as many of you who've been reading this blog for a while may already know, I am definitely a transplant to the city of pittsburgh. i moved to the area in 2006 from germany, to be with my husband who grew up here. in so many ways i have grown to feel like a true pittsburgher and that is mostly due to the people that live here. when visiting the burgh you will quickly find that its residents are some of the nicest folks you'll ever meet. and if that's not enough the beauty of the city will surely make you want to spend a lot of time here.
when my best friend melanie came in for a short visit last week we obviously had to show her what this beautiful city has to offer and while a day is definitely not long enough to see it all, it still allows you to get a little taste for what pittsburgh is all about.
the typical touristy thing to do (as are most of these suggestions) is to take the
duquesne incline up mt.washington and get the best view of the city, 3 rivers and of course the many bridges. we do this every time someone from out of town comes in for a visit and they all love it!
the incline opened in 1877 and the restored cable cars take you up and down mt.washington 7 days a week, all year around. we had the most awesome weather for a november day so the view was truly incredible. from the incline parking lot it's a short drive down to
station square where you'll find restaurants including (if it's your thing) the hard rock cafe and a ton of shops as well as a few clubs to visit at night.
if you come on the weekend your morning/early afternoon stop should be the
historic strip market district with all of its hustle and bustle and amazing food. if you're looking for fresh produce, seafood, meats or ethnic foods you've come to the right place.
wholey's lobster rolls are to die for and there is one of the famous
primanti brothers restaurants right around the corner. if you want to stay on-the-go, street meat won't disappoint either ;)
if you're looking for that funky and hip neighborhood, make sure to take a stroll through the
south side (east carson street) to shop small boutiques, vintage shops and take a break at one of the many cafes and restaurants.
nakama is one of our favorites for sushi and the full hibachi experience. if you're looking for pittsburgh's nightife the south side is also where you want to be.
keep following carson street to get to the
southside works for more shopping and restaurants like the
hofbräuhaus - a truly authentic german experience! ok i'm just kidding!
i also like to frequent the huge goodwill down there for some thrifting. it's ok if that's not your thing.
visit
market square in downtown where you can currently find a european inspired christmas market, (can't wait to check that one out for authenticity) and the christmas tree and ice rink at
ppg place.
we had dinner at
6 penn kitchen which was good but we really recommend eating at a place called
meat and potatoes. make sure to get a reservation at both places.
more things to do in pittsburgh:
