SCALLOP CRUDO AT COAST & MAIN

I read somewhere (probably online, so the validity is questionable) that there are so many restaurants in New York City, a person could dine out every night for 54 years and never hit the same place twice.

Although the size of Pittsburgh’s food scene doesn’t compare to The Big Apple’s, it would take a long time to visit every local eatery.

I haven’t managed to hit every one yet, but I’m trying!

Every year, I search for spots that bring something extra to the table. There are a lot of great places to chow down in this town. Here are 25 of them that left a lasting impression and made me want to come back for more.

The List

• Alta Via Ristorante & Alta Via Pizzeria
• Apteka
• Cioppino
• Coast & Main
• Comfort & Spice
• Curbside
• Dish Osteria and Bar
• Eleven
• Fig & Ash
• Fish Nor Fowl
• Hemlock House
• LeMont
• Long Story Short
• Moonlit Burgers
• Nanban
• North Country Brew Pub
• Oak Hill Post
• Pizza Lupo
• Pusadee’s Garden
• Scratch & Co.
• Soju
• Spork
• The Vandal
• Wise County Biscuits & Cafe
• The Wood’s House Historic Pub

Best Brand Expansion

Alta Via Ristorante & Alta Via Pizzeria

Burrito Restaurant Group opened the original Alta Via Ristorante in O’Hara on April Fool’s Day 2019. Alta Via Pizzeria debuted in Larimer’s Bakery Square a few years later on April 12 — the date Pittsburghers celebrate living in the 412 area code.

Alta Via’s Market Square location opened on Oct. 26, 2023. Although no holidays fell on that Thursday, the Christmas tree at PPG Place was already up, so I indulged in bucatini and premature holiday cheer.

The approachable, modern menu is inspired by life in both the Italian Alps and California wine country. It features fresh seafood, vegetable-forward dishes, homemade pasta and gut-busting entrees, including Long Island Duck with gnocchi, Lacinato kale, fig and thyme.

The restaurant also offers weekend brunch, lunchtime sandwiches and gelato made in-house. For a more casual dining experience that’s just as filling, visit AVP. I carbo-loaded by ordering pull-apart bread made with garlic mascarpone, Pecorino Romano and red sauce followed by a rustic, hearth-baked pie topped with pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, red onion, more of that delicious Pecorino Romano, taleggio cream, chives and chili flakes. Any day that you eat at an Alta Via restaurant is a special occasion.

O’Hara Township: 46 Fox Chapel Road
412-408-3816, altaviapgh.com

Downtown: 2 PPG Place
412-408-3816

Larimer: 169 Bakery Square Blvd.
412-755-3387, altaviapizzeria.com

Best Vegan Food

Apteka

Apteka owners Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski are probably the only James Beard Award-nominated chefs to feature a special menu called Crapteka. That’s what I love about them: They serve seriously good food with a sense of humor.

For several weeks every January, the pair puts their typical Central and Eastern European fare (which is anything but ordinary) on hold and dish out vegan-friendly “junk” food. It’s all made from scratch, from the buckwheat burger patties and buns to the sunflower seed ice cream.

If you’re new to vegan cuisine, it’s a nice introduction to plant-based grub. Chances are you’ll recognize a few things on the regular menu, too, including Pittsburgh’s unofficial official dish: pierogi. I urge you to visit Apteka throughout the year to break out of your comfort food comfort zone.

Try something like the Kluski Śląskie z Kopą Warzyw and see why the James Beard Foundation thinks Lasky and Skowronski are no joke.

Bloomfield: 4606 Penn Ave.
412-251-0189, aptekapgh.com

Best Meat-and-Potatoes Restaurant

Cioppino

I’ve always been a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl, but, lately, my spud intake has skyrocketed. Cioppino’s executive chef Robert “RC” Carter also has a deep-rooted love for tubers.

“We are a seafood and steak house with a potato problem,” says Carter, who grew up in his mother’s Detroit soul food restaurant. He’s helmed the kitchen at Cioppino since 2017.

Humble taters pop up all over the all-star menu; they’re in the creamy roasted chicken soup and accompany both the halibut and the rack of lamb. If they don’t come with your entree, by all means, order them as a side, which Cioppino refers to as an “enhancement.” For brunch — served every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — I recommend springing for the lox board, which includes a housemade potato waffle and crispy layered potatoes.

On a chilly night last October, when I was craving a hearty meal, I ordered the ultimate stick-to-your-ribs dish — beef short rib with demi-glace, Brussels sprouts and whipped potatoes that were so rich, flavorful and creamy, I wanted to immerse myself in them.

Are potato spas a thing? They should be. Cioppino’s lounge menu includes 1000 Layer Tots, thin slices of potato stacked and deep fried into bricks of crispy perfection.

I want to build a house out of them using the horseradish aioli dipping sauce as mortar and eat my way out.

Strip District: 2350 Railroad St.
412-281-6593, cioppinoofpittsburgh.com

Best Restaurant in a Mall

Coast & Main

As ’90s teens, my friends and I spent a lot of time in Monroeville Mall’s food court. We lurched around like zombies (after all, “Dawn of the Dead” was filmed there) while eating Manchu Wok samples and as many slices of Sbarro pizza as our paltry allowances could afford.

My, how times have changed.

In 2018, the shopping center welcomed Coast & Main, a gourmet seafood and chophouse where even the kid’s menu features a 4-ounce filet mignon. Now I can visit my adolescent stomping grounds, once a culinary wasteland, and order a bone-in ribeye, Chilean sea bass, lobster tail and — since I’m well over 21 — a drink at the bar!

Chef Ricky Kirsop grew up in Portland, Oregon, exploring the state’s forests and shoreline. He attended culinary school there and worked for hometown powerhouse McCormick & Schmick’s. He helped open the company’s Pittsburgh location in 2005.

Although he’s been a longtime landlubber, his love for the ocean is evident in the dishes he makes with seafood flown in daily. Catch a Pacific cod crusted in potato and parm with roasted garlic cream. At the bar, you can order crab cake sliders, salmon cakes and Tuna Tataki along with a Northwest Berry Julep.

Coast & Main is a fusion of land and sea, East and West, heart and soul. I know 16-year-old Kristy would want me to zombie-walk to the Gap for a new flannel shirt and then spring for the surf and turf.

Monroeville: 705 Mall Circle Drive
412-380-6022, coastandmain.com

Best Pop-Up Kitchen

Comfort & Spice

Comfort & Spice, a collapsible kitchen that pops up at area breweries to dish out gourmet soups and stews, might make you adopt a liquid lifestyle.

From borscht and matzah ball to Czech beef goulash and Spanish bean, Toby Vann serves comfort food from a self-designed, pallet-sized kiosk — the first of its kind in Allegheny County; it includes two professional-grade induction hotplates, a panini press, rice cooker, silicone countertops, shelving and a handwashing sink.

The structure can fit in a truck bed and be reassembled in about 30 minutes. The soup is available in to-go containers, but folks who slurp on-site can get free second helpings. I recommend staying put and diving into a bowl of tomato paprika soup served with cheesy croutons, Parmesan and herbed sour cream.

When accompanied by one of Vann’s signature grilled cheese sandwiches, it’s the kind of meal that warms the body and soul. Which is why he takes the summer off. Vann just completed a residency at Fermata Brewing Co. in Ambridge and is spending the next month in Norway studying Scandinavian food. He has big plans for Pittsburgh this fall. Take comfort in the fact that the little red soup shack will be back soon to spice things up.

Multiple Locations
instagram.com/comfortandspice_pgh

Best To-Go Grub

Curbside

Curbside is a welcome sight to motorists stuck in traffic on Route 28. You can see the rainbow-bedecked building from the highway — a beacon on a road that seems like it’s always under construction.

Take the nearest exit and head to the eatery for some exquisite to-go grub. After spending 15 years in Blawnox, Curbside moved to the bigger space last fall to offer a bigger menu. You’ll find more scratch-made baked goods, organic fruit, smoothies, yogurt parfaits and some of the nicest folks in town.

I recommend the colossal bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on toasted wheat bread. I’d endure gridlock every day for one.

O’Hara Township: 1101 Powers Run Road
412-828-9810, curbsideontherun.com

Best Romantic Restaurant

Dish Osteria and Bar

My romantic rendezvous at Dish included some fava beans and a nice Chianti. As a film geek, that thrilled me. Luckily, my girlfriend, Dre, is also a fan of “The Silence of the Lambs” and understood the reference. She basked in the cinematic glory of it all right along with me.

That’s true love, folks. The only thing that came between us that evening was a plate of Crostini di Ricotta e Fave, grilled ciabatta bread with homemade ricotta, chives and those famous little legumes.

For my main course, I ordered the housemade potato gnocchi that included Elysian Fields Pure Bred lamb shoulder, another nod to the 1991 Jonathan Demme movie, parts of which were shot in and around Pittsburgh. Dre had the cavatelli tossed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, shallots, crushed red pepper, house made sausage, rapini, oven roasted campari tomatoes, pecorino and basil.

In a Hollywood ending, we topped off the meal with Tiramisú and Limoncello cheesecake. Even if carbo-loading by candlelight and imitating Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins isn’t your idea of a hot date, please know that Dish owners Michele and Cindy Savoia roll out the red carpet for each one of their guests.

