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Topic: Pittsburgh tips sought

Topic: Pittsburgh tips sought

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Monroe Slavin
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Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/17/2012 11:35:21 PM

Rebecca and I are going to spend a couple of days in the Pitt after we leave Athens after we put the smash on BG.

I don't know the city. Where should we stay? What should we see and do in the area? Any fall season fun spots there?

Thanks, Monroe

Where's the band?!
WHERE"S THE BAND?!

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OhioCatFan
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/17/2012 11:47:42 PM

Be sure to stop by the Pitt campus and give Flying Frankie's regards to Mr. Pederson.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

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That one crazy fan
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/17/2012 11:52:53 PM

In regards to staying, I'm not sure of hotels as I only live an hour from the city so I have no need for them. The cultural district, market square, mount washington, waterfront, and station square are all places to see. Mount Washington has an especially beautiful view of Pittsburgh at night, and if you have the money, eat at one of the restaurants on top of it which feature such views. As far as general eating, go to Primanti Brothers which are all over the city. In case you don't know, it is a sandwhich that features different meats according to your taste, with fries and cole-slaw.

I wish I could go into more detail but that's about as much as I know, other than the Heinz History Center being near the cultural district, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History being in Oakland and pretty much on Pitt campus, which reminds me. There is Pitt campus which is right on Forbes Ave. in Oakland with the Cathedral of Learning just along it. South Side has a lot of bars. North Shore has Heinz Field and PNC Park as well as a casino. There is the Point where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio. There is a WWII-era submarine that has tours (I'm unsure if they do tours this late in the season) at the Carnegie Science Center over on North Shore.

I will touch on more as it comes to me unless anyone else gets anything.

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JSF
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 12:36:58 AM

Two Brothers BBQ.

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Monroe Slavin
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 3:52:09 AM

Thanks! Any areas to not hotel stay in?

Tyler
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 7:06:23 AM

Mt. Washington is a must, even if you just park on Grandview for a couple minutes to see the view. Eating at one of the restaurants there is a plus.

The Cultural District Downtown has a bunch of shows from ballet to opera to musicals to stand-up comedy.

Definitely go to Primantis. The original one is on Smallman Street in the Strip, and is open 24/7. Also, walk up and down Penn Ave in the Strip in the morning. It's full of awesome markets and breakfast spots. DeLuca's there is really good. Just get there early, because most of the shops close at like 3PM.

The Southside is the city's nightlife center. It's completely packed with 20-somethings on weekend nights. Think Court Street, if Court Street was 20 blocks long. A lot of fun shops and restaurants there too. I like Local and Nakama.

I'd avoid Station Square. It's nothing more than a tourist trap. I think it used to be more thriving, but now it's been reduced to Joe's Crab Shack, Hard Rock Cafe and other touristy chains.

I would just stay downtown if I were you. Traffic is hellish getting into the city from the suburbs

Last Edited: 10/18/2012 7:07:04 AM by Tyler

Pataskala
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 7:24:03 AM

I'm into photography, so one place I like is Photo Antiquities. It's a three or four level museum with tons of antique photos. It's not too far from the Warhol. One restaurant you might try is the James Street. It looks like they've changed owners since I was there last; they used to have great cajun food, but I see it's more varied now. But it looks like they still have great jazz and blues.

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Recovering Journalist
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 7:28:53 AM

I concur with a lot of the advice here. Pittsburgh is a nice town with a really compact and pleasant downtown. If you want something historic downtown, the Omni William Penn is really beautiful. There are outposts of lots of other chain hotels downtown, and you'll get pretty much what you'd think from them. As to solid local restaurants (beyond the worthy Primanti's), I think Church Brew is cool, and there are a lot of good local places in the Strip and downtown. Some of my favorites downtown are Meat & Potatoes, Six Penn, and Olive or Twist. I don't get to Pittsburgh all that often, but it's a good place. Beyond downtown, I like Squirrel Hill (near the Pitt campus), but I don't know too much about other neighborhoods. The inclines are worth doing for the view and uniqueness. As mentioned by other posters, there are some decent restaurants up there too. Good luck.

bobcatsquared
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 8:08:35 AM

I'd like to piggyback onto this thread and ask where in Pittsburgh a Bobcat fan can watch the Ohio-Miami game next Saturday? I'll be in town for a Springsteen concert that night at the arena where the Penguins play, so preferably a sports bar nearby that picks up STO.

Bobcats beating Miami to go to 8 - 0, followed by the Boss - doesn't get any better.

Last Edited: 10/18/2012 8:09:13 AM by bobcatsquared

MedinaCat
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 8:25:05 AM

It has been a while, but the Sheraton at Station Square is a good location, easy access to parking, a short walk from the trolley station, as well as the incline that takes you up to Mt. Washington. Demand a room with a view of the river and downtown.

Last Edited: 10/18/2012 8:25:42 AM by MedinaCat

Bobcat36
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 8:52:50 AM

As has been mentioned, Primanti Bro's is a MUST...At LEAST once!

The Priory (Hotel) was a very enjoyable stay the only time I've ever been to the Burgh. It's under the radar but really really nice...

http://www.thepriory.com/

GoBobcats!!!! Always have been and always will be... Ohio's First and Finest!

Bobcatbob
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 9:50:00 AM

Monroe Slavin wrote:

Thanks! Any areas to not hotel stay in?

If you can get a deal (i.e. weekend rates) I highly recommend that you DO stay at the William Penn. Even if it is pricey, it's very, very cool inside. No cookie cutter rooms here. The lobby and location are second to none. Their fitness center is one of the best I've ever seen. You may not be a gym rat like me but drop in for the ambiance and the snacks.

