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[rareside]

Just arrived today. Gonna be here two weeks workin' some local retail stores and colleges. On driving into the city today, I don't have high hopes. The roads suck, they're too narrow and windy.. are there straight roads anywhere?

Also, not sure on the alcohol situation, but I heard you can't buy beer at the convenience store/gas station... you gotta go to a restaurant and buy a 6-pack to go or somethin.

Just wonderin if anyone who's been here has highlights of the city. So far on the tour I've been most impressed with Columbus, OH, but I really wanna enjoy Pittsburgh. Too bad it's not baseball season yet, as I'd love to see PNC.

 

[Diablos]

Just arrived today. Gonna be here two weeks workin' some local retail stores and colleges. On driving into the city today, I don't have high hopes. The roads suck, they're too narrow and windy.. are there straight roads anywhere?

Also, not sure on the alcohol situation, but I heard you can't buy beer at the convenience store/gas station... you gotta go to a restaurant and buy a 6-pack to go or somethin.

Just wonderin if anyone who's been here has highlights of the city. So far on the tour I've been most impressed with Columbus, OH, but I really wanna enjoy Pittsburgh. Too bad it's not baseball season yet, as I'd love to see PNC.

Welcome to Pittsburgh, there's not a thing to do. You can't buy beer at a gas station, supermarket or convenience store. You gotta go to a beer distributor.

I guess you could check out Station Square, walk around the outside of PNC Park, go to the science center... but honestly there's not a whole lot to do in Pittsburgh.

I wish I had more money so I could get the hell out of here.

Get used to a lot of two-lane roads that are very windy with a lot of hills. Also, getting around the city is a pain in the ass. I always get lost, because they have a different detour, SOMEWHERE, all the time.

And finally... be prepared to hit a lot of potholes. Hell, put aside some money to get your car realigned when you get home. The road conditions here are awful.

 

[White Man]

I wish I had more money so I could get the hell out of here.

Refugee from PA representin'.

 

[rareside]

Wow, thanks for the warning.

Bummer you don't have too much to boast of... that's really weird about the alcohol though. What if I want liquor though? Where can I buy that? Sounds like I'm gonna need it...

As for the roads, I'm not too worried about MY car, since we travel around in 3 vehicles... A huge ass RV, a box truck, and an F-150. I don't know how the RV will navigate these roads. Usually on a normal road, the RV has a couple inches of leverage on each side of the lane. Here in Pitt, seems like it's always gonna be over the lines.

I just hope we don't cause an accident....

 

[White Man]

What if I want liquor though? Where can I buy that? Sounds like I'm gonna need it...

Liquor and wine are only available in state run stores. They typically close between 6 and 8. Enjoy hell.

 

[Cafeman]

I would suggest you go eat on the Southside a few times. Go to Fatheads. Order a Headwich if you dare, drink some of their great ales and beers. There's a lot of good restaurants on East Carson Street in the southside.

There's also a lot of bars/restaurants if you like to go bar hopping with friends. Oakland has the college scene but I'm so far removed from that I can't say much about where to go. Too bad you are here in early spring, summer brings some cool stuff.

About the alcohol, it is not due to Pittsburgh but Pennsylvania's blue laws in general. Yes, it sucks. The LCB (PA Liquor Control Board) doesn't want to give up their stake in alcohol. So to get a 6-pack, you gotta go to a restaurant or bar; to get a case of beer, you gotta go to a distributor; to buy wine/spirits, you gotta go to a State Store. Oh yeah, another blue law -- distributors and most state stores aren't open on Sundays.

A final recommendation for the traveller -- if you go to the Waterfront, there is a Dave & Busters if you want an arcade night, and it has a really nices Lowes theater too, among the hundreds of other stores like Target , Best Buy etc.

 

[Brendonia]

Another Pittsburgher here, well I'm at college now so I'm not there too often and yeah, there really isn't that much to do. PNC is great but it looks like you won't get a chance to see a game so oh well.

