Things to do in Pittsburgh

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pittsburgh
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<p>Hey there everyone. I recently graduated from Pitt's business school and I also got my undergrad degree at Pitt (the most underrated university in America). I am originally from Boston, and I thought Pittsburgh would be boring. I loved it. </p>

<p>This is what I have learned about the city in my six years here:</p>

<p>Pittsburgh offers everything a large city offers, only on a smaller scale. And most of the city is so clean. Pittsburgh is a city of distinct neighborhoods and areas, each with their own personalities. Up on the North Side, you can catch a Steelers or Pirates game, check out the Carnegie Science Center and SportsWorks, and the National Aviary, or go boating on the river. Downtown, you can go shopping, hang out at beautiful Point State Park, go to a concert or Penguins game at Mellon Arena, take a riverboat ride, visit Duquesne University, check out a show at the Benedum Center or Heinz Hall, go ice skaing outside, use the new Wi-Fi acess, ride the Inclines up Mt. Washington--the most scenic view in Pittsburgh-- and a lot more. Most bands make stops in Pittsburgh. In the Strip District you can find any kind of food you could ever want, eat a famous Primanti Brothers sandwich, buy some Pittsburgh apparel, or go to one of the many clubs. On the South Side- newly rejuvenated and one of the most beautiful parts of Pittsburgh, you can go to one of the many restaurants and bars, see a movie, or do some shopping (you can really shop anywhere in Pittsburgh). The East Side, (Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill neighborhoods) is considered the academic and cultural area. This is where Pitt, Carnegie Mellom, Chatham, and Carlow Colleges are located. There are great restaurants, beautiful cathedrals, and lots of activity. You can stare in awe at the vast mansions in Shadyside while doing some upscale shopping, eat great pizza in Squirrel Hill, and awesome restaurants, parks, museums, and art galleries in Oakland. In nearby Homestead, you can see a movie at the ENORMOUS multiplex or go to many of the most well-known chain restaurants and outlet stores. There is also a Sandcastle waterpark nearby along with Kennywood amusement park, which has one of the largest roller coasters in the world. You can also check out the Pittsburgh zoo. The vast Monroeville mall is not very far, either. There are plenty of other concert venues as well, including the Palumbo Center and Post-Gazette Pavillion. Robert Morris University hosts the annual "Pittsburgh Speakers Series" at Heinz Hall with speakers such as Colin Powell, Ari Fleischer, Rudy Giuliani, Robert Redford, Walter Cronkite, Bill Moyers, Henry Kissinger, and James Carville, just to name a few. There is also plenty for kids to do if you have/plan to have any. Idewild park is a nearby amusement park geared towards young children. There's also Dino Kingdom, the Carnegie Science Center, and plenty of child-care programs, among other things (I don't know a whole lot about things for kids- I don't have any yet). And the cost of doing all this is MUCH cheaper than any other city. You get to ride the city's buses for free with your Pitt ID (I never needed a car), which also gives you free access to many of the city's museums. This is one city that the average college student can actually take advantage of.</p>

<p>Pittsburgh is ranked annually by many publications as a top city for cost of living, quality of life, educational attainment, safety, hospitals, cultural opportunities, student-friendly, business-friendly, family-friendly, tourist-friendly, and all-around friendly. Pittsburgh airport is considered one of the nicest airports in the country. The Carnegie Museum has some of the best dinosaur collections around. Yes, like all cities Pittsburgh has its negatives- Allegheny County has high taxes and an older population, the weather is typical northeastern weather, and the air quality of the city is still not up to par with the rest of the country (although it has made a significant comeback in the last 30 years.) But the negatives are few and far between. Pittsburgh is a hub of medical research and cultural diversity, and is a great city for new entrepreneurs.</p>

<p>This is only a short overview of all that there is to do, Pittsburgh is one of the great American cities and I loved every second of being there. There are a ton of other activities that I just did not have the time to list. The only reason I am leaving is because my fiancee lives back in Boston and loves her work there. I will be sad to go. I would love to someday return to Pittsburgh and raise my family here.</p>

<p>Hope this helps some of you who are considering going to school here.</p>

<p>P.S. The people in Pittsburgh are the nicest you will ever meet.</p>

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<p>tom1425, thanks for the great overview of Pittsburgh. It sounds like you had a great time at Pitt. My daughter will being going there in the fall. We are from Ohio and even though we are only 2 hours away, we never really went to Pittsburgh to do anything. I guess we still had the idea of the steel mills and pollution embedded in our brains. When my daughter wanted to check out Pitt I thought "there is no way she is going to like it there". We were both impressed. We can't wait to go back and explore more of the city when it's warmer. Are you sure you want to go back to Boston? It sounds like you could get a job working for the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce! Good luck to you!</p>

