you might consider Observatory Hill. [But when you renovate, don’t forget to call the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh.] Judge’s Row contains a number of old mansions sitting above Riverview Park. There’s a lot of history here. Maybe your home can be on the Observatory Hill Historic House Tour (article found here). If that’s not quite your dream, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to scrutinize the homes of other neighborhoods when they put their home on tour. It’s quite popular in Pittsburgh . To get other ideas, stop by the Home & Garden Show.

Located west along the Ohio River Boulevard, you will find the lovely homes of Ben Avon and Ben Avon Heights. Farther west brings historic Sewickley and Sewickley Heights. It is one of the premier areas in Pittsburgh. A modern day Mayberry to some. You should be able to find lots of information on Sewickley. You might start here or here. The Sewickley Academy website is here. While you are in town, you should stop by the Sewickley Spa.

Also west of Pittsburgh , though across the river, is the Pittsburgh International Airport.

North of downtown along the Allegheny River , you have the new development of Washington’s Landing, which is near the Three Rivers Rowing Association. Farther north are the prestigious homes of Fox Chapel. Near Fox Chapel is great shopping at the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills

To the north and west of Allegheny County, there is Butler County (the home of Cranberry Township) and Beaver County (home of Mayberry-like Beaver).

The South Side

Just across the river to the south from downtown is Station Square, the location of the Grand Concourse, Hard Rock Café, the Gateway Clipper, and the Just Ducky Tours .

Two of the best new shopping areas are also found on the South Side: The SouthSide Works and the Waterfront in Homestead . The South Side also has Carson Street , which is known for its night clubs and pubs.

Sitting above Station Square , and all of Pittsburgh , is Mount Washington. If you are looking for a view, take the Duquesne Incline. For restaurants with a view, try Isabela on Grandview or Monterey Bay Fish Grotto. For more information on the South Side, try the South Side Local Development Company.

Other areas south of downtown that I would recommend are Crafton, Mt. Lebanon, and Upper St. Clair.

Downtown, the East End , and Beyond

This area starts at the Golden Triangle (the downtown area is a triangle where the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers converge) and proceeds east and north bounded by the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. For lovers of old homes and fabulous architecture, it’s a wonderful area. It is well regarded with young professionals because of the many universities in the area, the large parks, and the strong public transportation system.

At the tip of the Golden Triangle is Point State Park. It was the home of the 2005 Citgo Bassmaster Classic last summer. It’s just a short walk from downtown businesses and is a popular place during the summer. If you don’t want to bring your own lunch, you should try Market Square, which is nearby. There are a number of other websites about places to visit in the downtown area, including the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, City Legacies, Pittsburgh’s Downtown Churches. If you’d like to learn about some of the architectural wonders, check out here. You can also catch a show in the Theater District here. If you aren’t interested in Architecture or Theater, you can catch a Pittsburgh Penguins game at Mellon Arena.

Just north of the business district is the Strip District. It’s got a number of quaint restaurants and is seeing a number of old warehouses turned into lofts and condos. To the north and east of the Strip District is a number of small neighborhoods that have large Victorian homes and row houses. This is an area that is really being restored and is benefiting from the popularity of Highland Park and Shadyside. This area includes Lawrenceville, Garfield, Bloomfield (see HGTV article on Garfield here), and Friendship. East Liberty is trying hard to put itself in this category. Bordering this area is wonderful Highland Park (see also city website here), home of a lovely park and the Pittsburgh Zoo. For more information on this area, try East End Main Street.

To the south and south east of this area (so east of “downtown”) is Oakland , Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill. Oakland is the home of the University of Pittsburgh. Be sure to check out the Oakland Planning & Development Corporation. Shadyside and Squirrel Hill are very popular in Pittsburgh , featuring large homes and yards. Check out the Shadyside shops. Squirrel Hill is bounded by Schenley Park and Frick Park . Like Sewickley, you should have no trouble finding information on Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. As long as you are here though, I’d try Squirrel Hill, the Squirrel Hill Historical Society, and the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition. To the South of Squirrel Hill is Greenfield.

To the east of this area is Regent Square, Edgewood, and Swissvale. Farther east is Monroeville Mall and Westmoreland County .

Historic Districts

There are a number of areas in Pittsburgh with the historic district designation. More information on these areas can be found at Historic Districts of Pittsburgh or the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. To learn more about the history of Pittsburgh , check out Historic Pittsburgh

Transportation & Commuting in Pittsburgh

The public transit system in Pittsburgh is pretty good. For information, start at the Port Authority of Allegheny County. For commuting, the the East Busway and West Busway (a road that may be used only by the police and the buses) are popular. The T ( Pittsburgh ’s light rail transit system) goes to the south. There are plans to extend it to the North Shore . High speed transit (the Magley) is also in the planning stages. If you are considering commuting, you might look at CommuteInfo. If you still plan to drive into town, look for parking at the Pittsburgh Parking Authority. For more information on traveling in and around Pittsburgh , with its many highways, bridges and tunnels, check out the Bridges & Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Highways. If you are just in town seeing the sites, or want to be different, take the Pittsburgh River Shuttle.

Schools

The question of where to raise children is a frequent one. Someone raised the question at Ask MetaFilter and there were a few good responses. The Allegheny Conference on Community Development has information on school quality. Here is the website for the Pittsburgh Public Schools. However, many people choose to put their children in private schools instead. There are a number of prestigious private schools in the area. If you are already thinking ahead to college, the Pittsburgh Portal has a list with links. GreaterPittsburgh.com also has information on higher education in Pittsburgh .

Crime

The great news is that Pittsburgh has less crime than other major cities. Like anywhere though, it depends on the location, time, circumstances, etc. You can find the raw statistics on crime here for the year 2003 so that you can make the determination for yourself.

Working in and around Pittsburgh

If you are looking for a job in Pittsburgh , I would start at the employment page of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. From there, I would go to Monster.com, HotJobs, and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Classifieds. Other resources I would look at are The Best Places to Work in PA, CareerLink Pittsburgh, and the Career Resource Center.

Dining, Entertainment, Culture, Outdoors, and Sports

There are so many things to do in Pittsburgh that I’m just going to divide them into a couple categories and send you on your way. Someone kept a diary of all the fabulous things to do in Pittsburgh year round – they call it the Pittsburgh Diary.

Dining

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh -- Restaurants

Best ‘Burgh Bites

Pittsburgh Citysearch

Nightlife

Pittsburgh Night Life

BarSmart

Culture

Whet Your Cultural Appetite in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Portal: Entertainment

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Western Pennsylvania Museum Council

Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center

Frick Art & Historical Center

Penn Avenue Arts

Pittsburgh Film Office

Renaissance & Baroque Society of Pittsburgh

Shopping

Pittsburgh Shopping Malls & Outlets

The Pittsburgh Portal: Shopping Links

Sports & Outdoors

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh’s great parks

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Recreational Sports

Cycling in Pittsburgh

PGO Map of Golf Courses

Three Rivers Rowing Association

Housing for Visits to Pittsburgh

There is no shortage of hotels in Pittsburgh . But if you are looking for something a little bit classier, you might try the Omni William Penn or a local bed and breakfast.

For Still More Information

For more information on Pittsburgh and its neighborhoods, check out the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Gateway Newspapers. If you are looking for something to do, try the downloadable guides to Pittsburgh Destinations and Shopping available from the Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau. If you are willing to pay a small sum, I recommend the Rich/Poor Man’s Guide to Pittsburgh by Dorothy A. Miller. Another website that may prove valuable to you is the Allegheny County Real Estate website.

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