If you're looking to experience some holiday cheer this year, you should definitely plan a visit to downtown Pittsburgh where you'll find an incredible collection of Christmas displays, a European winter market, and so much more!
So what all can you expect to enjoy when heading downtown for the holidays? The following are some of our favorites from our latest visit!
Mellon Park stands on what was the estate of industrialist and banker Richard Mellon. Although Mellon's mansion is now gone, the park and the beautiful walled garden, previously attached to the home, remain.
Today the park is used as a beautiful public space with live music at the Bach, Beethoven, and Brunch series in the summer months, and is also home to a hidden memorial in the Walled Garden that only comes out at night!
When we talk about Pittsburgh streets, it is often followed up with how terrible it is to drive on them. We get it, we all stink at driving here (with no added thanks to the roads), but we're not going to talk about that here.
One thing we have found interesting in our exploration of Pittsburgh is not just how bad the drivers are, but rather how many unique streets this city has! Between our downtown roads being designed on a triangular grid and the outer neighborhoods being full of hills, many roads in this great city are unique to say the least.
After countless trips out and about in the city, the following is a collection of our favorites that we've visited so far.
At one point in time Pittsburgh was home to nearly twenty active funiculars, or inclines as they are called here, which were used to transport people and cargo up and down the many different hills located around the city.
Sadly, most of the Pittsburgh incline funiculars have closed over time, the city is now home to only two: the Monongahela Incline, located at Station Square, and the Duquesne Incline, located a mile down Carson Street.
Although we thoroughly enjoy riding both of these funiculars, for those who are interested in enjoying the best view the city has to offer, taking a ride on the Duquesne Incline is a must do experience.
On our last international trip, we came home with a new addition to our family: our dog Tamale!
As we don't have a backyard, we are extremely grateful for the many green spaces, parks, hiking trails, and dog parks in and close to the city. As a part of our newest series, Dogsburgh, featuring all of the dog friendly places in Pittsburgh, we turn our attention to a popular spot for dog lovers and their four-legged friends: dog parks.
Our quest to find the best dog parks in the city is currently underway, and a selection of our favorites are featured below. As we explore more of the city and find unique parks to add, you can be certain this list will be updated!
The aptly named North Park in northern Allegheny County is a popular spot for those looking to enjoy a day out for hiking in the woods, walking along the paved lake path, or taking in one of the many other activities available.
No matter why you visit this one, there is enough to keep returning time and time again!
Our quest to find Pittsburgh's best burger brought us to the popular local chain Burgatory, which prides itself on having organic and all natural ingredients, massive portions, and a devious selection of meats ranging from Wagyu beef to grass fed elk.
With multiple locations around Pittsburgh, including in PPG Paints Arena and Acrisure Stadium, we hoped that the burger chain would hold up where others fell flat. Luckily, after sampling our way around the Burgatory menu, we can most certainly say that it does.
Downtown Pittsburgh is unique in that it sits at the point where three rivers, the Ohio, the Allegheny, and the Monongahela, converge.
The resulting land at the tip of downtown Pittsburgh has played an important role for the city throughout its history, and today is a gorgeous public space known as Point State Park that is a must see spot for all visitors to the city.
When a friend of ours told us to go try out Quik-It Chicken, a chicken restaurant located in the same building as a gas station in the North Side, we thought he was kidding. Gas station food is generally something we wouldn't consider good dining in any capacity. But knowing this friend, and his off-the-wall recommendations actually being amazing most of the time, we went for it and do not regret the decision in the slightest.
One of the things we love about Pittsburgh is its proximity to nature. We may be a large city, but it is incredibly easy to get out and hike through the beauty of Pennsylvania when the weather is nice.
One of our excursions north of the city took us to McConnells Mill State Park, located roughly 30 miles outside of Pittsburgh via I-79, to check out a mill that is over one hundred years old, a covered bridge, and gorgeous fall foliage.