NY Times Travel Top 10: 8 Latin America, 1 Quebec, 1 Pittsburgh to DC Bike Trail

Perfect.But ok I miss Zanzibar, and Asia, and Australia... and Oregon and Alaska, but nonetheless this is right up my alley: 

1. 36 Hours in Montevideo, Uruguay
2. Latin America Issue: The Other Brazil: Minas Gerais
3. Biking Coal Country’s Tracks and Tunnels
4. Next Stop | Latin America Issue: Santiago, Chile, Is Hardly Sleepy Anymore
5. Bites | Latin America Issue: Inexpensive Restaurant Choices in Lima, Peru
6. Journeys | Latin America Issue: Mazatl?n’s Old Town Is Spry Again
7. Practical Traveler | Latin America Issue: Bargains in Latin America, Where Luxury Costs Less
8. Explorer: Gifts From the Heavens and Sea in Quebec
9. Explorer | Latin America Issue: Villa de Leyva, a Graceful Window on Colonial Colombia
10. Surfacing | Latin America Issue: Rio Hot Spot With Miami Vibe

Beautiful Pittsburgh - What to Do, Where, Why People are Staying

Pittsburgh is an excellent city. It boasts four distinct seasons, three beautiful rivers, and six super bowl championships. The city's hills, historic stairs, cloistered neighborhoods, and expansive parks lead to more diverse and hidden recreational opportunities than many cities twice as large. What's more, Pittsburgh has an increasingly strong and vibrant group of young people who are reinventing the city and reigniting its glory. A random selection of those folks are pictured at right, sharing why they're staying in Pittsburgh as part of an event put on by the Great Lakes Urban Exchange.

A bit more than a year ago I put together a list of opportunities for out-of-towners attending the wedding of the handsome Dave Hartman and beautiful Lisa Dippold (now Hartman). What follows is largely from that list. Please read on if you want the scoop on the outdoor activities, museums, neighborhoods, bars, sports, and beer. Enjoy Pittsburgh.

Outdoors 

Venture Outdoors organizes outdoor recreation in and around Pittsburgh all the time. They also have options for kayaking on the rivers and in general give a lot of tips for outdoor enthusiasts.

Stairs of Pittsburgh – Steel Workers used this stair network in the past to walk to work at the mills in the morning. Today the remnants of the stair network remain for adventuresome urban hikers and joggers. The network is strongest going out of the Southside to Mt. Washington and on the Northside Leading to Fineview, site of an annual 5K run largely on stairs.

Frick Park - The largest of Pittsburgh’s parks, with ample hiking opportunity. You’ll feel like you’ve escaped the city. On one side is Reqent Square with D’z 6 Packs and Dogs, on the other side is Squirrel Hill with its restaurants and shops. Both great spots for post-hike rewards (more info on each below).

Schenley Park is likewise abundant in terms of size and breadth of activities offered. Schenley also happens to be on the edge of Oakland, so it’s very convenient if you’d like to visit the universities and / or Phipps Conservatory before some time in the park.

The Inclines – If you’d like to enjoy the outdoors but aren’t so sure about being active in them, an incline may be your solution. During the height of the steel industry, Mt. Washington had over a dozen inclines operating on it to ferry people up the mountain. Today there are two.  You can access both from Grandview Avenue on Mt. Washington or along Carson Street near Station Square. Riding is a couple of dollars, and affords you a view of the city and an opportunity to stroll a bit along Grandview Ave.

Museums

The Carnegie Museums Network rivals the collections of most cities 2 and 3 times Pittsburgh’s size, and annually offers the Carnegie International.

The Mattress Factory - is unique in the country for the large contemporary art installations it offers.

The Warhol Museum  – includes a room of floating silver pillows and is dedicated to Pittsburgh’s most famous pop? artist.

The Heinz History Center  – You are visiting the city that produced more steel than any other region in the World during World War II, the frontier of the US during the Revolutionary era, a region rife with decisive battles with the French, site of the largest coal deposit found in the US, and home of the first public radio broadcast, as well as the city that gave you Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Find out all about it and more (like one of the most storied decades of winning in NFL History) at the Heinz History Center and Heinz Sports Museum.

