Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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When you tell people you’re going to Pittsburgh, you’re usually met with a “Oh, that sounds fun,” in the same tone you’d get if you had said, “We’re going to IKEA!” or “We got a beta fish!” You’re only going there if you’re from there, or you have a good friend who lives there (as was the reason for my visit.) But that doesn’t have to be the case! In my ignorance, I imagined Pittsburgh to be a kind of run-down, gray ex-manufacturing town, filled with boarded up steel mills. In reality, it’s a lively college town, full of tech start-ups, great (and often pierogi-infused) food, craft beer and in shockingly close proximity to a number of Frank Lloyd Wright properties. Visit the Steel City, and see for yourself!

Thank you to Deepu, for sharing your city with us.

Eat

The Vandal

Very beautiful, very Brooklyn-y (think: exposed brick, succulents, wooden tables) breakfast place. Eggs and fresh beignets and good coffee.

Noodlehead

Thai noodles + BYOB. And when they say “spicy,” they mean SPICY.

Barbs Corner Kitchen

Great little local diner we went to as we were leaving Pittsburgh to head to Fallingwater. You can have kielbasa added to everything.

Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream in simple flavors like mint and dark chocolate.

◐ S&D Polish Deli

There’s a market area called the Strip District – very touristy/Chelsea Market-ish, with a ton of yummy looking food. Here, you can get amazing pierogi and latkes.

Round Corner Cantina

Fun Mexican place, with many varieties of margaritas and tacos, and a lovely backyard. Gets a little packed in the evening.

Apteka

Fancy Polish place. We didn’t make it there, but it was the talk of the town.

Drink

◐ Grist House Brewery

Giant yard, with excellent beers on tap. My host’s favorite brewery in the area.

Arsenal Cider House

We didn’t make it here, but the locals LOVE it. Local cider.

Kelly’s Bar & Lounge

Kelly’s has found a place on my list of all-time greats.

Hambone’s Pub

Live music and a laid-back vibe, great spot after dinner.

Bierport

Tiny craft beer shop with an amazing selection to go.

Play

◐ Fallingwater

Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece built as a vacation house for Pittsburgh department store owner, Edgar J. Kaufmann. Only 45 minutes from Pittsburgh. Tours leave every 20 minutes or so, and you can book ahead. It lives up to the hype, I promise! If you want to make a day of it, visit another FLW property only a few miles down the road, Kentuck Knob. And if you want to make a night of it, you can stay in one of the FLW-designed homes at Polymath Park. There’s even a restaurant at the park for the full FLW immersive experience.

◐ Andy Warhol Museum

Even if you’re Campbell’s soup can fatigued, this museum is really well done, organized chronologically from the start of his life to the end. You get a good idea of the context surrounding his work, from his humble origins designing department store windows, through to his films and wall-sized flower prints.

Mt. Washington

Tourists seem to like going up Mt. Washington for a view of the city, and the joining of the three rivers. It’s very pretty, and doesn’t take long. There’s a funicular you can take, or you can just drive up the hill.

Heinz History Center

I am kicking myself for missing this on my last trip, because I only learned too late that they have the original Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood set and Mr. McFeely’s bicycle. Next time!

Ohiopyle State Park

A state park on the Youghiogheny River, complete with a waterfall, only 15 minutes from Fallingwater. You can rent kayaks or go white water rafting, or do what we did and go for a hike in the Ferncliff Natural Area. Maps are available at the Visitor Center by the falls. And if you need a little sustenance afterwards, get beers and BBQ at Falls City Pub.