Help me have a great time in Pittsburgh!
January 30, 2018 6:19 PM Subscribe
I'm planning a weekend trip to Pittsburgh in the spring (I've never been). What shouldn't I miss? Bonus points for less-touristy, more-off-the-beaten-path stuff. Snowflakes inside.
I'll be visiting a few art galleries and museums, but I want to hear about the stuff that isn't in the tourist brochures.
Things I'd be particularly interested in: good record shops, venues for electronic music (especially of the more experimental sort), underground art spaces (especially those that specialize in installation/multimedia), counterculture stuff in general, good places to have a drink outdoors (that aren't thronged with people), eclectic bohemian neighborhoods with local shops and such to explore, lesser known museums that are worth a visit. Basically, anything that a lefty 40-year-old computer geek / former raver-punk / wannabe intellectual with a preference for DIY culture might appreciate.
(I've already been through Atlas Obscura's Pittsburgh page.)
Oh, and recommendations for inexpensive-but-decent lodging are welcome, too!
I'll be visiting a few art galleries and museums, but I want to hear about the stuff that isn't in the tourist brochures.
Things I'd be particularly interested in: good record shops, venues for electronic music (especially of the more experimental sort), underground art spaces (especially those that specialize in installation/multimedia), counterculture stuff in general, good places to have a drink outdoors (that aren't thronged with people), eclectic bohemian neighborhoods with local shops and such to explore, lesser known museums that are worth a visit. Basically, anything that a lefty 40-year-old computer geek / former raver-punk / wannabe intellectual with a preference for DIY culture might appreciate.
(I've already been through Atlas Obscura's Pittsburgh page.)
Oh, and recommendations for inexpensive-but-decent lodging are welcome, too!
Square Cafe has amazing breakfasts that should not be missed! That's always a must stop when I visit friends in Pittsburgh.
posted by Caravantea at 7:03 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Caravantea at 7:03 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Mattress Factory is the must see art museum. We usually pair it with a lunch at Penn Brewery, which has decent beer and German food, but the outdoor courtyard may or may not be open in the spring. The New Hazlett Theater in that general area may be doing something interesting, it's worth checking their calendar.
posted by Stacey at 7:10 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by Stacey at 7:10 PM on January 30, 2018
good record shops
Jerry's in Squirrel Hill
posted by bowmaniac at 7:43 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Jerry's in Squirrel Hill
posted by bowmaniac at 7:43 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
I regret never going to either Falling Water or the Bayernhof Museum. Bayernhof is supposed to be all full of weird quirky stuff and is definitely a bit more off the Pittsburgh beaten path.
Howlers has music of an experimental nature. Various small venues up in Garfield probably still do weird stuff.
posted by daisystomper at 7:47 PM on January 30, 2018
Howlers has music of an experimental nature. Various small venues up in Garfield probably still do weird stuff.
posted by daisystomper at 7:47 PM on January 30, 2018
My blog post from our weekend in Pittsburgh a couple of years ago.
posted by COD at 7:48 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by COD at 7:48 PM on January 30, 2018
Specific to this weekend:
* I Made It! Market, a roaming craft fair (hitting your lefty, art, and DIY points) will be at South Side Works on Saturday. (SSW is a typical outdoor mall otherwise, but you may enjoy the South Side in general if you head farther up Carson Street towards the city. It's flat and walkable and great people watching.)
* It's also one of the Saturdays for the Bloomfield Winter Market which is a little more food, a little less art.
posted by librarianamy at 5:50 AM on January 31, 2018
* I Made It! Market, a roaming craft fair (hitting your lefty, art, and DIY points) will be at South Side Works on Saturday. (SSW is a typical outdoor mall otherwise, but you may enjoy the South Side in general if you head farther up Carson Street towards the city. It's flat and walkable and great people watching.)
* It's also one of the Saturdays for the Bloomfield Winter Market which is a little more food, a little less art.
posted by librarianamy at 5:50 AM on January 31, 2018
If you end up in Garfield to check out the Center for Post-Natural History anyway and like smaller punk venues, Roboto is really close by and almost always has things going on in the evenings. Like Atlas Obscura says, there's also a lot of other really rad stuff along that stretch of Penn Ave--art galleries, tea and coffee bars, Spak Bros. Pizza, etc. You also wouldn't be too far up the road from brillobox, which is a solid bar with a lot of stuff going on.
Polish Hill would be a great spot to spend some time as well. Lili Cafe does awesome vegetarian food and is right under the Cruel Noise Record Shop, which has a good collection of punk/metal/local bands in particular. The Copacetic Comics Shop is up there too. Polish Hill is also home to two of the best smoky dive bars in Pittsburgh: Gooski's and the Rock Room.
For drinking outside, Kelly's Lounge has a nice back porch (and wonderful cocktails and mac & cheese), but you'd definitely want to try to get there before 7 or so if you wanted to guarantee a seat.
Allentown has some cool new stuff also--The Weeping Glass, Onion Maiden (metal vegan food), and Black Forge Coffee are all around there right now.
Oooh, and if you like crafty things, the Center for Creative Reuse and/or Construction Junction are both really cool places to check out as well. Have fun!
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:34 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
Polish Hill would be a great spot to spend some time as well. Lili Cafe does awesome vegetarian food and is right under the Cruel Noise Record Shop, which has a good collection of punk/metal/local bands in particular. The Copacetic Comics Shop is up there too. Polish Hill is also home to two of the best smoky dive bars in Pittsburgh: Gooski's and the Rock Room.
For drinking outside, Kelly's Lounge has a nice back porch (and wonderful cocktails and mac & cheese), but you'd definitely want to try to get there before 7 or so if you wanted to guarantee a seat.
Allentown has some cool new stuff also--The Weeping Glass, Onion Maiden (metal vegan food), and Black Forge Coffee are all around there right now.
Oooh, and if you like crafty things, the Center for Creative Reuse and/or Construction Junction are both really cool places to check out as well. Have fun!
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:34 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
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Haven't been myself, but my wife reminded me about Alphabet City. Short walk from Randyland if you make it out that way.
posted by tonycpsu at 7:00 PM on January 30, 2018