What's Happening In Pittsburgh?
May 2, 2009 4:59 AM Subscribe
I'll be in Pittsburgh next Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning and am seeking your recommendations for nice, reasonably priced sleeping accommodations, restaurant preferences for supper and breakfast, and theater, music, or other evening entertainment. Thanks!
I wasn't in Pittsburgh long, but Church Brew Works was fascinating and had really good food. It's a beautifully renovated church that had the brewing apparatuses up where the altar would have been. Great decor, atmosphere, service, FOOD and beer. I'd recommend it, even if you're not a beer person. They have everything from pizza to kobe, so you should find something there that you like. Check out the history and the pictures on the website before you go so you can better appreciate what you're looking at while you're there.
posted by BlooPen at 5:45 AM on May 2, 2009
posted by BlooPen at 5:45 AM on May 2, 2009
I've a close friend in Pittsburgh who reports that the Church Brew Works remains up to its "highly recommendable" status as of a couple months ago and the best source for event recommendations is the weekly Pittsburgh City Paper "Short List".
Although long a fan of Wright's work, I was unprepared for how impressive Fallingwater was in person; unfortunately, it is about a 1.5-2 hour drive out of the city which makes it a little infeasible for a day's visit. Notable local attractions are the Andy Warhol Museum and the oddly named Mattress Factory avant art museum.
posted by fydfyd at 6:01 AM on May 2, 2009
Although long a fan of Wright's work, I was unprepared for how impressive Fallingwater was in person; unfortunately, it is about a 1.5-2 hour drive out of the city which makes it a little infeasible for a day's visit. Notable local attractions are the Andy Warhol Museum and the oddly named Mattress Factory avant art museum.
posted by fydfyd at 6:01 AM on May 2, 2009
Pamela's is the gold standard for Pittsburgh breakfast fare, and there's a few of them, so you're bound not to be too far from any of them. Church Brew Works is good for beer, and I would recommend the pierogi pizza. I think it's probably the place I'd think of for out-of-towners. The symphony is good, but unlikely on a Tuesday night. This is the list of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's events for Tuesday evening. The City Paper probably has the best listings for everything else (check fydfyd's short list link, listings at the top).
You could try going to the National Aviary if you really have some time in the afternoon, perhaps also the Children's Museum nearby. The zoo is pretty nice, too, if you're into zoos.
Pittsburgh is one of those nice-to-live-in places that's not actually the most exciting to visit.
posted by that girl at 6:37 AM on May 2, 2009
You could try going to the National Aviary if you really have some time in the afternoon, perhaps also the Children's Museum nearby. The zoo is pretty nice, too, if you're into zoos.
Pittsburgh is one of those nice-to-live-in places that's not actually the most exciting to visit.
posted by that girl at 6:37 AM on May 2, 2009
Yeah, I was gonna say, if you're here on a Tue night, there's probably not going to be anything to do but stay home and watch Biggest Loser. See City Paper for events. And try Filmmakers for non-cineplex films.
(I've never understood why people stand in those ridiculous lines for Pamela's. If you want a real diner breakfast surrounded by yinzers, something you'll be talking about for days, go to JoJo's in the Strip District.)
posted by booth at 7:31 AM on May 2, 2009
(I've never understood why people stand in those ridiculous lines for Pamela's. If you want a real diner breakfast surrounded by yinzers, something you'll be talking about for days, go to JoJo's in the Strip District.)
posted by booth at 7:31 AM on May 2, 2009
Seconding Fallingwater. It's a healthy drive from Pittsburgh, but it's a very special place.
When I was there last summer, a friend took us to an amazing brunch at Dozen. It sounds like you won't be there on a brunch day, but I still recommend it as a bakery and/or lunch spot.
The incline rail is neat and provides great views of the city.
The Andy Warhol Museum is excellent.
At some point, get a Pittsburgh style salad. It's a salad with french fries on it. I can't explain exactly why, but they're kind of amazing. I've been craving them since last summer.
If you're into baseball, you can get Pirates tickets for a song. We were on the third base line during their series with the Mets for like $28/seat last year (seriously, you could have spit on David Wright from our seats). Plus, they have one of the nicest stadiums in Major League Baseball.
posted by willpie at 8:02 AM on May 2, 2009
When I was there last summer, a friend took us to an amazing brunch at Dozen. It sounds like you won't be there on a brunch day, but I still recommend it as a bakery and/or lunch spot.
The incline rail is neat and provides great views of the city.
The Andy Warhol Museum is excellent.
At some point, get a Pittsburgh style salad. It's a salad with french fries on it. I can't explain exactly why, but they're kind of amazing. I've been craving them since last summer.
If you're into baseball, you can get Pirates tickets for a song. We were on the third base line during their series with the Mets for like $28/seat last year (seriously, you could have spit on David Wright from our seats). Plus, they have one of the nicest stadiums in Major League Baseball.
posted by willpie at 8:02 AM on May 2, 2009
If you like sushi, go to Chaya in Squirrel Hill. The nearby Murray Avenue Grill is also excellent for lunch or dinner.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:04 AM on May 2, 2009
posted by ludwig_van at 10:04 AM on May 2, 2009
Is there a particular reason you're going to be here? Something you'd need to be close to? Because honestly, our public transit isn't the greatest, so I'd like to give you recommendations based on what will be convenient for you.
