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Finding Homes, Jobs And Entertainment: A Guide To Pittsburgh, PA
Looking down from nearby Mount Washington in southwestern Pennsylvania upon the former steel capital of the world one's eyes are filled with a breathtaking view. Nestled amidst the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers where they meet and form the Ohio River, lies a sprawling metropolis.
It is a metropolis clamoring with shipping, commerce and pedestrian activity. Rising to the center of this majestic image is an expansive, circular skyline; and from its every corner the many adjacent suburban neighborhoods stretching in all directions and strangely out of view.
Pittsburgh, PA enjoys a strategic and progressive central location. Fifty-one percent of the nation's population and 63% of the national industrial output lie within a 500 mile radius of Pittsburgh. Another 53% of U.S. purchasing income and 50% of retail sales for the entire country are also in similar proximity to this industrial giant.
These days the Keystone State doesn't rely on steel factories and coal mines to do its bidding and maintain its position as one of the nation's most stable economies and successful cities. With a population over 340, 520 (Allegheny County: 1, 256, 806), Pittsburgh in recent years has revitalized itself as a city on the move and one that is moving in an upward mobile direction.
A little history
In the 1750's settlers began migrating to the area that is now Pittsburgh. Both the British and French claimed the region, and it was the scene of fierce fighting between British and French forces during this time. In 1758 the British built a military fort near the fork of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers and named it Fort Pitt in honor of William Pitt, who later became England's prime minister. Soon afterwards, British settlers established a community around the fort and named it Pittsburgh.
After American colonists won independence from Britain in the Revolutionary War (1775-1883) the city became a focal point for pioneers traveling west. And in 1778 Pittsburgh became the Allegheny County seat, then was incorporated as a borough in 1794. Industry grew rapidly in Pittsburgh from the need for manufactured goods by growing western settlements. In 1816 the city was incorporated and enjoyed a population of about 5, 000. By the mid-1800's local deposits of coal and oil were crucial to Pittsburgh becoming an ironmaking and glassmaking center.
Pittsburgh industry also continued to grow because of numerous transportation developments in the region. The very first steamboat to travel on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers was launched from Pittsburgh in 1811. And in 1834, the Pennsylvania Canal System which connected Pittsburgh with Philadelphia, opened its main route. In 1851 the railroad came to Pittsburgh and at that time the city had more than 46, 000 residents.
During the late 1800's and after the American Civil War, Pittsburgh became the world's leading producer of steel. Prodigious mills turned out steel for ships, trains, automobiles and hundreds of other products, and Pittsburgh acquired the nickname "The Steel City."
Coal became another industrial commodity flowing from the city's many mines and mills. But by 1900, half of the world's glass and iron was produced from Pittsburgh factories and made up two-thirds of the steel produced in the United States at that time.
Naturally steel production helped Pittsburgh become a booming economy. But it also caused dangerous levels of pollution. Often the air became so dense with pollutants that downtown streetlights had to be turned on during the day. Some residents and visitors began dubbing Pittsburgh as the "Smoky City." Fortunately in the early 1950's, Pittsburgh initiated a major urban renewal program. The significant program included strict controls on industry and coal-burning furnaces. And since then, pollution has been greatly reduced in the city.
Known as Pittsburgh's Renaissance I, the first stage of urban renewal was completed in the early 1970's. During the 1950's Point State Park and the Gateway Center replaced many of the factories and warehouses in the Golden Triangle. By the 1960's the Civic Arena and the USX Tower were completed and the famous Three Rivers Stadium was built during the 1970's.
During the 1980's a second renewal project, called Renaissance II, was undertaken, and produced a trolley-subway system, a convention center, additional housing and business areas, and several new skyscrapers, including PPG Place.
Due largely to economic problems between 1980 and 1990, the population of Pittsburgh dropped and over 60, 000 people moved to other cities to find work. Happily, during the 1990's, as new jobs in health care, tourism and other occupations became more available, unemployment declined in the area.
