Jeremy, Author at Discover the Burgh

3 Ways to Exploit Pennsylvania’s Archaic Alcohol Laws in Pittsburgh

July 6, 2023October 6, 2015

Let's be honest, Pennsylvania is home to some of the most backwards liquor laws in the country.

Want to go buy a bottle of wine? ~~Good luck finding it in a grocery store~~. Yay, this law is finally going away!
Want a six pack of beer? No corner store will stock it. (But literally just a few gas stations in the state might)
Want to pick up hard liquor? The state runs a monopoly on the stuff unless you are a local distiller.

I could spend quite a bit of time ranting about how crazy these laws are, but instead I want to help you out with three ways we've come to exploit the system for the best.

Heinz History Center – Learning the History of Pittsburgh

July 9, 2022October 5, 2015

Every city needs a great museum to let its history shine, and in Pittsburgh that museum is the Heinz History Center in the Strip District.

Our first observation after entering the Heinz History Center was that it was much like the popular Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC. But instead of having separate buildings for each theme as in our nation's capital, the Heinz History Center has everything in one building.

Well, as it turns out the museum is in fact affiliated with the Smithsonian, and the legacy of the nation's most popular museum collection shines in every exhibit in this city gem.

Pittsburgh Local Resources We Love

August 7, 2022September 26, 2015

When it comes to websites and social media for the city of Pittsburgh, we're not alone here at Discover the Burgh. In fact, there are dozens of websites out there run by the city, neighborhood associations, or other individuals like us that we think are simply awesome or quite valuable to know.

If you are looking for more content from the city of Pittsburgh outside of this site, be it news, events, emergency updates, city info, or simply great local content, we recommend starting with these sites first!

An Evening at Mr. Small’s Theater in Millvale

November 23, 2024September 25, 2015

Much to the chagrin of music lovers in the city, Pittsburgh's concert scene often gets poor reviews. Sure, a super group may play at Acrisure Stadium once a year, a few big bands will play at the impossibly frustrating First Niagara Pavilion, and smaller but still well known bands may show up at Stage AE from time to time.

The frustration music fans have stems not from a lack of venues, we do have quite a few in the area, but more from the fact that for whatever reason, the huge bands people want to see just don't come here like in other cities. (To be fair, the music scene of lesser known groups can be quite good if you are looking for it).

Luckily for us, one of our favorite bands, the bluegrass-inspired Punch Brothers led by MacArthur Fellowship award winner Chris Thile (a musical God if there ever was one), loves to play in Pittsburgh and often hit a new venue during each visit. The most recent of which led us to a night out at Mr. Small's Theater in Millvale, where we have one of the most enjoyable music experiences in recent memory.

Healthy Ride Pittsburgh – A New Way to Explore the City

April 26, 2022September 23, 2015

In April 2022, Healthy Ride formally launched a rebrand to be called POGOH. Stations are being replaced and availability is presently limited. We will update this article accordingly when the POGOH stations are fully available in the coming weeks.

Over the past several months you've likely seen Healthy Ride bike kiosks popping up all over the city. These bikes are one of the many new services coming out to help encourage visitors and locals to get out and explore the many bike trails the city has to offer, and with over 500 bikes and 50 stations, they're doing a great job at it.

We finally got the chance to try one of these bikes on a day out exploring the North Shore bike trail, and had a pretty interesting experience with the service.

Maggie’s Farm Rum Review – Award Winning Rum in the Strip

October 8, 2025September 14, 2015

In August 2025, Maggie's announced the closure of their South Hills location. The Strip District location appears to have re-opened in late September.

We are spoiled to have many great distilleries in Pittsburgh. Pick a spirit, and odds are good you can find it being made locally.

Some of our local distillers are highly specialized, and focus on one (or a small handful of products). One such distillery is Maggie's Farm Rum, producing all things, you guessed it, rum!

This one is proof that you don't have to fly to the Caribbean or Indian Ocean to find amazing rum, and their accolades speak for themselves. Maggie's has won numerous national awards including Pennsylvania Distillery of the Year at the NY International Spirits Competition and America's Best Rum by the American Craft Spirits Association to name a few.

Thirsty yet? You know we are, which is why we find ourselves returning to the distillery's two locations again and again.

The Mattress Factory is a Stellar Contemporary Art Museum

September 13, 2024September 9, 2015

When it comes to contemporary art, you never know what you are going to get. This is part of the fun in visiting these museums because there never seems to be one particular style that is on display. Sometimes it is disappointing, other times thought provoking, but overall you never really know what will be around the next bend.

At Pittsburgh's contemporary art museum, Mattress Factory, we found each exhibit to be more interesting than the last and left wondering why it took us so long to visit this museum in the first place.

24 Pittsburgh Wineries, Cider Houses, and Meaderies to Visit

May 19, 2025September 2, 2015

Pittsburgh is not known to be a wine capital in the US, let alone a highlight in the region, but that isn't stopping local brewers and wine makers from producing some pretty incredible beverages. That is enough to get us excited, and we're on a quest to find the gems that are worth your time.

When it comes to wineries in Pittsburgh, many go beyond the standard batch of fermented grapes to produce something completely unique. The following are some of the best that we have tried so far.

Note: This guide also features cider houses and meaderies in addition to traditional southwest Pennsylvania wineries.

Exploring the Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning

November 23, 2024September 1, 2015

Chinese Room at the Cathedral of Learning

Note: The Nationality Rooms are now requiring advanced registration for tours. Keep an eye on this one as things could change.

Pitt's Cathedral of Learning is one of the most beautiful university buildings in the country.

Ignoring the fact that this college building is the only skyscraper in Oakland and its main lobby resembles a European cathedral mixed with Hogwarts, Pitt's flagship building houses one other treasure worth exploring during a visit: the Nationality Rooms.

Let's go to the last place you'd expect to visit in Pittsburgh– back to school!

Going Animal Spotting at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

May 22, 2024August 29, 2015

The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium is one of the most visited family attractions in the city.

We've frequented the aquarium many times over the year during private events, but it wasn't until recently that we were able to visit the zoo and aquarium during normal operations.