Why Pittsburgh is primed to surprise

If you haven’t been toPittsburgh before or it’s been a while since
you visited, it’s time to take another look. The erstwhile industrial town is
now on the cutting edge, where a new generation of tech, robotics and medicine
professionals have helped redefine the area.

Pittsburgh’s unique cultural
experiences  reflect the region’s
longstanding embrace of innovation. One thing never changes here – a sense of
warmth and friendliness, which you will find from the moment you exit the Pennsylvania
Turnpike. Here are some of our favorite ways Pittsburgh is serving up the cool
and unexpected for young travelers.

Pusadee’s Garden features outdoor seating and vegan options. Anthem Video for Lonely Planet

Restaurants

Pittsburgh remains known for the
signature sandwiches atPrimanti Brothers,
laden with French fries and coleslaw, but there are other amazing places
featuring international flavors and down-home cooking.

In theStrip District,Novo Asian Food Hall offers everything from
Taiwanese to Vietnamese to Korean food, with great drinks at Novo Bar. In the
mood for shrimp or fish?Roland’s
Seafood Grill is a Strip District institution increasingly drawing
visitors to enjoy signature dishes like mussel pots and lobster mac and cheese.

The Vandal, in Lawrenceville has an excellent scallop crudo with coconut, lime, pineapple & cucumber. Anthem Video for Lonely Planet

InBloomfield, the city’s best pies are atSpak Brothers Pizza – you won’t believe this
pizza is gluten free. Fantastic Thai food and fun cocktails await atPusadee’s Garden in Lawrenceville, which
features outdoor seating and vegetarian and vegan options. Eastern European
restaurantApteka,
features an all-vegan menu and has been named one of the nation’s top 50
restaurants by the New York Times. Apteka elevates traditional ethnic fare like
pierogies, which Pittsburgh has adopted as a trademark dish, and the borscht is
a standout. It is located across fromSt.
Mary Catholic Cemetery.

For breakfast any time of day, sample the
outstanding omelets atRitter’s
Diner, but be advised – this family-owned favorite only takes cash.
Or satisfy a sweet or savory craving with crepes atCafe Moulin.

Nearby Nordic seafood restaurant FET-FISK
opened in March 2024 after running a series of hugely successful citywide
pop-ups since 2019. Sample the fresh ricotta curds and red velvet beet cake.

In Lawrenceville, Umami Izakaya is a
Japanese pub with great drink and appetizer deals during happy hour and perfect
sake and spirit flights to pair with ramen or rice bowls.

Although it’s not original, you can feel like a part of a Warhol painting sitting on this in the lobby of the Warhol Museum. Cameron Croston for Lonely Planet

A center for the arts

From its famous pop art native son, Andy
Warhol, to the very latest in avant-garde concepts, Pittsburgh embraces the
unexpected.

TheAndy Warhol Museum is a must-see. Watch the
short filmFifteen Minutes
Eternal, which tells the artist’s life story, then use the
Bloomberg Connects app to take an interactive tour of the museum. Contemporary
art museumMattress Factory is a great follow-up. You can
experience entirely different styles at this place named for its original
purpose — warehousing mattresses for manufacturer Stearns and Foster.

For music, visit free banjo night at theAllegheny Elks Lodge or catch a show at Thunderbird
Cafe & Music Hall.

Cultural offerings from performance to the visual arts are all within walking distance in Pittsburgh. Anthem Video for Lonely Planet

The Pittsburgh Banjo Club sponsors the
Elks Lodge sessions on Wednesdays from 8 to 11 p.m. – while entry is free, food
and drink are cash only. Meanwhile, Lawrenceville’s Thunderbird is known for
featuring up-and-comers and established acts like Grammy-winning bass guitar
virtuoso Victor Wooten, and every seat in the house is surprisingly close to
the stage. TheFunhouse at Mr. Smalls
provides an amazing aesthetic experience, housed in a 200-year-old former
Catholic church. The Millvale club welcomes an eclectic array of indie bands,
and drinks and entry prices are quite reasonable.