Today, Pittsburgh continues to enjoy continued growth and opportunity. And is becoming well known not just for its previous industrial reputation and economic woes, but for the popular cultural it exudes and the position it maintains on the social register.
So of course, Pittsburgh it not without its famous residents and cultural icons. Artists Mary Cassatt and Andy Warhol were born in Pittsburgh. So were film stars Shirley Jones, Jeff Goldblum, Jimmy Stewart and Gene Kelly. And Sharon Stone, Fred Rogers and Michael Keaton have called Pittsburgh home.
Often considered the "Hollywood on the Mon, " a number of recent film hits was produced in Pittsburgh including Hoffa, Bob Roberts, Silence of the Lambs, Houseguest, Striking Distance and The Cemetery Club. Actually, as early as 1914 the city began its celebrity history when the silent film classic, The Perils of Pauline, starring Pearl White, was filmed in Pittsburgh.
The 1983 hit movie Flashdance was also filmed in Pittsburgh. Starring Jennifer Beals and Michael Nouri, Flashdance tells the story of Alex who works as a welder during the day and as a performance dancer at night. The inspiring musical romance about falling in love and achieving one's dreams went on to win four Academy Awards, and continues to render a positive PR image of Pittsburgh and the blue-collar stiffs who live and work there.
And of course Americans should thank Pittsburgh for those long, daylight-filled summer evenings. During World War I, local Pittsburgher Robert Garland convinced President Wilson to begin turning back the clocks as a means of conserving energy. Thus "Daylight Savings Time" was born.
Climate
Pittsburgh, like much of the eastern United States, can sometimes get quite cold during fall and winter months, as severe storms and snowfall have been recorded in recent years throughout the region.
Otherwise Pittsburgh winters are not usually so frigid. In fact, the average January temperature is 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and by May the area warms up considerably and continues to climb steadily through June and into July. The average temperature in July is often a comfortable 68 degrees Fahrenheit, with a fairly low humidity year-round.
The average precipitation for the past year has been 2.5 to 3.75 inches of rain, mainly during spring and summer; and as snow during late fall through winter.
Opportunities
For a place to live and work in, Pittsburgh is pretty hard to beat. It has ranked in the top ten as the best place for working mothers, to raise a family, to begin a career, as a place to own a home-based business, to earn personal wealth and for the relocation of families and businesses.
As the home of Fortune 500 headquarters, Pittsburgh has been ranked seventh in the nation. USX, ALCOA, Heinz Ketchup, and PPG are all located here, and according to a recent Fortune Magazine survey, Pittsburgh is a friendly town to do business.
Pittsburgh enjoys a high availability of technical workers and ranks 11th in the nation in software employment. In addition, the region has a very low employee turnover and surpasses the U.S. average in 19 industries. Some of these are food processing, chemical products, machinery, technology, manufacturing, housing, electric equipment and tourism.
Pittsburgh International Airport is a great place to work and was recently ranked number one in the country and three in the world by readers of Conde Naste Traveler magazine. The airport is home to 23 airlines which provide passenger, cargo and charter service to cities around the world and make 581 non-stop flights to 119 cities everyday.
Some of the major businesses providing employment opportunities in the area are FORE Systems, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, PPG Industries, Fisher Scientific, Giant Eagle, Mellon Bank, Shadyside Hospital, US Airways and Mastech. In addition, the city's three major rivers and the Pittsburgh Port have facilities that provide thousands of jobs in shipping, shipbuilding and other commerce-related industries.
While many downtown areas in the nation have lost jobs and vitality to the suburbs, Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle remains the region's retail and corporate center. And provide along with the entertainment, hospitality, medical, legal and administrative, banking, and shipping and canning industries, thousands of median to high paying jobs throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.
Under construction and slated for completion in 2002 is the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The design incorporates a helipad, public outdoor jogging track, a sculpture garden, a restaurant and a riverfront promenade and should provide hundreds of new jobs to area residents.
Setting down roots
For the past ten years Pittsburgh repeatedly ranked in Rand McNally's Top Ten Livable Cities, and the cost of living is among the lowest in the nation. Compared to other American cities of similar size, housing costs in the City of Pittsburgh are some of the lowest. In fact, the cost of a three-bedroom home in the Pittsburgh area is nearly 30% below the national average.
