My best friend moved to Pittsburgh (from Atlanta) for his job back in August. I haven’t had a chance to visit yet, but he is on vacation for the week of Thanksgiving. I’m flying up next Saturday (11/21) and will be there until the day after Thanksgiving.
He hasn’t explored the city yet, so he’s not going to be much of a tour guide. I’m trying to find interesting things to do while I’m there.
Here’s what I’ve already planned-
I am a huge fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and I’ve always wanted to see ‘Fallingwater’, his masterpiece home about an hour outside of town. I’ve already bought tickets for the tour.
I collect Fiestaware and the Homer Laughlin China Company (who makes it) is located in Newell, WV. It’s less than an hour from his house they have a cool museum and outlet store. I’m planning to go.
I would LOVE to go to the Honda Heritage Center (near Columbus, OH in Marysville, OH). It includes a museum covering the history of Honda producing vehicles in the U.S. and a factory tour. I’ve reserved a day there, but I’m not sure if we’ll actually make the 3.5hr drive or not.
So what else do I need to see while I’m there?***
I’m a history fan, so a museum covering the history of the city or even the history of the steel industry would be cool…
Carnegie Museum- fantastic Natural history museum
Warhol Museum
Duquesne Incline
Make note of the Mellon Institue on 5th ave. it’s what joined with Carnegie Tech to form CMU. Some of the largest single piece columns in the world. It’s a gorgeous building with a neat history (and where I spent grad school:)).
There’s a really evil/cool looking black (I think it could be from the all the soot during steel times) church in the middle of downtown that has revolutionary war era graves. I forget the name of it.
The natural history museum is top notch. Also there’s the Andy Warhol museum.
Expect to get lost, even with GPS.
Make sure your first time going downtown you get there coming thru the Fort Pitt tunnel. Best intro to a downtown skyline anywhere.
I might also note the Pittsburgh is a really cool city and Columbus is…not. I haven’t been to the Honda Heritage museum so i can’t comment on that, but don’t miss more of Pitt to see Columbus.
If you guys are thirsty, House of 1000 Beers is about a thirty minute drive from downtown Pittsburgh, straight up 28 north. Holler and I’ll buy you a draft.
Any chance your friend is in advertising? My gf’s agency in Pittsburgh has a few Atlanta transplants.
This. I teared up when I saw the Monet there. It’s so beautiful and moving in person.
So much more there than art, as **IvoryTowerDenizen **says, the great natural history museum, the hall of sculpture, lots of changing exhibits. It’s a gorgeous place. We spent all day there, but we’re geeks.
Thank you ALL so much! These are some great ideas and I really appreciate it!
I appreciate the restaurant and bar recommendations also, even though I didn’t think to ask!
Now I’m wondering if there are any especially good restaurants near his house? He lives in Collier Township in the community/neighborhood of Presto. It is southwest of downtown, if I’m not mistaken.
This is the first time my best friend has ever lived outside of Georgia other than a 6-year stint (2005-2011) in Birmingham, Alabama. I talk to him every few days (we’ve been best friends since 7th grade and we’re both 41 now, so we’re a lot more like brothers than friends). He has been pleasantly surprised by how friendly and kind most people are in Pittsburgh, especially the natives. They used to say the same thing about most of us Georgia natives, but we are becoming a rare breed!
Finding his way around is still a challenge and he gets lost on a regular basis. He knows how to get from his house in Collier Township to his office (located near the intersection of Steubenville Pike and I-79), but anywhere else could have him wandering for hours…and the NAV system in his car is not always helpful. So he has learned to appreciate the kindness of strangers to get him to his destination. He has also called me, while lost, and asked me to Mapquest where he was located and his destination, then guide him there…I’m a damn good friend! =)
I think the only thing he hasn’t adjusted to is the total absence of Kroger Food Stores in Western PA. In Atlanta, we have a Kroger and Publix (which is an awesome Florida-based grocery chain that I love), but not in PA! The day after he moved into his house, I found the nearest Kroger (which is in Weirton, WV) for him to go shopping! He’s shopping at Giant Eagle now, but he’s still missing Kroger…it’s an adjustment.
Hey, thanks for the offer, we might just take you up on it! He and I both love beer (cue the Homer Simpson- “MMMMMM,…Beeeerrrr”)!
He actually works for a fast food chain…the BIG one with the golden arches! He moved for a promotion and he is now #2 in the Pittsburgh Region just one rung below the Regional VP. He has worked for them since we were 15 (almost 26 years). The region covers Western PA, all of WV, Upstate New York and a small part of Ohio. I’m anxious to see how he likes his first winter in Pittsburgh, especially if he has to make any trips up to Niagara Falls or Rochester.
I can safely say that I’ve never heard anyone say, “Columbus, OH is the coolest city, you’ve gotta go!”
I think I’ll hold off on the visit to the Honda Museuma and Factory until a future visit. It would take and entire day and almost seven hours of driving and that would negate any enjoyment from the visit.
But we are going to visit the Fiesta Factory Outlet and Museum in Newell, WV. In planning my trip, I learned that Newell, WV is the northernmost settlement in the Southern United States as designated by the U.S. Census. It’s in that little sliver of WV that sticks up between PA and OH. But other than the Census Dept, I don’t know of anyone else who considers West Virginia part of The South.
Kennywood is closed now. Also, the Incline is currently being renovated, so that’s out of service.
My reccomendations:
-Phipps Conservatory
-Heinz History Center (did my internship there)
-Andy Warhol Museum
-Strip District (all the little shops and restaurants there are so worth it. The best place for dessert is Klavon’s)
-St. Nicholas Croation Catholic Church in Millvale, to see the murals by Maxo Vanka, and Saint Anthony’s Chapel in Troy Hill, which has over 5,000 relics. (It is so freaking cool – they even have skulls!)
As you already seem to know, some of the best things about Pittsburgh are well outside the city. I would add
Laurel Caverns; especially the wild parts if either of you are into that sort of thing.
AMA Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame over in Ohio
New River Gorge in West Virginia
Flight 93 National Memorial
Beaver PA ------ just because you can
I was just at that Krogers today. From where he is it isn’t a bad run out 22 to get there. For me its about 30 miles but with just the two of us, once a couple months covers most of our needs and we have a local grocery store at the end of our street basically for more daily stuff.
If you like small dive diners and find yourself around the North Side before noon, try Don’s Diner Under the Bridge.
