Neighborhoods

This bustling corner of Pittsburgh is home to world-class museums, the Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Natural History Museum, the 456-acre Schenley Park, replete with wooded trails, an ice-skating rink and public golf course, and the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. https://www.welcome.pitt.edu/all-about-pittsburgh/explore-oakland.

Once the actual neighborhood of TV icon Mister Rogers, Squirrel Hill is bookended on either side by the urban green space splendor of Schenley and Frick parks (with a combined 944 acres, the pair is more than 10% larger than the footprint of New York City’s Central Park). Today, the predominantly Jewish neighborhood is home to walkable streets and cultural districts aplenty. Eclectic shopping and international dining options dominate the corridors of Forbes and Murray avenues.

Long considered one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods, Shadyside is also long on coveted amenities. Its miles of tree-lined streets provide a literal canopy for hip, brand-name and boutique shopping — Walnut Street is considered a can’t-miss — a trendy dining scene, arts festivals, summer concerts in the park and notable public hubs like Mellon Park and the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media.

In its heyday, this predominantly Black neighborhood was a cultural mecca, known as the crossroads of the world. You can harken back to that history today by taking a digital or walking tour of significant spots in the neighborhood — spots like August Wilson’s childhood home and a Green Book-listed hotel that hosted many Black artists and celebrities. Pitt is also engaged in the restoration of the New Granada Theater, where jazz legends like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald performed in the 1930s and ’40s.

Although it’s called “Little Italy,” this neighborhood is a true blend of cultures, evident in its array of global dining options — from vegan Polish fare to modern Japanese barbecue. Book-lovers will appreciate the presence of White Whale Bookstore and the Big Idea, just a couple of the small businesses that line Liberty Avenue. And anyone and everyone can dance the night away at Brillobox and P Town Bar.

Polish Hill's elevated geography features one of the best views of the Pittsburgh skyline. This neighborhood has something for everyone: a public pool and skate park, a coffee shop and the striking Byzantine-style architecture of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

Painted in white on a green backdrop for anyone driving by to see, the wall at Magee Field surely says it best: “A fine residential community.” It refers to this neighborhood, situated against Schenley Park, Squirrel Hill, Oakland and Hazelwood, and less than four miles from downtown. Known to be relatively affordable to rent or own, a family-focused, downright suburban vibe blended with big city connectivity gives Greenfield much of its modern personality, too.

This neighborhood, bordering the Monongahela River, is within easy commuting distance of downtown and the University of Pittsburgh. Once the site of a steel mill, Hazelwood is experiencing a resurgence in development and has become the site of new homes, bike trails and businesses in the last five years.