The place is small, so make a reservation, or try to get a sneak preview at the bar. Dish is a culinary blockbuster.

South Side: 128 S. 17th St.
412-390-2012, dishosteria.com

Best Uniquely Pittsburgh Dining Experience

Eleven

If you want to have a uniquely Pittsburgh dining experience, don some black-and-gold attire and go to Eleven.

Located in a renovated Strip District warehouse near some old railroad tracks, the restaurant’s window-filled tavern is in the shadow of a 35-foot, 4-ton Heinz ketchup bottle that stands on a pedestal outside of the neighboring Heinz History Center.

For 20 years, the towering condiment container and its twin adorned the scoreboard at Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium) and would tilt each time the Steelers or Panthers entered the opposing team’s red zone, an area of the gridiron between the 20-yard line and the goal line. It’s a cool view in an industrial space that, for the past two decades, has served some of the ’Burgh’s best food.

My most recent meal there was a tender pork chop accompanied by crispy grits, carrot puree, braised collard greens and rhubarb BBQ. It was a touchdown for the taste buds. I ate it so fast I was ready for dessert in a matter of minutes.

I continued with the rhubarb theme and went with strawberry rhubarb cheesecake, a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and creamy. Eleven’s prix-fixe brunch menu is a great way to start your day. You get an entree, app and a juice or a cocktail for $39. Order a Bloody Mary and the Eleven burger, a braised veal patty topped with black pepper bacon, crispy onions and your choice of cheese.

As you gaze out at the corner of 12th and Smallman streets, dip some fries in ketchup and raise them in a salute to good ol’ Heinz 57!

Strip District: 1150 Smallman St.
412-201-5656, elevenck.com

Best Recommendation Restaurant

Fig & Ash

When someone asks me for a restaurant recommendation, I usually say Fig & Ash. Not only have I had many wonderful meals at the Deutschtown establishment, but it’s also the first restaurant that I, as a food writer, covered from the groundbreaking to the grand opening.

Interviewing chef Cory Hughes and his team over the years has taught me a lot about the restaurant industry and the passion that’s required to make a culinary dream a reality. If it’s your first visit, someone in your party must order the short-rib-and-pork-belly meatloaf.

I’ve written entire articles about this entree and it never disappoints. It’s a Fig & Ash fixture, but other items on the seasonal menu are just as delightful and filling. On a recent date night, my girlfriend and I split the family-style plate of spaghetti with San Marzano tomato, Italian sausage, crab, bay scallops and Calabrian chili.

We also shared an order of Brussels sprouts. These green buds are often viewed as villains in the vegetable kingdom, but when prepared with black pepper honey, goat cheese and cherry, they will rule your world.

The place, including the four-season courtyard, is usually packed. If you don’t have a reservation, take a chance on the bar, where the entire “farm-to-flame” menu is available fresh out of the wood-fired oven.

We snagged two seats and had a wonderful conversation with the bartender about astrology. A return trip to Fig & Ash is written in the stars.

North Side: 514 East Ohio St.
412-321-2222, figandashpgh.com

Best Comeback

Fish Nor Fowl

I’ve been in love with this Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group eatery since it opened in 2018. When the pandemic started, it closed its doors and — aside from hosting a few holiday pop-ups — remained shuttered until Valentine’s Day 2023.

I’m still head-over-heels for Fish Nor Fowl. The name, taken from an old Norwegian saying, means, “hard to classify.” I guess you could call the place a rustically modern, Italian-inspired open kitchen with a floor-to-ceiling plant wall that’ll make you think spring, a second floor with a wintry hunting lodge aesthetic and a patio with distinctly summer vibes.

Last fall, like a bear preparing to hibernate, I ate a loaf of buckwheat focaccia and an autumnal manicotti highlighted by butternut squash, ricotta, brown butter and sage. In the springtime, you’ll find a nice assortment of small plates such as shrimp mixed with garlic, white wine, lemon, cherry tomatoes and pickled celery and bigger helpings of seafood linguine and chicken parm.

Just go there and — I promise — it’ll all make sense.

Garfield: 5523 Penn Ave.
412-460-4644, fishnorfowlpgh.com

Best Menu for the Adventurous Eater

Hemlock House

At Hemlock House, owner Josh Sickels and chef Mike Allison have created a quirky spot that shrieks “Twin Peaks” and has a no-holds-barred menu. Like the cult television series from the ’90s, it takes a lot of unexpected turns.

Uni bucatini, an Italian-sushi mashup, is a mouthwatering mix of uni (the edible part of a sea urchin) and sake cream sauce, stracciatella, black masago, bucatini and American Grana cheese. You’ll find snacks, handhelds, small and large plates and desserts, and adventurous early birds can enjoy a weekend brunch that includes pork belly hash and andouille benedict.

There aren’t too many Pittsburgh eateries offering duck burgers. The patty, a mix of duck breast and beef fat, is topped with micro greens, Luxardo cherries, caramelized onions and Boursin cheese on a challah bun. Save room for corn-battered hushpuppies, consisting of lump crab and diced slab bacon topped with scallions, fish sauce and bonito flakes.

Pair those pups with a glass of Sloop John B., a mix of Beefeater Gin, lime, raspberry preserves and Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale. Hemlock House is a bastion for irreverent eats and cocktails and boasts one of the best bar playlists around. (In addition to running Rockaway Pizza in White Oak, Sickels is in the local band Animal Scream.)

I’m a firm believer that nursing a strong cocktail in a dark, atmospheric bar with a killer soundtrack and off-kilter food is good for the soul.

Swissvale: 1126 S. Braddock Ave.
412-660-2742, hemlockhousepgh.com

Best Place to Take an Out-of-Town Guest

LeMont

LeMont used to intimidate me with its marble floors, chandeliers, maître d’ and rack of lamb. It seemed a little too fancy pants for this threadbare food writer. When I learned that LeMont’s new executive chef was a guy from my homebase in Plum, I took it as a sign and made a reservation.

You can find Michael Campbell’s seasonal offerings — including Lobster Boursin Flatbread and Firecracker Shrimp — mixed in with signature dishes such as Steak Diane and Chateaubriand for Two (both prepared tableside), roasted raspberry duck and lemon herb airline chicken.

Related: Have a Monstrously Good Meal at LeMont

Longtime employee Tom Zastawny whipped up a Caesar salad right next to me, gleefully tossing hearts of Romaine with anchovies, mustard, pasteurized egg yolks, lemon, garlic, imported Parmesan cheese and seasoned croutons. It’s the first time this carnivore has been wowed by a salad.

Since 1983, Zastawny’s tableside showmanship has dazzled patrons, including celebrity guests Johnny Carson, Wayne Gretzky, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson and Robert Downey Jr. (on his birthday). My job allows me to eat at a lot of different places, from fast-casual concepts and pop-up kitchens to trendy hot spots and food trucks.

At 64 years old, LeMont is a throwback that adapts to the ever-changing dining scene without losing its identity. And that view of the city skyline made me fall in love with Pittsburgh all over again.

Mount Washington: 1114 Grandview Ave.
412-431-3100, lemontpittsburgh.com

Best Brewery Food

Long Story Short

Once upon a time, Cinderlands Beer Co. opened a taproom in Lawrenceville that served Belgian pub cuisine. Last summer, in a huge plot twist, the brewery owners decided to revamp the Butler Street spot into Long Story Short.

The laidback sandwich joint has a retro rumpus room in the back and an arcade on the mezzanine level that’s plastered with posters of movies I love. The place is one big honkin’ slice of nostalgia and, like a lot of Gen Xers, that’s what I’m craving these days.

You might think the menu is a work of fiction with items such as the Meatball Mac Melt, two pieces of Texas Toast piled with smashed meatballs in a cheesy marinara sauce and yellow mustard, macaroni noodles and Doritos. But it’s real and it’s rad!

There are also classic burgers, tuna melts and Italian subs on Mancini’s bread. The spot is great for tots, and by that I mean the deep-fried potato variety. Pair your extremely happy meal with a Cinderlands brew (Lil’ Cinder Light Beer cans are $3 all day, everyday) or a cocktail and then go shoot some pool and play tabletop Ms. Pac-Man.

Long story short, go to Long Story Short.

Lawrenceville: 3705 Butler St.
412-251-0656, cinderlands.com/locations/long-story-short

Best Restaurant for Kids

Moonlit Burgers

If you’ve got young kids, college kids or you’re just a big kid at heart, Moonlit Burgers is the space for you. The company — known for its famous smash burgers — has colorful eateries in Dormont and on Duquesne University’s Uptown campus, plus a food truck cheekily named the Patty Wagon.

Who doesn’t love a rolling dad joke? I guess you could say owners Mike McCoy and Derek Stevens have the gourmet fast-food model down pat(ty).

The culinary playground also has a fried chicken sandwich so stacked it seems to defy gravity, as well as pickle-brined poultry strips, chili, shoestring fries, chocolate chip cookies, Millie’s soft serve ice cream and salads that you can nutritionally destroy with a smash patty. (That’s the kind of power move I dreamed of making when my parents told me to eat my veggies in the ’80s.)

Both stationary locations have full bars slinging beer, wine, cocktails, shots and boozy shakes. You have to be at least 21 to enjoy those, of course. Please, drink like a responsible adult even if you’re eating like a kid.

