Experience of Downtown Pittsburgh

Experience of Downtown Pittsburgh

Spending the whole afternoon at downtown helps me learn more about this city.  I always hear people talking about downtown area here, but haven't had a good chance to explore it by myself. This experience definitely gives me something different from the view of skyscrapers I get from PITT. 

There plentiful choices of transportation to Downtown. Getting out of the 61A bus, it is a little bit overwhelming at first. But soon we found the Wood Street Galleries at the corner. After taking the "scary" elevator, we got to see some amazing modern art work. Most of them are presented through machines and lights so visitors will get great visual experience. 

                                      

It not hard to find some amazingly designed buildings at downtown. This one with glasses is one of my favourite. There is also a ice skating rink under construction. I'm sure that it is gonna be an amazing sight at winter nights. 

Next stop might be one of the most famous scene in Pittsburgh––Point State Park. Point State Park, located at the confluence of three rivers, is at the tip of Pittsburgh’s “Golden Triangle.” The park commemorates and preserves the strategic and historic heritage of the area during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Point State Park is also a National Historic Landmark. DCNR works in collaboration with the Heinz History Center and the Fort Pitt Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution to interpret the history of the Forks of the Ohio. Of course, most people come here for the big fountain. It is a great place for family time or just walking around with friends to enjoy the great view. We are also so lucky to see the rainbow at the fountain.

A photo with my lovely group members!

Walking along with the river, we saw people with Steelers jerseys everywhere. Although it was 30 minutes before the football game, we already could feel the exciting atmosphere. Walking back to the streets area, we decided to grab some food in a food truck. The owner was nice and friendly. There were not too many people on the streets, probably because it was Sunday afternoon. 

Back to the market square to have a rest. It is another perfect place for relaxation. With people petting dogs, feeding pigeons and reading newspapers, I feel like it is a complete different world from the busy and noisy downtown that I expected. It's more like a comfort zone for people to enjoy life with slow pace. 

After that afternoon at downtown Pittsburgh, I definitely changed my mind of this city. There still a lot for me to explore behind the history and stories of this city. But what I'm sure is that Pittsburgh has all different kinds of beauty for me to find. It might be different from downtown of New York City or Los Angeles.  Yet it is the quiet and peace make it more special and attractive. 

Sources:

 http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PointStatePark/Pages/default.aspx

Cultural District

Cultural District

To get to the Cultural District its takes about 15 minutes by the bus. You can take 61 A-D or 71 A-D and there will be 22 stops before you get off. The first time we went to the Cultural District we took 71 D and on the way there our bus get by another car. That was a very interesting experience because the bus driver was a little irritated at the person that hit the bus. But the second time we went to the Cultural District we took the 61 B and did not get hit by a car.

We actually took two trips to the Cultural District. The first time was on a Sunday afternoon. There was barely anyone around and almost every building was closed. So we just came back home. However, the second time we went on a Friday evening and it was a completely different environment. All the lights were glowing bright from the theaters, extraordinary smells were coming from the restaurants, and the streets were packed with people.

Benedum Center for the Performing Arts

These pictures were taken outside of the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts has 2,800 seats and has featured shows such as PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh and First Night Pittsburgh. It was first built in 1928 as the Stanley Theater but was renovated and reopened in 1987 as the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. As you can see in the first photo, they the show Dracula playing at the moment.

Heinz Hall

Heinz Hall, established in 1927 originally as Loew’s Penn Theater, is a cornerstone of the Cultural District in Pittsburgh. It seats about 2,675 people is the home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The Symphony Orchestra performs more than 40 weeks of concerts in the Hall. Heinz Hall along with the Benedum Center bring tourists from all around the country and world to watch the amazing performances. It is recognized as the most magnificent theater between New York and Chicago. In addition to just performances, Heinz Hall can also be rented out for weddings, parties, graduations etc.

Cultural Cuisine

We really felt the cultural aspect of the Cultural District when we walked down a street with a variety of restaurants. There were all kinds of options! Riya and I got so excited when we discovered the Indian restaurants. There was one called Six Penn. All the herbs and vegetables are grown on the rooftop garden during Summer months. India Palace was another restaurant that caught our attention. They make actual tandoori naan and every side dish you can imagine. I know where I’m going to go when I feel homesick.