Know that if you need to be downtown, it pretty much rolls up after rush hour. However, I'd say that if you stayed near the Cultural District that you'd find several things to be walkable. Friends of ours (in town on business or else they'd have stayed with us) stayed here http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pitcy-courtyard-pittsburgh-downtown/ and were quite pleased with it. From that space you'd be able to walk to the North Side and enjoy the above mentioned Warhol Museum, as well as the baseball stadium if you do a game. The majority of our theaters cross off of Penn, and at the intersection of Sixth and Penn is a great (you'll need reservations if you do dinner) place to eat - Six Penn Kitchen. They cater to a theater crowd, so if you do go before your tickets, let them know and they'll get you in and out in time.
Going the other direction, also walkable, is the Pittsburgh Regional History Museum. This recently became part of the Smithsonian group, and has several rotating exhibits, as well as a serious sports section. So if Steeler football has any remote interest to you, you might find it interesting. We live here and still try to go once a year just because we like our region's history. The museum is in a part of town called "The Strip" which is full of ethnic groceries and quirky little stores. Not boutiques, but quirky. There are a ton of breakfast places down there, specifically the above mentioned JoJos, Pamela's and DeLucas. People fall on different sides of the great Pittsburgh diner debate (there's also Tom's in the South Side) - I personally like Pamela's because of the crepe style pancakes and their awesome potatoes, but respect the other sides of the debate.
I obviously love living here. That's just if you need to be downtown - we're big on our neighborhoods here (often to our fault) so if you HAVE to be in another area, let me know and I can try to do pointers. Have fun! It has not yet gotten hellaciously hot and humid, and the snow is gone, so it's a good time to come.
posted by librarianamy at 11:49 AM on May 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
Know that if you need to be downtown, it pretty much rolls up after rush hour. However, I'd say that if you stayed near the Cultural District that you'd find several things to be walkable. Friends of ours (in town on business or else they'd have stayed with us) stayed here http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pitcy-courtyard-pittsburgh-downtown/ and were quite pleased with it. From that space you'd be able to walk to the North Side and enjoy the above mentioned Warhol Museum, as well as the baseball stadium if you do a game. The majority of our theaters cross off of Penn, and at the intersection of Sixth and Penn is a great (you'll need reservations if you do dinner) place to eat - Six Penn Kitchen. They cater to a theater crowd, so if you do go before your tickets, let them know and they'll get you in and out in time.
Going the other direction, also walkable, is the Pittsburgh Regional History Museum. This recently became part of the Smithsonian group, and has several rotating exhibits, as well as a serious sports section. So if Steeler football has any remote interest to you, you might find it interesting. We live here and still try to go once a year just because we like our region's history. The museum is in a part of town called "The Strip" which is full of ethnic groceries and quirky little stores. Not boutiques, but quirky. There are a ton of breakfast places down there, specifically the above mentioned JoJos, Pamela's and DeLucas. People fall on different sides of the great Pittsburgh diner debate (there's also Tom's in the South Side) - I personally like Pamela's because of the crepe style pancakes and their awesome potatoes, but respect the other sides of the debate.
I obviously love living here. That's just if you need to be downtown - we're big on our neighborhoods here (often to our fault) so if you HAVE to be in another area, let me know and I can try to do pointers. Have fun! It has not yet gotten hellaciously hot and humid, and the snow is gone, so it's a good time to come.
posted by librarianamy at 11:49 AM on May 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
If you have a cold or rainy day, I highly recommend the Phipps conservatory- it'll be nice and warm and beautiful inside.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:58 AM on May 2, 2009
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:58 AM on May 2, 2009
Thirding the Warhol museum. My husband I were there last fall and had a great time.
posted by msali at 12:31 PM on May 2, 2009
posted by msali at 12:31 PM on May 2, 2009
Kiku in Station Square has pretty good sushi.
Ditto on Pamela's for breakfast, you can't go wrong.
posted by reptile at 11:34 AM on May 3, 2009
Ditto on Pamela's for breakfast, you can't go wrong.
posted by reptile at 11:34 AM on May 3, 2009
Skip Fallingwater. I am not saying it's not worth seeing, it's just too far away (for the amount of time you're going to be around) and there are too many things to do in the city -- but it 's hard to tell you what to do until you decide where you're going to stay.
That being said, there are nice walking/running/biking trails along the North Shore and the South Side - so if you feel like stretching your legs, find your way across a bridge (from downtown - Smithfield to the South Side or Roberto Clemente or Rachel Carson to the North Shore) and have a stroll.
posted by nnk at 12:50 PM on May 3, 2009
That being said, there are nice walking/running/biking trails along the North Shore and the South Side - so if you feel like stretching your legs, find your way across a bridge (from downtown - Smithfield to the South Side or Roberto Clemente or Rachel Carson to the North Shore) and have a stroll.
posted by nnk at 12:50 PM on May 3, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by rtodd at 5:24 AM on May 2, 2009 [1 favorite]