I’ll nth the Carnegie Museum. It has one of the best collections of Dinosaur fossils in the country. For a long time, the only place you could see a T. Rex skeleton outside the American Museum of Natural History in NYC was at the Carnegie.
If you’re going to Pennsylvania, there are some foods you should get there that you can’t get in most places.
Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer, raisin-filled cookies, and Tastykakes.
I’m disappointed no one has said Primanti’s yet. It’s more than good food, it’s a cultural icon. Missing out on Primanti’s sandwiches is like going to Philly and not getting a cheesesteak or not eating clam chowder in Boston. It’s a must-do for any Pittsburgh visitor.
PM me and I’ll take you and a friend to one.
If you’re into the nightlife scene, Carson St. on the South Side is the premier Pittsburgh spot. It’s our Bourbon St. (New Orleans) and if you take the Liberty Bridge, you can see the city from Mt. Washington on the way down.
Is that where that dancing fountains show runs? That’s very nice.
Primanti’s is good and worthwhile but ----- Pierogies Plus between the West End and McKees Rocks may (just may) be more Pittsburgh. Or a Slammer (fried chipped ham and cheese) at Isaly’s.
I could be wrong but I believe that is Station Square which is sort of South Side to almost anyone other than the hard-core bar-hoppers.
South Side does beat the crap out of the North Shore for terrific nightlife though; hands down. And go the whole nine yards if possible; get ticketed for parking and pee on someones steps. 
I’d also recommend the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland.
If you hit a Primanti’s, cappicola and egg is the sangwich to order.
And if you are on the SouthSide, a stop at Jack’s is a must. They open at 7 am to get the shift workers. It’s a dirty dive bar with an always interesting, diverse clientele.
When eating at Primanti’s, make sure to hit the one in the Strip District. That’s the original one. They also have a sanitized chain of restaurants throughout Western PA.
Speaking of food and the Strip District, forget Krogers and check out Wholey’s or Pennsylvania Macaroni or Enrico Biscoti or Pgh Popcorn. You won’t go away hungry.
Jacks isn’t what it used to be since the pseudo-bikers made it their regular hang-out. Its as much a pretend dive these days as it is an actual dive. There is a place a block or two back from Carson that the locals prefer but the name escapes me. Maybe the Birmingham but I’m not sure.
I think I would enjoy the Carnegie Museum of Natural History so I’m planning to go. Tony, my best friend, has the attention span of a gnat, so my time will be limited before he gets bored.
I’m also working on my pronunciation of “Carnegie” as I understand that it isn’t pronounced the same way as ‘Carnegie Hall’ or ‘Carnegie Deli’! Car-NIG-ee is the way to say it in Pittsburgh, right?
I have to make a similar adjustment when I visit Alabama, which is rarely. Talladega is not pronounced the way they say it on television when referring to NASCAR or even the Will Ferrell movie ‘Talladega Nights’. I’ve always heard it pronounced with the ‘e’ sounding more like an ‘a’. But the correct (and local) way to say it is with the ‘e’ as a ‘long e’ (as if there were Talladeega). The bitch troll from hell that my father married is from the area and she corrected me long ago. Several friends who live in Birmingham have done the same.
But I refuse to say “Yinz”! =) But that’s really not far off from “yuns” which is my grandmother said all the time rather than the more common y’all.
I can usually go undetected as a Southerner (even in Los Angeles) until I let one of two words slip- y’all or fixin’ (as in I’m fixin’ to leave). I usually filter those out of my speech, but once I start drinking it’s all over…and if I get really drunk, my accent is worse than Dolly Parton’s! 
There is nothing on the Port Authority website or the Duquesne Incline website indicating that is closed. Is it definitely closed for repairs as someone mentioned above? I suppose I’ll give them a call tomorrow and ask.
When Tony (the friend I’m coming to visit) mentioned a few things that he wanted to do, the incline was one of them. I’ve only ridden an incline once- The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway in Chattanooga, TN. I rode it up the mountain and was so freaked out that I refused to ride it back down. So I stayed up top at Point Park reading all the Civil War historical markers for about 90 minutes while my friends rode the incline back down and drove my car back up to get me! I have a PARALYZING fear of heights and the Lookout Mountain Incline is the steepest incline railway in the world. The maximum grade is 72.7% and the track is 1-mile long (or 5,280 feet).