Byham Theater

The Byham theater actually opened on Halloween night in 1904. It is named in recognition of a gift from William and Carolyn Byham. It can seat up to 1300 people and is home to a wide variety of performances including dance, music, theater, and film. I remember the beautiful lights immediately caught my eye. The fact that it was a Friday night made them even prettier.

Sources

https://culturaldistrict.org/venues/byham-theater

https://trustarts.org/pct_home/visit/facilities/benedum/

http://www.sixpennkitchen.com/

http://www.indiapalacepgh.com/

https://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/pso_home/web/heinz-hall

LAWRENCEVILLE

Carly, Josh, Bendriel

Our group visited Lawrenceville on a Friday afternoon. The bus ride there was easy enough and a little exciting as the address we had used was for the MatuRoll ice cream shop. We took the 93 Port Authority bus towards Northside, but the 54 or 91 can also be used to get there. After squeezing into a three-seater for 30 minutes, we reached Lawrenceville, picked an arbitrary stop around our Googled destination, and exited the bus.

Once there, we whipped out our phones and began taking pictures of the quaint little town. The street we had gotten off on (Butler) looked like it had been plucked out of some old timey movie. It was very calm and quiet, which fascinated us as the University of Pittsburgh is busy and nosy at almost all hours. But, as we walked further along, we began to see the true personalities of its residents. Some, with more rebellious tendencies- as evidenced by the many motorcycles we spotted (pictured above)- and the more modern amenities like Wendy’s and the vape shop.

    Soon after arriving we walked into the local pizza parlor to get our first interview. Lucky for us the locals don’t hold grudges as the owners still answered our questions even though we didn’t patronize them. When asked what, “cool things” are in Lawrenceville to do on a Friday or Saturday night we were met with a list that seemed somewhat odd to us. Looking back and keeping in mind the fact that we were in a little town, the weekend activities make a lot of sense. The owners told us that there’s a pinball and coffee shop along with a lot of bars because “college kids like to get wasted.” We were also informed of the local Row House movie theater, taco shop, and bowling alley, and told that once you go past 40th St. you're considered to be Downtown.

As for more family-oriented activity spots, there’s also a candle making shop, history center, and Paint Monkey where you sit around and make cute paintings with other people.

    Talking to the two men was nice, but seeing as we also wanted to know what the kids in the neighborhood would do from their perspective, we sought some out. Unfortunately for us, the group of kids we ran into ended up not even being Lawrenceville residents. One of the middle school boys did used to live there though and he informed us that if we wanted to have some real fun, we should hit the Wendy’s.

Now, for the more real stuff. It appears that Lawrenceville combines very historic sections with much more modern ones. Gentrified areas have chain restaurants, stores, and shops that cater to high-earning buyers, and support a much more modern architectural style. Historic districts, such as the one which has the PNC bank constructed in 1903, sports a much more conventional and traditional style - exposed brick structures, open-windowed restaurants, a lack of chain stores, and many local businesses flood these areas.

    One topic that was consistently covered through art was the progressive nature of the district. Lawrenceville seems to be a very open and inviting place, as indicated by the anti-racist neighborhood watch labeled graffiti on an object on the side of the street. Businesses showed this same dedication to social justice, supporting women in business, as shown by the woman at work sign outside of certain businesses, indicating their support for gender equality in the workplace.

After a while, we began to notice many different pieces of street art on walls and windows in the area. Unlike how it is typically regarded as vandalism, public artwork such as graffiti or murals in Lawrenceville is highly encouraged by the city of Pittsburgh, and numerous public funds, such as the Laurel Foundation and the PNC foundation, both of which funded the mural titled, Squirrel Convergence. Multiple murals showed websites where artists could meet and collaborate on different projects throughout the city. Lawrencevilleart.com is one such website, showing a large listing of both artists who are active members of the public art community and areas that are open and available to be used as canvasses for new pieces. Below are some of the many pieces we saw.

   

Something surprising that happened while we were there was that we actually got to hear the local clock tower earning its pay. We happened to be walking right past it when it started to ring and got it on video. This was really cool because it really solidified for us that although Lawrenceville was indeed being gentrified, the residents were still working hard to keep the real essence of the place there, which we also saw in before-mentioned PNC Bank.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2U1JQBf9oBycGp1X2tMSEtFUlE (Clock Tower Video)

    As we were waiting for the bus home, we saw a WWI and WWII statue honoring local patriots. As interesting as this was- yes, we did deeply appreciate the statue’s importance after getting close enough to read it- prior to this, we spent 15 minutes trying to take those perfectly lined up photos that make it look like someone is holding up the sun or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

It turns out that Josh is great at taking them, which is why the ones of us, the girls, are really good. His secret is to “really lean into the photo.” Who knew, right?

