Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the American state of
Pennsylvania after Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh offers some
top attractions, including several top-rated museums, the
largest aviary, and what many Americans consider the most
spectacular cityscape in the United States. A must-see for
teachers and ethnologists are the Nationality Rooms in the
Cathedral of Learning, which are unique in the world. Those
interested in botany can visit the extensive greenhouses and
grounds of the Phipps Conservatory.
The city is located
at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela, which from
here form the Ohio River. Built on dozens of hills, it is
sometimes referred to as the "San Francisco of the East."
The region around the junction of the Allegheny, Monogahela,
and Ohio rivers had been settled by Native Americans for
millennia; around 1700 Iroquois, Lenape and Shawnee lived here.
After the first Europeans appeared in the 1710s and brought
their infectious diseases with them, the indigenous population
began to shrink massively. The first European settlers to settle
permanently in what is now Pittsburgh came in 1748. Disputes
fought by the British and French colonial troops over the
strategically important river triangle resulted in the Seven
Years' War in North America (1754–1763), in which the British in
the end won. In 1758 they began building Fort Pitt, where
downtown Pittsburgh is today, and named it in honor of British
Prime Minister William Pitt (1708-1778). The settlement was
given the name "Pittsborough" in the same year. She was safe and
sound after the 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix allowed William
Penn, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, to buy the land
from the Iroquois. In 1771 Pittsburgh received the status of a
township.
After the end of the American War of
Independence (1765-1783), the town began to grow and prosper
rapidly, initially mainly through boat building, then in the
early 19th century through metal and glass processing. In 1845 a
fire devastated large parts of the city, but could not stop the
boom in the long term. During the Civil War (1861-1865),
Pittsburgh produced much of the iron and guns needed by the
Union Army. In 1875 Andrew Carnegie founded his first steel
mill, which he joined with other companies in 1901 to form the
super-company U.S. Steel merged. Pittsburgh produced more than a
third of America's steel at the time and attracted hundreds of
thousands of European immigrants, but also many African
Americans.
After World War II, the city, notoriously
plagued by industrial pollution, embarked on major
quality-of-life programs that stalled as the steel industry
collapsed since the 1980s. However, the recession and the exodus
of the population were largely offset in the 21st century by the
flourishing of new sectors of the economy – such as diverse
technologies, banking, retail, education, tourism, services and
medicine. The largest employer in Pittsburgh today is the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Many successful
films have been filmed (at least in part) in Pittsburgh,
including Hell (1978), Flashdance (1983), Pretty Woman (1990),
Lorenzo's Oil (1992), Warrior (2011), The Dark Knight Rises,
Maybe Dear Tomorrow and Jack Reacher (all 2012). Get in the mood
for your visit with this video - a compilation of film scenes
that take place in Pittsburgh.
By plane
Pittsburgh International Airport (IATA: PIT) is less
international than its name suggests. Only seasonally there is a direct
connection with Condor from Frankfurt. Otherwise, coming from Europe,
you usually have to stop beforehand, for example in Philadelphia
(American Airlines), JFK (Delta), Newark (United) or Detroit (Delta).
The busiest domestic routes are with Atlanta (Delta, Southwest),
Chicago-O'Hare (American, United), Charlotte (American), Orlando (Delta,
Southwest, Spirit) and Boston (Delta, JetBlue).
The airport is
located about 30km west of the city center. The 28X bus runs every half
hour directly from the airport to downtown (Liberty Avenue, Seventh
Avenue, Boulevard of the Allies), Oakland (Forbes Avenue) and Shadyside
(Fifth Avenue). The drive from the airport to downtown takes about 40
minutes.
By train
Pittsburgh has one train station, Union
Station (also called Penn Station; 1100 Liberty Avenue, Downtown), and
is connected to the Amtrak rail network. Two lines operate here, once a
day in each direction:
Pennsylvanian: New York City (journey time
a good 9 hours) – Philadelphia (7:15 hours) – Harrisburg (5½ hours) –
Pittsburgh
Capitol Limited: Washington, D.C. (7:45 hrs) - Pittsburgh
- Cleveland (3:10 hrs) - Toledo (5:15 hrs) - Chicago (9½ hrs)
The
tickets should be bought early, otherwise they are exorbitantly
expensive.
At the train station there are transfer options to
numerous city and regional buses.
By bus
Greyhound bus
company. Two Breakpoints.
Greyhound Bus Station 55 11th Street in
Downtown (near Amtrak station)
At the airport. Lines 202 (from New
York City to St. Louis) and 200 (from Washington, D.C. to Chicago)
operate here, among others.
In the street
Several freeways
lead to Pittsburgh, including I-70 from Baltimore and I-76 from
Philadelphia and Harrisburg.
By boat
The Ohio River, which
joins the Mississippi near Cairo, Illinois, is fully navigable as far as
Pittsburgh and beyond. Unfortunately still no liner shipping.