Love classical, jazz or piano music?
After performances, members of thePittsburgh
Symphony Orchestra sometimes hop across the street to jazz barcon alma for impromptu jams.

For anyone looking forfree entertainment plus a bite to eat, the
no-chargeAllegheny County Summer Concert Series atHartwood Acres invites a rotating lineup of
local food trucks.

Lawrenceville is a former industrial neighborhood that has been reinvented as a stylish dining and entertainment district. Anthem Video for Lonely Planet

Reinvented neighborhoods

The hallmarks of Pittsburgh’s historic
charm are all around, but the city has reinventedformerly industrial neighborhoods  into more modern spaces that are worth
visiting.

Sitting northeast of downtown and
featuring loads of riverfront real estate,Lawrenceville is a throwback to the Steel City
past that has adopted a more boho feel. Trendy bars likeNew Amsterdam andAllegheny
Wine Mixer dot Butler Street, and visitors can catch lively drag
shows atBlue Moon.
Art galleries and antique boutiques make fun daytime destinations.

South Side Flats, sitting south of the
Monongahela, has seen a boom in housing and nightlife, plus an influx of
standout ethnic restaurants. Locals love walking and biking onThree Rivers Heritage Trail.Big Dog
Coffee has the best joe in the area, andBirmingham
Bridge Tavern boasts excellent wings.

Shadyside, smack in the center of the city,
has evolved from a mostly residential area to a more commercial location close
to the University
of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University.
It used to be known as Pittsburgh’s Greenwich Village, but the vibe has become
more mainstream and less counterculture. It also claims the commonwealth’s only
wooden street – Roslyn Place, a cul-de-sac off Ellsworth Avenue. Shadyside
plays host to fun weekend shopping and music popups, too.

Street murals honoring local legends fill the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Anthem Video for Lonely Planet

A few miles from downtown, Bloomfield
(aka Pittsburgh’s Little Italy) has experienced a glow-up. It once sat amid the
city’s early glass and steel mills and provided a home to many Sicilian
immigrants. Now, many of those old buildings have been rebuilt. Liberty Avenue
has loads of restaurants featuring authentic dishes from around the world, and
the walkable neighborhood features a fun coffee/vinyl shop inLong Play Café, also called Rosie’s Records.

Friendship, a neighborhood often included
with nearby East Liberty and once known mostly for its Victorian homes, has
undergone a renaissance in the past 15 years. It has become more walkable and
attracted emerging businesses likeDuolingo,
which established its headquarters there in 2016. May’sFriendship
Flowers & Folk Festival is a don’t-miss.

Regent Square is another walkable place
on the East Side. Situated near Frick Park and housing charming shops and
restaurants, the neighborhood’s Irish roots shine (it also puts on unique
annual events such asRun Around
the Square.) Recent additionStay Gold,
an independent bookshop, is a new favorite with a distinctive pink storefront
you can’t miss. Nearby3 Rivers Outdoor Co. sells outdoor gear and
hosts high-energy outdoor- and running-themed events.

Pittsburgh sports fans have plenty to celebrate. The atmosphere before a Pittsburgh Steelers game is second to none. Cameron Croston for Lonely Planet

A championship-caliber sports
experience

Pittsburgh’s civic pride is always on
full display, and its sports teams have given it a lot to be excited about.
From the excellent fan experience at its world-class venues to the infectious
energy of fans in its sports bars, it’s easy to get swept up when you visit the
City of Champions.

The six-time Super Bowl championPittsburgh Steelers play atAcrisure Stadium (formerly known as Heinz
Field) on the Allegheny River. Right next door, the Pittsburgh Pirates host
games atPNC
Park, where you can catch a perfect view of the downtown skyline.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, winners of five Stanley Cups, compete atPPG Paints Arena, located downtown. The major
sports venues are steps away from the Platinum LEED-CertifiedDavid L. Lawrence Convention Center or a short
walk over one of the Three Sisters Bridges, a trio of self-anchored suspension
bridges spanning the Allegheny River.

The Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team all boast world-class venues in the heart of downtown. Cameron Croston for Lonely Planet

With both the Steelers and Pirates
stadiums residing there, theNorth Shore is the place to find sports fans
during the season). Grab a drink atSouthern
Tier Brewing Company, which also has regular concerts and bingo
nights, or go duckpin bowling atShorty’s Pins
& Pints.

From the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to the many city parks, three rivers and surrounding forests, there’s an outdoor experience for everyone. Anthem Video for Lonely Planet

Incredible outdoor experiences

Pittsburgh’s natural spaces are a great
attraction for young, active travelers. City parks, the confluence of rivers,
and wooded surroundings reflect the growth of the city.Allegheny Landing is a riverfront sculpture
park and one of the city’s most-photographed locations. Boating on the city’s
famed three rivers is a  treat – take theGateway Clipper or, for a special occasion,
charter a tiki boat fromCruisin’
Tikis Pittsburgh.

Schenley Park, located betweenOakland andSquirrel Hill, includes 456 acres often
occupied by students from Pittsburgh’s major universities. nearbyDuquesne University andUniversity of Pittsburgh. It has a golf
course, beautiful overlook and,  offers
swimming in the summer and ice skating during the winter months. Across the
Monongahela River, 257-acreEmerald View Park is a rehabbed space that
includes sports fields, picnic areas and playgrounds.Frick Park, bordering the other side of
Squirrel Hill, is the area’s largest park at 644 acres and has a wonderful
place to see birds at Clayton Hill. Watch for cultural events such as
Shakespeare in the Park.

Picklesburgh is the city’s four-day celebration of all things pickle in July. Shutterstock

An event for every taste

A packed event calendar, from annual
events to weekly markets, means there’s always something exciting to do right
around the corner in Pittsburgh. April’s freeArt All Night has showcased the city’s best
artists, musicians and films for nearly three decades. May’sMillvale Music Festival has more than 300 acts
across almost 30 stages, including some spoken word and comedians.

Summer brings more fun. Mattress
Factory’s annualGarden Party, a June fundraiser, includes
several stages of musical performers and food from more than a dozen local
restaurants. The Three
Rivers Arts Festival features 10 days of free exhibitions in the
cultural district. ThePittsburgh
Renaissance Festival, held in nearby Newton over six weekends each
summer, features sword swallowers, jugglers and, of course, turkey legs. A
four-day celebration of all things pickle in July,Picklesburgh offers attendees music and
pickle-themed gifts in addition to pickle gelato, pickle pizza and pickle
eating contests.

Late summer’s 10-day motor sports
festival, thePittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, includes a
vintage car race. Another free event, September’sPittsburgh International Jazz Festival,
highlights world-renowned performers, including Maysa and Chris Coles’ Nine
Lives Project featuring Sean Jones.

As summer turns to Fall, look for two of
Pittsburgh’s most entertaining festivals. Barrel &
Flow supports the opportunity and artistry of the black community,
and has been named by USA Today as America’s favorite brew fest two years in a
row. And the Pittsburgh
Irish Festival celebrates the rich Irish history and traditions in
the city, featuring everything from musical acts to authors to Irish family
tree tracing.

From May to September, hit up weeklyfarmer’s markets in Squirrel Hill, East End,
North Side and Carrick. During the holidays, the Peoples Gas Holiday Market
welcomes local vendors and food sellers to downtown Pittsburgh. Between
shopping for stocking stuffers and posing with Santa, get in a few spins around
the ice skating rink. And don’t forget local churches that hold bazaars and
festivals throughout the city every time of year – “yinz” will get a great taste of the friendly
culture that makes Pittsburgh so appealing.

Young tech, robotics and medicine professionals have helped redefine the area for a new generation. Cameron Croston for Lonely Planet