Dormont: 1426 Potomac Ave.
Uptown: 1023 Forbes Ave.
moonlitburgers.com

Best Place to Spice Up Your Life

Nanban

Nanban is a BYOB restaurant that specializes in five-alarm Asian soul food. I suggest you bring a few gallons of milk or just pull up out front in a fire truck.

Several years ago owner Roger Li combined two of his popular eateries — Ki Ramen and Ki Pollo — into one counter-service establishment that loves to bring the heat. Set your mouth ablaze with fried chicken, bao and Inferno Ramen that will boil your brain cells in the best possible way.

My fav, the Hot Chicken Sando, is an absolute scorcher with thighs dipped in chili oil, Bibb lettuce, rayu pickles, kewpie mayo and lazi seasoning. My lips are still burning from when I ate one on my 45th birthday in December.

I did not need to wear a coat or mittens that day. There was more fire in one bite than on the top of my cake.

Lawrenceville: 4407 Butler St.
412-224-2518, nanbanpgh.com

Best Road Trip Restaurant

North Country Brew Pub

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

In 2005, North Country Brew Pub opened in Slippery Rock, a convenient spot for when I need to rest my weary bones after hiking a small section of the 4,800-mile North Country Scenic Trail, which runs through nearby McConnells Mill State Park.

The Main Street building, erected in 1805, was formerly Uber and Sons Undertakers and Furniture Dealers. My beer-lovin’ skeleton feels at home there. Bob and Jodi McCafferty bought the place in 1998 and lived in the historical, reportedly haunted, structure while bringing it back to life.

They filled the space and rustic outdoor areas with a whimsical assortment of odds and ends. My daughter and I discover something new each time we visit, which is often. Bob’s an archeologist by trade and a hippie at heart. That playfulness is infused in the food, drink and decor. There’s an assortment of sandwiches for herbivores, including the mushroom-laden Fungus Amongus.

Carnivores can feast on the Porky sandwich, lightly smoked pork roast, slow-roasted in the company’s Paleo IPA and slathered in Paleo IPA BBQ sauce. Wash it down with a Paleo IPA draft, one of North Country’s other tasty brews or a house-made root beer, cream soda or ginger ale.

All of the pasta dishes can be made with gluten-free “impasta” noodles and most menu items can be prepared with plant-based protein options. It’s nice to lose yourself in nature, especially when it’s on your plate.

Slippery Rock: 141 S. Main St.
724-794-BEER (2337), northcountrybrewing.com

Best Breakfast

Oak Hill Post

Oak Hill Post is like a foodie version of the bar in “Cheers” — everybody knows your name. Even a house plant on the counter has been dubbed “Keanu Leaves.” And while they don’t serve alcohol, my girlfriend and I feel like the Norm and Cliff of this Brookline establishment when we show up to chow down.

Dre likes to switch things up on the food front — sometimes she opts for the breakfast burrito filled with eggs, cheese, sausage gravy, biscuit bites and harissa. On the next visit (which is often the following day), she might go with fried chicken on a biscuit or bacon, eggs and latkes.

For me it’s always the same: Creme Brulee Griddled French Toast, scrambled eggs, roasted beets topped with goat cheese and dill, a biscuit with lemon curd and a few bites of whatever Dre’s eating. That’s my favorite meal in Pittsburgh.

Brookline: 600 Brookline Blvd.
412-254-2970, oakhillpost.com

Best To-Go Pizza

Pizza Lupo

As professional firefighters for the City of Pittsburgh, brothers Travis and Brad Wolff put out infernos for a living — but they’re heating up Lawrenceville with their pizza.

Pizza Lupo (that’s Italian for “wolf”) grew out of Travis’ dedication to dough. Fascinated by ancient bread-making techniques, he began experimenting at home with sourdough starters way before it became the go-to pandemic hobby. Bread became his passion.

The dough is consistently hydrated, giving the crust a nice crunchy outside with a bite that you can really sink your canines into. The ingredients are always fresh and flavorful. Travis is on dough detail, of course, and Brad is the guy in charge of the sauces, sandwiches and pastas.

I once went outside my comfort zone and ordered the Tropic Thunder, one of Lupo’s specialty pizzas, most of which are available in sizes small, large and grandma-style. My selection featured crushed tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella, Broadbent’s bacon, jalapeño, shaved red onion, chili oil and … pineapple. I’ve always scoffed at this topping for reasons unknown, but, on a spicy pie that’s a five-alarm fire, the sweetness helped soothe this savage beast.

With help from family members, the Wolff pack is cranking out pies and placing them in inside-out pizza boxes Tuesday through Saturday. Aside from a few stools near the front window, this pizza den is a to-go establishment.

I got a vodka pie to go and turned the front seat of my car into a Best Restaurant.

Lawrenceville: 5123 Butler St.
412-782-9922, pizza-lupo.com

Best Outdoor Dining

Pusadee’s Garden

Last summer, I went on a camping trip with my girlfriend. We spent two days in the Ohio wilderness eating Doritos, s’mores and hot dogs cooked over an open flame. It was like the foodie version of “Survivor.” We were craving a gourmet meal upon our return to civilization but didn’t want to completely ditch The Great Outdoors vibe. Pusadee’s Garden was a vacation from our vacation.

The Thai restaurant is located in Upper Lawrenceville, but you’ll forget you’re on Butler Street as soon as you step inside. The dishes, like the building, are beautiful and lush. The menu could’ve been written by Henry David Thoreau, including such items as locally foraged ramps, stir-fried morning glory and bok choy with bear’s tooth, lion’s mane and oyster mushrooms.

I’m a spice girl, so I always have the server lead me to the heat. Beef tenderloin with holy basil, garlic, chilis and sweet and spicy bell peppers is a heavenly choice for hot heads, and the jungle curry full of chicken, kabocha squash, banana peppers and basil is a flavorful burn. Cool down with a cocktail or non-alcoholic alternative such as Give it a Chai, a simple concoction of chai, ginger and lemon.

If you can’t get a seat in the courtyard oasis (make those special occasion reservations early!), you can still bask in its beauty while dining indoors, including at the bar, which is encased in a big, glass box. Consider it a culinary trophy case.

Chef Busaba Tongdee was nominated for a James Beard Award this year. Book a stay at Pusadee’s this summer and you’ll know why.

Lawrenceville: 5319 Butler St.
412-252-2683, pusadeesgarden.com

Best Neighborhood Joint

Scratch & Co.

The good people at Scratch & Co. have gone out of their way to create a meatball sandwich that is structurally sound and won’t leave you wearing and seeing red.

Topped with mozzarella cheese and nestled between two airy slabs of house-made focaccia, the Meatballloaf comes with a sidecar of sauce for dipping. This is just one of Scratch’s great contributions to society. The Troy Hill cafe and pub, a favorite among epicureans since its 2015 debut, not only serves amazing meals, it also serves the community as a whole.

During the pandemic, owner Don Mahaney switched to a pay-what-you-can business model that included a small market. Now the restaurant is gearing up for a summer of fun, approachable food and fundraisers to support the Allegheny YMCA. The century-old North Side building, which includes 88 single rooms for low-income men, is getting a multimillion-dollar upgrade.

Meanwhile, Scratch’s brunch, dinner and bar menus have all gotten a boost. They’re a team effort between multiple chefs who put an emphasis on high-quality, locally sourced ingredients and let the food do the talking. A sign in the collaborative kitchen reads, “It’s about the food, stupid.” Dining at Scratch is always a smart decision.

Look for Mystic Mondays that feature tarot card readers, psychics, guest bartenders and a build-your-own Millie’s ice cream sundae bar with a portion of the proceeds going to the Y. Why? Because it’s the neighborly thing to do.

Troy Hill: 1720 Lowrie St.
412-251-0822, scratchandcopgh.com

Best Place to Make New Friends

Soju

Soju is a small Korean-American restaurant and bar in Garfield. For six years, chef Simon Chough has run the intimate space where local artwork adorns the walls, pop-up chefs can showcase their menus and it’s easy to strike up a conversation with your fellow diners.

When a massive cocktail arrived at my table, the people next to me oohed and aahed and inquired about it. The Soju Punch, I explained, was a mix of soju — a Korean rice liquor similar to vodka — Maggie’s Farm White Rum, pineapple, mango, pomegranate, ginger, Yakuroto yogurt and soda.

It’s served in a glass that looks more like a punch bowl, so it’s definitely an attention-grabber. Their dinner piqued my interest: A spicy chicken sandwich, fries seasoned with nori (dried seaweed) and BiBimBap, a mixed rice bowl with spinach, bean sprouts, mushrooms, spicy cucumber and egg.

In between sipping and chewing, we had a nice conversation. The couple had just moved to Pittsburgh from Atlanta and were thrilled that a family-owned restaurant was just a few blocks away from their new home in Friendship. If they hadn’t already been full by the time my entree arrived, I would’ve gladly shared.

I was already up to my eyeballs in Tteokbokki, a popular Korean street food made up of chewy, stir-fried rice cakes. My Korean BBQ combo gave me three, thinly sliced, marinated meat options: Kalbi (beef short rib), Bulgogi (beef tenderloin) and Dwaejibulgogi (pork tenderloin) served with rice and banchan.

The dish is a balancing act of sweet, salty, savory and spicy. There’s something in it for everyone. I can say the same about Soju.

