D24 and I will be checking out a few colleges this spring just to get a lay of the land. We’re looking at U Pitt to see a large public university/campus in an urban setting. D24 has never been to Pittsburgh before.
We’ll be staying at The Oaklander. Arrive in the late afternoon, no plans that evening, breakfast at hotel, info session and tour, then lunch and drive off to a different school.
Any suggestions of where to eat dinner or lunch or what to make sure we see? I’d like her to have a little bit of sense of the school and how a bigger school feels beyond the official tour.
Thanks. My understanding is that current Covid protocols = no wandering the buildings or eating in the cafeteria. The tour won’t go to a dorm - they have a mock-up dorm room for your groups to see.
D24 is undecided/humanities. We’re looking at this as a type of school. I don’t actually think Pitt or any large school is a good fit for her, but I want her to just see what a big school is like.
Fuel and Fuddle. A restaurant/bar near the campus where the students go. Definitely not high end (pizza, burgers, salads, beer), but will give your D a feel for the local college scene.
We ate at The Porch at Schenley, and sat outside on a beautiful day when we toured in the fall. It was a lot of fun and good people (student) watching!
My child received these suggested places from their Pitt admissions counselor:
If you have time while in the city:
Duquesne Incline: Amazing views of the entire city! If you drive to the top and get out, there is a platform you can stand on to see the whole city. Very picturesque spot and really shows off the city. Official site of the Duquesne Incline
North Shore: Heinz Field, PNC Park, Andy Warhol Museum- fun to walk around and where students will hang out on home football days (season tickets are only $25 for students!)
Phipps Conservatory: Beautiful botanical gardens within walking distance of campus (free to Pitt students)
Places to Eat (all walkable on campus and popular for students to hang out):
Go out and explore- the city is amazing and full of some great restaurants too! One of my favorite neighborhoods near campus is Shadyside if you have some extra time to explore. Lots of cute shops and great restaurants to eat at. The Southside is also really fun and a popular student hang-out area.
I agree with the suggestions above! Here are a few more! One night we took the Duquesne Incline up to have dinner at Monterey Bay Fish Grotto. We made the earliest reservation we could, I believe 4:30pm. I requested in notes to have a table by the window. What a view and amazing dinner. The trip up and down on the incline was really neat. I’ll also suggest you take a trip to the Strip District. Lots of unique shops and places to eat there. We ate at a place near there called Coop De Ville. Check out their Instagram. Really cool place. We also went to Heinz Field to watch the Steelers train, visited the Andy Warhol Museum, walked the boardwalk, and then ate at a place called Burgatory by the stadium. We kayaked the Allegheny too! I wanted my daughter to know what the city had to offer besides the college. On campus we had some quick bites at Piada Street Food & breakfast at Pamela’s Diner.
There are tons of places to eat on both Forbes and 5th ave. All within about a 5-10 min walk. If you want something quick and basic Pamela’s is a good choice. Wish they would let you in a dorm. The “sample” room in the book store is not a very good representation. I didn’t think my daughter would like an urban school like Pitt but she loves it there. Good luck on your tour
Walk up Forbes Avenue after dark or at dark and get a feel for restaurants that the students go to. We were there last week and did Primantis the first night and the Italian street food place. Also we ordered cookies one night from Insomnia cookies. We also stayed at the Oaklander, breakfast was fine and we ordered room service dessert one night.