In the street
When approaching destinations in downtown and
neighboring districts, it is advisable to check in advance whether
parking is possible there.
taxi
Pittsburgh Transportation
Group is the largest taxi and limousine company in Pittsburgh.
buses and trams
Pittsburgh has a 26-mile (42 km) network of streetcar
lines called "The T". The operator is the Port Authority of Allegheny
County, which also maintains a very extensive and dense network of bus
routes in the city. Ticket prices depend on how many zones you travel
through. In the "Golden Triangle" (which is roughly downtown west of the
train station) there is even a "Free Fare Zone", i. H. all bus lines are
free in this zone until 7 p.m., and the tram is even 24 hours a day.
This rule applies to all days of the week.
On foot and by bike
Contrary to the cliché of American cities, many parts of Pittsburgh are
easy to get around on foot. This is particularly true of Downtown, but
also Allegheny Center (opposite Downtown on the north side of the
Allegheny River; this is where the Children's Museum is located, among
other things), the South Side Flats (on the south bank of the
Monongahela River), large parts of Oakland (around the Uni and the
Natural History Museum) as well as Bloomfield ("Little Italy") and
Shadyside on the east side of the city, popular with young people.
Neighborhoods such as Shadyside, Bloomfield, East Liberty, Point
Breeze, the Strip District, Allegheny Center and West and the South Side
Flats are also great bike rides.
1 St. Anthony's Chapel, 1704 Harpster Street (Bus 4 "Lowrie St at Ley
St") . Just north of downtown, 400 meters from Herrs Island, is this
unassuming Catholic church, consecrated in 1880. It owes its fame to the
fact that it houses the second largest collection of relics in the world
(the largest is in the Vatican). The collection includes 4,000 to 5,000
pieces. Open: Hours: Sat – Thu 1pm – 4pm.
2 Calvary Episcopal Church,
315 Shady Avenue (Corner of Walnut Street; Shadyside) . Church built in
1906 in pompous neo-Gothic style, the architect was Ralph Adams Cram.
The approximately 70 stained glass windows from the 1920s and 30s are
remarkable.
3 Heinz Memorial Chapel, South Bellefield Avenue (Corner
of Fifth Avenue, next to Cathedral of Learning; Bus "Fifth Ave at
Belleville Ave"). The very worth seeing non-denominational place of
worship of the University of Pittsburgh. Built 1933-38 in Gothic Revival
style to a design by Charles Klauder, who also designed the adjacent
Cathedral of Learning and the Stephen Foster Memorial. It is named after
the donor Henry J. Heinz, founder of the ketchup factory of the same
name, who dedicated the chapel to his mother Anna Margaretta Heinz, who
immigrated from Hesse.
4 Saint Paul Cathedral, 108 North Dithridge
Street, about 10 minutes east of downtown. The ornate Main and Episcopal
Catholic Church of Pittsburgh. Built in 1906 in neo-Gothic style. organ
concerts.
5 Rodef Shalom, 4905 5th Ave. The temple of the largest
Reformed Jewish community in Pittsburgh. In the botanical garden of the
municipality - which is unique of its kind - one can study plants that
are of special importance for Judaism.
1 Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fith Avenue (corner of Bigelow
Boulevard, diagonally across from Natural History Museum; 5km east of
downtown; Bus "Fifth Ave at Bigelow Blvd" or "Forbes Ave at Bigelow
Blvd"; Curb parking options at Fifth Avenue and at Forbes Avenue )
wikipediacommons. Located on the University of Pittsburgh campus, the
second tallest university building in the world (the tallest is in
Moscow). 163m high, with 42 floors and built between 1926 and 1934 in
neo-Gothic style. The lower three floors of the skyscraper house one of
the most unusual and interesting sights in the United States: the
Nationality Rooms, a collection of 29 classrooms decorated in the style
of different cultures and reflecting the traditional way of studying and
learning there. During class time, the rooms are used as normal for
courses. On weekends and during the semester breaks, they can be visited
by visitors as part of self-guided tours with an audio guide. Guided
tours are also offered for larger groups. The collection is growing and
more rooms are in preparation. Open: Mon-Sun 9am-2:30pm, Sun
11am-2:30pm. Price: Admission $4 (children/students 6-18 years $2).
Skyscrapers
2 US Steel Tower, 600 Grant Street (between Sixth and
Seventh Ave). The unattractive but tallest structure in downtown
Pittsburgh. It is the fourth tallest building in Pennsylvania (the three
tallest are in Philadelphia) and the 37th in the United States. It was
designed by the architectural firm Harrison & Abramovitz and built in
1967-71. The Steel Tower is 256 meters or 64 floors high and houses
offices mostly belonging to the steel company U.S. Steel and the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). It served as a backdrop
for numerous film scenes, e.g. B. in Dogma, The Dark Knight Rises and
Jack Reacher. He also appears in the computer game The Last of Us.
