What are places in Pittsburgh locals usually go to? Locals do?

I'm writing a book and need some information about Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. What are places in Pittsburgh that the locals go to? A park? a movie theater? A restaurant that may not be a big chain but locally owned?



Also I'm looking for local events too. Are there festivals? Any event would be great. Date usually celebrated would be great.



Please provide as much information as possible, details, sensations (smells, colors) or anything unique that you, as a local, appreciate about the event or place.



If you have a lot more to contribute but find that you are taking too much space (which I hope you are =) Details details details), please email me =)What are places in Pittsburgh locals usually go to? Locals do?
Were a football town

We love all our sports but the Pirates have really sucked for years now

Our restaurants go many ways

atop Mt Washington with breathtaking views of the city you can have valet parking and fine dining

At Primanti Brothers you can get your fries and slaw on your sandwich

At Quaker Steak and Lube you can call the fire department for your hot wings

All of these places have websites

But our fave is Primanti' Brothers

Favorite hangout place is the Strip District where we can shop and eat all day long and walk from bar to bar at night

Our rivers are our claim to fame and we play in them as much as possible

Fishing in ice or heat

and Our Polar Bears club douses themselves in them every January

We have stern-wheelers that guide you up and down them for a nominal fee

including your wedding or banquet

Amongst all this fun we do have to work and our primary employer is UPMC [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center} It houses many local hospitals including those in neighboring counties

Our 3 Rivers Regatta is held every summer and Arts Festival every June

But our First Night on New years Eve draws the most crowds when the city sells passes and goes on lock down all night

The whole family can enjoy entertainment clear up to the time we welcome in the new year at midnight

Which brings me to our last claim to fame [next to the ferris wheel and brass snap button]

Zambelli's have been our local fireworks family for decades

One of the oldest and biggest in the country

they are from our neighbor city New Castle Pa

and lastly ..

in the Hill District stands one of the oldest and most famous art deco theaters in the country

North Side [once named Allegheny City] boasts history from the revolution to our current and new casino, Rivers

South Side[once named Birmingham] shows all the sign of an eclectic neighborhood amongst victorian era homes and churches

I could go on about

Bloomfield and

Lawrenceville where composer/song writer Stephen Foster's home still stands

Polish Hill, named for its immigrants

Homestead which hosted the biggest organized workers strike in history and changed the paths of employee relations and unions we know today

And Point State Park where one of the oldest Blockhouses in the Nation still stands as commemoration to our freedom

also Duquesne University

one of the oldest colleges in the US

someone should have told you

we're all about neighborhoods here

and thats the first question we ask each other at the bus stop

especially under Kaufmann's Clock [ now Macy's]

I hope I have given you enough

www.pittsburgh.net will be a great resource also Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Yes started right here in our Hometown by the Great Andrew Carnegie

which our ancestors didn't have a good word for because of the way he treated people at the mills

Sadly we are loosing our mark as we grow away from the steel mill age

many of us have family members that wish for the good old days when everybody worked

weather the sky was filled with smoke or not

we are a changing city

one look in any direction gives you a full glance of the old and new

just like Phillie

Just remember two things

Bessie our first and biggest Bessemer furnace

and our fountain at the point

and for a side story

dig up the story of the plane that landed in the Monongahela River in the 1940's

We've been talking about it for years

And lastly

we sorely miss The Gunner and Myron Cope

two of our sports announcers from the past

we still talk about them too

Good Luck and have fun

but come visit

We have one of the youngest mayors in the nation

who loves our city as much as we do

The Mayors Service Center has a toll free number

I'm sure if you give Luke Ravenstahl's office a call about your book they will be more than honored to help you

You know

we were once a hard living hard working city

Now we are all technology and higher living

and we do have our ghettos

but we are a very proud people

make sure you keep that in your bookWhat are places in Pittsburgh locals usually go to? Locals do?
Pittsburgh is about 300 miles from Philadelphia.. Maybe YA has Pittsburgh section