It's not that bad thought, you are close to like 5 or so colleges so there are a lot of young people around. Check out Station Square and the South Side for most of the nightlife, there's a famous bar with a midget bartender thats pretty cool. I don't really know too much about the bar scene though because I'm still only 20. Other than that the Science Center and SportsWorks is pretty cool, that's on the North Shore, and if you want to drive back East about 10-20 minutes you can go to the Waterfront, which has a lot of stuff to do and a ton of trendy restaurants. It's pretty easy to find, in a place called Homestead, so I'd check that out. Other than that I dunno, it's not a horrible place but certainly not the most exciting city in America. You should be ok.

And the liquor laws do blow. You have to go to distributors to get beer and state stores for liquor. If you are buying alcohol I'd say stock up when you go so you don't have to go through it all again. Have a good time in the 'Burgh, and make sure you get a Primanti's sandwich, as they are greatness.

 

[Maverick]

Haha, wait what colleges are you going to and why?

I go to Carnegie Mellon.

 

[Diablos]

I would suggest you go eat on the Southside a few times. Go to Fatheads. Order a Headwich if you dare, drink some of their great ales and beers. There's a lot of good restaurants on East Carson Street in the southside.

There's also a lot of bars/restaurants if you like to go bar hopping with friends. Oakland has the college scene but I'm so far removed from that I can't say much about where to go. Too bad you are here in early spring, summer brings some cool stuff.

About the alcohol, it is not due to Pittsburgh but Pennsylvania's blue laws in general. Yes, it sucks. The LCB (PA Liquor Control Board) doesn't want to give up their stake in alcohol. So to get a 6-pack, you gotta go to a restaurant or bar; to get a case of beer, you gotta go to a distributor; to buy wine/spirits, you gotta go to a State Store. Oh yeah, another blue law -- distributors and most state stores aren't open on Sundays.

A final recommendation for the traveller -- if you go to the Waterfront, there is a Dave & Busters if you want an arcade night, and it has a really nices Lowes theater too, among the hundreds of other stores like Target , Best Buy etc.

Oakland is pretty cool. Everyone complains about it being dangerous and stuff, but I don't give a crap what anyone says - Oakland is just a bunch of kids throwing a party every goddamn night. :lol

The southside is pretty cool, I'm sure you can find some things to do there, but it's nothing to get too excited about.

The unforturnate thing about Pittsburgh is that you can't find all the fun places in one spot. Everything is kind of spread out, and because of that, not so exciting.

I wanna go back to Seattle. Perfect city. Everything is close but not cluttered, and even though it's a heavily populated area it doesn't feel like it. Very clean, very organized, and everything looks so nice. A lot of cities could learn from Seattle. And the roads are awesome. I had never been there before, yet SOMEHOW, I could find EXACTLY where I was going - every time. Amazing. Yet here I am in Pittsburgh (all my life) and I still get lost just about every time I drive into the city. :lol Plus there's Mt. Rainier, Mt. Saint Helens, and Olympic National Rainforest - just an hour or two away from the city. Everyone wants to hit up San Fransisco when they head out west, but not me. Death Cab for Cutie wrote a good song about that. They're a Seattle band, figures

 

[Cerebral Palsy]

You can't get beer at the State Liquor Store? Wow, sounds worse than Salt Lake.

 

[Diablos]

Yeah, and oddly enough, the city is run by a bunch of Democrats. Mayor Murphy doesn't know what he's doing, and a lot of people are getting fed up (well, actually they have been fed up for a looooong time.)

 

[Richard Cranium]

I'm probably going to be moving to Pittsburgh in a couple of months for school. Do you guys have any recommendations for where to live? How much is rent? I've heard of anywhere from 300-700 for a single. Is that accurate?

Get used to a lot of two-lane roads that are very windy with a lot of hills. Also, getting around the city is a pain in the ass. I always get lost, because they have a different detour, SOMEWHERE, all the time.

I was out there last September, and I got completely lost. I don't know what it is, but the roads are just different compared to over here in Southern California. I've heard the public transportation is very good, though. Can you get by without a car?

 

[enjoy bell woods]

I lived in a suburb called Upper St. Clair from 7 to 13. I miss the place.

 

[MaverickX9]

If you are going to be by the colleges...

You could always go to the Carnegie Museum in Oakland. They have a pretty nice collection of stuff (dinosaurs, art, architecture, etc), if you are into that.

Also in Oakland is Phipps Conservitory, if you like flowers. The Cathedral of Learning might be interesting to look at (the big building right across from the museum)...I went there on a field trip once...they have all sorts of classrooms that were designed by different countries. Interesting stuff.