3
BNY Mellon Center, 500 Grant Street (Corner of Fifth Ave; T "Steel
Plaza" Station). The second tallest office tower in downtown (221
meters, 55 floors, completed in 1983). It is owned by the Bank of New
York Mellon. The skyscraper, which was still under construction at the
time, features prominently in the 1983 dance film Flashdance.
4 PPG
Place, 1 PPG Place (between Third and Fourth Ave). The most interesting
skyscraper in downtown Pittsburgh, with cute turrets at the top four
corners, which are supposed to be reminiscent of the Victoria Tower of
Westminster Palace. One architectural critic has described it as the
"crown jewel in the Pittsburgh skyline." It was designed by star
architect Philip Johnson and his partner John Burgee, built in 1981-84,
is 193 meters high and has 40 floors. In winter you will find a very
nice skating arena here.
5 Gulf Tower, 707 Grant Street (corner of
Seventh Ave). The 177 meter high, 44-story Art Deco skyscraper was
completed in 1932. It was the tallest building in the city (and in all
of Pennsylvania) until it was taken over by the U.S. Steel Tower was
overhauled. Here was the headquarters of the mineral oil company Gulf
Oil, which merged with Chevron in 1984.
Unfortunately, there are
currently no publicly accessible observation decks in downtown
Pittsburgh.
6 Fort Pitt Blockhouse, Point State Park. The city's oldest surviving
structure was part of a fort built in the 1760s where the British were
besieged by opposing Indians during the Pontiac Rebellion.
7
Allegheny County Courthouse, 436 Grant Street (between Forbes and Fifth
Ave). Courthouse completed in 1888, designed by the inventor of the
Richardsonian Romanesque style (Henry Hobson Richardson).
8 Frick
Building, 437 Grant Street (across from Allegheny County Courthouse) .
Historic commercial building dating from 1902. Neoclassical style
designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. The customer was the coke
producer Henry Clay Frick. At 101 meters and 20 floors, it was the
tallest building in the city at the time. Noteworthy is the marble lobby
with a stained glass window by John La Farge depicting Fortune, the
goddess of fortune, and two bronze lions.
9 Allegheny Observatory,
Riverview Park, 159 Riverview Ave (in the Perry North neighborhood, 5
miles north of downtown; Bus 8 "Perrysville Ave at Watson Blvd") .
Observatory built in neoclassical style in 1900-12.
The cityscape is significantly shaped by its numerous bridges. Among the most notable are the 10 Smithfield Street Bridge wikipediacommons, the 11 Fort Pitt Bridge wikipediacommons, and the 12 Hot Metal Bridge wikipediacommons across the Monongahela, and the "Three Sisters" (13 Roberto Clemente Bridge wikipediacommons, Andy Warhol, and Rachel Carson Bridge) across the Alleghany .
14 August Wilson Cultural Center, 980 Liberty Avenue (corner of
William Penn Pl). The distinctive building with its geometric lines was
designed by the award-winning architects Perkins+Will and completed in
2009. It houses a center for African American culture with exhibition
and classroom spaces, a 500-seat theater, and various rooms for visual
and performing arts performances.
15 Glass Loft Condominiums, 5491
Penn Avenue (Corner of Fairmount St; Bus 88 "Penn Ave at Fairmount St").
A good 7km northeast of downtown, in the Garfield district, is this
small apartment complex, which was completed in 2010 and is spectacular
in terms of architecture and color.
16 Ellsworth Center Two, 5840
Ellsworth Avenue (about 7km northeast of downtown; Bus 75 "Ellsworth Ave
at College St"). Architecturally exceptional office building completed
in 2001 in the trendy Shadyside district
Four of Pittsburgh's most important museums are managed jointly by
the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh:
17 Carnegie Museum of Natural
History (CMNH), 4400 Forbes Avenue, Schenley Park (5km east of downtown,
diagonally across from the Cathedral of Learning; bus "Forbes Ave Opp
Bellefield Ave") wikipediacommonsinstagramtwitter. Large and very worth
seeing natural history museum. It features i.a. one of the largest
collections of dinosaur skeletons in the world. Open: Opening times: Mon
– Sat 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Thu until 8 p.m.), Sun 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Price:
Admission $17.95 (Senior $14.95, Student/Child $11.95). Own parking
garage (chargeable).
18 Carnegie Museum of Art (CMOA), 4400 Forbes
Avenue (in same complex as Natural History Museum and Music Hall;
"Forbes Ave Opposite Craig St" bus) . Adjacent to the Carnegie Museum of
Natural History is Pittsburgh's largest art museum, also named after
entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Open: Seasonally
changing opening hours (in summer Mon – Sat 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thurs
until 10 p.m., Sun 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.). Price: Admission $17.95 (senior
and child discount). Private parking lot.
