Jeremy, Author at Discover the Burgh

9 Things We Wished Pittsburgh Had from Food Boats to Transit

October 8, 2025September 9, 2020

Over the past several years exploring Pittsburgh, we have started to get a good understanding of some of the best things the city and metro area has to offer. But on the flip side, we have also seen many of the area's issues, and are more than happy to admit there are several aspects in which the city is lacking (cough, metro system, cough cough).

As such, we thought it'd be fun to put together a list of some of the ideas we wish the city would have.

But for this list, we wanted to keep things a bit light-hearted and fun as opposed to tackling some of the very real and serious problems our city faces. So many of the ideas below are pie-in-the-sky, likely never going to happen ideas, and none of them include a zipline from Mount Washington to the North Shore!

To put it bluntly, we did not let things like practicality, cost, or feasibility stop us in many of the below, and this list should mostly be considered what we would do if we had (a few) billion dollars, no concern for ROI, and free reign to make it all happen.

Exploring the Westmoreland Heritage Trail on Foot or Bike

September 2, 2020September 1, 2020

The Westmoreland Heritage Trail is a popular hiking and biking trail that spans roughly 18 miles between Trafford and Saltsburg, PA.

We had heard great things about this trail and made the ~45-minute drive out of the city to check it out and were not disappointed. While the trail is broken up into two segments, we made a day of it and hit both during our visit.

Note: As of our visit in 2020 the Westmoreland Heritage Trail is split into two sections, each roughly 9-miles in length. One runs between Delmont and Saltsburg and the second runs between Export and Trafford. Eventually, these trails are supposed to be connected via a 3-4 mile addition. This article will discuss the two sections independently.

Going for a 10-Mile Ride on the Hoodlebug Trail Near Indiana, PA

November 21, 2024August 25, 2020

While there are many bike trails in Pittsburgh worth exploring, one weekend we decided to go on a bit of a day trip east to Indiana, PA (roughly 60 miles from Pittsburgh) to check out a trail that is new to us.

This was the 10-mile Hoodlebug Trail which runs from Indiana to Black Lick, PA. With a relatively well-maintained path and an abundance of things to see (plus a few breweries nearby we enjoyed after), we certainly had a fun day out!

Riding the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to the Laurel Highlands

September 16, 2025August 11, 2020

Note: This article is oriented for those riding the Great Allegheny Passage in the miles closer to Pittsburgh, typically on a shorter ride. If you're looking for advice about the full bike ride from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, click the previous link.

The Great Allegheny Passage is a rail-trail leading out of Pittsburgh that can only be described as a gem. This 150-mile path connects downtown Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, and links up with the C&O Canal trail which spans all the way to Washington DC.

While we are working our way up to the multi-day bike ride from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, we have been exploring the sections of the GAP closest to Pittsburgh in numerous outings. In this one, we wanted to share some of our favorite highlights and what you can expect when getting out on the trail for a ride!

This guide covers the first 40-miles of the Great Allegheny Passage between Pittsburgh and Belle Vernon, PA. As we explore further sections of the trail we will update this guide accordingly.

Catching Views on the Doors Open Antique Skyscrapers Tour

November 23, 2024August 3, 2020

You may know of the Doors Open Pittsburgh organization from the annual event of the same name that takes place each October. During this event, dozens of normally private buildings around the city open their doors for the public and is a pretty stellar event all around.

Since the founding of this now-staple event, Doors Open has expanded to included many custom walking tours with varying themes throughout the year. These vary month-to-month, but one caught our eye- the Antique Skyscrapers: Rooftops & Views tour. As getting on top of all of the downtown skyscrapers is a goal of ours, we naturally grabbed tickets to this one right away (as they quickly sold out).

In this one, we wanted to share a bit more about what the tour was like as well as share a few of our favorite photos!

A 5-Mile Walking Tour of Pittsburgh to See 17 Highlights

July 16, 2025June 30, 2020

When we visit cities around the world as travelers, one of the first things we do is figure out a grand walking tour in order to get a feel for the city. We generally take anywhere from a half-day or full-day to do these self-guided city tours and really love checking things out on foot.

Until now, we had never put together one of these guides for Pittsburgh as our 90 neighborhoods often make it difficult to get around and see them all. Still, the neighborhoods in and around the central business district in downtown Pittsburgh have quite a lot to see and many of these spots are on the radar of those visiting Pittsburgh for the first time as well as long-time residents.

So in this one, we wanted to share what we consider to be the ultimate walking tour of downtown Pittsburgh! This walking tour covers five miles in the North Side, downtown Pittsburgh, Mount Washington, and Station Square and has 17 unique highlights worth checking out.

So put your walking shoes on and get to exploring this beautiful city!

Exploring the Butler-Freeport Community Trail by Bike

August 25, 2020June 3, 2020

The Butler-Freeport Community Trail is a converted rail trail that opened in 1992. The trail spans approximately twenty miles between the outskirts of Butler and Freeport and offers a great opportunity to surround yourself with nature on an easy-to-navigate path.

We took our bikes out on this one and did an out-and-back ride on the entire trail, and in this one we wanted to share a bit more about what it is like!

Our Favorite Pittsburgh Photographers You Should Follow

January 4, 2023June 1, 2020

One of the first things we did after starting this website was to follow photographers in Pittsburgh. As photography addicts ourselves (having taken well over 100,000 shots of the metro region over the years), we absolutely love seeing how others view the city through their lens.

In this one, we wanted to profile some of our favorite Pittsburgh photographers that you should check out. We reached out to each of the photographers below and got their insight on how they got into photography, their favorite photography styles, the equipment they use, and more!

At the end of each profile, we feature links to each photographer's online portfolio and social media channels. Please give them a follow to support these awesome local creatives!

Sheetz Launches Project Hop Dog Beer with Neshaminy Creek

May 22, 2020May 21, 2020

The wheels of change seem to move slowly in Pennsylvania, at least where alcohol is concerned. But recent changes to our state's liquor laws have led to some rather amazing developments like the availability of wine in grocery stores and beer in select gas stations.

Local convenience store chain Sheetz was part of the initiative to change these laws, and to celebrate they are partnering with Pennsylvania-based breweries for a special collaboration beer series to sell exclusively at their stores!

The latest beer release for spring 2020 is entitled Project Hop Dog which is a collaboration with Croydon, PA-based Neshaminy Creek Brewing. Sheetz reached out to us to see if we wanted to try the beer in advance of its release on May 21st, and naturally we were interested in sharing more!

This article was sponsored by our friends at Sheetz. All opinions are our own.

Hiking Dead Man’s Hollow for Factory Ruins and Nature

August 24, 2024May 19, 2020

Dead Man's Hollow near McKeesport is a 450-acre park with approximately 8 miles of hiking trails. While this one could be considered a beautiful green space on its own right, there are actually a number of highlights you can see here when hiking as well!

We visited this one on a beautiful spring day and had a rather amazing time out in nature.