When it comes to neighborhoods to drink at in Pittsburgh, odds are good your first thought is not Squirrel Hill. This popular neighborhood for college students, Jewish delis, and Asian restaurants has a few bars, but is not as bustling in nightlife as other neighborhoods nearby.
This is now changing, and the tiki lounge Hidden Harbor is one of several new additions to the neighborhood worth checking out when you are in the mood for a drink!
One of my favorite times of year is my birthday.
This is not because I love turning another year older, but rather is because Angie and I were born only a few days apart (in the same year), also started dating within the same week, and have many reasons to celebrate as a result.
In Pittsburgh we've been fortunate to find many local businesses that offer birthday clubs that help make our celebrations even more special with many discounts and birthday freebies to keep the party going.
Now, there are a lot of boring chain restaurants with birthday specials and many other national brands out there that you see on every other birthday freebie list, but we don't care about those. We're talking about the specials from local businesses that make Pittsburgh the great city it is!
The best part? We found a lot of them!
Note: Birthday promotions change regularly, and we are often not made aware of changes until our earn birthdays in the spring.
For many, the North Side is viewed as the home to the Pirates, Steelers, and numerous museums along the rivers.
While it is true that many of the city's top attractions are found along the shore of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers on the North Side, this corner of Pittsburgh is home to many hidden gems that are a must for anyone exploring the city. To highlight these destinations, as well as their more famous counterparts, this neighborhood guide was born!
It is worth noting that the following is not a collection of every business in the North Side. This article only features businesses that we personally visit when we explore the neighborhood. As such, it should only be taken as a starting point and is certainly not a list of every establishment. If you see an interesting business while exploring the North Side, do yourself a favor and go inside!
Sometimes when you go out to drink you really just want to have a nice glass of wine. Short of visiting a nice restaurant, bars with extensive wine menus in Pittsburgh are few and far between, meaning you often have to settle with limited menus and a glass of wine that is less than stellar.
Luckily, many new wine bars are opening in the city to help solve this problem, and if good wine is what you are craving, at Allegheny Wine Mixer in Lawrenceville you can get just that.
One thing I love about Pittsburgh's hotel scene is that it seems like the best years are still to come thanks to the boom of new hotels opening in the city. One of the newest on the scene, Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh, recently opened in early 2016. We decided to pay a visit to this one just a few weeks after it opened to see if it would be worth your time when visiting the city.
There is something to be said about an over 150-year-old restaurant in any city, as being able to survive the test of time is something only a few businesses ever accomplish.
In Pittsburgh, this distinction falls on the Original Oyster House, which is the oldest bar and restaurant in the city and is also recognized historic landmark. With such a reputation preceding it, we went in with great expectations.
For most native Pittsburgher's, you say the name Beto's and a wide range of emotions come up. This local Pittsburgh pizza joint is considered by many to be an institution, on par with the likes of Primanti Brothers. And just like Primanti Brothers, this pizza shop has its own way of doing things which, thankfully, does not include putting french fries on top of their pies.
At Beto's the toppings are served cold, ensuring that this will be the most unusual pizza you'll ever try.
Over the decades the community has divided into a “love-it, hate-it” mentality, and for a pizza as unusual as this there is really no middle ground to stand on. After much prodding from the “love-it” half of our readers, we made a visit to try the pizza for ourselves.
Mount Washington holds a special place in the hearts of many Pittsburghers as it is home to what is often considered to be the billion dollar view of the city. For us, we have many fond memories of Mount Washington as it was also the neighborhood we called home for many years.
Although we may not live there anymore, we find ourselves visiting this neighborhood quite often to take in its many parks, good selection of restaurants, and to photograph the iconic viewpoint. To share all of the wonderful things to experience on Mount Washington, including the viewpoints and beyond, this neighborhood guide was born!
It is worth noting that the following is not a collection of every business on Mount Washington. This article only features businesses that we personally visit when we explore the neighborhood. As such, it should only be taken as a starting point and is certainly not a list of every establishment.
If you see an interesting store while walking around Mount Washington, do yourself a favor and go inside!
When it comes to learning about the history of the natural world around us, there is certainly a lot to take in.
For those who are interested in the animal kingdom especially, Pittsburgh has no better place to visit than the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland- home to a wonderful selection of exhibits featuring dinosaurs all the way to modern day animals, and everything in between.
Toss in a few more unique exhibits from the natural world, and you have the makings of an incredible day out in the city.
One of the things I love about Pittsburgh is that many of the city's famous innovators have given back in incredible ways.
As perhaps the most famous of all Pittsburghers, Andrew Carnegie spent the later years of his life giving back to the city in many philanthropic ways, converting his fortune into such city staples as the Carnegie Library system, the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh- to name a few.
As with all items carrying the Carnegie name and legacy, you can expect great things from these places as Carnegie had a track record of doing things bigger and better than anyone else.
When it comes to his legacy at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, notably the Museum of Art, you notice this as soon as you arrive. This art museum is one of the country's best.