Pittsburgh Travel Forum

Will arrive Thursday and have a few days here...could you please tell me where the cool, good cafes are located? Also, what are the area(s)with the most unique, quirky stores? What are the most interesting parts of town to see? I have researched some, and the Southside seems to be the fave of locals. What are the best cafes there? Thanks...and , maybe, I'll see you sipping coffee ! (Look for me with my hula hoop, of course)

Yes, I think the Southside is the great place to start. Lot's of interesting shops and great places to eat. I like Cafe Allegro and le Pommier. Fatheads has burgers and a very large selection of beers. Lots of coffee shops, including the Tuscany Cafe and the Beehive.

I think you'll also like the Strip district (no, not THAT kind of strip), especially on Saturday mornings, if you're in the market for interesting shops and great wholesale food places open to the public. In the strip, I like Kaya for food. Eleven has high-end food and a very cool bar. There's Mullaney's Harp and Fiddle and The Church Brew Works. See http://www.urbanspoon.com/n/23/2228/Pittsburgh/Strip-District-restaurants.html
for more ideas.

People used to love Primanti Brothers in the strip...but lately I've read that it's not as good as it used to be. (This is a "diner" where they pile your coleslaw and french fries IN your sandwhich.)

I love my city, and hope you enjoy it, but the weather lately....grrrrr. Hope it's at least sunny for you.

The southside and the Strip district are both interesting neighborhoods with some good restaurants and bars. While you are on the south side, take the incline up Mount Washington for a great view of the city.

For some interesting sights, also visit Oakland, the neighborhood which has the city's two major universities (University of Pittsburgh ("Pitt") and Carnegie-Mellon University). On the Pitt campus, the Cathedral of Learning tower is one of the more unique buildings in the US and Heinz Chapel is a prettly little church. The Carnegie Museums are also worth visiting.

If you like modern art, visit the Andy Warhol museum on Pittsburgh's North Side.

Feel free to visit our Pittsburgh pages for more tips and photos.

On a differnt note, our Vancouver page has a good photo of our daughter hooping!

In addition to the places previously mentioned, one area I've enjoyed on my last three or four visits to Pittsburgh is Market Square. This spot used to have a really bad reputation, but seems to be a success story for urban renewal. Set on a quiet tree-lined square smack in the middle of downtown, this unique place feels like it's from a European city. There are several cafes here including Buon Giorno Cafe, Nicholas Coffee Company, and the Jenny Lee Bakery. There are a few bars/restaurants such as a Primanti's, the Original Oyster House, Market Street Ale House, and several others. The area has a few small shops, but none that I can name off the top of my head.

Just down Market Street a half block, you'll find PPG Place and the PPG Place Plaza. This are has a great fountain that kids play in all summer and it's turned into an ice skating rink in the winter.

The other great thing about the square is its proximity to other central Pittsburgh destinations such as the theater district and Point State Park.