Whether you are looking for a condominium, a brownstone, a family house, a classic Victorian home, or a basic rental unit, Pittsburgh is considered a great place to live. And residents regularly hear about new openings, groundbreakings and restorations as developments continue to be built.
Recent listings of homes for sale include a 3 bedroom with large dining room, updated kitchen, new bath and 2-car detached garage for $34, 900 in the metro area; three bedroom and larger homes from $73, 900 to $167, 900 in North Suburbia; and two to four bedroom homes priced at $65, 000 to $179, 000 in West Suburbia, Pittsburgh.
For apartment and home rentals, Pittsburgh offers quite a lot of affordable housing throughout its five real estate districts. On the South Side one bedroom units rent from $330.00 and up and are centrally located within walking distance of downtown and major shopping outlets.
Here and in other areas of the city two bedroom apartments can be had for as low as $485.00 per month, and larger three bedroom homes on the North Side, for example, are available at $520.00 per month. Pittsburgh's 88 neighborhoods offer a wonderfully efficient system for people to live and the following are just some of the developments happening in some of these neighborhoods: Allequippa Terrace, Fox Ways Commons, Manchester Housing, Lawrenceville Shops, Schenley Center and The Strip Lofts.
Pittsburgh has the largest school district in Allegheny County, with 97 public schools serving approximately 40, 000 pupils throughout Pittsburgh and Mt. Oliver. Employing approximately 5, 200 people, its facilities include 11 high schools (Grades 9-12), 19 middle schools (Grades 6-8), and 59 elementary schools. Beginning with kindergarten, transportation is provided for students who attend an elementary or middle school more than 1-1/2 miles from home or a high school more than two miles from home.
The City of Pittsburgh is home to many world-class educational institutions. They include Duquesne University, Robert Morris College, Carnegie Mellon University, Point Park College, Chatham College, Carlow College and the University of Pittsburgh. With 28 colleges and universities, and over 20 vocational/technical schools and an enrollment of over 100, 000 students, Pittsburgh universities are consistently featured in the US News & World Reports as having some of the best programs nation-wide.
Public transportation is quite good in Pittsburgh and brings 70, 000 people into Downtown each weekday. Nicer still: transportation is free within the Downtown area until 7:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh is home to hundreds of outdoor public facilities and area parks. Some of the most pleasant parks alongside some of the best places to live are located on the north and west sides of town. And many provide play areas for children, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, picnic shelters and other year-round recreational facilities.
Fairywood Park, West End Park and Oakwood Playground are two great places on the west side to bring spouse and kids, as are Schenley Park and Point State Park on the east side, and Gardner Field, Jefferson Playground and Brighton Heights Park in north Pittsburgh, to name only a few.
And these and other family-friendly parks offer breathtaking views of the city skyline and of the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela Rivers.
Body...
Pittsburgh is where the Devonshire Sandwich, Heinz Ketchup, Iron City Beer, the Klondike ice cream bar and Isaly's Chipped Ham were invented. And just about anywhere you can get a great cup of java in almost any size or flavor, since Pittsburghers lead the nation in per-capita coffee consumption.
And of course Pittsburgh offers hundreds of fine restaurants and exciting places to wine and dine, and where one can enjoy a number of tasty dishes indigenous to the city. But besides the many three and four star establishments offering international, national and regional cuisine, Pittsburgh is inundated with coffee houses, wine and beer pubs, outdoor cafes and takeout restaurants serving both exquisite and down-to-earth meals and spirits for cost-conscious tourists and others seeking an affordable bill of fare.
Looking for a romantic setting? Try Bruschetta's on the South Side. Its menu is filled with a variety of Italian cuisines including Cappellini Diablo, Bruschetta's Rotolo, Veal Zurich, Gamberi di Bruschetta, and many other house specialties, most all reasonably priced between $15-$25 per person.