The Carnegie Science Center – This is a fun, interactive Science Museum. It includes an OMNIMAX theater  and is endlessly entertaining for kids of all ages. Right next door is

Sportsworks – a museum dedicated entirely to the science of sport. What are the biomechanics of throwing a fastball? Can you design and ride a roller coaster?

Neighborhoods – Eating, Drinking, Shopping

  

Squirrel Hill: Pittsburgh’s historically Jewish Neighborhood and one of the largest in the country today. Great delicatessen Kazanzky’s and a host of other good ethnic food, including Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and – of course – Italian.

Bloomfield: Pittsburgh’s Italian neighborhood and home to a number of good pizza shops, restaurants, and bars, including the Brillo Box, a relatively recent comer popular among many, shunned by several, and featured in this New York Times article. (Any shunning, which is limited, tends to be related to Pittsburghers' strong aversion to anything that could look at all pretentious... so there's danger, of course, in being too hip).

The Southside: Carson Street is Pittsburgh’s bar spot and the center of many nights out. The restaurants range from high-end French cafes through Spanish tapas bars and include sandwich shops, pizza joints, and the Cheesecake Factory at Southside Works (The shopping side of the Southside). At the other end of the Southside from the Southside Works is Station Square, a stand-alone section of restaurants and shops that includes Bar Louie, Joe’s Crabshack, and, most importantly, the bottom of the Incline to ride up to Mt. Washington.

Shadyside: Is Pittsburgh’s neighborhood for established urban style. You won’t get any basement bargains but you might find a great meal or pick up your favorite Williams and Sonoma, J-Crew, Anne Taylor, or American Apparel gear.

Lawrenceville is increasingly known for art galleries, small stores, and other signs of an up and coming arts neighborhood, something even the New York Times noticed in recent years. The boutiques and galleries have led to a set of great new restaurants and bars, including the Round Corner Cantina, which has a beautiful patio area for eating and drinking and excellent mixed drinks (I haven't yet gotten to the food).

Mt. Washington offers unparalleled views of the city. Grandview Avenue includes several fine dining establishments with beautiful views and offers the opportunity to walk along the avenue and stand on Pittsburgh’s many Mt. Washington overlooks. If you choose to ride the incline at the end of Mt. Washington closest to where the Rivers connect, be sure to look at the photos on the wall inside the building at the top.

On Saturday, the place to be is the Strip. The Strip District is the regional shopping hub for fresh fish market (Wholey’s), free samples at Greek markets (Stamooli’s), fresh fruits and vegetables, and free fudge samples. It also includes Pittsburgh’s Primanti Brothers’ sandwiches, an iconic answer to Philly’s Cheesesteak.  The Strip is just north of Downtown along Penn Avenue. Parking is sometimes a trick but if you’re willing to park near 26^th and walk down to the action near 21^st you’ll certainly find something.

Notable Sports and Beer

The Pens tend to regularly compete for or win The Stanley Cup. Be aware.

The Pirates have set records too - for consecutive losing seasons.  But their stadium is beautiful and tickets are cheap. From the stadium you get a wonderful view of the rivers.

The Steelers are consistently good, and in 2006 and 2009 won the Super Bowl.

Penn Brewery brews at their location on the Northside and serves up bar fare as well as traditional German cuisine, while East End Brewing probably brews Pittsburgh's best beers, but has more limited hours for sampling and direct sales. Ask for East End in many of the local bars, however.

Church Brew Works was once a large Catholic Church. The building was purchased several years ago by the owners, who put vats where the altar used to be and began brewing. They offer good beer, excellent food, and – unique – environment.

D’z 6 Packs and Dogz - definitely a personal favorite - is in Regent Square. D'z offers a selection of approximately hundreds of different kinds of beers in its Beer Cave, includes several on tap, and specializes in hot dogs and sausages, and now even includes a few other (and even some healthy) foods as well.

One Family's Experience of the Economic Downturn

A friend just made this short film. It's worth the five minutes to watch it: