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Pittsburgh
Say “Pittsburgh” and for many the image that is conjured up is that of a gray, dirty steel city.
Today clean and very walkable Pittsburgh has world-class art museums, a myriad of excellent restaurants and breweries, Broadway-worthy theatre, distinguished educational institutions, and professional baseball, ice hockey and football teams.
For those who remember the 1960s, Warhol was a revolutionary figure. His New York studio—dubbed The Factory—was a gathering place for many talented, and often disturbed, young men and women. The museum provides a look at Warhol’s young life and of his iconic silk screens that include likenesses of Jacqueline Kennedy, Mick Jagger, and Marilyn Monroe. All told, the museum has 12,000 Warhol works, including film, photographs, videotapes, paintings, drawings, and prints.
Pittsburgh and the surrounding area have been the beneficiaries of the fortunes of a number of wealthy industrialists, including the Carnegies, Mellons, Fricks, and the Heinzes. In the case of J.J. “Jack” Heinz II it was important that downtown Pittsburgh took the lead in providing cultural opportunities for the community. To that end, he was instrumental in establishing the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which in 1984 began pressing for urban renewal to upgrade a 14-block arts and cultural district, along with dining and residential opportunities. Today the Cultural District—which, for starters, sponsors the Three Rivers Arts Festival and Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival—sees some 2 million people participating in its events every year. Visitors have the opportunity to see the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Pittsburgh Opera. Many of these groups perform at The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. Originally built in 1928, a $43 million renovation turned the Benedum into a stunning auditorium that is registered by the National Register of Historic Places.
Learn more about the history of the city at the Senator John Heinz History Center, a Smithsonian Institution affiliate. Here is an opportunity to discover everything you never knew about the Heinz 57 company and its innovative products and clever marketing over the years. The center’s permanent exhibitions include Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation, Senator John Heinz: A Western Pennsylvania Legacy, Glass: Shattering Notions (Many are not aware that glass was the region’s first major industry.), and the Special Collections Gallery, which pays tribute to the many, many different groups of immigrants who toiled to make the city what it is today.
For more information: The Andy Warhol Museum Church Brew Works Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Bella Vista Ristorante Italiano Senator John Heinz History Center Sylvia McCoy |
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If that’s your mindset, you are making a big mistake. In 2007 it was rated the No. 1 most livable city in the United States by Places Rated Almanac, beating out San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., among others. 
A good place to begin is the Andy Warhol Museum, the largest art museum in the world dedicated to a single artist. Although he spent much of his adult life in New York, Warhol hailed from Pittsburgh. Much of Pop Art owes its origins to Warhol—suddenly the ordinary objects found in one’s home and office became worthy of note by galleries and collectors. 
With its many German and Eastern European immigrants, Pittsburgh is famous for its beer and breweries. The Church Brew Works is a stunning example of a former house of worship that has been converted into a brewery and restaurant. What was once St. John the Baptist Church today has its original Douglas fir floors, stained glass windows and many other historic details. Those stopping in for lunch may opt for traditional pierogies—a Slavic potato and cheese dish served with sautéed onions, butter and sour cream—as well as entrees along the lines of farfalle pasta with shrimp or a chicken pot pie. 
Don’t miss the opportunity to take the funicular to Mt. Washington. Here you will find a spectacular view of the city and its three rivers: the Allegheny and Monongahela form the Ohio. (With three rivers, it should come as no surprise that the city has more than 400 bridges, second only to Venice, Italy.) Have a cocktail at the stylish Le Mont Restaurant and then move a few doors down for dinner at Bella Vista Ristorante Italiano. The lobster ravioli with a lobster cream sauce is a terrific starter to be followed by the likes of veal scaloppini and chicken alla Marsala. The restaurant’s dessert tray will have diners swooning. 
One other must-not-miss attraction is a food-tasting gander through the Strip District Market led by Sylvia McCoy. McCoy takes guests—no more than 10 in a group—from one eatery to another. On her ‘Burg Bits & Bites tour you’ll meet with the different vendors, learn about their personal history and the history of their business and sample everything from vegetarian sushi to authentic Mid-Eastern hummus, taste cheeses from a store that has more than 500 different types from around the world, sample locally made wines, proscuitto that more than holds its own with European varieties, and feast on Italian pastries. 
But this hardly begins to cover all that Pittsburgh has to offer. Visitors wanting more information should begin with visitpittsburgh,com or for more information call 1-877-LOVE-PGH.