Garfield: 4923 Penn Ave.
412-450-8968, simonchough.wixsite.com/sojupgh

Best Mood-Boosting Restaurant

Spork

I went to Spork in the dead of winter, when everything, including my mood, was dark and gloomy. I left feeling lighter — even if I gained a few pounds during the visit.

Eating at the Bloomfield restaurant snaps me out of whatever seasonal funk I’m in. It starts with the amuse-bouche, teeny-tiny, on-the-house hors d’oeuvres. The French term translates to “mouth amusement”; in Pittsburghese it means “Kennywood fer yer taste buds.”

James Beard Award-nominated chef Christian Frangiadis’ menu evolves daily because fresh ingredients are key (and also pricey, so expect to open your wallet a little wider), but there are staple dishes that never disappoint, from the seared scallops with truffle sauce to the bolognese.

Spork has a garden in the lot next door, so chances are the fresh dill in your dinner and nasturtiums decorating the plate were picked the same day. You can check the space out this fall during the annual Pittsburgh Urban Farm Tour.

The restaurant pays just as much attention to its beverages, including the ones without booze. Summon the Cocktail Cart and watch an expert hand-craft a classic cocktail tableside. I had the Old Fashioned, but it was fun to watch my date sip a boozy house specialty from a parrot-shaped mug.

At the time, The Phoenix, a fruity rum concoction, was Spork’s rotating charity cocktail. Five bucks from each bird went to service industry workers affected by the wildfires in Hawaii. Like the utensil it’s named after, Spork comes in handy in pretty much any situation.

Bloomfield: 5430 Penn Ave.
412-441-1700, sporkpittsburgh.com

Best Place to Become a Foodie

The Vandal

If you want to introduce someone to Pittsburgh’s upscale dining scene or you’d like to expand your own palate, The Vandal is a good place to start.

It’s small, with a minimalist decor, but the flavors, made with simple ingredients by chef Joey Hilty, are big and bold. Before a visit in February, my 18-year-old dinner guest was worried she wouldn’t be able to find anything at the “fancy” restaurant that could satisfy her hunger better than McDonald’s. She was happy to see chips and French onion dip on the menu.

Baked ricotta was also a safe bet, along with fresh bread, of course. That’s where we started. We ended with a bourbon-soaked toffee cake and vanilla panna cotta. All the plates were licked clean. In between the apps and dessert, we shared lobster bucatini, a pork chop with pumpkin mostarda and a hanger steak accompanied by twice-fried frites and garlic aioli dip.

It was all recognizable and approachable, even if the wording on the menu did strike fear in the heart of the novice fine diner. “What is mostarda anyway?” she asked. (Turns out it’s an Italian condiment made with fruit and mustard.)

Weekly specials include upscale takes on familiar favorites such the Thursday night cheeseburger dripping with gruyere, caramelized onions, aioli, pickles and peppery au poivre sauce. If you want a crash course on oysters, well, shucks, The Vandal serves ‘em up chilled on Wednesdays.

Intimidated by trendy booze? The restaurant’s bar seats only five, but it has a robust vino program specializing in natural and biodynamic wines, a rotating menu of signature cocktails and a proper Martini Service featuring Hendricks Gin, Noilly Prat French Vermouth, Castelvetrano olives, lemon and caviar.

Fledgling foodies might be shaken at first, but eventually they will be stirred.

Lawrenceville: 4306 Butler St.
412-251-0465, thevandalpgh.com

Best Pop-Up Turned Brick-and-Mortar

Wise County Biscuits & Cafe

For James Wolfe, buttermilk biscuits taste like home. His grandma, who hailed from Wise County, Virginia, taught him the basics of country cookin’.

Made with King Arthur Flour and local buttermilk and butter (grandma used lard), Wise County biscuits are a big, flaky homage to those Appalachian roots. And so is the new cafe. Late last year, after doing pop-ups around town since 2017, Wolfe and his wife, Lena Laskaris, settled their business into a counter-service eatery on the North Side.

The space is bright and cheerful with country-chic decor. I think the down-home atmosphere makes folks here more neighborly.

The menu features an array of breakfast plates, lunch options and sides (their home fries get my professional stamp of approval). The stars of the show are the biscuits, which, while flaky, don’t become a cascade of crumbs when you pick them up. You can get ‘em topped with either seasonal jam, pimento cheese, honey and butter or Tennessee sorghum.

They’ve got heft, so they can serve as sandwich buns, too. The best-selling Your Way gives patrons a fried egg and their choice of two toppings, from breakfast meat to braised greens. I’m a fan of Sallie’s Snack, a sammie with pimento cheese, a fried egg and Chow Chow, a condiment made from pickled veggies that I would happily eat by the truckload.

The cafe opens at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday through Monday. Wake up, y’all! It’s time yinz got wise to this restaurant.

North Side: 911 Galveston Ave.
412-330-1389, wisecountybiscuits.com

Best Historical Restaurant

The Wood’s House Historic Pub

As a food writer and a history buff, I love everything about The Woods House Historic Pub, a Scottish-style tavern that’ll take you back in time. It’s located in a residential section of Hazelwood because it was a residence, built in 1792 by Col. George Woods, the surveyor who laid out Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle.

The stone structure — one of the oldest still standing in the area — was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It’s a unique experience to dine in a relic that has weathered the rise and fall of the steel industry and now overlooks Hazelwood Green, a 178-acre brownfield along the Monongahela River that’s being redeveloped into a technological, environmental and cultural hub.

Once you’ve digested all the fun facts about the building’s past, get ready to dig into some hearty dishes, starting with a batch of classic Scotch Eggs, hard-boiled eggs wrapped in pork sausage, flash fried and served with brown mustard aioli. The historical proof is also in the black pudding, blood sausage, mashed potatoes, roasted peas and parsnips dripping with savory onion gravy.

Other classics include Guinness pot roast mac-and-cheese, fish and chips and steamed mussels in a creamy shallot broth served with crostini bread. And, of course, there’s a nice selection of Scotch to wet your whistle.

There are two floors and both are worth exploring. I dined on the bottom level, where a large fireplace gives the room a medieval vibe that’ll make you want to eat your leftovers while watching “Braveheart.”

Hazelwood: 4604 Monongahela St.
412-251-0894, woodshousepgh.com

INSIDE HAZELWOOD BREWHOUSE

On an unassuming block of Lytle Street in Hazelwood stands the house that beer built.

The four-story, 20,000-square-foot structure was constructed in 1905 for Hazelwood Brewing Co. and operated until Prohibition shut it down in 1920. During that time, the business made cereal products and near-beer. Derby Brewing Co. briefly took over the space when the 18th Amendment was repealed.

For years it stood empty, just a pile of bricks with no purpose.

Now the renovated building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is known as the soon-to-open Hazelwood Brewhouse — and there are three breweries under its roof: Abstract Realm Brewing Co., New France Brewing Co. and Bonafide Beer Co. All three plan to operate at the same times, so customers will be able to visit all three at one spot.

Each business has a 10-barrel brewhouse on the ground floor with separate doors to the half-acre backyard beer garden. Customers will enter these small areas to purchase merchandise and to-go cans (the businesses share a canning line) or walk up one of the service windows to order a draft. Above the second-floor storage area is a shared taproom with three distinct bars, a kitchen run by a local catering company and communal seating for 225 people.

DAVID KAHLEY, CEO OF THE PROGRESS FUND, SPEARHEADED THE PROJECT IN 2017. RENOVATIONS BEGAN IN 2019.

From the rooftop deck, 100 people can raise a toast to Downtown. It’s a sight that makes Dave Kahley proud.

As president and CEO of The Progress Fund, a nonprofit community development institution, he’s helped a dozen local breweries get up and running and given financial assistance to six distilleries and six wineries. He’s always looking for new entrepreneurs, especially since he plans to open a distillery at the Hazelwood site in the near future.

Basically, he’s Pittsburgh’s Godfather of Booze.

Hazelwood Brewhouse is a project that Kahley has helmed since 2017, when The Progress Fund purchased the property. He believes in historical preservation (he once worked for the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation) and the fact that breweries are more than party spots — they’re community hubs.

Hazelwood residents, property owners and neighborhood organizations have backed the Brewhouse, as do major funders such as the R.K. Mellon Foundation, Allegheny Foundation, Benedum Foundation, Heinz Endowments, First National Bank, Pennsylvania’s Department of Community & Economic Development and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

They will eventually collaborate on a quaffable, “quintessentially Pittsburgh” beer that’s offered year-round. Each company has installed Alpha Brewing equipment, allowing them to share system operational knowledge and an occasional part if something breaks.

CHRIS CARR OF ABSTRACT REALM BREWING CO.

Abstract Realm Brewing Co. head brewer Chris Carr, who has a background in chemistry, considers himself a beer vagabond. He bounced from Braddock’s Brew Gentlemen to Aurochs Brewing Co., a gluten-free brewery in Emsworth.

Carr partnered with Jason Short, a financial planner and veteran homebrewer, and the pair enjoy the challenge of tackling different beer styles. They both wanted their next venture to be something different, which is why they’re happy to be in Hazelwood.

“To us, the name Abstract Realm means boundless identity,” Short says. “We like the idea of an ever-changing draft list that’s hyper-focused on quality and ingredients.

