A Short History of Pittsburgh.
The first records of European visitors to the Pittsburgh were fur traders in 1717. The region, for a time, was claimed by France. As time pasted, military interest in the area grew, as George Washington observed, the Golden Triangle was “extremely well suited for a Fort; as it has absolute Command of both Rivers.” In 1754 Great Britain started to build a fort, however the French took control of the area, in 1758, after some years of fighting, Great Britain regained control of the area. By 1760, Pittsburgh had 149, non soldier residents. In 1794 Pittsburgh became a town. At the beginning of 1800, the city had a population of 1565. Seventy years later the population had grown to 86,076. Between the years 1890 to 1911, the last H in Pittsburg was dropped, because of a decision of the United States Board on Geographic Names. In 1900 the city had a population of 321,616. In 1901, United States Steel was incorporated, with a net capitalization of 1.4 billion dollars.
Currently, the City of Pittsburgh is home to five Fortune 500 companies. Including United States Steel, PNC Financial Services Group, and PPG Industries. A London Based group has recently ranked Pittsburgh as the “Most Livable City” in the U.S. and number 29 in the world.
Works Referenced
CNN Money. CNN. May 3 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2010/cities/
Julie Percha. Pittsburgh Post Gazette.com. Pittsburgh Post Gazette. 22 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2011 <http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11053/1127102-53.stm>
Pennsylvania Department of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/hname.html>
Stefan Lorant. Historic Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh's Digital Research Library. 1999. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology/>
Map from The University of Pittsburgh’s Digital Research Library. Historic Pittsburgh Map Collection. <http://digital.library.pitt.edu/maps/>
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| Pittsburghese Exists. Really it does. |
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| Benedum Center |
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| Candid of some Theater-Goers! |
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| The Rink at PPG |
The thing that would probably bring me back to Wild Card is their selection of greeting cards. The store has a wall stocked with a plethora of hilarious, clever, and peculiar cards for every occasion. If you want to surprise someone with a card that shows you put in some effort, this is the first place you should check out.
After arriving at the Strip District in Pittsburgh you are overcome with a sense of pride that the people in this area have for their various shops and restaurants that they dedicate their time and effort into. After hopping of the bus at 17th street I started to make my way to Penn Ave where the Strip runs through. It didn’t take long
As we made our way down the street I could smell all the different aromas from the different restaurants. The Strip is home to all sorts of ethnic foods such as Italian, Mexican, Asian,
Greek and I’m sure many more. You wouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to try something new and tasty and the delicious smells will pull you in! When passing these places and seeing the people you realize that they pride themselves in preserving their culture. Also located in the Strip are some popular landmarks to Pittsburgh such as Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, and the famous Primanti Brother’s Restaurant.
Not only are there restaurants, but there are so many little markets and shops that you can explore. Myself being a shopaholic, I found the shops to be my favorite part and could not get enough of perusing through the unique and crafty items they carried, or the great amount of jewelry lining the walls. From the colorful scarves and crazy hats to the handcrafted knick knacks, there was bound to be something to catch your eye. There were also stores bursting with Pittsburgh Steeler’s gear just proving how much the people love their city's football team.
By the end of my trip I had come to the conclusion that the Strip District is a wonderful area filled with food, culture, and tradition. The people there could not have been friendlier and I cannot wait to make another trip there. If you plan on stopping by I suggest you go on a Saturday when it is most lively and it feels like you are at festival. The Strip District is a must-see in Pittsburgh!
Mt. Washington seems surprisingly like home to me. Aside from the panoramic view of Pittsburgh, it has the sweet, suburban flavor of my own home. Getting to Mt. Washington has an excitement of its own; riding up the Duquesne incline seems like going into a very old time machine. However, outside of the incline station, we return to the modern world, full of houses, schools and very overpriced restaurants. 
Overall, Mount Washington is a very relaxed, laid back place. It's certainly not a place to go for an adventurous night out, or a cheap meal, but it is perfect for sightseeing, family meals and nice, long walks
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| Of Course our first stop was Penn-Mac, well known for its wide array of authentic, noodles, spices, and cheeses, offering a unique quality and selection available nowhere else. Unfortunately, Penn-Mac is only open until 4 P.M. on Saturdays and we missed closing time by about an hour. We were still able to peak inside at all the variety and we were still very much impressed; not your local grocery store. I wish we could have been more than just drooling window shoppers, I know my appetite and curiosity will bring me back to The Strip District before too long to sample some of the imported cheeses and check out the variety of noodles.   After filling up on this neverending pie (with some still left over to bring back), we wanted to ask the manager or owner about their pizza and the neighborhood of their business. Turns out we stumbled into the right place and the owner we spoke to was a well-established member of the strip community. We were lucky enough to receive a personalized account by this self-proclaimed tour guide. From the very first question we asked it was clear that the owner was very passionate in his love of the district and considered it home, to himself and his business. He informed us how the district was a specialized area, in which every store, vendor, or business was locally owned, making it a unique place nestled in a big city. All diversity and culture associated with Pittsburgh culminates in the strip district, with every cultural region in the world represented in different grocery stores and restaurants all boasting a different nationality. He told us about unique bacon covered chocolate and other gourmet sweets available at Mon Aimee. Also, he informed us about the commitment of an owner named Primanski to selling the most apparrel, known especially for Pittsburgh Steeler's attire. Speaking specifically about Bella Note, he told us that his family established it in hopes of sharing the pizza they had enjoyed for generations. The name, he said, means "beautiful night" in italian, and was inspired by the disney story "Lady and the Tramp." Just like Bella Note, every establishment on the strip has its own interesting history--many of immigration from the countries of this ethnicity the stores represent. The Strip District itself has a history dating back to the early 1920s, when it begain as the center of the wholsale produce business in Pittsburgh and has remained so ever since. The owner of Bella Note was not only passionate about his neighborhood, but also his neighbors. He had us know that all of the owners have good relationships and the strip is a true family environment, in which everyone works together for the common goal of offering the best products with the best quality--a goal from which great success has drawn customers from across the country to visit the area. A result of this bond, Bella Note gets most of their products for pizza from Penn-Mac, which he boasted about with admiration and affection, saying that the pizza can only be as good has the products and hands that make it. Bella Note would not get its products anywhere other than a supplier neighbor on the strip, only settling for the best and freshest ingredients.    Finally, the owner brought us outside to show us the mural which expressed the epidomy of all that the strip stands for. A mural spanding the entire wall of a building across Penn Avenue that was painted over a 6 month period after Pittsburgh held a competition this past year in which the winner received $10,000. The Strip District contributed all of the supplies, knowing that the mural would enrich the neighborhood and represent its values. Within the mural, you can see owners past and present and all the ethnic diversity found on The Strip is also found within the mural, painted amidst a beautifully animated backdrop depicting Pittsburgh's hills and bridges. It is clear to see that integrity and modesty lie at the core of The Strip District. You can see it on the hand painted signs, witness it in the walk-through vendors congregating on the sidewalk, smell it in the aroma of pizza in the air, and know it in your heart as each merchant greets you with a grin betraying nothing but sincerity. I can feel the love that the owner of Bella Note has for The Strip District with each word he said, as it seemed as if he could go on for days about the area's diversity and charm. I was inspired by the way the owner's eyes lit up as he spoke and I can only hope that I will someday be a part of something so positively tight-knit and hospitable as The Strip District. |
