Downtown Gotham

Pittsburghese Exists.  Really it does.

Earlier this August, Christopher Nolan and his crew made their way to the Steel City for the third installment of the Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises.  Much to my dismay, I was not present for the filming.  However, I quickly discovered the reason of choosing such a unique area.


Officially deemed the Central Business District (according to Wikipedia), Dahntahn Pittsburgh is home to dozens of major of corporations, namely PNC Bank, Heinz, UPMC, PPG and much more.


Keep in mind that Downtown Pittsburgh is home to Pittsburgh's
sports teams: Steelers, Pens, and Pirates!  Just a short taxi cab ride away (or the 71 A-D or 61 A-D for Port Authority fans), Heinz Field, the Consol Energy Center, and PNC Park provide as amazing entertainment and breathtaking views of the city.  (Heinz Field and PNC Park both overlook the Downtown skyline over the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers).


Sports aren't your thing?  No worries.  Downtown can please any crowd.  Hipsters, art junkies, and music lovers check out the Cultural District of Downtown!  The Cultural District includes numerous theaters, galleries, and concert halls including Heinz Hall, Byham Theater, O'Reilly Theater, Benedum Center, and Wood Street Galleries as well as restaurants and housing.  *See Joseph's Post about Heinz Hall!!*  If I could, I would rattle off all of the little funky shops; however, my group and I went downtown at 8pm on a Sunday night.  Subsequently, many places were closed at that hour.

              

Benedum Center

Candid of some Theater-Goers!

For the shop-a-holics, Fifth and Forbes Corridor contains the majority of the commercial shops like Macy's, Burlington's Coat Factory, and Saks Fifth Avenue.  Moreover, the corner of Fifth and Market leads you to Market Square:
Head down to the Square before or after a show in Downtown's vibrant Cultural District and enjoy dinner and cocktails. Indulge in a little retail therapy at lunch, meet friends and co-workers for lunch meetings or to browse the summer Farmers Market, spend your happy hour at one of the many watering holes, or grab a coffee, relax and take advantage of the free Wifi. Or, come in the evening to see the tribute to Pittsburgh’s antislavery activities in the lighting feature in the ground and look up to see the North Star and dippers in the sky. So what are you waiting for—GET INTO THE SQUARE!   -www.downtownpittsburgh.com/market-square

The Rink at PPG

Most importantly,the PPG Place (formely known as the  Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company) celebrates wintertime better than NYC's Rockefeller's Plaza.  Every year, the PPG Plaza dons a massive ice-skating rink in place of its typical fountain.  Two-thousand feet larger than Rockefeller Rink, Pittsburgh's winter wonderland incorporates a gorgeous 60-foot tree in the center.  In addition, Christmastime in the Burgh features an extravagant window display at Macy's, Gingerbread house contests, various light displays, an annual Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert, and much more.

Although Downtown was a little deserted at 8 pm on a Sunday night, it was expected.  Overall, I could still sense an aura of a excitement.  I could tell that this place definitely attracts a great night life (especially for that 21+ crowd).  Within the next four years at Pitt, I will certainly make Downtown a regular destination for fun!