“With Hazelwood Brewhouse, we are bringing something unique to Pittsburgh and unique to everywhere I’ve ever traveled. Every time you visit, it will be a new experience.”

New France Brewing Co. got its name from the fact Pittsburgh grew out of Fort Duquesne, built by the French at the confluence of the three rivers in 1754. It’s run by Tom Marshall, a local beer rep, and Nick Jones, who got to know Marshall while running 99 Bottles, a now-closed beer bar in Carnegie.

A casual discussion led to the formation of New France — Marshall had the name and logo floating around in his head for more than a decade.

With Jones’ expertise in microbiology, they’re releasing interesting brews, and they’re currently looking for a second location to experiment with different bacteria strains to make an array of sours.

“What you do during the fermentation process is what really makes beer unique,” he says. “You’re manipulating it when you add ingredients — little changes that make big changes to the flavor of the beer.”

The New France guys heard about Hazelwood Brewhouse from Christian Simmons, who, like Kahley, has his finger on the pulse of the city’s alcohol scene.

He’s the founder and president of Pennsylvania Libations, a business with locations in the Strip District and Shadyside that sells and distributes beer, wine and spirits produced in Pennsylvania. He also owns Sweet Rust Distilling and 1700 Penn Ave., which houses a Helltown Brewing Co. taproom, a Pennsylvania wine shop, a full-service bar and restaurant. The building boasts one of the largest beer gardens in the region.

Simmons joined forces with Travis Tuttle, head brewer at Butler Brew Works, to open Bonafide Beer Co. at 155 21st St. in the Strip. The 1,600-square-foot taproom opened in 2022 to make approachable, affordably priced suds that appeal to fans of macrobrews.

Travis says they’re churning out more of those sessionable brews as well as harder-hitting, barrel-aged beers in the larger Hazelwood space while reserving the Strip’s two-barrel system for test batches.

Selecting breweries to occupy the building took almost as long as the restoration of it, but Kahley believes the three companies form a cohesive unit.

“Another important ingredient to the mix of tenants is that all six individuals understood and embraced the concept of collocating three great breweries in one special site and that it would be a regional destination for beer fans,” he says. “They have proven their cooperative nature from the start.”

PHOTOS BY JESSE RIESMEYER/DESIGN BY INTERIORS BY SEASHAL

Raise your hand if you got out of the house more in 2023.

Yes? That’s what we thought.

After several years of hunkering down at home because of the pandemic, people are traveling again, meeting up with friends or family members they haven’t seen in awhile — or just heading back to the office.

The shift is also having an effect on home trends. If last year was the year of the home office, then 2024 is all about creating specialized niches that speak to you.

“We want the meditation room, we want the home gym, we want those intentional spaces and less of that flex space,” says interior designer Juliane Mazzarella, owner of Avenue Interiors in Sewickley. “Now that we’re moving beyond COVID, what has stuck in your life? If you turned your guest bedroom into an office and went back to work, what is it now?”

Other trends to look out for in the new year include an emphasis on sustainable products, a warm neutral color palette (brown, which hasn’t been popular since the 1970s, is huge for 2024) and a focus on luxe, textured materials such as velvet and bouclé.

If you’re looking to update your home, here’s what else local design experts have to say about the trends coming down the pike for 2024 — and how to implement them in your home.

PHOTOS BY NORA BEST PHOTOGRAPHY/DESIGN BY INTERIORS BY SEASHAL

The New Neutrals

Design experts have been heralding the end of gray (now called “Millennial Gray” because of its association with a certain generation) as the go-to neutral for years now, but 2024 might really be its death knell. Instead, beige has been dominating the market.

“You’re seeing virtually no grays — it’s truly out now,” Mazzarella says. “Everything is definitely beige. Stark white is also out.”

Taking its place are cozy, warmer neutrals such as creamy off-whites, taupes and rich browns. Mazzarella says cognac-toned leather also is becoming a popular material choice.

PHOTO BY JESSE RIESMEYER/DESIGN BY INTERIORS BY SEASHAL

“As we continue our shift to warmer palettes, we’re seeing a lot of organic hues, including terra cotta, mustard yellow and greens,” adds interior designer Jennifer Janeway, owner of Jennifer Janeway Designs in Cranberry. “These colors create soft, cozy and welcoming environments.”

Janeway says she recently created a serene primary bedroom by combining sage green and turmeric yellow with warm woods. For a living room project, she added an avocado-hued velvet sofa accented by playful patterned pillows in gold and green.

Seashal Belldina, owner of Pittsburgh-based Interiors by Seashal, says during her fall journey to High Point Market — the influential biannual furnishing industry trade show held in High Point, North Carolina — she noted muted tones and bolder colors mixed with warmer undertones, clean lines and organic shapes, as well as vintage accents and natural materials.

“Some showrooms combined that warm neutral backdrop with a pop of bold color in shades of blue, green and orange,” she says.

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY/DESIGN BY JENNIFER JANEWAY

In the Kitchen

While a white kitchen will always be classic, Janeway says many of her clients are experimenting with color, including a project she completed with deep green cabinetry complemented by butcher block countertops and brass hardware.

“Taking a chance on a colorful kitchen lets homeowners express their personality and fill each day with joy,” she says.

According to home renovation and design platform Houzz, appliance garages are also having a moment. The pull-down kitchen door conceals countertop appliances such as blenders, coffee makers and toasters while keeping them easily accessible (and organized).

In its 2024 Kitchen Trends report, the National Kitchen & Bath Association also cited walk-in, butler and built-in pantries as must-haves, along with floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and deep lower cabinets to help maximize storage; there’s also a desire for built-in charging stations.

Mazzarella says an easy way to zhuzh up the kitchen is to add dramatic, substantial hardware to cabinets or to create a dedicated beverage station for coffees or teas.

“Islands have also gotten a bit smaller, and homeowners are starting to want workstation sinks instead of traditional sinks,” she adds of upcoming kitchen trends.

Blues, Natural Materials and Textures

Feeling blue doesn’t have to be a bummer. According to 2024 Color of the Year predictions, blue is the standout color for the home.

Keep in mind this isn’t a deep or primary blue; Mazzarella says the accessible hue is all about softness. Indeed, the Sherwin-Williams Color of the Year is Upward, a pale, dreamy blue with soothing gray undertones.

Mazzarella also sees blues with a hint of green growing in popularity; the pretty peacock shade is a versatile way to add color to your home.

“That teal color plays nicely against foundation and flooring,” she says.

Nubby bouclé and other nature-inspired textures have been trending for the last few years, and Janeway predicts they will continue to be in demand for 2024, including on window blinds.

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY/DESIGN BY JENNIFER JANEWAY

“Our clients are loving the warmth and texture that natural shades bring to their homes,” she says. “Made of materials like bamboo, jute, sisal, these window treatments provide a gorgeous light-filtering glow that adds layers of texture to the sitting area.”

Belldina says case goods, such as dressers and shelves, are taking on warmer tones, textures and organic shapes; materials such as spalted maple, alabaster, metals and natural stone also can enhance a piece’s connection to nature.

In the bedroom, Belldina says “livable luxury,” including washable velvets and sustainable materials with boho accents such as unrefined fringe trim, are on trend.

Thanks to the 2023 blockbuster “Barbie,” the upbeat Barbiecore trend also is transitioning into 2024, albeit in a more toned-down way. Instead of bright pinks, Mazzarella says there’s a push toward dusty rose, mauves and aubergine hues.

Squishy, bubble-shaped “marshmallow” pieces that Barbie would love to sit on are another fun way to update your own dreamhouse, as are striking Murano glass chandeliers and curvier furniture.

“It’s not that in-your-face pink, but there’s definitely a feminineness that’s coming in,” Mazzarella says.

PHOTOS COURTESY SHERWIN WILLIAMS

Thanks, Gwyneth

The expensive-looking, label-free fashions that actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow wore during her heavily covered 2023 civil trial involving a ski collision (which she won) introduced everyone to the term “quiet luxury” — and the theme has carried over to the home realm.

Also called “stealth wealth,” this seemingly effortless style relies on simple design principles aided by high-quality materials, usually in muted tones. Mazzarella adds that “disposable” furniture trends (similar to fast fashion) typically bought online are coming to an end, with homeowners gravitating toward sustainable, custom-made pieces that can last a lifetime.

“I can give you exactly what you want and you’re going to have it for the next 20 years,” she says of ordering bespoke pieces. “Clients are starting to have sustainability first in mind, and then where and how [the pieces] are made and what the materials are.”

Janeway agrees there’s a movement toward more sustainable fabrics created from recycled materials in design.

FLAT LAY BY JENNIFER JANEWAY DESIGNS

“At Highpoint Market this fall, we discovered these Thibaut fabrics from their Ethos collection and had some fun putting together a colorful flat lay with them,” she says. “This fabric collection is made in large part from recycled polyester or recycled plastic bottles (depending on the specific fabric) and combines surprisingly tough performance with sustainability.”

If overhauling the entire house — which can be both expensive and time-consuming — is out of reach, Mazzarella suggests adding little luxuries to your everyday life such as scented candles, high-quality sheets, an upgraded mattress or a cashmere throw on the sofa.

Throw in a properly framed piece of art or a few handcrafted items you picked up on your recommenced vacations and you’ve got yourself a Gwyneth-approved, luxury look.

