Jeremy

Jeremy is the co-owner of Discover the Burgh. His favorite Pittsburgh activities include discovering unusual attractions, trying new breweries, and seeking out the city's best happy hours. He also runs the long-term travel blog, Living the Dream.

Trundle Manor – Home to a Unique Collection of Oddities

It would be quite difficult to come up with just one sentence that describes the private collection at Trundle Manor better than the current slogan: “The most unusual tourist trap in the world meets the most bizarre private collection on public display.”

This residence in Swissvale is the home of Mr. Arm and Velda von Minx, a couple whose personal collection of unusual antiques and oddities is second to none.

They have something for everyone, but only those with a unique (and slightly twisted) sense of humor will get the full benefit of their collection.

Thankfully, we are those people.

Disclaimer: Some of the images featured in this post contain taxidermy animals, tumors in a jar, cleavers, disturbing medical antiques, and other oddities that some may find offensive. If this is you, click here to read our review of the Heinz History Center or the Duquesne Incline instead. For those that continue reading on, be sure to hover over the images if you want to learn more about what is in the image!

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Fiori’s Pizza Review – Award Winning Pizza in Brookline

When it comes to sharing Pittsburgh's best pizza on this site, it seems like every time we review one shop we receive countless recommendations of new places to try that are “even better”.

One restaurant that comes up time and time again is Fiori's Pizza in Brookline, and after being told to visit dozens (if not hundreds) of times, we decided to give this shop a try to see if it is worth the impressive following it receives.

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Moraine State Park – A Perfect Day Trip

The 16,725-acre Moraine State Park is one of the largest parks in western Pennsylvania and is located approximately 40 miles north of downtown Pittsburgh.

With land and water activities aplenty, this park is one of the crown jewels in the region and should be on everyone's radar when looking for a great park to visit on a day trip!

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Primanti Brothers Review – A Pittsburgh Sandwich Institution

When it comes to local Pittsburgh institutions, none are more famous than Primanti Brothers. For both visitors and locals alike this sandwich shop is one of the iconic Pittsburgh foods (often being called the Pittsburgh sandwich).

But what makes this shop so special, and why are Pittsburghers so passionate about it (on both sides of the spectrum)? It doesn't take much to figure it out.

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Umami Pittsburgh Review – A Japanese Izakaya in Lawrenceville

One of the facts about Japanese cuisine in the USA we've always lamented is that most restaurants are the same old sushi places with eerily similar menus. Sure, you may get lucky enough to find an odd bowl of ramen or some delicious tempura here or there, but odds are good that any given Japanese restaurant will have a menu similar to the rest.

It wasn't until I visited Japan, where I tasted so many other unique Japanese cuisines, that I realized how much we are missing in our own Japanese restaurants.

Thankfully, many chefs have taken note of this as well and the under-represented foods of Japan are now getting their audience in the USA for the very first time.

In Pittsburgh, one restaurant that will be at the forefront of this blossoming trend is Lawrenceville's Umami. Themed after a Japanese izakaya (equivalent to our own alcohol-heavy gastropubs), this restaurant is one of just a few places in Pittsburgh where you can find some of the country's best entrees you've likely never heard of before.

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Settlers Cabin Park – An Easy Hike to a Mini Waterfall

With the recent growth in Settlers Ridge in Robinson Township, this would be the last place you'd expect to find a 1,600+ acre county park.  But go just a few hundred feet away from I-376 and you'll come to Settlers Cabin Park, one of the largest public parks west of the city.

Featuring several hiking trails, many recreational facilities, the Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens (ticket required), and even a mini waterfall, this park truly has something for everyone!

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Streets on Carson Review – International Street Food in South Side

[two_third_last]Angie and I always talk about the idea of opening a restaurant in Pittsburgh one day, and when this topic comes up it almost always turns to our love of the food we've had while traveling.

One idea for a restaurant concept that was always intriguing to us was street food from around the world, and when we found out Streets on Carson in South Side was opening to be a provider of just that, we got incredibly excited and knew we had to visit.

But as this was an idea we also had in our heads as something Pittsburgh sorely needs, we also knew that we would be among its harshest critics.

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27 Views of Pittsburgh’s Skyline You’ve Likely Never Seen

I'm going to go out on a limb here and state the obvious- you know about the Pittsburgh skyline view on Grandview Avenue. This is perhaps the most iconic of all of the Pittsburgh overlooks that everyone visits time and time again.

And, if you're like us, you've also enjoyed the city's entrance through the Fort Pitt tunnels hundreds, if not thousands of times (although you can watch it again here if you need to see it just one more time), and probably enjoyed the skyline from PNC Park on many occasions, too.

Although these are some of the city's most iconic viewpoints, and are ones you see in just about every major publication about the city, we have many more gorgeous viewpoints that are missed by a good percentage of the city's residents and visitors.

To highlight some of our favorites, and share some of the more obscure ones you've likely never seen before, this guide was born!

Please note that our photos may include shots taken with ultra-wide or telephoto lenses. Actual distances vary, but all are pretty awesome- that we can assure you.

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Climbing the Steps of South Side Slopes for Pittsburgh Views

Pittsburgh's South Side Slopes is one if the city's most unique neighborhoods due to the fact that the vast majority of it is built on the side of a hill.  In true Pittsburgh fashion when a hill is involved things get weird, and this neighborhood is no different.

What makes South Side Slopes so unusual lies in its accessibility. As the hill is often quite steep, road access up and down is limited compared to other neighborhoods in the city. To account for this oddity, numerous staircases have been built over the years to allow residents to navigate the hillside and also reach neighboring South Side with ease (these staircases are a significant percentage of the 700+ that can be found in the city).

One of our favorite aspects of South Side Slopes is that many of these staircases offer impressive views of the city, and can be enjoyed during a one to two hour hike beginning and ending in South Side. As navigating South Side Slopes can be tricky at times, we wanted to share our most recent route for others who would like to get out, climb some stairs for some exercise, and take in several great city views!

Note: Since writing this post, the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association has defined most of the route below as the “Church Route.”  For more information beyond our post, check out their write-up about the Church Route here. Our recommendations are slightly different, but the listed route will make for a good climb all the same!

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