<p>While not as exciting as a trip to Paris, H and I are going to Pittsburgh for a couple days next week. Have not made any plans yet. Anyone have any recs. as to good areas or hotels to stay in, a few must-see sights, restaurants etc? We have not been there before, and are (thankfully) NOT going on college visits!</p>
<p>While I’ve never been, a colleague has stayed on several occasions at the Omni Hotel – it may be called the “William Penn Omni,” but I could be remembering that detail incorrectly. She also has talked fondly about the Warhol Museum. I’m sure others have more considered ideas, but this may be of some help.</p>
<p>[36</a> Hours in Pittsburgh - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/travel/06hours.html]36”>http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/travel/06hours.html)</p>
<p>[WHAT’S</a> DOING IN; Pittsburgh - New York Times](<a href=“http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807EFDE143EF933A05756C0A9629C8B63]WHAT’S”>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807EFDE143EF933A05756C0A9629C8B63)</p>
<p>[A</a> State of Incline in Pennsylvania - New York Times](<a href=“http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/07/20/travel/escapes/20incline.html?scp=39&sq=&st=nyt]A”>http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/07/20/travel/escapes/20incline.html?scp=39&sq=&st=nyt)</p>
<p>We went on a college visit and had dinner at a pleasant restaurant named Girasole - recommended by someone here.</p>
<p>Make sure you drive in on the side of town where you come through the tunnel into the city - in the daytime. Someone who knows Pittsburgh better can do a much better job of explaining that but that is a memorable - “wow” moment.</p>
<p>Some personal favorites:
Ride the “Incline” at dusk, and have a dinner on the south side of the river in the MT.Washington area. (the Duquesne Incline)
If the Segway tours are still operational (they may no longer be, or closed for the season), that always sounded fun, although we never did it.
Walk around Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and the CMU areas. They have some great neighborhoods just for strolling.
Visit the Tower of Learning (UPitt) campus right next door to CMU. The interior is quite nice.
Visit the Museums. The hall of gems at the Carnegie Natural History museum is fun (if you like geology).
The “Strip” is fun for street vendors, and shops</p>
<p>Enjoy!
PM if you have specific questions.</p>
<p>Last year we bid under $100 on Priceline for a 4 star hotel in Pittsburgh and ended up with the Renaissance. It was a great hotel. To view current winning bids, go to [BiddingForTravel.com</a> - The informed Priceline Travel Bidding Forum](<a href=“http://www.biddingfortravel.com%5DBiddingForTravel.com”>http://www.biddingfortravel.com) or [Priceline</a> and Hotwire Forum](<a href=“http://www.betterbidding.com%5DPriceline”>http://www.betterbidding.com)</p>
<p>It’s been a long time since I visited Pittsburgh. When we took our kids there some years ago, to show them where they’d been born, and where we went to school (Pitt), we took them to The Cathedral of Learning’s Nationality Rooms, Schenley Park, Frick Conservatory, and to Charlie’s for the best hamburgers ever. (Don’t know if Charlie’s is still around - I Googled it, and am coming up with a different address than I remember. Perhaps it moved - anybody know?) We also rode the incline.</p>
<p>Just got back from a weekend in Pittsburgh. Our D goes to Pitt and we just love the city. This trip we stayed at the Wyndham right on the edge of the Pitt campus; rates are usually about $200 per night but we got a room through Hotwire for $59! Excellent deal. </p>
<p>I’m the one who recommended Girasole, an italian restaurant on Walnut Street in Shadyside. Love it there. Took my D and her roommates to Bangkok Balcony in Squirrel Hill for Thai this time; that was also very good. Went shopping at Southside Works and ate at McKormick and Schnick’s (sp?) also. We’ve been to the Strip many times and love it there, this time we also trekked to Trader Joe’s since we don’t have one and have never been. Made a visit to the fall flower show at Phipps conservatory in Schenley Park, another great stop. </p>
<p>If you are looking to splurge, stay at the Inn on Negley, a wonderful b & b in Shadyside. It is beautiful, the breakfast is to die for, proprietors very friendly and rooms really nice. It’s not cheap, but you don’t have to pay for parking or breakfast so unless you get a deal on Priceline or Hotwire, it’s a wash.</p>
<p>Have fun and pm me if you want.</p>
