Living Here
6 Unique Fruits You Can Grow in Pittsburgh
Being located in Zones 6 to 7a, Pittsburgh has an interesting climate.
The warm, often humid climate in the summer presents great growing conditions for numerous plants, but the cold winters with periodic deep freezes can be quite challenging for non-cold hardy plants to make it through.
So, while you may be used to growing common fruits like apples, berries, peaches, and more, there are actually a ton of fruits that could grow in Pittsburgh that you may not know about.
In this one, we thought we'd share some of the more unique fruits we've found that can thrive in our climate, plus give some tips we've found from our own trees for special considerations to keep in mind (when applicable).
Notes: We presently are growing (or plan on growing) most all of the fruits listed in this article. However, all of our plants are still young and not quite producing just yet. As such, first-hand maintenance information may be limited until our plants grow more. Likewise, only specific varieties of any given species may grow in our area (e.g. brown turkey figs and not mission figs). This will be a recurring theme, but always check growing zone ratings before purchasing any plants- especially if you want to plant them outside permanently.
Renovating a Kitchen in Pittsburgh – Who We Used
When we started renovating our kitchen, we knew we wanted to support as many Pittsburgh businesses as we could over more conventional big box retailors.
Although many of the products we installed in our kitchen were, of course, not locally made, this one purchasing decision at least allowed us to help keep some of what ended up being a rather expensive remodel local.
So in this one, we thought we'd share who we used, what we thought, and more to help others who are looking to renovate a kitchen in Pittsburgh like we did!
Our Working Theory as to Why Driving in Pittsburgh is Awful
We will be the first to admit that driving in Pittsburgh is not the best. While our rush hours are nothing compared to other major cities in the country, there is something about Pittsburgh that makes driving here more difficult than it should be.
It would be easy for us for simply blame this on the tunnels, bridges (446 at last count), and potholes and be done with it. This is certainly a factor, of course, but our working theory goes just a bit beyond that as well.
So, why do we think driving here is not the best? We have two styles of drivers, and they are conflicting when on the road together.
10 Specialty Stores for Shopping Outside of the Strip
When it comes to boutique shopping in Pittsburgh, it is really easy for us to simply direct you to the Strip District and (almost) call it a day. This neighborhood has so many specialty stores that you can find a great number of products all within a ~10-block shopping district.
That being said, leaving the shopping discussion to purely the Strip District would be doing you a disservice as there are many other boutique and specialty stores in the Pittsburgh area.
In this one, we wanted to share a few of our favorites all with one thing in common- none of these are located in the Strip District. So if you're looking for a store to go deep into a particular style or item, these are a few great places to start!
Note: We know that there are way more than the following in the metro area. As with everything on this site, we will add more great stores as we visit them!
How to Travel Pittsburgh to New York – Bus, Amtrak, and More
Are you looking to travel from Pittsburgh to New York? Well, you're in luck- there are actually a number of options available beyond just flying.
Whether you're looking to take Trailways, Amtrak, drive, or even fly, there are a number of travel options for you!
As we've taken more or less every transportation option in our travels from Pittsburgh to NYC, we wanted to break down the options in detail in this one.
Things to Consider When Buying Pittsburgh Real Estate
Looking at Pittsburgh real estate is fun, isn't it?
Okay, we know it isn't. In fact, buying a house in Pittsburgh can be downright awful in terms of finding a location, price, and condition that matches your budget- all while being able to negotiate a deal in the hot marketplace.
In this one we wanted to share some of our thoughts after our house buying experience in hopes that it may help others moving looking to do the same!
Note: Our experiences noted below are based on us buying a house within Pittsburgh's city limits only. Those who live in a different city and/or different county may have different rules and rates to keep in mind. For specific questions, please speak to a licensed professional.
19 Photos of Pittsburgh’s Frozen Rivers to Make You Feel Cold
Pittsburgh and the northeastern United States started 2018 off with a bang, experiencing near record low temperatures followed by a rare bomb cyclone.
With temperatures between zero and ten degrees (before wind chill!) for many days in a row, Pittsburgh's iconic three rivers started to freeze over.
We took several trips out into the tundra known as Pittsburgh when this happened to capture some shots of the frozen wonderland. These 19 photos are some of our favorites.
5 Pittsburgh Christmas Ornaments Perfect for Gifting
Whether you're a Pittsburgh sports fanatic, a Pitt Panther, a lifelong Yinzer, or are new to the city but have fallen in love with it, there's a Christmas ornament out there for you.
We've been looking for the best Pittsburgh Christmas ornaments, and we're here to help you with your holiday shopping with a list of some of our favorites found on Etsy!
6 Great Garden Centers and Nurseries in Pittsburgh
If you're looking to beautify your home's outdoor space but want to shop somewhere more unique than just a big box store, Pittsburgh has plenty of local garden centers with much more interesting offerings. We've been busy checking them out to find the best- here are some of our favorites we've been to so far and the types of things you'll find at each.