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Pittsburgh Today: The Best of All Worlds
Thanks to industrial legacy, Pittsburgh’s cultural scene
today remains vibrant, world class
by Joe McGrath
For a city once referred to as “Hell with the lid off,” Pittsburgh has come a miraculously long way. Consider this nugget: National Geographic Traveler magazine named Pittsburgh among the “Best Places in the World” to visit in 2012! That’s right. Pittsburgh! The only other U.S. destination to be included among the esteemed magazine’s “Best Places” list is Sonoma, California. And, our city is included among the likes of London, Oman, and Spain.
National Geographic Traveler states: “Its mourning for its industrial past long concluded, this western Pennsylvania city changed jobs and reclaimed its major assets: a natural setting that rivals Lisbon and San Francisco, a wealth of fine art and architecture, and a quirky sense of humor.” Welcome to Pittsburgh today!
Cultural Legacy
Since its foundation as a trading post before the French and Indian War, Pittsburgh has been a prime destination for shippers, traders, artists, and businesses. It’s easy to see why. Located where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet to form the Ohio River, Pittsburgh served as a magnet attracting generations of people from around the world.
This diversity, together with the generosity of Pittsburgh industry captains, sparked a cultural phenomenon as world-renowned artists, architects, and performers found inspiration within the city and its surrounding landscape.
It is this legacy that placed Pittsburgh on the arts and culture map. A history of community investment and involvement from well-known industrial and corporate leaders — such as Carnegie, Mellon, Heinz, Frick, Scaife, Benedum, Phipps, Hillman, and a host of others — have built the foundation of the city's rich cultural environment.
From the world-renowned Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which performs in its elegant Heinz Hall home, to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Dance Council, and PNC Broadway Series (all performing at the beautifully-restored Benedum Center for the Performing Arts), and from contemporary and classical plays performed by the Pittsburgh Public Theater at the O’Reilly Theater, to the new August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Pittsburgh’s Cultural District is unique. Few cities can compare to this vibrant 14-block area rich with live theater, art, and restaurants.
For art lovers, there are a plethora of museums and galleries in and around Pittsburgh. Among these is the highly acclaimed Andy Warhol Museum, that celebrates the life and work of one of Pop Arts founding fathers and Pittsburgh native. One of the largest single-artist museum in the world, the Warhol is a must see!
The Mattress Factory, hailed as one of the world’s best facilities for installation art, is always a surprise. The Carnegie Museum of Art houses an outstanding collection of contemporary art that includes film and video works plus works of American art from the late 19th century, French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and European and American decorative arts from the late 17th century to the present. And, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s recent renovation houses the third-largest collection of authentic dinosaur bones in the world.
With so much to offer, it’s no wonder so many people choose to call Pittsburgh home. Incredibly livable and affordable, Pittsburgh consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the United States.
‘Extreme Metropolitan Makeover’
Reinventing itself during hard economic times in the 1980s and 1990s, Pittsburgh avoided the brunt of the last recession and continues to maintain strong job and housing markets. Hailed by TIME magazine as “one bright spot on Main Street,” Pittsburgh avoided much of the real estate bubble that produced the global financial crisis. In fact, property values in Pittsburgh continue to rise, bucking the national trend.
Over the past several decades, the Pittsburgh region has transformed itself with a balanced, innovation-driven economy based upon historic strengths in advanced manufacturing, information and communications technology, health care and life sciences, higher education and research, financial services, and energy solutions. The Pittsburgh region’s unemployment rate continues to track below the national average.
As the National Geographic Traveler article attests, Pittsburgh’s “Extreme Metropolitan Makeover” illustrates one “reinvented city.”
Explore! A City Full of Diversity
With 90 neighborhoods, Pittsburgh is a city to be explored one delightful section at a time. Start with a dynamic Downtown, then cross the famous three rivers — the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio — to find unique areas shaped by more than the region’s distinctive topography.