Another romantic favorite is the Cafe Allegro, also on the South Side. Voted Pittsburgh's Best Overall Restaurant from 1993 to 1999 by RealPittsburgh.com, it offers a creative cuisine of French, Italian and seafood influences. Prices range from $25-$50, and coat and tie are required.
For large portions of succulent food at very low prices and gregarious, neighborly saloon charm visit the Regent Square Tavern in Pittsburgh's Swissvale district. Honey barbecue and mild wings, Nachos Grande covered with Louisiana chili, sandwiches, salads and tasty French fries are served here, all at prices below $15.00.
For families, friends or couples Max & Erma's is a hometown favorite with five establishments in the Pittsburgh area. Some of the delicious plates served here are the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, their infamous Garbage Burger, Philly Steak Sandwich, Tortilla Soup, Max's Monstrous Combo, and the Hula Bowl Salad. A stomach-filling, mouth-watering meal for a family of five can be had for a mere thirty bucks at any of the Max & Erma's restaurants.
Pittsburgh is filled to the brim--excuse the pun--with an endless assortment of bars, drinking pubs and nightclubs. Chauncy's in Station Square is certainly one of the hippest clubs in town. It schedules numerous special events and theme nights throughout the year, and offers live music and dancing each evening and also serves a good dinner menu during daytime hours.
In the heart of the Strip District is Area 51, which is open to UFO aficionados, folks from Roswell and other worldly visitors. It has a huge dance floor with out-of-this-world futuristic decor, a fully-stocked bar downstairs, TVs for serious sports fans, a separate VIP lounge (with its own full bar), and various flash, strobe and laser light systems to enhance the heavy metal spaceship ambiance. And DJ's play just about any kind of music known on planet earth.
The 1902 Landmark Tavern on Market Street is one of the oldest drinking establishments in Pittsburgh. Its quaint, turn-of-the-19th-century atmosphere offers comfort, relaxation and smalltalk for both corporate types and casual drinkers. Only a short walk from downtown's recently renovated theaters and Point State Park, the Tavern serves a broad range of drafts and liquors, as well as elegant dinners of pasta, steak, and seafood.
Retail and wholesale shopping are looming industries in Pittsburgh. And major department stores and shopping malls dot the city's landscape in great variety and size. Three large shopping complexes are the Monroeville, Ross Park Malls and South Hills Village which offer a wide variety of retail and specialty outlets as well as grocery and department store shopping.
The Eastland Mall & Marketplace and Great Southern Shopping Center house an incredible collection of shops dealing in clothing, jewelry, techno gear, fashion and sports products, as well as antiques and collectibles and health and beauty items for the discerning shopper.
Soergel's Farm Market in nearby Wexford, PA sells fresh produce, gourmet and home-baked food, and has an apple orchard, greenhouse and expansive bakery as well as a gift shop catering to those seeking quality goods at bargain prices.
The First Choice PA is one of Pittsburgh's foremost retailers of wine and liquor. The store stocks a large selection of imported wines from around the world, and many rare, hard-to-find spirits such as the La Reggia Crema di Limone liqueur from Naples, Italy. The specialty shop also sells cigars, flowers, gift baskets and gourmet foods.
Lazarus, one of the City's strongest retail outlets and one of the largest free-standing department stores in America, is located on Fifth Avenue at Wood Street in the heart of Pittsburgh's retail district and offers shoppers an assortment of fine products and bargain prices from all over the world.
These and other department stores, malls and shopping complexes throughout the city's market district and rural neighborhoods have helped Pittsburgh become one of the best places to sell and shop in the eastern United States.
...and soul
Faith centers and meeting facilities are provided by ten major religious organizations in Pittsburgh. These include CrossRoads, Baptist Homes of Western Pennsylvania, Catholic Alumni Club of Pittsburgh, and The Salvation Army.
Nineteen denominational churches currently number among places of worship and faiths operating in Pittsburgh. Prominent among these the are First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, Macedonia Baptist Church, Sri Venkateswara Temple, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Entertainment
Pittsburgh is home to hundreds of companies in the business of providing entertainment and recreational activities for millions of people year-round. Some include both indoor and outdoor facilities for bowling, archery, handball, Frisbee, ice skating, hockey, chess and board games, golf, aquatics, soccer, martial arts, bocce, tennis and gymnastics.