<p>Hi Musmom2, welcome to Pittsburgh. I live in the city and we recently entertained friends from Calif on their first trip to our city. You have gotten some great suggestions so far, and depending on your budget and interests, I can expand on those suggestions or give you others. PM me if you like. I don’t know much about hotels since we don’t use them.</p>
<p>The view of the city that was mentioned is from the Fort Pitt Bridge/Tunnel which is the city entrance from the direction of the airport. It is spectacular day or night (my favorite). A similar view can be seen from the incline (the Duquesne is the historic one). The restaurants are good up there but can be expensive. Another restaurant in the area is the Grand Concourse at Station Square, a converted train station with beautiful stained glass windows and a river room with a great view. They do a very nice Sunday brunch.<br>
If you are interested in art, the Carnegie International is a must see. Connected to the art museum is the Natural History Museum with the hall of gems mentioned earlier and also the newly remodeled dinosaur hall, one of the best dino exhibits in the U. S. A short distant from the museums is Phipps Conservatory which should be having its Fall show. Phipps has been winning numerous awards for its newly opened additions of Green buildings and sustainable environments (and the flowers are pretty spectacular, too!). If you like glass sculptures, the Chihuly show closed but quite of few of the scultures were retained.</p>
<p>Oops - after kschmidt’s post, I realized I juxtaposed Frick Art Museum and Phipps conservatory. It was the conservatory I meant.</p>
<p>I also love the view coming through the Fort Pitt tunnel. I almost mentioned it! But driving through Pittsburgh can be a frustrating experience if you miss a turn – end up on the wrong side of a river. No such thing as “go around the block”! </p>
<p>We love the dinosaurs, too - I’d forgotten about them! What a fun thread for me - bringing back so many memories.</p>
<p>A piece of advice - have a good street level map when you come in. Because of the river, you can know EXACTLY where you want to be, and maybe even be able to see where you want to be, but have no idea how to get there. Not that I have ever been confused or lost in Pittsburgh… ;)</p>
<p>We just finished a trip to Pittsburgh to see our D who goes to school there, and yes, the view entering through the Fort Pitt tunnel is awesome. Another great viewing experience is to ride up the Dusquene Incline and eat at the Georgetown Inn restaurant which is literally next door to where you get off the incline. It has two floors of dining space with floor to ceiling windows and a spectacular view. The food is very good, and a good value as $24 includes appetizer, salad, soup, cheese plate, entree and dessert too I think.</p>
<p>They are having their 250th anniv. celebration for the city right now and lots of special activities are going on. The Cathedral is lit up on 2 sides (facing the Union and Schenley Park) each night with a montage of images related to an architect I think, plus the fountain in front of the Art bldg is lit, and a stage set up in the park for outdoor concerts on the weekends. The newly renovated dinosaur exhibit in the Natural History museum is great and the T Rex is finished and open. Pittsburgh Ballet Theater is doing The Great Gatsby soon.</p>
<p>If you go to the Girasole to eat, skip their dessert and go upstairs for the best Italian gelato you will ever have. If you like Thai food, there is a wonderful restaurant on Walnut St in Shadyside (a few blocks from Girasole) called Thai Place that is superb and won a restaurant association award for being in the top 5 Thai restaurants in the US. It is very reasonable. For breakfast the best place ever is Pamela’s. The main one is in Oakland near Pitt and the Cathedral, but there is also one in Shadyside and in Squirrel Hill. If you like Lebanese food, down the block from Pamela’s Squirrel Hill is Aladdin’s Eatery, excellent hummos, falafel and pita pizzas they call “pitzas”. There is a new Ethiopian restaurant called Abay which we didn’t have time to try but looked very good. It’s in Shadyside, but the art gallery part, not Walnut St.</p>
<p>There are river cruises, duck tours, Molley’s Trolleys. Nice shopping on Walnut St in Shadyside, also if you go to South Side Works (brand new type stuff), then walk down E. Carson St. for more funky shops and cafes. We did the Andy Warhol museum this time and it was a lot of fun.</p>
<p>If you have a day for a side trip and have a car, try scheduling a tour of Falling Water, a Frank Lloyd Wright house about an hour’s drive south (?) of Pittsburgh. It’s the one built on a water fall. There is a website with the hours and days you can tour. I think the grounds are open anytime, but I think you need an appt to tour the house.</p>
<p>Thanks folks for all the great responses!