Along the Allegheny River, just northeast of Downtown, the mile-long stretch known as the “Strip District” has become one of the city’s most popular spots for great food and nightlife. Here, industrial and warehouse spaces have been reclaimed to support a bustling market district during the day and trendy nightclubs and restaurants for the evening.
Located at the entrance to The Strip, the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center profiles the people and events that shaped the region, from times of hardship to times of prosperity. There is no better place to grasp a sense of Pittsburgh’s continued renaissance than at the History Center.
Just beyond the Strip District is the 16:62 Design Zone, which continues along Butler Street and Penn Avenue into the neighborhood of Lawrenceville. This distinctive 56- block area is the place to shop for one-ofa- kind home furnishings, antiques, and objects d’art.
Just across the Monongahela River from Downtown, you’ll find Station Square, a shopping and entertainment complex on the site of a former railroad station. Riverboat and family sightseeing cruises on a WWII amphibious vehicle depart from Station Square. Don’t miss a host of restaurants, clubs, and shops — not to mention a lighted, musical fountain — in Bessemer Court.
Leading from the base near Station Square to Mount Washington — a high perch that affords the best views of the city — are the Duquesne and Monongahela Inclines, the sole remaining examples of a once-prevalent mode of transportation in Pittsburgh. Along the Monongahela River on the South Side, visitors find another distinctive neighborhood on East Carson Street. Here, vintage clothing stores, small galleries, unique shops and coffee bars offer plenty of day and evening fun. The retail and entertainment complex, the South Side Works, includes everything from a movie theater, to great restaurants and specialty shops.
Further down “the Mon” is The Waterfront in Homestead. This shopping and entertainment complex features more than 60 shops and restaurants on more than 300 acres. Built on the site of a former steel mill, towering inert smoke stacks serve as a regal reminder of the region’s steel heritage. Nearby, Rivers of Steel has rehabilitated the old Bost Building to house exhibits on labor, steel, and community heritage, as well as archives, a library, a restaurant, and a gift shop.
Family fun abounds in this corner of the city. Sandcastle, a 100-acre water park, includes a boardwalk, wave pool, and water rides. And, Kennywood Park, a national historic amusement park, has delighted guests for more than a century. Sports fan? The North Shore is the spot for the Pirates’ and Steelers’ games. PNC Park is a 38,000-seat classic baseball park designed with a center field that opens to a dramatic view of Pittsburgh’s skyline. Heinz Field’s 65,000-seat football stadium provides another breathtaking view of the river and city.
You’ll also find the Carnegie Science Center, with SportsWorks, a World War II submarine, roboworld™and an OMNIMAX Theater. Families also enjoy the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum and the National Aviary, where more than 600 rare, endangered and exotic birds await guests.
Pittsburgh’s East End and Oakland are home to a number of outstanding attractions that owe their existence to philanthropists who made their fortunes in the city’s early industry.
The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, founded in 1896 by Pittsburgh industrialist Andrew Carnegie, features an amazing art collection, as well as one of the world’s finest dinosaur collections, the Alcoa Hall of American Indians and much more.
Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, built more than 100 years ago by Henry Phipps, will soon open the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, one of the greenest buildings in the world.
The Nationality Rooms, located in the 42-story Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus, provide a unique and memorable tribute to the city’s ethnic heritage. Across Fifth Ave., Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum & Memorial offers a vast collection of military memorabilia.
In Point Breeze, the magnificent home of industrialist Henry Clay Frick, Clayton, is the focal point of the Frick Art & Historical Center. The Frick also includes the Car & Carriage Museum, Art Museum, and an award-winning café.
More family fun is waiting in Highland Park, home of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, one of only five zoos in the nation that boasts an aquarium. The standalone aquarium includes an indoor penguin exhibit and underwater tunnels.
Pittsburgh is indeed a unique city worthy of international acclaim. A world of fun, adventure, and excitement awaits those who visit.
—Joseph McGrath is president and CEO of VisitPittsburgh, the official tourism promotion agency for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. www.visitpittsburgh.com
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