The Duquesne Incline track is only 794 feet long and at a 30.5% grade. That is a cake walk compared to the one in Chattanooga! I think I can handle it.
I understand that the view is amazing from the top of the mountain. Is there a park or viewing pavilion or anything else up there?
Only the Mon Incline is closed. Duquesne is open.
It’s more CarNEGie. You’ll get it!
I love all of our museums, but for a visitor like you, the Heinz History Museum will have more Pittsburgh-specific history, plus it’s by Primanti’s, Lidia’s and the Strip. You’ll kill a buncha birds with one stone!
Kennywood is open for a “Holiday Lights” thing 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from the last weekend in November through December.
Pittsburgh is having a great time right now - lots of cool new restaurants and shops, and working hard to clean up its beautiful rivers, skyline, and historical buildings. Enjoy!
And thanks, all, for the great responses to this thread. I live in Beaver County, and I haven’t been to half these places!
Yep, there’s an observation deck at the top of the Incline where you can hang out and enjoy the view.
Well, the TOWN of Carnegie is called car-NEG-ie and the townies get irate if you say it the other way. But you can still call the museums and everything else the normal way.
As in move out of Pittsburgh? He got a raise of almost $70k with the promotion that brought him there, so I think he’ll be there for a while!
Have you (or anyone else reading this) been the Flight 93 Memorial? I’m thinking about adding it to the agenda on the same day as ‘Fallingwater’. It looks relatively close on the map.
There’s a Whole Foods in Pittsburgh and I would be very happy with that. But I don’t think he has ever been to a Whole Foods.
I did some research trying to figure out why Kroger didn’t have stores in PA, even though they are in every surrounding state (and they’re based in Cincinnati). In the mid-80s, Kroger pulled out of several small and mid-size markets due to the economic conditions. Notably, Western PA (including Pittsburgh), Chattanooga and St. Louis were among the markets they left. When the economic conditions were favorable for a return, there wasn’t room for another grocery competitor in those markets. To this day, Chattanooga is the only metropolitan area in TN with no Kroger stores. Conversely, Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville have a Kroger on every corner. Memphis also has crack whores on every corner, but that’s a whole 'nother discussion. =)
When you say the TOWN of Carnegie, are you talking about Carnegie Township? My friend lives in adjacent Collier Township.
I’m still trying to get a grasp on the whole Township thing. Is a Township basically a town and, if so, what is the difference between a township and a city? My friend lives in Presto (which has its own zip code- 15142), but what is Presto? Is it just a community or neighborhood?
THANKS AGAIN to EVERYONE who responded! I really appreciate the local insights and the information y’all have shared will make my visit to Pittsburgh even more enjoyable!
Here’s the tentative agenda-
My flight arrives at 11:05pm on Saturday(11/21) night.
Sunday 11/22- visit the Strip District and downtown
Monday 11/23- Fallingwater and (maybe) Flight 93 Memorial
Tuesday 11/24- Newell, WV to visit Fiesta Dinnerware Factory, Museum and Outlet
Wednesday 11/25- visit a couple of museums
Thursday 11/26-*** Thanksgiving- ANY recommendations on where to eat?*** This will be my first Thanksgiving away from my family in Georgia and the first time in 25 years that I haven’t had to cook!!!
Friday 11/27- Flight leaves at 7:05am.
I know I’m going to get crap for this, but there’s a chain of diners (kinda like Denny’s, but nicer) called Eat’n Park. Not really a recommendation for Thanksgiving, though.
Not to be a pest, but Fallingwater allows exterior photography (already stated), but you’re not allowed to publish it.
Have a good time!
Yeah, same thing.
I should also note, that the booze laws are stupid there, as they are in most places with booze laws. Besides a restaurant or bar, you can only buy beer at beer distributor, and only by the case. You can beer to go from a bar, but its usually at bar prices. Hard liquor you have to go to the state run liquor store which has shitty hours. I haven’t been in Pitt in quite a few years, so someone else might be more accurate.
Not wanting to be a pest, Lidia’s Pittsburgh has Thanksgiving dinner. Sounds good (no, I do not have stock in the joint).
THANKS! That menu looks like it could be a definite contender! 