Another favorite activity for area residents is reading and relaxing, and the city certainly has quite a lot of unique places for one to read in or take out whenever the literary urge strikes.
A few major retail book stores in Pittsburgh are Bookends on Carson, St. Elmo's, City Books, and the Pathfinder Bookstore which specializes in hard-to-find political volumes including the actual speeches of Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela.
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has over 15 branch facilities in Pittsburgh, including the Library for the Blind and Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, and is considered one of the finest library systems operating in the United States.
In addition, there are over 40 other libraries in Allegheny County, including those owned and operated by the public school system and the city's many universities of higher education.
Pittsburgh has movie houses galore--some open until the wee hours--for film goers interested in catching the latest popular flick. The largest of these are the Cinematropolis - Plaza Theatre, Showcase Cinemas Pittsburgh West, Squirrel Hill Theater and the Cinemagic's Manor Theater.
The City Planning Department's Historic Review Commission produces walking tours for three historic districts in the city: the Mexican War Streets, Manchester and Allegheny West. For business, education or pleasure, these tours are available most days of the week.
The Eliza Furnace Trail connects Downtown with the neighborhood of Greenfield. This paved, flat 2.6-mile trail has become a favorite of runners, bicyclists and in-line skaters since it opened in June 1998.
The city is home to the Pittsburgh Public Theater, one of the country's most respected regional theater companies and offers performances at the recently built Byham Theater. Nearby are the Station Square Playhouse, Heinz Hall, the Bendum Center, the newly restored Harris Theater, and O'Reilly Theater, all providing top stage and music productions throughout the year.
In Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood is the Pittsburgh Coliseum. The facility's showpiece is a tongue-and-groove white maple floor covering 13, 700 square feet and is capable of holding everything from car shows, exhibitions, weekly bingo games to national concert acts.
The Schenley Skating Rink, The Flowers of Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh Zoo, Kennywood Amusement Park and community centers and local businesses provide a plethora of recreational activities to area residents and visiting tourists.
Claimed to be America's largest waterslide complex is the Sandcastle, a riverfront park containing a beach, a boardwalk, a 1, 600-foot lazy river, and 16 waterslides. Here, children and adults can splash and swim all day long to their hearts' delight.
And Pittsburgh is only a short driving distance of skiing, rowing, camping, and hunting and fishing. In fact, Pittsburgh's three rivers offer at least 13 kinds of fish. So recreational fishers or those who consider it a national pastime can get a hook in everything from trout to bass.
The Andy Warhol Museum, Museum of Natural History, and The Carnegie Science Center's four museum complexes are only a few of the hundreds of museums and art galleries throughout greater Pittsburgh that offer year-round shows, exhibitions and public viewings of historical artifacts, scientific and technological material and modern and neo-modern art.
Pittsburgh is also home to a number of world famous professional sports franchises including the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins professional hockey team. And the University of Pittsburgh's collegiate football team is often in the running for the national championship.
For golf lovers, there's the Oakmont Country Club, the only golf course to be named a national historic landmark. The legendary course serves thousands of members and tourists, and has played host to a record 15 major golf championships, including seven U.S. Opens.
Last but not least, the city enjoys one of the nation's most prominent symphony orchestras: the renown Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In addition, the Pittsburgh Opera Company ranks near the New York MET as one of the finest performing and recording organizations in the opera world.
Along with local repertory theaters, collegiate orchestras and smaller musical companies, the best in classical music, jazz, Broadway shows and popular artists can be enjoyed at reasonable prices and sometimes for free at any of the city's numerous concert and seasonal performance centers.
By Patrick - Patrick P. Stafford is a resident of Grants Pass, Oregon and resides there with his novelist father Elsan Stafford. Patrick has written for AccessLife.com, IQ Magazine, Neighborhood America, Amateur Chef...
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