“Just in general with all the trends, the volume got turned down,” Mazzarella says. “Things are just getting more personal again; your home shouldn’t look like a staged home.”

PHOTOS BY CARL S. MILLER WEDDINGS

When Meredith Cain and Patrick Reeves wed in September at The Frick Pittsburgh, they dreamed of an elegant and enchanting garden party.

They enlisted the event planners at Hello Productions, who worked with The Farmer’s Daughter Flowers to create a grand entrance piece for the reception tent, as well as arrangements on the king’s table and surrounding accent areas repurposed from the ceremony.

Alyson Huth, event coordinator/social media manager at Hello Productions, says they embraced The Frick’s natural beauty for their creation.

“Meredith and Patrick’s wedding was one of my favorites,” she says. “We put together a design with an array of blooms and greens that gave a reminiscence of the summer coming to a close with the welcoming of a beautiful fall afternoon.

“The inspiration was whimsical, yet elegant to capture the formal affair.”

When it comes to wedding florals, showstopping statements are only getting bigger and better.

The ‘Wow’ Factor

At The Pennsylvanian Downtown for their June 2022 wedding, Heather Dean and Carmen Connolly danced under a floral canopy with flowers from The Farmer’s Daughter Flowers, lighting and truss by EF Lighting, linens by Mosaic and rentals by All Occasions Party Rental and Marbella Event Furniture & Decor Rental — all put together with a vision by wedding planner Soiree by Souleret.

Company owner Shayne Souleret says dance floor installations are becoming more popular, in part because it’s a focal point for the celebration during a couple’s first dance or parent dances.

“People are always trying to do something different, and centerpieces are at every single wedding, but I think people are trying to bring one ‘wow’ or statement area,” she says.

She also notes couples can reuse the statement areas throughout the night; a flower wall might be used to hang escort cards and later be transformed into a selfie station or photo booth backdrop.

“You’re doubling your impact,” she says.

Another place she likes to recommend couples focus their flowers is an elaborate bridal table.

“It’s kind of the biggest bang for your buck there, and the reason I say that is because everyone is looking at the head table most of the evening,” she says. “I always like to draw everyone’s attention to that part of the space.”

Jorge Ramon, a lead on the design team at florist May Chester Design, crafted a floral installation that served as a grand backdrop for the bride and groom’s king table at Gina Borelli and Ulysses Ator’s June 3 reception at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland. The couple posed on a vintage tufted sofa from Vintage Alley Rentals for portrait photos in front of the flowers, and the area was heavily photographed during the reception speeches.

Ramon says floral installations are becoming more of an immersive experience, whether with a floating wisteria ceiling above a king’s table or a bar completely wrapped in hydrangea.

“The statement pieces are bigger while creating a breathtaking floral experience for the guest that is tactile and close up,” he says.

Mary Beth McConahey, who owns Mary Beth McConahey Floral Design, says more couples are using the art and architecture of their venues, whether it’s fountains, chandeliers, staircases or arches, and building on them for statement pieces guests are sure to remember.

“It’s only getting bigger and more extravagant in terms of installations,” she says.

AT THEIR JUNE 2022 WEDDING, HEATHER DEAN AND CARMEN CONNOLLY DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY UNDER A FLORAL CANOPY CONSTRUCTED IN THE PENNSYLVANIAN FOR THEIR CELEBRATION.

Pretty and Petite

If there’s one area where couples are keeping things small, it’s in the bridal bouquet. McConahey says she’s getting a lot of requests for “mini bouquets,” which have a royal connection.

“It’s a throwback to that kind of timeless style of the 1950s and ‘60s,” she says, referencing Princess Grace’s famously simple bouquet of posies for her wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and her sister, Pippa Middleton, also had small bouquets for their weddings, McConahey notes.

“It’s so simple, so chic — it’s elegance at its finest,” she says. “And Pittsburgh brides are going for it this year.”

Of course, for every trend in the wedding world, there are those couples who want the opposite. McConahey has also been tasked with a few large, cascading bridal bouquets akin to what Princess Diana carried at her wedding in 1981.

With the small bouquets, McConahey has noticed an increased interest in sustainability. Some couples ask for foam-free storage for their flowers or they want flowers grown locally, which is an easy request for her to fulfill as she grows most of her flowers in her Greensburg backyard.

For tabletops, she’s noticing couples are asking for a more meadow-like aesthetic, with flowers arranged in moss or greenery rather than compotes and vases that hold a few colorful blossoms.

She’s also noticed Pittsburgh couples opting for no flowers, instead requesting all greenery on their day.

“There is something new under the sun in bouquets,” she says. Brides are asking for “oversized, wild, mixed greens, really textured. It’s chic; it’s cool. I’ve not seen that before … To see a bride with just greens in her hand is very shocking, very beautiful.”

A Singular Focus

Ramon says he’s also seeing strong style statements with all-white wedding florals.

“The floral element here is luxe — white roses and orchids steal the show and create a formality without being fussy,” he says. “Single buds vases with a single flower, white blooms and lush, textured arrangements make a modern statement while reinterpreting a very classic and timeless look.”

At Community Flower Shop in Overbrook, wedding and events director Miranda Wilder says it’s common for couples to focus on a single type of flower, often roses, perhaps decorating with white-rose bud vases throughout their wedding. Others are keeping their focus on a single color, perhaps all-white flowers with a lot of baby’s breath, a huge trend right now.

“You have some people who are really into that and some people who have really leaned into a lot of color,” she says.

Many people are having a smaller wedding, and when the guest list is smaller, there may be more room in the budget for flowers, she says.

According to The Knot, couples spent an average of $2,400 on a wedding florist in 2022. Wilder says couples should have some idea of how much they’d like to spend before meeting with a florist; she also recommends booking your florist about a year ahead of your wedding.

“I always tell people to reach out sooner rather than later, and that really works for all vendors just to make sure you get the people you want,” she says.

If a couple has a date set, their venue booked and some sort of color scheme chosen, the florist can get started, she says. From there, the options are limitless.

“If someone comes to us with an idea we can find a way to make it happen,” she says.

The pandemic brought the dining scene to a standstill (unless you count all of those to-go orders), but it’s moving forward again. Or perhaps backward, thanks to a bunch of spots that use nostalgia to attract customers — particularly Gen-Xers. In addition to grand openings, the past year saw re-openings and expansions bringing everything from breakfast to late-night bites to veggie-forward food with cocktails in between. The industry is getting back on track. Enjoy the ride.

Mullett’s

Neither Marissa nor Colin Mullett, a brother-and-sister team from Peters, have ever rocked a Camaro Cut, but they think their surname suits their Pittsburgh bar to a T. Chef Gabe Bevilacqua can make everything on the menu gluten-free. Guests can share small plates of elevated bar favorites such as poutine, crispy pork belly, a fried provolone wheel or pub wings rubbed with Cajun seasonings or slathered in housemade hot honey or sweet barbecue sauce. The full bar is bourbon-focused and there are 20 cocktails on the menu, so go and let your hair down.

Mt. Lebanon
297 Beverly Road
mulletsmtlebo.com

EYV Restaurant

PHOTO COURTESY EYV RESTAURANT

Make your mother proud and go to EYV Restaurant. The name means Eat Your Veggies, but mama’s never seen produce done up like this. Chef Mike Godlewski’s plant-based menu changes with the seasons, and while meat, fish and poultry make appearances (protein is more like a garnish here), vegetables are the true stars of the show. Godlewski’s creativity in the kitchen results in beautifully plated apps, entrees and desserts that are also playful. The apple toffee cake, with its celery root ice cream, golden raisins, peanut butter mousse and candied peanuts tasted like gourmet Ants on a Log, my daughter’s favorite preschool snack. You can watch the kitchen staff in action by snagging a seat at the chef’s counter. Maybe, with a little culinary razzle dazzle, Godlewski can convince my picky eater to order a salad.

North Side
424 E. Ohio St.
EYVRestaurant.com

Balvanera

One bite of Empanadas de Carne at Balvanera made me do a happy dance in my seat — which is fitting since the Argentine restaurant space used to house the nightclub Metropol. The iconic venue closed in 2002, and the space at 1600 Smallman St. has been renovated to house Balvanera across from The Terminal in the Strip. Argentina-born Fernando Navas and Pittsburgh native Meredith Boyle, partners in business and in life, opened the 4,400-square-foot brasserie in November to serve Porteña fare, craft cocktails and South American wines. Nearly a decade ago, the couple debuted the concept in New York City, where Navas was named Official Culinary Ambassador of Argentina by the Argentine government. That’s quite the resumé piece. In addition to the empanada that set my toes to tappin’, I wolfed down Spanish-style snacks such as Gildas — skewered guindilla peppers, anchovies, onions and Manzanilla olives — and Setas Salteadas, assorted mushrooms and a poached egg in a truffle sherry vinaigrette that I soaked up with crusty Five Points bread. I had never tried sweetbreads before but threw my organ-meat inhibitions to the wind and enjoyed Mollejas served with celery root, green apple, almonds and lime. I thought I had reached my food-intake limit after a pan-seared skirt steak accompanied by fresh chimichurri, salsa criolla, roasted pepper and mashed potatoes, but pastry chef Ginger Fisher Baldwin reeled me back in. I’m a fan of the flan. Get a taste of Buenos Aires aperitivo culture with creative drink offerings developed by GM William Kohl, bar lead Kimberly Holder and New York sommelier Nicolás Andrés Martianhes. My Negroni was composed of five vermouths and local gin by Lucky Sign Spirits. With my belly full and my heart happy, I pretty much pirouetted out the door. Just call me a Balvanera ballerina.

Strip District
1660 Smallman St.
balvanerarestaurants.com

Hemlock House

Josh Sickels is the David Lynch of the local dining scene. The owner of Rockaway Pizzeria, a White Oak joint serving New York-style pies in an atmosphere that’s straight out of “Twin Peaks,” now has a full-service restaurant that’s also extremely Lynchian in its aesthetics and eats. I celebrated Halloween there and it was a real treat. Together with chef Mike Allison, Sickels is serving culinary plot twists that make dining out an adventure. Carnivalesque kielbasa corn dogs? You bet. Hush puppies stuffed with lump crab meat and bacon? Bring it. She-Crab Soup? Yes, sir! These dishes are delicious in a way that is, like a “Twin Peaks” episode, hard for me to describe. As Special Agent Dale Cooper would say, they’re “damn fine.”

Regent Square
1126 S. Braddock Ave.
hemlockhousepgh.com

Ritual House

Edwin and Amanda Smith are the masters of ceremonies at Ritual House. The husband-and-wife team run the back and front of the house, as executive chef and general manager, respectively. “I have a philosophy of five great ingredients,” Ed says. “Focus on the food and don’t cover things up with sauces or over-manipulate them.” In addition to Pittsburgh staples such as chipped ham sandwiches, pecan balls and strawberry pretzel salad, guests can indulge in bruléed navel oranges finished with local micro greens and crumbled goat cheese and a flatbread with whipped brie cheese, thinly sliced granny smith apples and housemade onion jam on a ciabatta crostini. Pastry chef Zoe Peckich, winner of the Food Network’s latest “Summer Baking Championship,” outshined nine other contestants from across the country with a dessert called Not Your Gram’s Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Before joining Ritual House, the Washington, Pa., native spent time in Italy; as a chocolatier in Charlotte, North Carolina; and at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Ordering any one of her desserts is like hitting the jackpot. Hanging above the central bar are 18 hand-assembled chandeliers, custom-designed furniture from Turkey, accents from stores such as hot haute hot in the Strip District, a hall of mirrors and an installation by local artist Mia Tarducci that includes a wisteria garden and swings. Lisa Pollock, who co-owns the restaurant with her real estate broker/developer husband, Herky,  calls it a “sophisticated funhouse.” The couple spent 18 months fine-tuning the aesthetics of the place to meet customer demand for a unique night out. From the food and drinks to the decor, Herky believes Ritual House offers a high-end experience minus the stuffiness you’d expect from an upscale establishment. If you look closely at the wallpaper, you’ll see monkeys knocking back cocktails and having a good time. The Pollocks encourage you to do the same, but please don’t swing from the chandeliers.

Downtown
524 William Penn Place
ritualhousepgh.com

Brown Bear Bread Cafe

These will change your life,” Kate Clemons says as she hands me a bag of sourdough English muffins. As co-owner of Brown Bear Bread Cafe, she knows a thing or two about baked goods. After one bite, all I can say is Thomas is dead to me. The business is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with brunch served 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clemons’ boyfriend, Dan Galusha, bakes brioche buns, focaccia, ciabatta, multigrain and specialty loaves in the third-floor kitchen that’s anchored by an 80-year-old rotating baker’s oven named Big Rhonda. Can’t make it to Mount Oliver? The bread is available at Shenot Farms in Wexford and the East End Food Co-op in North Point Breeze. The brunch menu features classics such as biscuits and gravy, a cheese omelet and a breakfast platter with toast, two dippy eggs, a sausage patty, two strips of bacon and home fries. Chef Kaylie Carini’s taters are my favorite in the city. Are they as life-changing as the English muffins? Ask my waistline.

Mount Oliver
225 Brownsville Road
instagram.com/brown.bear.bread.cafe

Duo’s Taqueria

In any language, tacos are pretty darn good. Duolingo, the East Liberty-based language learning platform, is expanding people’s vocabularies and palates with a Mexican restaurant. Located next to the company’s headquarters at 5906 Penn Ave., Duo’s Taqueria started as a take-out window and is now a full-service eatery and bar stocked with more than 75 rare tequilas and mezcals. Chef Marcella Ogrodnik’s menu, which I first tried in 2022, now has even more Mexico City-inspired eats. In January, I took Sarah, my 14-year-old picky eater, to Duo’s. The kitchen staff (most employees are bilingual) kindly made her a simple cheese quesadilla. I ordered the barbacoa de borrego with lamb sourced from Elysian Fields Farm and served with guacachile, escabeche and fresh, housemade nixtamal tortillas. Sarah devoured her meal and half of mine — and, in process, learned a new Spanish phrase: Quiero más por favor (I want more, please).

East Liberty
5906 Penn Ave.
duostaqueria.com

Lilith

I got my first taste of Lilith, the new Shadyside concept from lauded chefs Jamilka Borges and Dianne DeStefano, at The Vandal last April. The Lawrenceville eatery hosted a wine dinner so the dynamic duo could showcase their coastal-inspired cuisine that pays homage to Borges’ Puerto Rican heritage and DeStefano’s Sicilian roots. The menu featured Japanese sweet potatoes with bearnaise sauce and smoked trout roe, oysters topped with cucumber, apple and horseradish, Snapper wrapped in ramps and banana leaves and tamarind-braised lamb shoulder. I left wanting more, but had to wait six months. I was the first patron to arrive for Lilith’s inaugural brunch in October at its permanent home on Spahr Street. For 26 years, the space housed pioneering chef Toni Pais’ Cafe Zinho, before he retired last year. Borges and DeStefano want to live up to his legacy but with a feminine touch. They’re off to a good start with beautifully plated, yet playful, dishes and cocktails that complement the decor that’s fun, funky and floral. It’s a Garden of Eatin’, if you will. To start, my girlfriend and I shared ooey-gooey, pull-apart Monkey Bread, rhythmically dipping each piece in creme anglaise while the overhead speakers played Taylor Swift songs. She had the breakfast sandwich — an egg souffle topped with bacon, pepper jelly and American cheese on a brioche bun — while I destroyed homemade biscuits with honey butter and a side of bearnaise-slathered breakfast potatoes. (After this dish, I never want to douse my spuds in ketchup again. Sorry, Heinz.)

Shadyside
239 Spahr St.
instagram.com/lilithpgh

Christian James

Kimberley Ashlee spent years as a journalist before opening a catering company and the fast-casual concept Terrene at Station Square. Now the veteran chef tells stories through food at Christian James, a restaurant inside the Joinery Hotel, Downtown. The seasonally evolving menu tells the tale of Christian James, a fictional foodie who travels the world trying different cuisines like a hungry Indiana Jones. Each dish is a chapter in his journey. For my entree, I took a cue from the globetrotting adventurer and tried something new to me: goat vindaloo, marinated and braised in a curry sauce with mild spices on a bed of jasmine rice. It’s a dish I’d revisit. Because the restaurant’s home is a hotel, it has to appeal to all sorts of road-weary travelers. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails are served. From steak and fish to a cheeseburger and fries, there’s something for everyone, including children. Ashlee and her husband, Josh Haugh, a sommelier, have a young daughter, so creating a kids’ menu was a big priority. The offerings include wood-fired pizza, chicken fried rice, white cheddar mac and cheese and other upscaled favorites. Tykes 10 and under eat for free and receive a warm cookie that they can decorate at the table. The sweet distraction gives parents a little more time to relax with a dessert — try the house-made donuts — or a boozy beverage. Bottomline: Christian James is worth writing home about.

Downtown
Joinery Hotel
453 boulevard of the allies
thechristianjames.com

Extra Helpings

If you want to eat in the ’70s and ’80s, Fat Cat on the North Side and Long Story Short in Lawrenceville serve fun, casual fare surrounded by nostalgic decor. You can even go on a retro junk food binge thanks to Hills Snack Bar, a mobile unit that stops at former Hills Department Store locations throughout the region.

A bunch of established restaurants have opened second locations or moved into larger spaces to keep up with demand. O’Hara-based Alta Via Ristorante now has a spot in Downtown’s Market Square. The Speckled Egg, a Downtown brunch destination, last summer made its debut in the SouthSide Works. Cilantro & Ajo, a South Side spot serving Venezuelan street food for the past five years, will soon have an eatery in Lawrenceville.

Like things spicy? You can dine at Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar in Cranberry and O’Hara. Stemming from the success of its original Shadyside location, Tocayo Taqueria & Tequila opened a second one in Bethel Park.

If “ribliciousness” is what you crave, Wilson’s Bar-B-Q, a North Side institution, is back after a 2019 fire shuttered the business.

Before he became the returning hero of the Pittsburgh Pirates, before he was named the National League MVP and even before the baseball world dubbed him “Cutch,” Andrew McCutchen was simply a 15-year-old Florida kid playing far from home.

And he was homesick. Horribly so.

