#yinzerpride

Hello again🌼  I’ve called Pittsburgh my home since I was 9. I may travel the globe eventually, but I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up anywhere else. City life is still new to me but I’ve grown to appreciate Pittsburgh in a different manner since living here. This week I’m going to share why I’m happy to call Pittsburgh my home & why it’s an awesome college town.

1.) Itty Bitty City

Pittsburgh is a great starter city if you aren’t used to city life. Coming from a small town I was very excited, yet nervous when I first moved to the city. It always appealed to me but I wanted to give it a test run & college was the perfect opportunity to do so. Pittsburgh boasts a population of just over 300,000 & is easily walkable. I visited Philly last year & as awesome as South Philly was, I think I’ll stick to my small cities – Portland is next on my bucket list.

2.) Colleges on Every Corner

One of the reasons I’m advocating Pittsburgh as a great college city is because there are so many universities! If you decided to go to school here, you won’t be alone. In Oakland, you have Carlow, Carnegie-Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, and Chatham. In Downtown, there’s Point Park & Duquesne. The Art Institute is in downtown as well (where I’m currently attending J), but they are moving to the Strip District in April 2017.

3.) Distinct Neighborhoods

Pittsburgh has 90 different neighborhoods. Yes, you read that correctly, 90. Back in the day, Pgh was a large immigration hub. The culture is a melting pot as a result, this is what has helped diversify the city. Each little neighborhood has its own culture. South Side is where the party’s at, the Strip District is where you go for worldly cuisine, as well as some traditional Pittsburgh food, Lawrenceville is the hipster / art neighborhood loaded with galleries & shops, & Shadyside & Squirrel Hill are a hub for trendy boutiques & coffee shops.

4.)   Food, food, food!

No matter the unique neighborhood, there’s always good eats! Pittsburgh is home to many small local business, especially restaurants & coffee shops. So, if you ever visit the burgh, be sure to forget Chipotle or Starbucks, & support some of the local cuisine. Truthfully, I could write a book about Pittsburgh food, but I’ll keep it to a minimum here. By far Pittsburgh’s most famous cuisine is the Primanti Brothers sandwich. This sandwich takes fresh made bread with coleslaw, French fries, & is topped with your choice of meat, an egg, or veggie patty. DeLuca’s & Pamela’s Diner are both famous breakfast spots both located in the Strip District. Pamela’s pancakes are a favorite of President Obama’s! Another delicacy that started in Pittsburgh are the mini gourmet donuts known as Peace, Love, & Little Donuts. Most locations are throughout western PA, but there are some spots scattered throughout the US.

5.) You’ll Never be Bored

Whether you’re into art, sports, food, shopping, or sightseeing – there is something for every taste. PGH has more than the Steelers, Penguins, or Pirates, there are professional rugby & soccer teams as well. If you’re in for a road trip & love skiing or snowboarding, Seven Springs & Hidden Valley Mountain Resorts lie just over an hour outside city limits. Seven Springs is one of the top-rated ski resorts on the east coast. & if you’re ever around in the fall, their Autumnfest is a must go. Pittsburgh is also home to numerous beautiful parks, Schenley & Point State Park are the most famous. Both provide sweeping views of the city & its surroundings. PGH is on the rise to becoming one of the top bike cities in the US, they were the first to get a city-wide bike rental program known as Healthy Ride. This is a way to easily access the city or enjoy a bike ride on one of our few sunny days. A famous spot unique to Pittsburgh is the incline. The incline makes a simpler way for residents on top of Mount Washington to access downtown. The lookouts provide a bird’s eye view of downtown’s skyscrapers & the North Side’s sports stadiums.

Header photo credit to Pinsburgh