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<p>stowmom,</p>

<p>I met my fiancee in high school and she stayed in Boston to go to school. She does not want to leave as of now. We are getting married in September and I think after the wedding we will have a serious discussion about relocating. I love Boston, I lived there all my life, but I think Pittsburgh is the single greatest place to raise a family. I did get plenty of job offers in Pittsburgh. None from the Chamber of Comerce, although I think the city does a great job of selling itself.</p>

<p>Many people still have the steel mill image of Pittsburgh, I know I did before I visited it. Pittsburgh went through a rough time with the collapse of the steel industry in the early 20th century and it suffered for most of the mid century, but it is amazing how well the city has rebounded in the last 40 years. </p>

<p>The things I listed are only a small percentage of what there is to do. I'm sure your daughter will find a ton of things she loves about the city that I did not list. You have my promise that she will have the time of her life while getting the best education around!</p>

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<p>Great work, Tom! I loved my time at Pitt, too. I'm also from a big city- NYC, and had the time of my life at Pitt. I got my engineering degree in '02, and I'm back in New York now, but I wouldn't trade my experiences at Pitt for anything. It really is a great school and I wish more out of state people would consider it.</p>

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<p>It was H that took our D up last year to visit and do her interview (for guaranteed med school that she did NOT get - grrrrr), BUT it was the visit that put Pitt at the top of her list. She'd already got a scholarship, in fact three, two from engineering, and we are oos, but neither she nor her dad expected to like the place. I think it was that dirty steel mill town rep. Well, of course it was just the opposite; they came home and didn't stop talking about it.</p>

<p>Yes, it is just perfect for oos kids. You can send them there with no car, save lots of money (gas, car insurance, repairs, bills - cars are a sink hole for your money), and know that the kid is safe and can go and do at will on the fabulous bus/transit system (including the Airport Flyer - yea!).</p>

<p>The airport is really neat. They have a mall inside with lots of places to shop (like the Gap), and....there's no sales tax on clothes!!! Not just at the airport, but the whole state/city. When we went up for parents weekend we flew and took the bus, and on our way out we got to the airport early and bought luggage. The store didn't charge us either tax or shipping and gave us a discounted price. We bought two Victorinox cases we'd been eyeing back home and saved a bunch. Yeah Pittsburgh!</p>

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<p>We also cut up our oil company credit cards and now put all our gas purchases on a skymiles card. Hopefully over time this will help get a few tickets home from school for holidays free. Just a gratuitous tip for those of you who would need to fly.</p>

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<p>Glad to hear your family enjoyed the city, mercymom. I have spent a lot of time in airports, and Pittsburgh's is most definately the nicest one I have been to.</p>

<p>Pittsburgh is an extremely underrated city. People's views about it are 60 years out of date. It would be similiar to people believing Chicago is still run by Al Capone or that New York is a dirty town where people get shot every other block. The view that Pittsburgh is an ugly steel town simply is not true. The steel industry left long ago. Actually, the South Side Works, one of the most beautiful parts of the city today, used to be a huge row of steel mills. So much has changed, and I wish more people would see the school and the city for themselves. </p>

<p>Pitt lags behind Penn State in terms of percentage of OOS students, and I can't understand why. The schools are comparable academically, and Pittsburgh offers so many more opportunities and the atmosphere is so much more conducive to learning.</p>

<p>May I ask what state you are from, mercymom? Just curious.</p>

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<p>Hail to Pitt alums! Since both of you are new, I just wanted to identify myself as an '04 alum. Welcome to CC! :D</p>

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<p>Pat2323 - We are from the deep South near the Gulf Coast. I am originally from New Orleans, but my H is from Indiana. So really it is H who has (had) the outdated views of Pittsburgh. He's been in the South for over 30 years (went to school in Florida) and didn't really have recent memories to draw on. My family led the usual isolated New Orleans existence of Mardi Gras, Tulane and summers in Destin. If it was north of I-10 we didn't know about it. Life changes when you marry a Yankee (technically a Hoosier; there's a difference).</p>

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<p>BTW, when we were up in August installing D in her dorm, we had an anniversay dinner at a nice Italian restaurant on Forbes called Il Valleto. Very small and cozy; incredible food; lots of atmosphere and attention from the staff. Good place to take someone you're interested in. This is honest Italian cooking, the real thing, not just spaghetti. Reminded me of Tuscany.</p>