19 Andy Warhol Museum, 117
Sandusky St (on the north bank of the Alleghany River (near Andy Warhol
Bridge); Bus "Sandusky St at Isabella St"). Tel: +1 (412) 237 8300 . A
museum dedicated entirely to Pittsburgh-born pop artist Andy Warhol.
Open: Opening hours: Tue – Sun 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Fri until 10 p.m.).
Price: Admission $20 (Children 3-18 $10); Half admission price on Fri
from 5 p.m.
20 Carnegie Science Center, 1 Allegheny Avenue (T
"Allegheny") . Just north of downtown, adjacent to Heinz Stadium, is the
busy and family-friendly Pittsburgh Museum of Technology. The Science
Center's "Roboworld" is considered to be the world's largest permanent
exhibition on the subject of robotics. Open: Hours: Sun – Fri 10am –
5pm, Sat 10am – 7pm. Price: Admission $17.95 (Child $11.95). In-house
parking lot (for a fee).
Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning, see above.
21
Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street (300m north of
the train station). Pittsburgh's Strip district is home to
Pennsylvania's largest history museum and one of the city's top
attractions. It was named after Republican politician H. John Heinz III
(1938–1991), who represented Pennsylvania in the US Senate from 1977
until his accidental death. Open: Opening hours: daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Price: Admission $10 (seniors $9, children 6-17 $5). Large in-house car
park (subject to a charge).
22 The Frick Pittsburgh (Frick Art &
Historical Center), 7227 Reynolds Street (Point Breeze neighborhood, 10
km east of Downtown; Bus 74 "Homewood Ave at Reynolds St" or 67, 69
"Penn Ave at Homewood Ave") . On the northern edge of Fricks Park, a
complex of historic buildings and museums owed much of its existence to
industrialist and art collector Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), who had
lived here since 1881 in a lavish Italianate villa. In addition to the
dwelling house, a playhouse, a greenhouse, an art museum and a car
collection can be visited. Price: Admission free.
23 Randyland, 1501
Arch Street (Corner of Jacksonia Street; Central Northside neighborhood,
north of Allegheny Commons Park, 400m from Mattress Factory Museum; Bus
8 "Federal St at Henderson St"). Extraordinary art museum of the
"outsider artist" Randy Gilson, who is not a trained artist, but a
formerly homeless man who creates his extremely colourful, seemingly
childishly naive works partly from objects that others would consider
garbage ("upcycling"). He has assembled these works into a kind of
fantasy world. One of the most unusual and colorful places in Pittsburgh
and one of the most photographed on Instagram. Price: Admission free.
24 Mattress Factory Museum, 500 Sampsonia Way (Central Northside, north
of Allegheny Commons Park, 400m from Randyland; Bus "Brighton Rd at
Taylor Ave"). After its closure in the 1970s, the former mattress
factory was converted into a museum for contemporary installation art.
You can see, among other things, Works by Yayoi Kusama and James
Turrell. There is a rooftop light installation that is a defining
element of the Northside skyline.
25 Children's Museum, 10 Children's
Way (in Allegheny Commons Park, near National Aviary; "East Ohio St Opp
Union Pl" bus) . Play and touch museum for families with children
located in a former post office north of the Allegheny River. Open:
Seasonally changing opening times. Price: Admission $13 (kids, seniors
$12). Large private parking lot.
26 Bayernhof Museum, 225 St. Charles
Place (O'Hara Township; Route 28 to Exit 5A, then continue towards
Sharpsburg). Phone: 412.782.4231. The 12 kilometers (approx. 15-20
minutes by car) north-east of downtown, well worth seeing and extremely
curious former residence of the eccentric, Bavarian-loving manufacturer
Charles B. Brown, III, who, among other things, had the quirk of
mistaking his German-born partner for others as an illegitimate one
introduce Hitler's daughter. In addition to many other exhibits, a large
collection of historical automated musical instruments is on display in
the house. Only accessible on weekdays and only as part of pre-booked
sightseeing tours. These last 3 hours, but are extremely rewarding as a
time travel. Price: Admission $10. No children under 12 years old.
27 The Strip (around Penn Avenue between 11th and 33rd Streets).
Former industrial district on the northern edge of downtown Pittsburgh,
which is now home to numerous shops, restaurants and bars and attracts a
large crowd. Article in the Washington Post.
28 Bessemer
Court/Station Square, 125 W Station Square Dr . Entertainment district
at the base of Mount Washington, accessible on foot from downtown via
the Smithfield Street Bridge. The most beautiful attraction is a
fountain with choreographed water jets located in front of the Hard Rock
Café. The fountain shows are accompanied by pieces of music, each with a
theme. This can be a group (e.g. ABBA) or a style (e.g. Disco Queens).
