Downtown

Yaba’s Middle Eastern Street Food Review – Fast Casual Downtown

When looking for a new restaurant to visit downtown before a Pittsburgh Penguins game, Yaba's Middle Eastern Street Food, just across the street from PPG Paints Arena, caught our attention.

A fast casual, build-your-own bowl and wrap concept focusing on Middle Eastern flavors? All at a reasonable price? Sign us up!

As it turns out, this restaurant, tucked away on the second floor of an assuming building near the stadium, packed a punch. If you're in the mood for a quick and reasonably priced Middle Eastern meal while downtown, Yaba's is worth the stop.

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How to Get the Most Out of Light Up Night in Pittsburgh

In Pittsburgh, the start of the holiday season is not ambiguous.

It is not after Halloween when department stores put out Christmas decorations (or do they do it before now?). It is not the day after Thanksgiving that many traditionally observe. It is also not the first snow sighting, December 1st, the fall time change, or any other arbitrary benchmark.

This one particular instance should not be up for debate, as the start of the Christmas season in Pittsburgh is Light Up Night- the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

In this guide, we want to share some of our favorite tips on how to get the most out of what is perhaps our favorite annual event in Pittsburgh!

Note: In 2025, Light Up Night will have some slightly modified event locations due to the on-going construction in Market Square. While this article is meant to be somewhat static year-to-year, we've noted some variations for 2025's festivities in this one.

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5 Places to Park in Downtown Pittsburgh for Cheap

One complaint we hear on a regular basis about exploring downtown Pittsburgh is that it is expensive to park.

We always thought this was an interesting statement, given that Pittsburgh's parking garages are, in our experience at least, much, much cheaper than most major cities.

The complaint about parking downtown has a kernel of truth, however. Some garages do charge $20, $30, $40, or more to park- typically the result of extreme surge pricing whenever popular events are going on. These private garages are often able to price on a whim and get unsuspecting visitors to pay because, well, that's the price.

But here's the truth- many garages do not charge this much, and, dare we say, are quite reasonable. If you know where to park, particularly in many of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority garages, you will likely never pay much more than $8 after 4 pm and on weekends, or sub-$20 for a full-day during the work week.

So in this one, we thought we'd share five places to park in downtown Pittsburgh that won't break the bank. These are, for us at least, the only places we will ever park- and we reap the reward in the form of massive savings every time.

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Kayak Pittsburgh Makes for Perfect River Exploration

One of our favorite on-the-water activities is kayaking. But when it comes to kayaking around the Point, we could never make the logistics work. When we were free, the river would be running too fast, or it would be abysmally hot. 

Then, Kayak Pittsburgh closed its rental location next to PNC Park to work on an upgraded dock near the convention center, which opened in the summer of 2025.

So we resolved to check this one as soon as it opened, and we are really glad we did- this kayaking launch site is a dream come true!

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10 Performing Art Venues in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District

Every Pittsburgher knows what makes the Cultural District special, and it is the impressive concentration of theaters found in just a few short blocks.

From Heinz Hall and the Benedum Center to more obscure spots like Liberty Magic and Greer Cabaret, we really have the opportunity to see a show almost every single day of the year.

So in this one, we thought we'd run through all of the great theaters in the Cultural District to help you find a new spot to take in a show!

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Anthrocon’s Fursuit Parade and Block Party is a Ton of Fun

Out of all of the conferences that come to Pittsburgh, Anthrocon is one of the most unique and interesting. 

The conference is for fur suit enthusiasts, or furries, and has been coming to Pittsburgh every year since 2006. That year, 2,489 furries descended on the city for the event, and in 2024, the conference ballooned to over 17,639 participants!

Although the convention itself is primarily designed for those interested in the community, there are many opportunities for outsides to get to meet with visitors, see their incredible fur suits up close, and welcome them to the community.

But one of our favorites is Anthrocon's fursuit parade, which involves a massive promenade around the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. So, let's talk a bit more about it in this one!

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Whisper Offers Classic Wines, Dessert, and More Downtown

We always love it when a new wine-forward bar opens in Pittsburgh, and when we heard that Bridges & Bourbon was opening Whisper, a self-described wine and dessert bar, we knew we had to visit shortly after opening.

As it turns out, this one actually has a robust menu of cocktails, wines, shareable savory foods, and dessert, all centered around classic recipes and wine brands you may recognize. This comes together for a bar with a high-end ambiance much like its sister bar next door and a welcoming sense of the familiar when reading the menu.

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How to Get the Most Out of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Pittsburgh is often considered to have one of the largest St. Patrick's Day Parades in the country, taking place the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day (unless the holiday falls on a Saturday, of course), and it doesn't take long after the parade starts to see why that is.

This one is massive!

Whether you're heading down to check out the parade or want to keep the party going and make a day of it, we have some tips you may want to keep in mind before heading downtown for the parade.

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Arepittas Review – Delicious Venezuelan Arepas Downtown

Arepittas on Cherry Way in downtown Pittsburgh is one of those blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of spots.

Part of this is because it is on a less frequented stretch of downtown Pittsburgh outright, but the main reason is that it is tucked on the first level of a large parking garage. So much so that it feels almost like it is inside the garage properly. 

So when we drove down this road and saw the small Venezuelan street food restaurant, we had to do a double take. But after hearing many glowing reviews from others who have visited before us, we knew we had to get in right away.

To put it bluntly- Arepittas may be the best cheap eats in downtown Pittsburgh.

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The Aperitivo Club Showcases Italian Flavor Downtown

If you've frequented Market Square in recent years, you may be familiar with the Wine Bar at the Market Street Grocery. This little hangout spot tucked away in the back of the (now-closed) grocery store offered an assortment of Italian wines in a relaxing ambiance.

In 2024, the Wine Bar underwent a rebranding and expansion to become The Aperitivo Club. While still offering a stellar selection of wines, this one added on an impressive collection of cocktails featuring Italian amaro, spirits, and more, small bites, and more!

Naturally, we had to check out the cocktail side of this bar shortly after opening.

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