<p>i am interested in pittsburgh as a can option for college, but my only concern is the urban campus. Is there a fair amount of green space at leats in the center of campus? i just need to see some nice grass or trees on my way to class in order to relax me, Whenever i search for pics of the campus all that comes up is the cathedral of learning.</p>
<p>There is no green space in the center of campus, but there is Schenley Park right next to it: [Schenley</a> Park](<a href=“http://www.tour.pitt.edu/tour-065.html]Schenley”>http://www.tour.pitt.edu/tour-065.html)</p>
<p>That’s like somebody trying to get you to go out with a gal by saying “She’s not very good looking, but you should see her sister!”</p>
<p>hahaha well i am simply asking if there is any significant amount of greenspace. I want some green on campus because i will go crazy looking at only cement.</p>
<p>Pitt has a good amount of green for being a city school.</p>
<p>Well, a block or so from the Freshman dorms is Schenley Plaza, which has a big green area. The Cathedral of Learning also has some green space, and the gigantic Schenley park is within walking distance. I’m also POed that when I search for Pitt, the only picture that ever comes up is the Cathedral… seriously? There’s more to it than that!</p>
<p>I know! its ridiculous. I need to see the campus in order to seriously consider the school but its 7 hours away so idk if i can visit. If and when i get accepted i will worry about it.</p>
<p>Pitt is a really nice campus, in the city yet there are green spots like Schenley Plaza</p>
<p>I live like 40 min from the city, and have several friends at Pitt. I have spent many weekends there…
PM me with any questions</p>
<p>def454,</p>
<p>Have you received any invitations from Pitt to visit? They often offer a $250 travel grant and a hotel stay, but that’s usually for top students and minorities. Get on their mailing list! I’ve been invited to about a dozen of these events.</p>
<p>I visited Pitt last summer. I don’t like urban settings and ultimately decided that Pitt was too urban for me. I could not stand anywhere outside on campus and not hear cars. In terms of green space–there are no traditional quads where students congregate. Granted, it was drizzling when I visited, but each “section” of campus is delineated by city streets, not grass and academic buildings. I haven’t visited many other city schools, but I can say that Brown, Yale, and Harvard all have significantly more green space. I also walked around Carnegie Mellon, since I arrived a few hours before the first info session at Pitt; CMU also has significantly more green space and a cohesive campus feel that Pitt lacks.</p>
<p>DEF, why don’t you try Google Earth. You pan in and out and get some ground-based pics. The Cathedral of Learning, Stephen Foster Memorial, and Heinz Chapel sit on around a 14 to 15 acre green plot. Schenley Plaza is just across the street, and opens up to Schenley Park in the rear. D just loved this school when we visited. She was just in awe of the CoL.</p>
<p>The Cathedral sits on a 14-15 acre green plot? Really? Like, with no driveable streets dividing up the green space? I completely missed that when I visited, then, because my comment about not being able to stand outside without hearing cars was right after walking out of the Cathedral. (Which is indeed gorgeous and awe-inspiring, but it’s only one building.)</p>
<p>If you don’t like cars/noise/traffic/city lights, then you’re not going to like Pitt (or even CMU) no matter how much green space it has.</p>
<p>I was wondering the same thing as the OP.
I wanna visit pitttt!</p>
<p>Yes, Keilexandra. The CoL sits on 14 to 15 acres of land between Forbes and Fifth. There are no streets on the Cathedral lawn. The CoL sits at the front of the green space, and Forbes and Fifth streets flank the CoL green space. We took a good walk around back on the walkway to see the Heinz Chapel, then went over to the Foster Memorial.</p>
<p>Yes. We also heard traffic sounds from Forbes and Fifth, but my comment was on the green space, and it is absolutely accurate.</p>
<p>Ah, I see–I did walk around the CoL, but mostly between Forbes and Fifth. I remember walking over to the chapel as well. The green space was unremarkable; but my main point of comparison is a college like Swarthmore, not NYU.</p>
<p>I believe that Applicannot’s post sums things up well. If urban noise is bothersome, then green space doesn’t matter. UPitt appears to be woven into the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, but you definitely know you are on campus. There are streets that transect the campus proper, but the school looks like it has done a good job of cultivating parklets within its area. It is certainly far from being an island-campus surrounded by the city, say like Rhodes C in Memphis, but it does abut a very large park. My D is a two-sport athlete, and we have literally visited dozens of campuses during her HS years. UPitt is very distinctive. If urban is your thing or you’re not sure, then UPitt may be worth a visit. If you are positive that need those wide open green spaces, then I’d look elsewhere.</p>
<p>As far as noise goes, also consider those hospitals across the street. While they offer many volunteering and other opportunities, there’s a down side too. Plan on getting used to the sound of ambulance sirens and helicopters (there’s a reason the tour guides have microphones). Having lived in NYC for many years, I know this becomes white noise after awhile.</p>
<p>Definitely pick up a Pitt newspaper when you visit the campus. Unlike many other schools, they list the campus police report in detail. They identify the arrested individuals as Pitt students or not, and identify the names of the arrested people. I found it very informative. Despite the number of incidents, I actually found it somewhat reassuring that most of the incidents were the types of things that occur on every college (underage drinking, petty theft, fights). There were a few worrisome incidents (mugging, assistance to City police, person laying on ground from drug overdose) which might be typical of any urban campus. </p>
<p>I think Pitt is D’s 1st choice, so I love it…</p>
<p>You can use Google Street View to see it for yourself</p>
<p>[terrace</a> street pittsburgh pa - Google Maps](<a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps)</p>