Pittsburgh City Guide

Pittsburg lies between the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers and is the second largest city in the US state of Pennsylvania. Pittsburg has, historically, been associated with the steel industry and the city has been in fact been called ‘The Steel City’ or ‘The Smoky City’ down the ages. Today, most of the city’s steel mills have shut shop and Pittsburg is known to be home to industries like healthcare, education, technology, financial services and robotics.

Pittsburg offers a clean and verdant ambience and offers numerous attractions along with vibrant, diverse neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, art galleries, museums and theatres; all of which attract many visitors to Pittsburgh annually.

Pittsburgh is a city that is equipped with approximately 90 diverse neighborhoods however visitors to the city have their own favored accommodation spots within the city.

Most vacationers to Pittsburgh like to stay at hotels located within the city’s business district which is located within Pittsburgh’s downtown area. Downtown Pittsburgh extends over two miles in diameter and its compact size makes it easily navigable on foot from hotels to shops, theaters and restaurants. Downtown Pittsburg hosts several important cultural and business destinations in the city like Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the Mellon Arena.

The Pittsburgh International Airport, which is located 20 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh, is a huge airport that functions as an important gateway for scores of business travelers to Pittsburgh. Many of these business visitors to Pittsburgh like to stay within close proximity of the airport and thus base themselves at the many mid-range and luxury hotels located near the Pittsburgh International airport.

No matter where you choose to stay in Pittsburgh during vacations, you can be sure of acquiring cheap hotel rooms through attractive hotel deals offered by us.

If you are looking for hotel discounts for your vacations to Pittsburgh, be sure to check out the exhaustive hotel deals that Fare Buzz has to offer.

The city of Pittsburgh hosts many verdant parks. One of its most prominent green patches of green is its Point State Park. This landscaped park is built on what was once a slum land and offers a whole host of recreational facilities, which include an outdoor amphitheater, biking trails and an in-line skating route. The Park features on the list of National Historic Landmarks and also offers paved promenades and walkways along the Ohio River waterfront that offer gorgeous views of the city and its many bridges.

The PNC Park opened in 2001 and is a classic-style baseball stadium, home to the city’s major league baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. This relatively small baseball stadium (capacity 40,000) is located on the banks of the Allegheny River and it is constructed in such a unique way that all seats in the stadium offer great views of the downtown and riverfront areas of the city.

Visitors are offered daytime tours of the stadium and its facilities but to truly experience the magic of the PNC Park it is recommended that you attend one of the Pirates’ at home games.

Pittsburgh’s National Aviary is the only independent, indoor, non-profit bird zoo in America that is home to nearly 600 birds that belong to more than 200 species most of which are threatened or endangered. This aviary is located in historic West Park in the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh and showcases birds from all over the world. They host them in recreated natural habitats. It’s a must visit attraction for bird lovers on vacations to Pittsburg.

Andrew Carnegie, the famous Pittsburgh industrialist in 1895 established an institute through which he intended to inform and educate the city’s resident population. This institute today takes the form of the Carnegie Museums, consists of the Museum of Art, the Natural History museum, the Carnegie Science Center and The Andy Warhol Museum.

The Carnegie Museum of Art offers a collection of contemporary art works that also features film and video installations. The Natural History Museum offers exhibits that showcase the many wonders of our planet. The Carnegie Science Centre is equipped with a planetarium and offers laser shows and many interactive exhibits while the Andy Warhol museum pays homage to one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century.

The weather in Pittsburgh is quite similar to that of New York City; though the city receives much rainfall all throughout the year. Summers in Pittsburgh are quite warm and sunny and winters are quite cold. The city receives much snowfall. Late spring, (May and June) and early fall (September and October) are considered to be the best months for planning a vacation to Pittsburgh.

Getting to Pittsburg can’t get any easier since the city is well served by a majority of airlines and roadways. If you are planning to fly for your vacations in Pittsburg, you may want to try the attractive and cheap air tickets Fare Buzz has on offer. On there, moving around the city is easy as it is well planned.

Pittsburgh’s many hotels are largely concentrated within its downtown Golden triangle area, which is easily navigable on foot. However, the city is also equipped with a subway cum light rail system called the T, which operates over a stretch of 25.2 miles and serves downtown Pittsburgh with a four stop loop. A section of the subway also passes under the Monongahela River and emerges over ground to serve the southern suburbs of the city.

Aside from the ‘T’, Pittsburgh is also served by an extensive bus system, which connects downtown Pittsburgh to the city’s many other neighborhoods like North Side and Oakland.

Also included within the realm of Pittsburgh’s public transport system are the Duquesne and Monongahela incline cars that run up and down Mount Washington and offer gorgeous vistas of the city while transporting commuters.

Pittsburgh is also served by a fleet of taxis that need to be hailed at taxi ranks or booked on the phone.

The shopping scene in Pittsburgh is largely concentrated on its main downtown district, a compact area, easily navigable on foot. Located here are various department stores, boutiques and specialty shop, that offer a wide variety of products including gifts and souvenirs. Macy’s, Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Fifth Avenue Arcade Shops and One Oxford Centre are some of the popular shopping locales located within Pittsburgh’s downtown area.

Aside from downtown shopping locales, retail hubs can also be found within Pittsburgh neighborhoods, like the ‘hip’ SouthSide Works on the south side of the city and the Waterfront in Homestead. Both these neighborhoods border the Monongahela River and offer varied dining, shopping and entertainment choices.

Like most American cities, Pittsburgh also hosts malls and shopping centers, which aim to give visitors a comprehensive shopping experience by offering plentiful shopping, dining and entertainment choices. Pittsburgh hosts such bastions of retail in every quadrant. The Mall at Robinson located in the city’s western suburbs hosts outposts of well-known brands like Banana Republic, Abercrombie and Fitch, Aldo, Build a Bear and others, along with a children’s play area and a large food court. The Galleria Pittsburgh Mills located in Frazier Township, 16 miles to the north-east of Pittsburgh, similarly hosts 175 stores like Macy’s, Sear’s Grand, Dick’s Sporting Goods and JC Penney along with a food court and an IMAX theatre. Other Pittsburgh area malls worth visiting include the Century III Mall and the Galleria of Mount Lebanon.

Pittsburgh is home to an eclectic dining scene that features restaurants of all types. Sushi, comfort food, authentic Pittsburgh eats, farm to table cuisine, the many diverse Pittsburgh restaurants cater to all tastes and attempt to meet all price points. Highly-ranked restaurants in Pittsburgh according to recent surveys include the following eateries:- Dish Osteria and Bar (Italian), Eleven (New American), Avenue B and Café Lo (American), Casbah (Mediterranean), Kaya (Latin/Caribbean), Lautrec (European), Nicky’s Thai Kitchen, Meat and Potatoes and Legume (both American).

Pittsburgh’s nightlife scene is centered on its downtown area. Located here are several bars, lounges, comedy clubs, live-music venues and dance clubs, which offer myriad avenues for entertainment. Buzzing night spots in Pittsburgh at present include haunts like The Smiling Moose (bar and live music venue), Andy’s (Jazz bar), the Allegheny Wine Mixer (wine bar), Piper’s pub (British pub) and Acaccia (lounge).