Monroe Slavin
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 10:12:54 AM

Thanks all for the excellent thoughts. I pricelined into the Renaissance downtown at a pretty good rate and will follow your guidance!

DayvidGallagher
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 10:24:22 AM

Just my 2 cents from all the times I've been there:

Everyone is talking about Primanti Bros but the one time I went there I was really disappointed. So they put the coleslaw and the fries in the sandwich instead of next to it. It's still a pretty mediocre sandwich to begin with and the coleslaw and fries are relatively flavorless and don't add much. That being said it is a Pittsburgh staple.

A much better staple in my opinion is The Original Hotdog Shop or "The O", on Forbes. It gets regular TV mentions and is really tasty. Plus the servings of fries there are HUUUGE. Just get a small I'm telling you.

In that same area if you are interested in college-y stuff then going into the Cathedral of Learning at Pitt is a must. It's really pretty and historic. Further, right there is CMU as well, which if the weather is nice is a pleasant walk around campus. They have many nice quads and outdoor art etc.

Unless you are into the 20s crowd I would avoid the southside. Maybe doing something like dualing piano bar or something would be a more enjoyable night activity.

“The thing that gets lost in the deal is we’re Ohio University. We’re Ohio. We liked to be referred to as Ohio. That’s who we are." - John Groce

TheBikeman
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 11:01:02 AM

Stay at the Hilton Garden Inn In Oakland. They heave a nice hotel with a van that will transport you around. The South side, Shadyside Downtown etc.

Go to Pamela's in Oakland for breakfast, Nakama on the South Side for Sushi and Girasole in Shadyside for a great Italian dinner. Try J&L Grill on the South Side for great wings hamburgers and terrific beer selection. Lots of TVs ask for Yotzee the owner, tell him Sonny Drysdale sent you

Last Edited: 10/18/2012 11:03:22 AM by TheBikeman

5KMD
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 11:38:53 AM

So I will take my turn since I am actually replying to this while in my office in Oakland and near downtown.

I don't know as much about you as others so I would ask if you have kids. If you do the natural history museum in Oakland is awesome and the science center on the north side is a must. The steelers don't play until that Monday night (11/12) which will be a bonus for you in terms of traffic and general drunkeness during the weekend.

I would head to the north side statdium areas (is that where you are staying?) as there are great restaurants like Hyde Park and Bettis's Grille. The Science Center is in that area as well and you can take a cab from there easily to the cultural district, South Side, Strip, etc. The strip has cool markets during the day and then bars at night (Eleven is a great restuarant but pricey).

I agree with above poster to avoid Station Square. UNLESS you want to go on the inclines up the mountain for the view or you want to take the kids (if there are any) on the Gateway Clipper boats that give a nice history tour up and down the rivers. You can also pick up the ducky tours there which are these bus/boat contraptions that go on land and water. Pretty cool. All that stuff starts and ends in Station Square but the bar scene sucks there. They even lost Pittsburgh Rare which was my favorite steak place.

I would also disagree with going to Permani's. Overcrowded, the bread on the sandwich's is flimsy so it all falls apart. Everytime. and all it is is turkey sandwiches with eggs and flies and slaw on it. Did I mention it is overcrowded? I'd rather go to a Max and Erma's actually.

Peter's Pub in Oakland near the University is the Browns' Backers' Bar (I'm from Cleveland). Walking through Oakland (cathedral of learning, Natural history museum, Schenley Park) is a lot of fun in the nice weather, but would be miserable if it is typical November weather so I would not go out of your way to get there.

And the real reason I would start on the North Side is that's where the casino now stands and you can end your night by losing a bunch of money! I actaully did well the last time I was there so I'm never going back.

ypsicat
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 12:25:07 PM

If you are there on a saturday, I highly recommend checking out the strip district. Plenty of small shops and tons of ethnic foods. Every time I go home from Athens, I make my way to the strip. Also, as everyone else has said, Primantis is a must. If you get a chance, check out Deluca's for breakfast.

cc-cat
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 2:08:08 PM

Surprisingly a pretty nice zoo - if you like zoos.

5KMD
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 4:39:04 PM

The Zoo is very nice, about to go this weekend for ZooBoo. But it is far away from the city and kind of hard to get to if you aren't familiar with the rout. I'd leave it for a short weekend trip from out of town.

And I repeat, don't go to primanti's. There are better sports bars here with better food.

MonroeClassmate
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RE: Pittsburgh tips sought

Posted: 10/18/2012 6:39:16 PM

Go to breakfast at DeLuca's 2015 Penn Avenue in the "Strip" it is old Pittsburgh, cash only. They give you a ton of vittles-not necessarily California healthy.

Agree that Pitt campus with the Carnegie history is a place to go--Cathedral of Learning on Pitt campus only open for tours on Saturdays when class in session.

While near campus consider, Mad-Mex or Fuel & Funeral.

The view from Mt. Adams to downtown on a nice day would be top 5 scenic city scapes in the country.

Walk over from your hotel to the Duquesne University campus and go to the Palumbo Center and see former Bobcat cager and coach Big John Rhodes, who is now an assistant there.

And Monroe, you are in luck! My OHIO son is in grad school at Duquesne and the Jazz Band is playing Thursday November 8th with a concert, "Jazz goes to the Movies" starting at 8 PM. Impress your wife with a bit of culture and an inexpensive evening out--she'll be amazed you know people everywhere. Just let the lead trombone know who you are. http://www.duq.edu/academics/schools/music/calendar-of-events/november-events to learn about it.

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