Faux Real

12 Responses to “Pittsburgh, PA”

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1. 1 Elizabeth Apr 15th, 2008 at 7:58 pm

   Depends how far you want to travel…

   Fallingwater is supposed to be beautiful:
   http://www.paconserve.org/index-fw1.asp

2. 2 binky Apr 15th, 2008 at 8:16 pm

   It is, but it’s not a whole weekend kind of thing. Are we talking big people only, or little people too? If the former, there is the Warhol, eating pierogies at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, strolling down the Strip to buy wholesave cheese and fresh pasta and fresh roasted coffee and cannoli at the Italian bakery, heart attack sandwiches at Primanti’s (where they put the slaw and fries right on the sausage sandwich… mmm…). That’s all Pittsburgh proper. Depends on weather and how “metro area” you want to do, but there are some nice outdoor possibilities as well. I could prattle on, or you could email me.

3. 3 jam Apr 16th, 2008 at 8:24 am

   be sure to keep an eye peeled for signs of the howling mob

4. 4 Bonnie Apr 16th, 2008 at 11:21 am

   I agree with Binky that it depends on if it is big people or little people, too……..and do you like shopping, eating, historical things, sports, etc.? Like outside things or inside things? There is a LOT to do in Pittsburgh and the area………but so much so that you really need to let us know a bit more specific the types of things you LIKE to do. And yes, Binky is right………The Strip no matter what!

5. 5 Lauren Apr 16th, 2008 at 7:20 pm

   We’ll be on a foodie and shopping kick. I like street culture, youth culture, I love museums, cool restaurants (specifically small ones, don’t think uppity).

6. 6 binky Apr 16th, 2008 at 9:19 pm

   OK, so I started with some foodie stuff, obvi. Also on the strip is DeLuca’s, a diner. I prefer to eat at Primanti’s (on one of the side streets off the strip) but it is open much longer hours.

   Bloomfield Bridge Tavern

   Then there is the The Warhol Museum.

   Depending on when you are there, the Thunderbird Cafe is in a neighborhood that is happening with the young folk (Lawrenceville) and often has small but good shows.

   The Strip

   Lots of studenty stuff around Oakland, which is near both Pitt and CMU (and Crimes of Fashion used clothes!). Also, in this area is the Carnegie museum both art and natural history.

   Walnut Street (near Aiken the cross street) has gone from hip to yuppie, alas. Back inthe bad old days, we even had our own Ninja. But there is still the chance to shop and sip latte. Up Ellsworth towards Shady Ave has better vintage, including Eons and Hey Betty. The former used to be more drag, and the latter higher quality but more expensive.

   I prefer Squirrel Hill, and my favorite local bar the Squirrel Cage (real name the Squirrel Hill Cafe. Smoky, beer, that’s about it. Grad student hang out extraordinaire.

7. 7 random6x7 Apr 18th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

   Wow, Pittsburgh’s super-popular on the blogs I visit lately. I wholeheartedly second all of the above suggestions. I also really like the South Side. It’s a neat neighborhood to walk around. You can see some of our (famous?) streets that are really just staircases, but the main section is pretty flat. There’s a newly built-up, more chain-store-y section, but the older bits have some great restaurants and shops. It’s easy to get to on a bus, too (the 51C or take the trolley and hike the mile and a half- it’s not a pretty walk, though).

   Oakland is awesome. If you go there, Lulu’s on Craig is fabulous, and hella cheap. The O has the biggest tray o’ fries you’ll ever see. If you order a small, they’ll put a small container on a tray and then just heap fries all over the tray. My favorite secret Pittsburgh thing’s also there. In the Cathedral of Learning (it’s the big, obvious, warlock looking building), there are the heritage rooms. Different cultural groups in the city payed for a room each to be decorated. There’s a Hebrew room, a Persian one, a Japanese one among others. They’re fuctional classrooms, and you can also rent a key and a cassette player with an audio tour. It’s about a block from the Carnegie Museums, too.

8. 8 xpig Apr 19th, 2008 at 9:28 pm

   Most incredible food I’ve ever eaten: Tram’s Kitchen. Vietnamese food. Little hole-in-the-wall place at 4050 Penn Ave, just outside Bloomfield towards town. If you go, you have to get the fresh spring rolls and the sate soup. A little white-haired guy with one arm and terrible English will come out and yell at you and/or laugh, and bring you food that will make you want to scream in food-ecstasy.
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   Even if you don’t have a turntable, you should at least set foot in Jerry’s Used Records on Murray Ave in Squirrel Hill. It’s just an experience.
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   I’d check and see what exhibits the carnegie museum of art has going on- could be something worthwhile. It adjoins with the main branch of the carnegie library, which is just a beautiful place. I’d duck in there just to look around. (Look up, especially.)
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   Get a bubble tea at the Rose Tea Cafe on Forbes in Squirrel Hill if you haven’t had one yet. (That’s *all* I’d get there though, unless you really know your way around Taiwanese food.)
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   Check out the Culture Shop on Carson St in the South Side.
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   Meet me, damnit. If you remember what I look like from my old blog, and you see me playing fiddle or banjo on the street, please stop and say hi. Or email me and tell me when you’re coming and I’ll try to get my butt out alot that weekend.

9. 9 binky Apr 20th, 2008 at 11:05 am

   Tram’s is awesome, but their hours are really weird (sort of a “when we feel like it,” no?). But good suggestions!

   Also, Random is right on. I can’t believe I forgot South Side. Doh! The theater there has good shows (I saw the Hold Steady there on a Monday for ten bucks!), and there’s other places too. You could go to McArdles for a Flaming Dr. Pepper.

   And we all forgot: Ride the incline!

10. 10 Lauren Apr 20th, 2008 at 11:26 am

    Flaming Dr. Pepper? I’m intrigued.

    Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. We’re slated to take a trip there over a long weekend in late June for a family thing (near Fallingwater, actually), but we really want to break out and see the metro area. If we end up going I’ll write some emails.

11. 11 Winnie Apr 23rd, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    As a native, I’d have to go with the Warhol Museum, Clayton House, the Strip District, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill are all cool places to check out. If you’re in the mood for pizza do Mineo’s pizza in Squirrel Hill on Murray Avenue-my family would sometimes grab a pizza and then take it to Flagstaff Hill for an evening picnic. Also PNC park is a lot of fun to catch a game at though, I didn’t support the stadium tax.

1. 1 Fort Necessity and Family Reunions, Oh My! at Faux Real Pingback on Jun 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm

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