NorthSide

Behind the Scenes Tour at PNC Park is a Must for Baseball Fans

PNC Park is home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and is also considered to be one of the most beautiful ballparks in the country.

While a great place to be during a game, the park is also home to a behind the scenes tour that goes to a number of interesting spots inside the stadium that you normally won't see in a regular game, including:

  • Legacy Theater
  • The Clubhouse (away days only*)
  • Batting Cages, Tunnel, and Dugout
  • The Press Box
  • Club Level and Suites

Taking this tour was high on my Pittsburgh bucket list, but I always had trouble scheduling a visit to coincide with a date I could get inside the Clubhouse. Now that I finally made that happen, it is time to share a few highlights from the tour!

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Siempre Algo Review – Chef-Driven Dining Comes to the North Side

Siempre Algo in Deutschtown is a modern American restaurant with a seasonal menu and a solid bar program.

As North Side residents, we are extremely grateful for the new life that Siempre Algo and other new stores and restaurants are breathing in to East Ohio Street. And we are even more ecstatic that Siempre Algo is actually doing a great job so far!

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Texture Contemporary Ballet at the New Hazlett Theater

Texture Contemporary Ballet fills an invaluable niche in the city of Pittsburgh's arts scene with its classically-trained ballet dancers performing original contemporary works.

Texture Contemporary Ballet is for everyone: those who love classic ballet, performing arts enthusiasts, and even those who think they might not like a dance performance. We've been to several shows over the years, and we have to say that their works always keep us incredibly captivated and leave us inspired.

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Things to Know Before Attending a Pittsburgh Steelers Game

Of all the things to do in Pittsburgh, there is no experience more sought after than a Pittsburgh Steelers football game. This city bleeds black and gold, and when it is Pittsburgh football season, you'll know.

But not everyone can make it to the game as much as they'd like, and in fact it was only recently that we hit our first game at all!

To help those who are like us and are looking to get the most out of a game, this guide was born.

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Rivers of Steel’s Uniquely Pittsburgh – Historical Cruise

At this time we believe the Explorer riverboat is not in operation and is receiving maintenance upgrades. We do not have an estimated timeline when tours will resume. Please check directly with Rivers of Steel to check on current operation status.

The Rivers of Steel maintains a number of historical sites in southwestern Pennsylvania, with one of the most notable being the Carrie Furnaces in Rankin/Swissvale (just southeast of the city).

In 2018 the nonprofit launched a new riverboat tour that takes place on Pittsburgh's three rivers. This one takes patrons on a journey through Pittsburgh's history, laying out where we've come from as a city and how the citizens of the past have paved the way to our prosperous future.

As this tour is one of the most in-depth lessons you'll get on all things Pittsburgh, it is aptly named Uniquely Pittsburgh. But instead of being set in a classroom, this one using the views of the city from the rivers to really bring the region's history to life.

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Stage AE Concerts – What is the Venue Like for a Show?

If you were to poll the music crowd in Pittsburgh about their least favorite venue in the city, odds are good you're going to hear a pretty uniform response that it is Star Lake based on their notorious parking issues alone.

But if you ask us, we're probably going to say Stage AE is ours.

They don't have the same parking issues, but we found no shortage of things to dislike about this venue after a recent show.

As with our other concert reviews, this one is not about the Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys concert (they were awesome), but is instead all about what Stage AE concerts are like.

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Federal Galley Review – A Stellar Restaurant Incubator

Federal Galley follows in its sister restaurant's (Smallman Galley, now closed) footsteps in that it is a restaurant incubator that features four chefs in a food hall format.

Each chef receives a small stall in which to prepare their meals and has a contract for a variable length of time that will allow the galley to rotate new chefs in and out over the years. If you were a fan of Smallman Galley in the Strip District, then this one is for you.

Much like our review for its sister restaurant, we visited Federal Galley no fewer than five times after opening and in this review will be breaking down our meals from each chef individually!

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MCG Jazz – A Hidden Gem for Live Music in the North Side

MCG Jazz is a hidden gem at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild on the North Side, hosting live jazz concerts each year in a season that runs from fall through spring. These concerts bring in some of the best names in jazz today, from vocalists to instrumentalists, and from Broadway stars to Grammy Award winners.

Despite living a few blocks from this one for several years, we never knew it existed until a coworker told us about it. Naturally, we bought tickets right away.

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