Pittsburgh Education Directory
Downtown Pittsburgh sits on a triangle of land where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers merge to form the Ohio river. This is why Pittsburgh has been called the City of Bridges. Pittsburgh's air and water quality once suffered from the city's heavy industrial base, but today it has been called one of the cleanest cities in the world by Forbes magazine.
Things to See & Do:
- The Frick Art & Historical Center includes an entire complex of historical buildings and museums in a beautiful five-acre setting of lawns and gardens.
- Kennywood Park is a Pittsburgh landmark: World-class roller coasters and thrill rides, games, food, and live entertainment.
- Pittsburgh Filmakers provides media artists and burgeoning filmmakers with the tools they need, as well as running The School of Film, Photography, and Digital Media with college-level courses. The organization operates theaters and galleries around the city that play a wide variety of independent, foreign, and/or classic films and documentaries.
- Fallingwater-probably Frank Lloyd Wright's best-known achievement-is a house that stands astride a waterfall in neighboring Mill Run, PA. Open for tours from mid-March through November, don't miss this!
- The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, features six floors of permanent and traveling exhibits celebrating the history of Western Pennsylvania. The site includes the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, with interactive exhibits and audio-visual programs.
- TSquirrel Hill is a very popular Pittsburgh neighborhood, with ethnic restaurants, bakeries, and delis, both funky and upscale stores, movie theaters, and more.
- The Strip-in Pittsburgh's funky warehouse district-is a combination of farmer's market and street fair, selling everything from fresh flowers to costumes to sports memorabilia.
- The Andy Warhol Museum celebrates the work of Pop artist Andy Warhol, a Pittsburgh native. Exhibitions include over 4,000 works of art in a wide variety of media, as well as hosting shows by exciting, contemporary artists.
Nightlife:
- Jetz Nighclub on Freeport Rd. is for teens only. There is good security and no alcohol is served. There's an advanced sound system, strobe lights, an a sunken dance floor.
- Enjoy movies under the stars seven evenings a week at a different Pittsburgh area park every night, starting around 9 p.m. Bring a blanket to lounge on and your own food and drinks (no glass bottles, no alcohol). It's free!
- Try one of their "Almost Famous" sandwiches at Primanti Brothers restaurant. Hot, fast, greasy, and cheap-what could be better? The Strip District location is open 24 hours a day.
Accommodation:
Students looking for affordable lodging in Pittsburgh should contact the following for rates and availability:
- Microtel on Chauvet Dr.
- Motel 6 on Beecham Dr.
- Econo Lodge on Steubenville Pike
- Howard Johnson on Clairton Blvd/Route 51
- Red Roof Inn on Steubenville Pike
Sports:
Pittsburgh's professional teams include the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL football), Penguins (NHL hockey), Pirates (major league baseball), Pipers (ABA basketball), Xplosion (Continental Basketball Assn.), Riverhounds (USL 2d division soccer), Passion (National Women's Football Assn.), and Harlequins (Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union). Take advantage of all the indoor and outdoor summer and winter sports available in Pittsburgh.
Transportation:
The Port Authority operates busses in and around the city, and there are two light rail lines, but in general, you should still expect to need a car to get around the city. Pittsburgh hosts the Tour de Confluence to introduce new cyclists to the bike-friendly areas of the city.