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<p>We also were very surprised when we visited Pitt for accepted students day. D had visited a friend earlier and liked it so much that she applied. Pittsburgh is a great college town/city with so many wonderful opportunities for students to take advantage of. The sports and school spirit really unite the student body. The many unique neighborhoods that are close to campus make for exciting and interesting venues for the kids to check out and visit. The museums, theatre, arts, and activities (too many to list) all combine to make Pitt a truly great place for a wonderful college experience. BTW, we are OOS.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the welcome, ophiolite.</p>

<p>mercymom, I LOVE Il Valleto! My family is Italian and we have made several trips to the home country, and Il Valleto reminds me of Italy, too.</p>

<p>nurse123, Glad to hear your daughter likes Pitt. I think it is important for a school to have a large number of OOS students, it really opens up students to different lifestyles. Hopefully as Pitt's reputation grows, the OOS numbers will grow as well. So many people overlook Pitt when considering colleges. However, I am hopeful because Pitt's reputation does seem to be growing around the country and the world. I have a friend who works for US News and does some work with the college rankings, and he said Pitt is looking at a nice bump in the rankings next year. I personally never looked at rankings and I don't believe that they adaquetly measure a school's value, but it's still nice to know that Pitt is being recognized! May I ask where you are from?</p>

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<p>I loved Pitt when we visited. I just wish it wasn't so expensive for out of state!</p>

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<p>I know, weenie. That's the way all PA schools are. However, I do think it is worth it. I went to Pitt from out of state, and I had to work my whole time there to help pay for tution. However, Pitt offer a TON of scholarships, both need-based and academic. I suggest you look into them. Trust me, it will be worth it.</p>

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<p>I just want to bump this thread because I think it's so good. Does anyone have anything else to add to the things to do list?</p>

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<p>My daughter is an oos freshman, from NE Ohio like Stowmom . . .my daughter was absolutely no sports fan in h.s., she was a marching band kid, but she's gone to Pitt football and basketball, as well as the Penguins games. She's been to the Warhol museum, and the Museum of Nat'l History, plus numerous trips to Southside Works and the Waterfront for shopping. </p>

<p>Yesterday I asked her what she'd done over the previous weekend. Her answer was STUDY. She spent Saturday night in the Cathedral of Learning, all the security alarms went off for some reason, and she finally did get out, after discovering all the revolving doors locked! Always an adventure.</p>

<p>We're off tomorrow a.m. to bring her and her roommate here for spring break. Her roommate match at Pitt has been great, and she's found lots of kids she likes to hang out with.</p>

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<p>check out this website- <a href="http://www.studentguidetopittsburgh.com/index.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.studentguidetopittsburgh.com/index.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>The Pens are staying!</p>

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<p>Moved here from Boston twenty years ago. W and I bought a house and raised a family on one income. Try that in Boston.</p>

<p>Add to the list: </p>

<p>Mountain Biking in Frick Park
Go Walking in the Hollow in Schenley Park, or play a round of Frisbee golf there
Free Summer concerts at Hartwood Acres and South Park (saw Lyle Lovett, Rusted Root, Louden Wainright III, more shows than I can remember)
Hike the Rachel Carson or Laurel Valley trails
Ride the river rails to trails. One runs past the stadiums and science center and out to Washington's Landing, the other, "the jail trail" leads back into Oakland.</p>

<p>Eat breakfast at the Square Cafe in Regent Square or a nice dinner at Cafe Sam on Baum Blvd.</p>

<p>So much to do. It has been a great two decades. D couldn't wait to leave, but now she misses it.</p>

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<p>ok, now don't shoot me for referring people to the (gasp) cmu website, or the cmu thread on CC, but consider yourselves referred. I was checking the cmu site tonight as S is now getting college mail in daily doses and the cmu stuff came today. Whilst looking up what they want him for, I discovered the part of their site dealing with the city of Pittsburgh and things to do , shop, eat, stay, etc. It's quite complete and easy to navigate and mentions some stuff I didn't know about, so I thought I'd pass it along.</p>

<p>Also, for some reason there is more traffic on the cmu threads and last year I would look there for gen'l stuff on Pittsburgh and found it quite useful. Plus, it's interesting to get other people's views on some of the same questions many oos kids have with respect to things like, "will I like living in Pittsburgh?" or "will my kid be safe in Pittsburgh?"</p>

<p>The cmu threads is where I found a post about them buying Pitt t shirts so as to crash Pitt parties on the weekends. Don't shoot me!</p>