SouthSide

Gateway Clipper Cruises – A Tour Perfect for Visitors

The Gateway Clipper is an iconic Pittsburgh attraction. No matter the time of day, odds are good you can look to the rivers near downtown Pittsburgh and see these iconic blue, gold, and red riverboats ferrying passengers or giving a water-level city tour.

As Pittsburgh residents, we've seen these boats for many years but oddly enough had never taken one. Naturally, since founding this site we wanted to change that and finally made the trip down to Station Square to take a sightseeing cruise at the end of peak season.

But in being honest, I have to say that there are two very different experiences you can have on the Gateway Clipper fleet- one as a resident and one as a visitor. Depending on what category you fall into, this may change your approach to this tour significantly.

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Sheraton Station Square Review – Go for the River View

Pittsburgh's iconic view from Mount Washington is known far and wide as one of the world's best skyline views. We don't know a Pittsburgher who doesn't love it, and rarely hear of visitors who don't make a special trip to the neighborhood just to check it out.

What this iconic view does not have, however, is a hotel with that same vista. For whatever reason, be it political, monetary, or otherwise, it just hasn't happened.

But there is one hotel that will get you close, and that is the Sheraton at Station Square located at the base of Mount Washington. So when we were invited to this hotel to stay the night, you know checking out the view was high on our list.

So how does this hotel stack up, view and otherwise? We share it all below.

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La Palapa Review – Authentic Mexican Cuisine in South Side

In 2017 La Palapa moved locations in South Side and expanded their menu. Our review is from before the move and we hope to check out the new location soon!

When it comes to finding authentic Mexican cuisine in Pittsburgh, it is truly a difficult task unless you know exactly where to look. Rather than celebrate the incredible food culture of Mexico, we are only able to find poor imitations and Tex-Mex restaurants that are just not the same.

But one South Side restaurant is going against the grain and is making some of Mexico's best meals right here in Pittsburgh. That restaurant is La Palapa and, along with their food cart of the same name, this one is changing the way we look at Mexican cuisine in the city.

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Streets on Carson Review – International Street Food in South Side

[two_third_last]Angie and I always talk about the idea of opening a restaurant in Pittsburgh one day, and when this topic comes up it almost always turns to our love of the food we've had while traveling.

One idea for a restaurant concept that was always intriguing to us was street food from around the world, and when we found out Streets on Carson in South Side was opening to be a provider of just that, we got incredibly excited and knew we had to visit.

But as this was an idea we also had in our heads as something Pittsburgh sorely needs, we also knew that we would be among its harshest critics.

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Climbing the Steps of South Side Slopes for Pittsburgh Views

Pittsburgh's South Side Slopes is one if the city's most unique neighborhoods due to the fact that the vast majority of it is built on the side of a hill.  In true Pittsburgh fashion when a hill is involved things get weird, and this neighborhood is no different.

What makes South Side Slopes so unusual lies in its accessibility. As the hill is often quite steep, road access up and down is limited compared to other neighborhoods in the city. To account for this oddity, numerous staircases have been built over the years to allow residents to navigate the hillside and also reach neighboring South Side with ease (these staircases are a significant percentage of the 700+ that can be found in the city).

One of our favorite aspects of South Side Slopes is that many of these staircases offer impressive views of the city, and can be enjoyed during a one to two hour hike beginning and ending in South Side. As navigating South Side Slopes can be tricky at times, we wanted to share our most recent route for others who would like to get out, climb some stairs for some exercise, and take in several great city views!

Note: Since writing this post, the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association has defined most of the route below as the “Church Route.”  For more information beyond our post, check out their write-up about the Church Route here. Our recommendations are slightly different, but the listed route will make for a good climb all the same!

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The Pub Chip Shop Review – Fish, Chips, and More

Fish Bap at Pub Chip Shop in Pittsburgh

From the name alone, The Pub Chip Shop might not sound like anything other than a greasy fish and chips place for those who have imbibed a bit too much (after all, the restaurant is located in South Side).

However, the menu is rather extensive and offers some tasty surprises that are delicious even when perfectly sober, as we were on our recent visit.

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