Photo by Sakeeb Sabakka on Flickr.
This week I asked two dear friends what they love about Pittsburgh. One, as expected, is a born-and-raised Pittsburgh girl with nothing but the best to say about the city and the other… a life-long Cleveland resident. Who, surprisingly, also had great things to say. See? Pittsburgh is pretty great no matter who you ask.
Music: “The Happiness of Larry” by radiotimes.
Jessica is a resident of Shadyside and employee at the Pittsburgh Zoo. She loves to dine out, go dancing, and destroy a cup of Razzy Fresh as much as I do. Craig, sadly, still lives in Cleveland but is looking to make the move to the better city. Both have lists of their favorite places in Pittsburgh that they gladly shared.
Although he loves the Cleveland Indians, as an avid baseball fan, Craig is impressed by PNC Park. It’s a great venue with picturesque views, wonderful food options (for a stadium), and maybe, if you’re lucky, some decent baseball too. Mt. Washington also features spectacular views, especially via the incline, that even a Cleveland resident can enjoy. He also likes visiting the city parks in Pittsburgh, having spent quite a few afternoons exploring the trails in Schenley Park.
The Strip District. Photo by Devon Christopher Adams on Flickr.
Jess loves the Strip District for the variety of activities they offer. From speciality food stores, tons of places to buy Steelers gear, delicious restaurants and cafes, flea markets, and clubs and bars, there’s literally something for everyone. She also loves how supportive and active the LGBT community is in Pittsburgh, with her favorite bar being 5801 in Shadyside. Also a big salsa dancing fan, she usually can be found dancing up a storm at Mexico City, Cabaret at Theater Square, or Emiliano’s.
Head Brewben and PCI (Pretty Cool Italian) Headwiches at Fat Head’s. Photo by Craig Zeltner
Of course, I had to ask about their favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. Jess had quite the list: Church Brew Works, especially for their pierogie pizza; Emiliano’s for great lime margaritas and flautas; Harris Grill, particularly on their famous bacon night; and Mercurio’s for fantastic wood-fired pizza and dozens of flavors of gelato. She also goes nuts at Crazy Mocha for chai lattes and Prantl’s Bakery and Oakmont Bakery for their sweets, which she says she’s an unofficial expert on. Craig will be the first to admit that he’s slightly obsessed with Fat Head’s for their superb beer selection and gigantic, delicious sandwiches. Both of them also said they enjoy the lively atmosphere and large, tasty beers at Hofbrauhaus, although Jess prefers Penn Brewery for a more authentic German experience.
So give it a listen and hear what a long-term Pittsburgh lover and a recent convert have to say about our lovely city!
Pittsburgh Staycation 