Spring Break Advice?

March 10, 2007 10:51 PM

Spring Break just started for my girlfriend and I, and we're having trouble coming up with things to do. I live in Pittsburgh, and we've thought about checking out the city, but I'm not sure where to go (Other than the Waterfront or Squirrel Hill, which aren't that exciting). We'd also like to visit someplace nice in Pennsylvania or Ohio for a few days, but having not lived here for long I'm not quite sure where to go. We're looking to spend no more than a couple hundred dollars. Any ideas?
posted by Aanidaani to Travel & Transportation around Pittsburgh, PA (14 answers total)

Not sure if you've been but Falling Water opens daily for the season on Tuesday. Not quite a multi-day trip but could be fun for you guys.
posted by saraswati at 10:59 PM on March 10, 2007

Falling waters is great if you can commandeer a car. There's always Kennywood, which is surprisngly fun and cheap for an amusement park of its caliber. The weather might not be nice enough this time of year (if it's open, of course). I once took a partner on a field trip to Cleveland for a night to walk around and see the city (if you can get over the rivalry it's a nice place to sight see). We had a great time and got to see the Rock and Roll museum of history which was a blast.
posted by allen.spaulding at 12:11 AM on March 11, 2007

You're about 250 miles due south of Niagra Falls, NY. Tons of fun things to do around there, although the weather can still be dicey this time of year. But the Falls look fantastic with a coat of ice.
posted by paulsc at 12:45 AM on March 11, 2007

Cleveland, Erie and Niagara are all within reasonable driving distance and each has their charms.

If you're the kind of person who likes different museums, visit Zippo in Bradford.

If you'd like more quiet, try renting a cabin at Moraine State Park. The off season weekday rate is reasonable ($50 per night) although you'll need to bring your own linens, cookware etc. Not much to do this time of year but could be a nice break from the city.
Reservations are available.
posted by jaimystery at 5:32 AM on March 11, 2007

if you like to camp & hike, you could spend a couple days exploring raccoon creek state park, and it's only a 30 minute drive from downtown. fughedabout the waterfront, but the warhol is cool, especially if they're having music, and it's close to the children's museum, which is also fun.

if you opt to go see the rock n' roll hall of fame, take the back roads. (always take the back roads!) you'll pass by chester, w. va., which is home to the world's largest teapot. after you check out the rock n' roll museum, you might as well go a teensy bit further north and visit lake erie. take the ferry over to kelley's island for the day (although there isn't much there & it might be too early & too cold to enjoy walking around the island).
posted by msconduct at 5:39 AM on March 11, 2007

As for other fun things to check out within Pittsburgh... Have you ever spent a Saturday morning in the Strip District? I highly recommend it. An afternoon's wander through the South Side is always fun for people-watching and shopping, too. How about some of the local museums, particularly the Mattress Factory and the Warhol, which are farther afield from campuses so you may not have had time to check them out? The zoo or the aviary? The Science Center or the conservatory? A ride on the Duquesne Inclined, which everyone should do once while they're here?

Or you could check out some local theater or concerts, improv comedy, some neat restaurants you might not usually have time for like the Church Brew Works, or see what's playing at the Jewish-Israeli film festival, on this week.

For that matter, if you like film and want to venture further afield, the Cleveland film festival is this week too, and that's where I'd be if I could take the week off work and leave the city for a while.
posted by Stacey at 5:41 AM on March 11, 2007

Seconding Fallingwater or Niagara Falls. And if you go to Fallingwater, make sure to pay a visit to Kentuck Knob, a few minutes away. This is another Frank Lloyd Wright house, which in many ways provides a more pleasant visiting experience than the tourist-mobbed Fallingwater. Doing both in the same day is a neat comparison. Kentuck Knob also has a good collection of site-specific artworks, including a couple by Andy Goldsworthy.
posted by chinston at 7:06 AM on March 11, 2007

forget the waterfront (completely) and squirrel hill (except maybe the squirrel cage). go to the south side (east carson street) for the hookah bars or play pool at dee's - or come in the daytime to get some his'n'hers tattoos or see all the funky shopping. check out all the dive bars and cheap & delicious restaurants in garfield/friendship. go to the andy warhol museum on a friday night. go to the maxi saver at century III for $1 movies. thursday nights are 80's night at the attic in oakland- come before 10pm (maybe 9, you should check) for discounted admission, plus there's a killer happy hour there from 10-12. after that, go to the O for an order of curly fries the size of your head. or go to mad mex for amazing margaritas and delicious food - half off after 11pm. cleveland is only 2 hours away, but it's boring as hell. if you want to go on a weekend trip, go up to the lake in erie - but maybe it's too cold for that still. check to see if any good shows are playing at mr. small's funhouse. go to friday night improv at the studio theater of the pitt cathedral. go to gooski's on polish hill - best dive bar in the city and some great bands. go to the strip district in the morning for amazing food shopping, or come at night for bars/clubs.
posted by timory at 7:31 AM on March 11, 2007

I second all of Stacey's suggestions, and I'll say that at the Warhol there is a really great exhibit right now curated by the National Holocaust Memorial Muesum. I haven't seen the exhibit yet, but I did get to hear the woman who curated it speak, and it sounds great, I am going to try to stop by in the next week before it is gone.
posted by nuclear_soup at 9:46 AM on March 11, 2007

Is she a geeky engineering student? 'Cause I'm pretty geeky, and nothing around Pittsburgh would make me happier than a tour of the Beaver Valley station. (I realize that I am not a normal person, though.)
Point is, fun doesn't necessarily = touristy stuff.
posted by ctmf at 10:38 AM on March 11, 2007

Kennywood is a great idea...but it doesn't open until May. Perhaps do that as a way of celebrating finishing finals. There is certainly plenty to do in around Pittsburgh, but let me make the case for my hometown, Wheeling, WV. Its about an hour to hour and half away from you and offers a gigantic city park, a pre-Civil War Suspension Bridge that at its time of construction was the longest in the world and racing/gambling .
posted by mmascolino at 12:19 PM on March 11, 2007

How could I forget my own home? If you want a trip for a few days and a much better view of the Falls, take a four hour drive up to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Cheap motels abound (obvious tip: avoid the ones that are physically connected to strip clubs) and you can make day trips to some cool places: Niagara-On-The-Lake (if you're 19+ the wine tours are awesome, especially Jackson Triggs) and Toronto. My email is in my profile if you end up going this route and want more information, I live in the area and play tour guide all the time.
posted by saraswati at 1:09 PM on March 11, 2007

Come on over to Philly. We've got lots of stuff for you to do. Furthermore, the advertisements tell me it's more fun when you sleep over.
posted by Netzapper at 8:18 PM on March 11, 2007

Saturday is the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

posted by Ramithorn at 8:58 AM on March 12, 2007