Like somebody else said, the Waterfront in Homestead is nice.

The South Side has bars 'n at.

If you like Chinese food, the China Town Inn downtown is like the best ever. I think it is on 3rd Street or something...maybe 2nd. I haven't been there for a few months (away at school). Sammy Sosa always goes there when the Cubs are in town.

Quaker Steak and Lube has some of the best chicken wings I've ever had. Might want to check that out. They have all sorts of cars and stuff hanging on the walls, it is a pretty interesting place. There are a few of them, one in Sharon (which is a bit of a drive from Pittsburgh), another in Cranberry, and the closest one to downtown would probably be in Ross by the Airport (I think that is the name of the area).

You also might want to eat at Outback Steakhouse at PNC Park, if you are interested in checking PNC Park out. You can eat and have a full view of the field and stadium.

There is always the Andy Warhol Museum right down the street from PNC Park. Also, as others have said the Carnegie Science Center and Sports Works are right down there, too.

You could take the incline up to Mt. Washington. You get a real nice view of the city from up there. There are also a bunch of good restaurants up there (Le Mont is a good French restaurant).

Downtown, Oakland, the South Side, and the Waterfront are all within a 20 minute (I'd guess) drive of each other.

Uhh...

I guess that is it. Nothing real exciting, but you should be able to keep relatively busy if you like museums and just seeing the town.

What do you do, anyways, that would bring you into Pittsburgh? Are you one of those travelling poster sellers or something?

 

[rareside]

What do you do, anyways, that would bring you into Pittsburgh? Are you one of those travelling poster sellers or something?

I'm on the Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper tour. We basically just go from city to city giving out free samples.

 

[Cafeman]

The southside is pretty cool, I'm sure you can find some things to do there, but it's nothing to get too excited about.

You can see some hotties and drink some fine beer, and hear some 'burgh bands and eat some tasty food. I work down there n'at, I get to eat down there all th' time.

Yet here I am in Pittsburgh (all my life) and I still get lost just about every time I drive into the city.

The infamous undying Pittsburgh attribute! You WILL get lost in your car, BWUAHAHAHAHA! (ahem). Even when you get familiar with a route, then they start road work and confuse you again ("which lane should I be in???").

I can't really recommend anything this time of year, because I'm not interested in anything myself other than eating, drinking ,and listening to flicks, and seeing a good movie or two. I'm kinda old & worn out....

 

[Amused_To_Death]

Club Erotica, Mckees Rocks!

Great looking gals, terrific lap dances, and free unlimited beer in basement.

 

[Diablos]

You can see some hotties and drink some fine beer, and hear some 'burgh bands and eat some tasty food. I work down there n'at, I get to eat down there all th' time.



The infamous undying Pittsburgh attribute! You WILL get lost in your car, BWUAHAHAHAHA! (ahem). Even when you get familiar with a route, then they start road work and confuse you again ("which lane should I be in???").

I can't really recommend anything this time of year, because I'm not interested in anything myself other than eating, drinking ,and listening to flicks, and seeing a good movie or two. I'm kinda old & worn out....

Yeah, you pretty much said it.

Club Erotica, Mckees Rocks!

Great looking gals, terrific lap dances, and free unlimited beer in basement.

I'm sure beer isn't the only thing you can get in the basement

 

[fugimax]

Check out Squirrel Hill and Shadyside. Squirrel Hill is on Forbes past CMU and has a bunch of shops, places to eat, etc. Shadyside is a block over from Fifth Ave (Walnut St.) and has a bunch of upscale shops (Rolex, Coach, Apple, Banana, etc.) as well as a few good places to eat (Sushi Too, Thai Place, Pamela's (for bkfst)).

Also, the liquor store in Squirrel Hill is open until 9PM I believe. And Sav-Mor beer is on the way to the waterfront. Also open until 9.

If you're just looking for a bar or something check out Hemmingway's if you want a crowded place with semi-hot chicks, or Panther Hollow Inn (PHI) just off CMU campus if you just want a place to chill that won't be crowded. I'll be there Thursday night consuming many a beer ($4 Yuengling Pitchers) with some friends.

 

[Maverick]

Fugimax, you go to CMU?

What year?

I live on the quad.