An introduction to Pittsburgh

There’s no single reason why Pittsburgh has been named one of the best places in the world to visit, and one of the best places to live in the U.S. Here is a selection of its major selling points to whet your clients’ appetites:

• It’s a city of firsts and superlatives: From being home to Andy Warhol and the Andy Warhol Museum to giving the world the smiley face emoticon and housing the world’s largest display of bicycles at Bicycle Heaven, visitors will be wowed and wooed by a succession of unique experiences and ‘only in Pittsburgh’ moments (you’ll discover more on these in Module 2).

• It’s got THAT skyline: With a Downtown skyline to challenge that of New York or Chicago, the city bursts into visitors’ views as they emerge from the Fort Pitt Tunnel on the drive from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), leading some to declare that Pittsburgh is the only U.S. city with a front door! The city similarly sizzles when viewed from atop the nearby hills and mountains, with national newspaper USA Today having called the view from atop Mount Washington ‘one of the best views in America’.

• It’s incredibly family friendly: From classic attractions such as Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium to fun-zones such as Sandcastle Water Park and Kennywood theme park and educational options such as the Senator John Heinz History Center, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Science Center, it’s not for nothing the city has been dubbed KidsBURGH®. New options include Astrobotic’s space-themed Moonshot Museum, opened 2022, located inside Astrobotic’s North Side headquarters.

• It’s a drinking town with a sports problem!: Or so joke some of the locals, alluding to the excellent nightlife and fierce focus on its local sports teams, chiefly the Pittsburgh Steelers, six-time Super Bowl champions; Pittsburgh Pirates, five-time World Series champions; and Pittsburgh Penguins, five-time Stanley Cup champions. Even if you don’t catch a game, their stadia make for interesting tours, particularly PNC Park, home to baseball team the Pirates. Send clients looking to uncover more on the city’s major sports obsession to Western PA Sports Museum, part of the Heinz History Center.

• It’s an arts and culture powerhouse: Hometown of the pop artist Andy Warhol, his work celebrated in the excellent museum that shares his name, Pittsburgh is dripping with incredible cultural institutions such as Carnegie Museum of Art, Wood Street Galleries and Mattress Factory with its focus on installation art. Other big draws include the city’s 14-square-block Cultural District, home to nine theatres.
• It’s got a world-renowned food offering: Pittsburgh’s long history of immigration from areas such as Poland, Germany and Italy underpins an endlessly rewarding local cuisine that’s best evidenced in the Strip District, its undisputed foodie hotspot. More on this later.

• It’s a craft ale colossus: Long lauded as ‘a craft beer destination’ by those in the know, such as the website American Craft Beer, there are more than 40 craft breweries in the wider Allegheny County area, making Pittsburgh one of the best places in the U.S. to hail the ale. Local operators worth seeking out include East End Brewing and Church Brew Works, housed in an old church. Events such as Three Rivers Beer week, in October, make great hooks for trips, too.
• It has ninety unique neighbourhoods: Locals are justifiably proud of their city’s 90 neighbourhoods, from hip and trendy enclaves such as Lawrenceville to more upscale areas such as Shadyside. As Pittsburgh is very pedestrian and cycle friendly, unlike some U.S. cities, it’s really easy to sample a spread of what’s on offer, even on a short city break, aided by the excellent local transport network services, not least the bus and ‘T’ light rail services, backed by the handy ConnectCard.