At night, the colorfully illuminated movements, accompanied by the
surprisingly crystal-clear sound of the music, are an unforgettable
experience and one should not be surprised if passers-by of all ages
spontaneously dare to dance in front of the fountain. The fountains
dance from April to early November from 9 a.m. to midnight, every 20
minutes. In addition, there are numerous restaurants on Station Square,
among which the posh Grand Concourse is the most worth seeing.
With a
gradient of 37 percent, 29 Canton Avenue in the Beechview district (T
Red Line "Belasco") is considered the steepest street not only in the
city but in the entire country.
1 Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, 1 Schenley Drive (at the
northwest end of Schenley Park; 500 meters southeast of the Natural
History Museum) . Botanical garden with historic greenhouses that are
well worth seeing and that were donated to the city by millionaire Henry
Phipps in 1892. Parking is available at Frew Street Extension and
Schenley Drive. Lots of visitors, so it's best to come early in the
morning. Older children can be interested in the facility by giving them
their own camera; smaller ones can be explored, e.g. B. looks like a
chocolate tree, a peanut plant or a vanilla orchid. Nice in-house
restaurant with unusually sophisticated and interesting cuisine. Open:
Hours: Daily 9:30am - 5:00pm (Fridays until 10:00pm). The visit is
estimated to take 3-4 hours. Price: Admission $12 (seniors $11, children
$9).
2 National Aviary, 700 Arch Street (in Allegheny Commons Park
West; "North Ave at Palo Alto St" bus) . On the edge of Allegheny
Commons Park, near the Children's Museum, is the largest aviary in the
United States. More than 600 animals belonging to about 200 species.
Open: daily 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. Price: Admission $13 (Seniors $12,
Children $11).
3 Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, 7370 Baker Street
(Highland Park; Bus 75 "Baker St at Butler St" or 87 "Baker Stop
Gallatin St") . Located in Highland Park, 10 kilometers northeast of
downtown, is the 31-acre Pittsburgh Zoo. The Pittsburgh Zoo is one of
only six major American zoos that includes a large aquarium. 4,000
animals representing 475 different species. Among others, African
elephants, Amur tigers, orangutans, gorillas, polar bears and North
American black bears. The two-storey aquarium, built in 1967 and
renovated in 2000, is more than 4,000 m² in size and is home to several
species of penguins, among other things. Open: In summer daily from 9.30
a.m. to 6 p.m., otherwise other opening times. Price: Admission $14
(seniors $13, children 2-13 years $12).
4 Point State Park ("The
Point" for short). The 14.5 hectare park is located at the confluence of
the Alleghany and Monongahela, which from here form the Ohio River. Its
landmark is the fountain at the tip of the promontory. Fort Pitt, which
formed the nucleus of today's Pittsburgh, was once located here.
Schenley Park. 185-acre public park on west side of town (between
Oakland, Greenfield and Squirrel Hill).
Mount Washington and the Inclines (mountain railways) - if you want
to see the Pittsburgh skyline at night, the best place to do so is Mount
Washington. This neighborhood, separated from downtown by the
Monongahela River, rises steeply (about 140 meters in elevation) above
the shore. Grandview Avenue, aptly named above the long strip of
waterfront greenery, offers sweeping views of downtown Pittsburgh and
the rivers. Observation decks at Bertha Street (opposite Saint Mary of
the Mount Church), Kearsage Street (opposite Carnegie Library), Maple
Terrace and Shiloh Street (near Monongahela Incline summit station).
Overcoming the incline on foot is very cumbersome because you have to
take long detours. Only in one place there is a steep pedestrian
staircase. More convenient and interesting is to use one of the two
inclines that connect Carson Street to Grandview Avenue:
Duquesne
Incline (400m west of Fort Pitt Bridge; Bus "West Carson Street opposite
Duquesne Incline")
Monongahela Incline (100m west of Smithfield
Street Bridge; T "Station Square")
The Monongahela Incline, which
began operating in 1870, is believed to be the oldest continuously
operating mountain railway in the world. The Duquesne Incline, which has
been in operation since 1877, is only slightly younger and just as
attractive. It is $2.50 one way (children 6-11 $1.25) one way. Have the
counted money ready, it goes into a box and the cashier doesn't give
change.
Once at the top, a wonderful panorama of light and
architecture opens up. It is best to turn right at the top and follow
the road that runs parallel to the slope. Be sure to pay attention to
the houses on the street, which are very individually designed and make
every viewer dream of an apartment on this slope! USA Weekend magazine
calls the view from Mount Washington the most beautiful cityscape in the
United States.
oddity
Around Heinz Street on the north bank of
the Alleghany River is the headquarters of the H.J. Heinz Company ,
which has produced the most successful tomato ketchup in the United
States since 1876. However, the red sauce is mainly produced in Fremont
(Ohio), so that there is nothing to see in Pittsburgh apart from office
buildings. An exhibition on the history of the company can be found in
the Heinz History Center (see above).