I believe we will be entering P’burgh from the “wrong” direction- not going thru the tunnel. Maybe another time!
K&S: I had actually seen and saved the “36 hrs. in P’burgh” article, but didn’t think to go back to the travel section to see if there was more.
Just used Hotwire for the first time, I don’t know why i haven’t before! $120/night at the Omni William Penn sounds like a good deal. I think we wanted to stay downtown this time. Kschmidt- will save the Inn on Negley for another time- looks lovely on the website, and we do like B+B’s.
All of your sight-seeing, strolling, museum-ing and eating ideas sound just like the kinds of things we like, so thanks again. This will be the third little excursion since youngest D went off to school (also Lake Placid and NY Finger Lakes to visit a couple wineries), it is helping to make the empty nest tolerable! Can’t wait to see her at IUP! And the Omni (for only $22.00 more) will undoubtedly be better than the one double bed room at the Comfort Inn we got for Sat. night of parents weekend!</p>
<p>Don’t know if this was mentioned, but check out the CMU website for plays and musicals. They have one of the best theater and musical theater departments in the country and you might be able to catch something there and support the kids as well.</p>
<p>Good idea, Cartera! I had looked at the Symphony and Opera, neither of which will work, unfortunately.</p>
<p>If you are the outdoor type, try walking trails in Schenley or Frick Park in the East End. Also there are great walking/running/cycling trails along the rivers, including past the stadiums, Point State Park and The Science Center. Check out Washington’s Landing for free and ample parking on the trail.</p>
<p>Grand Concourse at Station Square is an opulent Sunday brunch choice.</p>
<p>Other breakfast options:</p>
<p>Cocoa Cafe, Laurenceville
Square Cafe, Regent Square</p>
<p>I second Cathedral of Learning at UPitt. A national monument and in part, the pride of Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh’s a great city, a real gem. Son’s a CMU grad, we loved going out. Still do once a year.</p>
<p>Of the many places I’ve stayed you picked my fave by a mile, Omni Wm Penn. A grand restored hotel that would be $600/night in Manhattan. Nice restaurant in the lobby, Starbucks attached, some cute shopping on the ground floor. A great walk from the hotel, if you like to walk: —to the Point. Where the rivers converge. Currently the fountain at the point spouts pink water for Breast Cancer Month. Then walk along the Allegheny (north) to the new stadiums (Heinz and PNC for football and baseball).</p>
<p>If you do the Cathedral at Pitt (I would) go to the top floor for awesome view of downtown west and Oakland and CMU campus east.</p>
<p>I think the #1 must see is the view from Mount Washington. Go at dusk if you can, watch the night fall and the lights come on, then eat at one of the places up there or back in the city. It’s truly an amazing view. The drive through Ft Pitt tunnel east into the city is so great because the cityscape literally bursts upon you…you go from basic buildingless hills, to a tunnel, to an entire city instantly spread before you. I like it best at night.</p>
<p>Good suggestions for eating. I never miss Pamela’s for breakfast, best I’ve had anywhere esp crepe pancakes. They have several locations but Shadyside is nicest.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p>Don’t enter Pittsburgh without a decent GPS system!!! (At least, that’s what we needed.) Spent a few days there this past summer, loved the inclines, Jo Mama’s Italian (near the universities). Hubby is a contemporary art fiend, so spent happy hours at the (Andy) Warhol Museum and the Mattress Factory. </p>
<p>But I firmly believe that I would still be circling the city, HOPING to find my way out without my handy GPS that just kept “recalculating” when I either missed a turn (or the rampant construction closed a ramp). </p>
<p>Great city! Enjoy!</p>