A Day in Downtown Pittsburgh

After my experience in Downtown Pittsburgh, I can say that there is always something to do. Before my group's visit, I did a little bit of research on things to do or see, but there were still many attractions that you just have to see for yourself. While passing a historical church one second and then finding yourself next to a CVS the next, Downtown Pittsburgh is full of a variety of architecture and history. Home to various skyscrapers, the PPG Paints Arena, businesses, and restaurants, Downtown Pittsburgh is a thriving area full of excitement and fun.

 

To begin the day, my group took the 61A bus to get there from the Litchfield Towers. After using Google Maps to figure out what bus would take us there, it was pretty easy to get there, and it only took about 15 minutes. 

Once we got there, we took a few minutes to decide on where to start. Downtown can be a little overwhelming at first with all of the sights and buildings, but we decided we would walk around to get a feel for what it was like. During our walk, we spotted the Wood Street Galleries. Free and open to the public, this building houses different art exhibits that change throughout the year. Since I'm only 40 minutes away from Pittsburgh myself, I have heard about this, but I never had the chance to explore. Though the elevators were a little scary, it was very interesting to see the recent art being created in the area.

Next, we walked over the PPG place. Amazed by the sights of glass, the center of the complex houses a fountain during the summer and an ice skating rink for the winter. 

Afterwards, we decided to walk to Point State Park. To get there, we walked through Point Park University's campus. Point Park University is a liberal arts university that offers 90 undergraduate and graduate programs. We finally got to the park, and saw that it was a family-friendly atmosphere with a small cafe and museum. Though we did not visit the Fort Pitt Museum, it covers information of the French and Indian War As known as "The Point", this park is the smallest state park in Pennsylvania. Point State Park is the merging point of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers into the Ohio River. Point State Park also has a walkway along the river so we decided to take that route to get back to our starting point. From Point State Park, you can also easily get to the North Side for a game with the Steelers, Pitt Panthers, and Pirates. 

Though we weren't assigned to explore the Cultural District or Market Square, we took a quick browse to see what these areas were all about. Filled with restaurants, venues, and people, it was very excited to see this area of Pittsburgh.

All of this walking made us hungry so we grabbed some food from a nearby food truck after browsing through the Cultural District. We took our food and found some seats in Market Square to eat. After finishing our meals, we decided to find a bus to take us back to campus. We fetched the 71A at the corner of Wood Street and Fifth Avenue for a 20 minute bus ride.

Downtown Pittsburgh is a place that is hard to describe in words. Even after a planned trip, you are destined to have unpredictable and memorable times here. I could still go on and on about all the different things that I saw during my afternoon. I truly enjoyed my day here, and I definitely want to go back for some more exploring!

Sources: 

http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PointStatePark/Pages/default.aspx

https://www.nextpittsburgh.com/pittsburgh-neighborhoods-map-and-guides/downtown/

http://www.pointpark.edu/

Tess Nelson

Downtown Pittsburgh 

The area of Pittsburgh we explored was Downtown Pittsburgh.

Although Downtown Pittsburgh is home to many large offices such as 

the BYN Mellon Center and the U.S. Steel Tower, this area also includes many 

different restaurants, shops, museums and spectacular parks that are admired by tourists or
those who call Pittsburgh their home. To first start off our day, we took bus 61A from 

Fifth Ave and Thackeray to Wood St and Fifth. Luckily, we did not get on the wrong
bus. The bus ride was about 10-15 minutes and took us directly Downtown.

While on the bus, we saw a tour occurring. Downtown Pittsburgh offers many different
tours to flaunt their great architecture and to provide information on important people
within Pittsburgh. "The Ducky Tour," as featured above, is one of the most popular tours within the city. This tour brings customers to the extravagant sights, on land and on the water.

 The first place we went was Wood Street Galleries. Wood Street Galleries is
a visual arts project that uses light as a form of art. This Gallery is perfect for families
because it is free and appeals to all different ages. After we peaked our head in Wood
Street Galleries, we then went to PPG place. PPG place is a glass building that looks like
a castle. In the summer, there is a fountain in the middle of the arena. However, in the
winter, an outdoor ice skating rink is set up. When we visited, the ice skating rink
was in the process of being set up but I'm sure it is beautiful when it is functioning.

After we visited PPG place, we took a seven minute walk to Point State Park. Point State
Park is located at the tip of Pittsburgh "Golden Triangle." Point State Park
is a National Park because that area was the area in which Pittsburgh became
 involved in the French and Indian War.  Although this public area is a National Landmark,
Point State Park Fountain is free to everyone. Just around the fountain, many
people were enjoying their beautiful Sunday afternoon while we visited. People were
 riding bikes, skateboarding, suntanning, taking pictures, feeding the ducks, and bonding
with family and friends. Although the Fountain is the main attraction,
there are many bike and running trails within Point State Park that civilians
enjoy regularly as well.

Sarah, Zach, and I admired the fountain for most of the day and even took a
walk along the waters edge. The view along side the water was amazing.
Just from this one park, we could see Heinz Field, the West End Bridge,
Carnegie Science Center, and more.

We quickly became very hungry because of all the walking we were doing
and decided to check out Market Square for a bite to eat. Zach, Sarah, and I ended
getting Hamburger and Nachos from a food truck. We sat in the middle of Market
Square where were saw more people bonding with family and friends.
This time, however, it was over food. Market Square houses many amazing, well
known restaurants. On some weekend nights, Market Square even has festivities
in the middle of all the restaurants.

After we devoured our food. We decided to go back to Pitt. In order to do so,
We got on bus 71A at Wood Street and Fifth Ave and rode all the way
back to the center of campus. Downtown Pittsburgh is certainly a great way
to spend a beautiful day with family and friends. I 100% would go back.
Between the diversity of the people and the forms of entertainment,
Downtown Pittsburgh is unique in its own special way. 

Strip District

The area of Pittsburgh that I explored for my FP trip was the Strip District. In order to get to the Strip District you can take bus 54, exiting the bus at Liberty Ave & 26th Street. When we first arrived in the Strip District there was an overwhelming energetic atmosphere, as the sidewalks were packed with shoppers going from store to store. Whilst walking around the Strip District near where we exited the bus, we ran into a woman with a dog outside of the Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. building. After telling her why we were there (and meeting her dog Oliver) she told us that we had to enter the store to actually grasp its storied history in that area. Following the suggestions of a kind stranger, we went in, and we were treated to what felt like an authentic old time Italian deli, and grocery store.

The Strip District is not only known for its plentiful stores, it is also known for its various dining options. One of these many dining options was a restaurant called Enrico's Cafe, which is located down a narrow alley and if you're not looking you may walk right past it. Which in fact is exactly what we did on our first time walking through the neighborhood, but on our way back we noticed the spot and were amazed by the fact that its entrance was just an alley between two other larger buildings.

Altogether the Strip District was filled with interesting shops and restaurants ranging from cafes located down narrow alleys to a bustling farmers market. The Strip District has something for everyone, young and old, and it is a great neighborhood to spend a day shopping at. 

The Strip District

           Visiting the Strip District really opened my eyes to the different cultures and styles that we have in the city of Pittsburgh. The Strip is full of shops that sell homemade goods, and sell clothes that express different styles from all around the world. On our trip to the Strip District I stopped into a biscotti bakery. The smell caught my attention from the street and when I looked in I couldn't help but to look around. All around the store were fresh made pastries of all different kinds. I decided to try out a pastry called a ravioli, it was not made out of pasta dough and filled with cheese, however it was a pie crust sprinkled with sugar that carried Nutella on the inside. It was by far one of the best pastries I have ever had, and I definitely look forward to going back to that pastry shop.

                                         

             The Strip District had a lot of interesting and authentic shops that ranged from a simple farmers market to a store that sells dried flowers. The Strip is a fun place to go for the day to explore and try new things. There are many places to go in the Strip District especially during the day when fresh goods are being sold. We also passed a farmers market as we were walking around, the market was filled with an abundance of fruits and vegetables, and the prices were incredibly cheap. While in the Strip District it is important to take note of the history that has happened there. It is noticeable even in stores like the Pennsylvania Macaroni Co., which was opened in 1902, that the long history of the the Strip is still preserved there today even as the area continues to expand and evolve.