Quick Guide to Pittsburgh
This is a brief sketch of what Pittsburgh has to offer. This section includes quick descriptions of some of the more entertaining neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, in which your host may live, and some of the highlights of those neighborhoods.
We pay particular attention to restaurants, bars, and coffee shops, any of which you may want to visit before or after the conference on Friday and Saturday. If you want additional information, visit the links provided, which are also listed in our Links section, ask any of the conference organizers, your host, or anyone on the street (Pittsburghers are quite friendly). If you have a particular interest (e.g., specific type of music scene or restaurant cuisine), one of our conference organizers can probably point you towards someone who is “in the know.”
Before describing and highlighting certain neighborhoods, you can find general information about Pittsburgh and what’s going on by visiting these sites:
- City Paper – a free weekly newspaper that best covers Pittsburgh entertainment
- Citysearch – a somewhat useful website that lists events
- Post-Gazette’s Weekend section – a somewhat useful guide to what’s happening in Pittsburgh, published by the city’s biggest newspaper
- City of Pittsburgh – guide for just about everything in Pittsburgh
- City of Pittsburgh – this site is more events oriented
Oakland is the neighborhood where the University of Pittsburgh is and located (approximately) around and between the Forbes-Fifth Avenue corridor. It is the most urban of the neighborhoods and is where most undergraduates live. There are several restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in this area as well as some shopping. For the best restaurant selection try Craig Street (near the Carnegie Museum of Art), Atwood Street (near Posvar), and Forbes Avenue, but also check out our Oakland guide.
Shadysidee
Squirrel Hilll Gulifty’s (the area’s best desert restaurant; 1922 Murray Avenue), several pizza places, Zen Garden (vegetarian cuisine), and several bars. There are also shops including music and book stores.
The South Side is a center of Pittsburgh nightlife. Its historic buildings make for a nice walk with dozens of bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops (including several excellent used book stores) to stop in along the way. It is 15 minute car ride from Oakland.
The Strip District is another center of Pittsburgh nightlife with warehouses converted into restaurants, clubs, music venues, and bars, primarily located along Smallman Street and Penn Avenue. It is a 15 minute car ride from Oakland and very close to the downtown district.
Station Square is one of the newest and busiest areas at night in Pittsburgh. It is across the river from the downtown area and near the South Side. There is a comedy club, dance clubs, restaurants, and a great view of the river; everything is open late..