Since 2011, Collins Avenue
Productions has been producing the reality television series Dance Moms
in Pittsburgh, which focuses on dance teacher Abby Lee Miller. The Abby
Lee Dance Company is located at 7123 Saltsburg Rd (in the Penn Hills,
25km east of downtown; Bus 77 "Saltsburg Rd at Tilford Rd"). Worth
seeing only for fans of the series.
Pittsburgh is located in the southwest of the state of Pennsylvania,
at the confluence of the Ohio Rivers to the west; Allegheny to the north
and Monongahela to the south. The surface area of the urban area is 151
km², while the metropolitan area comprises the city and twenty-seven
bordering counties.
The city is administratively divided into
ninety neighborhoods, which in turn can be included in five large
districts. At the junction of the three rivers are the central district
—which includes the financial district— and the East End, where most of
the universities, museums, parks and the Jewish quarter are located. The
other districts are mostly residential: North Side —north of Allegheny,
includes the old city of the same name—; West End—west of the Ohio
River, next to Mount Washington—and South Side, south of the Monongahela
River.
The 80th meridian west runs directly through the central
district.
Pittsburgh sits at the confluence of the Ohio, Allegheny, and
Monongahela rivers, within the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian
Mountains. The city stands out for its irregular profile: while the
central district is located on a plain, many of the neighborhoods have
been built on nearby hills with steep slopes. The districts are
connected to each other through two funiculars, 446 bridges and 712
stairs.
Green areas, promenades and bike paths have been built
around the city, such as the Great Allegheny Passage (241 km) and the
Chesapeake-Ohio Canal (297 km). Both allow you to reach Washington D.C.
by bicycle.
The city of Pittsburgh has a Cfa climate with hot summers and very
cold winters, with slight differences between the areas near the rivers
and the neighborhoods settled in the hills. The average temperature in
Pittsburgh is 10.9 °C. The annual precipitation is 1287 mm.
The
warmest month of the year is June, with an average temperature of 22.6
°C and a maximum of 32 °C. Due to its geographical location in the
Appalachians, it is very rare for temperatures to exceed 38 °C,
something that has not happened since 1995. On the contrary, the coldest
month is January with an average temperature of -2 °C and minimum
temperatures below zero. down to -18°C.
The rains are constant
throughout the year and are concentrated between winter and spring, with
an annual volume of 970 mm of rainfall. On the other hand, the months of
snowfall are concentrated between December and March, with an annual
average of 105 cm.
The first European buildings were created in connection with the
British and French hegemonic efforts in the mid-18th century during the
French and Indian War (Seven Years' War) (1756-1763). The French Fort
Duquesne was built in 1754 at the confluence of the Allegheny and
Monongahela rivers after the French drove out British soldiers who had
begun fortifications there. Due to its strategically important position,
Fort Duquesne played a key role in this war and was fought over several
times. After the French had been able to fend off a first attack by
British soldiers under George Washington in 1754 and a second
large-scale offensive in the Battle of Monongahela in 1755, they
evacuated and destroyed the fort in 1758 when a British superiority
approached. The British camp was named Pittsburgh after British Prime
Minister William Pitt Pittsburgh and the fort was rebuilt as Fort Pitt.
During the Pontiac Rebellion (1763-1764), the fort successfully
withstood a siege by an Indian army.
The settlement had already
grown into a city by 1816. From the early 19th century until World War
I, the largest group of immigrants were German speakers; among them many
emigrants from the Rhineland, Hesse-Darmstadt and Swabia. At that time
there were up to four German-language daily newspapers in the city. In
the second half of the 19th century, increased industrialization began
and by the end of the century the city had become the focus of steel
production in the USA. US Steel was at times the largest industrial
company and the largest steel producer in the world.
A dictionary
entry from 1910 gives an impression of the importance of the city at the
beginning of the USA's rise to become the most powerful industrial
nation in the world: "Pittsburg [sic], city in the United States of
North America, Pennsylvania, capital of Alleghany County, at the
confluence of the Alleghany and Monogahela, which here receive the name
O h i o, northwest of Washington, in a favorable commercial position, a
rich coal district and on the southern border of the petroleum district,
population 321,616. Post Office. Telegraph. railway station. Petroleum
refineries, over 60 iron foundries, many other great ironworks, many
rolling mills and large factories for nails, glass, paper, white lead,
cotton spinning mills and weaving mills, breweries, tanneries, cannon
foundries, copper rolling mills and smelting works, steam engine
construction workshops, P. as a factory town is one the most important
of the North American United States and is called the "Birmingham of the
United States". There are over 140 coal mines in the area. Western
University of Pennsylvania (est. 1819), Theological Seminary (est.
1828). Steamships on the Ohio and Mississippi. Banks, considerable
trade.”
Located in the oldest industrial area in the United
States, the importance of the city reached its peak with the full
development of the second industrial revolution between World War I and
the 1960s.
The dominance of the steel industry persisted until
the steel crisis of the 1970s. The decades that followed were marked by
economic decline. The dramatic loss of industrial jobs was only
partially offset by a developing service sector, and the city lost more
than half of its population between 1950 (673,703) and 2010 (305,704).
Five Pittsburgh locations have National Historic Landmark status for
their significant historical significance: Allegheny County Courthouse
and Jail, Chatham Village, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Forks of the Ohio,
and Smithfield Street Bridge. A total of 174 structures and sites in the
city are on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as of April
16, 2021.
On January 28, 2022, just before 7:00 a.m. (UTC-5), the
snow-covered Forbes Avenue four-lane bridge over Frick Park collapsed
along with an articulated bus and four cars.
Local government is made up of the Pittsburgh Mayor, the Pittsburgh
City Council, and the various commissions that regulate the daily life
of citizens. Elections for mayor are held every four years by universal
suffrage. In addition, each of the nine constituencies votes for a
candidate who will represent them on the city council. The seat of local
government is the Pittsburgh City-County Building.
At the state
level, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court holds sessions in Pittsburgh,
Harrisburg, and Philadelphia. The city is represented in the
Pennsylvania General Assembly through three senators and nine
representatives. Federally, Pittsburgh is part of Pennsylvania's 18th
congressional district.
Pittsburgh has traditionally voted for
the Democratic Party since the 1930s. Originally a Republican
stronghold, the effects of the Great Depression caused a change in the
tendency of citizens to vote. The city has had consecutive Democratic
mayors beginning in 1934, as well as a comfortable majority on the city
council. The current mayor since 2014 is Democrat Bill Peduto.
The Pittsburgh metropolitan area generated $138.2 billion in economic output in 2016, ranking 25th among the metropolitan areas of the United States. The unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, below the national average of 3.8 percent as of May 2018. In the city, which was once strongly characterized by heavy industry, most employees now work in the service sector.
Pittsburgh International Airport is 30 kilometers west of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh is a “city of bridges” – there are 446 bridges there,
more than Venice.
Two long-distance Amtrak trains serve
Pittsburgh: The Pennsylvanian connects the city with New York City. The
Capitol Limited makes Chicago and Washington, D.C. coming here station.
Local rail passenger transport has not existed since the PATrain was
discontinued in 1989.
Pittsburgh has had one of the oldest
continuously operating streetcars in the United States since June 1859.
It was converted into the Pittsburgh Light Rail light rail starting in
1985.
Established businesses
Due to the rich hard coal
deposits in the region and its shipping connections, Pittsburgh was able
to develop into the location of the US steel industry ("The Steel
City"). The 1970s in particular were then characterized by the decline
of this industry. Banks, biotechnology and service industries have since
taken over the role as the most important employers. The largest
Pittsburgh-based companies are Alcoa, US Steel, Highmark, PNC Financial
Services, PPG Industries, The Kraft Heinz Company, Bayer Corp., FedEx
Ground, Giant Eagle, WESCO International, Allegheny Technologies,
American Eagle Outfitters, Wabtec, and Covestro LLC . Mylan
Laboratories, Consol Energy and ANSYS are based in the Southpointe
industrial complex in Canonsburg, south of Pittsburgh.
Other
manufacturing companies in Pittsburgh include Lanxess, Koppers Holdings
and Mine Safety Appliances.
Pittsburgh is home to five universities, the University of Pittsburgh (“Pitt”), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Duquesne University, Robert Morris University and Point Park University. Pitt and CMU are well known nationally and internationally, such as Pitt for the Medical Center UPMC, the Department of Philosophy, and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science. At the Medical Center, Jonas Salk was the first to develop an effective vaccine against poliomyelitis. The Medical Center is also very successful in organ transplantation and AIDS research. In sports, the teams of Pitt ("Pitt Panthers") in football and basketball stand out. CMU is world famous for the School of Computer Science and the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), as well as for the drama school, the CMU School of Drama.
Close to the city
Due to the severely incised river valleys of the
source rivers Allegheny River and Monongahela River and the Ohio,
Pittsburgh has isolated districts on higher plateaus, similar to
Cincinnati, for example. They were connected to the city center and the
iron and steel industry located below on the bank by funicular railways,
which primarily served the steelworkers and coke oven workers living in
these parts of the city as a short, fast way to work.
After
structural changes and the construction of a tunnel through the bluff
from the south, two remain - the Duquesne Incline and the Monongahela
Incline near the Smithfield Street Bridge, the city's oldest bridge.
As historical relics, they are now tourist attractions, especially
since the upper stations offer an impressive view of the imposing city
center and the river landscape.
The Senator John Heinz Regional
History Center, a former ironworks converted into a museum, shows
production and products of the city in historical pictures and exhibits:
iron and steel goods, glassware, textiles. Municipal facilities, trams
and fire brigades from the first quarter of the 20th century are also on
display. Heinz Hall is the home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
The Carnegie Museums are the umbrella for four major museums: The
Carnegie Museum of Natural History is known for its paleontology
department with a large dinosaur collection. The Carnegie Museum of Art
is an art museum featuring works by Winslow Homer, James McNeill
Whistler, Camille Pissarro, American Art from 1850 to the present,
French Impressionists and Late Impressionists. The Carnegie Science
Center didn't open in its current form until 1991, but dates back to
1934 and allows visitors to have various scientific and physiological
experiences even in high-tech simulators. In 1994, the Carnegie Museums
opened the Andy Warhol Museum, dedicated to the life and work of Andy
Warhol and the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single artist
with over 4000 works including his complete video collection.
Near the Andy Warhol Museum is the Mattress Factory, a contemporary art
museum that takes its name from the mattress factory that formerly
housed this building. In addition to temporary exhibitions, works by
artists such as James Turrell and William Anastasi are also on permanent
display here.
The Cathedral of Learning is the main building of
the University of Pittsburgh and towers 163 m above the surrounding
area. Downtown on Fourth Avenue there are many high-rise buildings that
were built around 1900 and are historical from today's perspective. Also
on Fourth Avenue is the PPG Place, which is considered the most
beautiful skyscraper in the city. The entire skyline is towered over by
the 256 m high U.S. SteelTower. On Grant Street is the Grade II listed
Frick Building.
On the southern outskirts of town is Fallingwater, formerly the retreat of Pittsburgh department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann. The multi-part building was erected in 1936 by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in a wooded area above a waterfall. Seven miles south is Kentuck Knob, another home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright originally for the Hagan family. Northland Public Library is located in McCandless Township.
Pittsburgh is represented in the National Football League by the Pittsburgh Steelers, in Major League Baseball by the Pirates and in the National Hockey League by the Penguins. Remarkably, all teams wear the same team colors, namely black and gold. When the Pirates won the World Series in 1979 and shortly thereafter the Steelers won the Super Bowl for the fourth time in six seasons, this was the reason for Pittsburgh to call itself "City of Champions" or "City of Victors" ever since. In February 2009, the Steelers won the Super Bowl for the sixth time, becoming the team with the most Super Bowl wins. In February 2019, the New England Patriots also won the Super Bowl for the sixth time, tying the Steelers' record. The Penguins won their fourth Stanley Cup on June 12, 2016 with a 4-2 win over San Jose and on June 11, 2017 their fifth Stanley Cup with a 4-2 win over Nashville.
Numerous films have been filmed in and around Pittsburgh and are also
set in the city. The most well-known include:
1968: The Night of
the Living Dead
1977: Slap shot
1978: Those Who Go Through Hell
(set in Clairton, Allegheny County)
1983: Flash Dance
1993:
Groundhog Day
1993: Deadly Proximity
1995: Sudden Death
1999:
Dogma
1999: Inspector Gadget
2000: The Wonder Boys
2000-2005:
Queer as Folk
2006: Pittsburgh
2008: Smart People
2010: 72
Hours - The Next Three Days
2010: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
2011: Breathless - Dangerous Truth
2012: The Dark Knight Rises
2012: JackReacher
2014: Out of the Furnace (set in Braddock,
Allegheny County)
2015: Me and Earl and the girl
2016: This Is Us
Political punk band Anti-Flag hails from Pittsburgh and as they often state during live performances: "We are Anti-Flag from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Wiz Khalifa is a rapper from the city. The musical punk act Aus-Rotten was formed in Pittsburgh. Rapper Mac Miller, who died at the age of 26, also grew up in the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Pittsburgh had a 2010
census population of 305,704 inhabitants within the urban limit and
2,324,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area. This makes it the second
most populous municipality in Pennsylvania and the twenty-seventh in the
country. With an area of 151.11 km², the demographic density is 2108.49
inhabitants/km².
The growth of the city has been linked to the
industrial development of Pennsylvania, with two notable periods: the
establishment of the steel mills in the 1890s, and the so-called "golden
age of capitalism" in the 1950s.
Approximately 66% of the
population is white, 25.8% is African-American, 4.4% is of Asian origin,
and 2.3% is of Latino origin. Much of the white population has European
ancestors who immigrated in the 19th century, with a significant
presence of German, Irish, Italian and Polish origins. It also has a
notable Croatian and Ukrainian community. Regarding the African-American
population, the majority descend from the people who arrived during the
Great Migration.