His parents, who were 17 when he was born in tiny Fort Meade, Florida, had to work multiple jobs. They couldn’t afford to pay for travel ball — let alone for an elite league that sent him across the state to live and play for the whole summer. But they knew their son had a special gift — and he had a coach who was so impressed by that talent that he covered the teenager’s expenses for the elite league.

After two months of living in Panama City, more than 6 hours away from home, in Florida’s panhandle, McCutchen called his father, Lorenzo, and begged. “I don’t want to be here. I want to come home.”

Lorenzo replied gently, “Just stick with it. You’ll be all right.”

Fast forward 17 years to 2018. Andrew McCutchen is homesick again, but the man and the circumstances are very different.

He is standing in the batter’s box at PNC Park in his Giants uniform as a 90-second standing ovation washes over him. He had circled May 11 on the calendar, dreading his first appearance in Pittsburgh since being traded to San Francisco. He’s still stinging from the trade. He had wanted to be a permanent fixture for the Pirates, the way Derek Jeter was for the Yankees. But the gods of baseball had other plans.

Fast forward to the present: McCutchen is no longer homesick.

The all-star center fielder who led the Pirates to playoff runs in 2013, 2014 and 2015 is home again. After bouncing to San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia and Milwaukee across five seasons, he boomeranged back to Pittsburgh for the 2023 season. Now 37 and in the second year of his return, he has just inked a $5 million, one-year contract for 2024 as a designated hitter/outfielder.

McCutchen is happy to be back in Pittsburgh, a city he fell in love with when he was in his 20s. It’s why he kept his house in the North Hills even after he was traded. To him, Pittsburgh is like a perfectly fitted outfielder’s glove.

“Pittsburgh has been my second home. It’s where my heart is.”

For his devotion to the city, for his athletic feats on the field, for his philanthropic deeds and for reigniting excitement for the Pirates among fans and players upon his return, Andrew McCutchen has been named Pittsburgher of the Year for 2023.

2023 SEASON PHOTOS BY HARRISON BARDEN AND ALYSA RUBIN | PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Play Ball!

The rookie outfielder who would soon propel the Pirates to their first winning season in 21 years arrived in Pittsburgh with dreadlocks, a dazzling smile, a soft-spoken coolness, a hot bat and the lightning speed of a sprinter.

At an early age, McCutchen showed he was blessed with many athletic talents. As a ninth-grader, he won a state title as part of a 4×100 relay team; he was also a top football recruiting prospect. In high school, he was the baseball team’s star, hitting .709 his senior year.

In 2005, the Pirates made him their first draft pick. When the teenager walked into the press conference after the announcement, he had a rare confidence and presence, recalls veteran Pirates play-by-play man Greg Brown. “He just had this aura.”

McCutchen quickly lived up to his billing as a future star and became an instant fan favorite. He finished his rookie season with a .286 batting average, 12 home runs, 54 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

He hit for power and average. He protected PNC Park’s center field like he owned it. He stole bases. He went on to make five All-Star teams — and, in 2013, win the National League’s MVP award behind a .317 batting average, 21 home runs and 84 RBIs.

But McCutchen’s value to the Pirates organization was far greater than his impressive stats.

To the city’s long-suffering baseball fans, the 22-year-old was a jolt of energy and hope. “After 20 losing seasons, Pirates fans hid their faces,” says Brown. “Andrew made it cool to be a Pirates fan again.”

Sacrifice Play

McCutchen could never have made the journey from his economically depressed town in Central Florida into Major League Baseball and the hearts of Pittsburghers without a pair of strong parents.

Petrina and Lorenzo grew up in the rural citrus town of Fort Meade, population about 5,200. After Andrew was born, they went off to separate colleges — her to community college, him to play football at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee.

McCutchen says his mother gave his father a choice: “Keep doing what you are doing or come home and help raise your son.” So they both put off their college dreams and got married, vowing to do it right with help from extended family.

To save money, the young couple lived in a two-bedroom trailer in the nearby town of Bartow for eight years so they could save up for a house in Fort Meade. Getting Andrew to school in Fort Meade involved handoffs worthy of an Olympic relay team. Petrina would drive him to the nearby hospital, where he would wait in an office for her cousin to finish an overnight nursing shift and drive him to school. Then, after school, Andrew would walk to his grandmother’s house until his mother would pick him up. “It took a village,” he says.

Petrina often worked double shifts at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, where she was an office worker, crime prevention specialist and HR person. Lorenzo juggled being a youth pastor with gigs in landscaping and the local anthracite mines.

Early on, Andrew saw the sacrifices his mother and father were making. When he was about 8, he asked for a PlayStation for Christmas. His parents scrimped to buy him one, but on Christmas morning he insisted they take it back because he knew they couldn’t afford it.

“I was just shocked,” his mother says. “We thought we were doing a really good job of keeping certain things away from him.”

McCutchen remains close to his parents and shares their deep faith. Three years ago, Petrina and Lorenzo opened their own church in Fort Meade, a town where a welcome banner proudly proclaims, “Home of Andrew McCutchen — Pittsburgh Pirate All-Star,” leaving no doubt that Cutch is the local hero. And the baseball field at Fort Meade High School, where he caught the eyes of scouts, has been dedicated to him.

Petrina always wanted to set up a local Boys & Girls Club. To make that happen, Andrew enlisted his major-league friends to donate signed jerseys and hats; an auction raised $50,000. In Pittsburgh, he has done charity work with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Light of Life Mission, Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits.

Today, he’s still in awe of the sacrifices his parents made for him at an age when they were trying to figure out their own lives. He’s grateful that they always saw a vision for him beyond their small town. “I always tell them, ‘I don’t know how you guys did it.’”

Related:
Celebrating our Previous Pittsburghers of the Year

Love and Baseball

McCutchen not only fell in love with PNC Park, he fell in love there. Maria Hanslovan, of DuBois, was a member of the Bucco Brigade, the exuberant squad that launches T-shirts and hotdogs into the stands with air guns. One fateful summer day in 2009, she was assigned to assist at a baseball camp held at the ball field. A kid overthrew a ball behind McCutchen, and Hanslovan was there to retrieve it. Wow, he thought when she threw it back. Nice throw. He was smitten.

McCutchen would see her outside the stadium, and he eventually got the guts to ask her out. She said no. “I was persistent,” he says with a laugh. Now they’re married with three kids — and a fourth on the way. The oldest boy is named Steel.

McCutchen is a soft-spoken, thoughtful small-town guy, but he’s not afraid to go a little Hollywood once in a while — like the time he proposed to Maria on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on NBC. For a recent interview, he was comfortable wearing ripped flared gray denim pants with the Louis Vuitton pattern running down the legs. Most of us couldn’t pull it off, but on him, with a faded denim jacket and a bejeweled cross, it just works.

No matter how he’s dressed, though, the Major League Baseball star is just as comfortable hanging with his friends from Fort Meade who call him Drew or taking his kids to the Ross Park Mall play area, where he spent an hour the other day. “It was packed. No one even came up to me.”

He likes how Pittsburgh embraces him without ever smothering him. “It’s a hard-working, blue-collar city and people are very respectful of your time,” he says.

Michael McKenry, the former Pirates catcher and current broadcaster, says when he would go out to dinner with McCutchen in other cities like Cincinnati and Denver fans tended to mob his friend, especially in his dread-headed days. “People just bombard him at times. It didn’t matter if he was mid-bite. There was really no line they wouldn’t cross. He would handle it well. But that never happened in Pittsburgh.”

The Ultimate Home Run

When McCutchen returned to PNC Park in a Pirates uniform again in 2023, his mother came with him — not just as a spectator. A talented singer, Petrina had performed at various Pirate games, including the 2013 Wild Card playoff game against Cincinnati.

On April 7, 2023, before the home opener against the Chicago White Sox, she belted out the National Anthem. In her son’s first at-bat, after the umpire had to suspend the new speed-up-the-game rules for the long ovation, McCutchen fought back tears — but still managed a single to right field.

That emotional moment might have never happened for McCutchen if Maria had not nudged him to take a meeting with the Pirates’ front office after his 2022 season in Milwaukee.

He was a free agent and was in talks with a playoff contender. He was ready to sign a contract, but he had previously set up a coffee date with Pirates GM Ben Cherington to talk about possibly playing for the Pirates again.

Though McCutchen’s feelings had been deeply hurt when he was traded to the Giants, he never expressed anger or burned any bridges with Pirates management. He knew it was business.

He told Maria things were moving fast with the other team and it was too late to meet with the Pirates. “Just have a cup of coffee first,” Maria told him. The phrase has become a running joke in their marriage: “Just have a cup of coffee.”

For McCutchen fans like Logan Skarupa, an 18-year-old baseball player from Canonsburg, the return of his hero has been thrilling. Milling around PiratesFest at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in January, Skarupa was double-Cutched up, wearing a black McCutchen jersey under a yellow McCutchen jacket. When he heard McCutchen was coming back to town, “I screamed. I cried.”

In the clubhouse, McCutchen is known for being chill and his sense of humor. “Everybody was pretty much jealous of Andrew on a daily basis, but his humility was through the roof and he made everyone laugh,” says Neil Walker, former teammate and current Pirates broadcaster.

He’s known for dead-on imitations of other players, movie stars, even Mickey Mouse. “Welcome to Disney World,” he says in a perfect cartoon-rodent impression.

He also stands out for asking to come back to the Pirates. “In this day and age of sports, loyalty is dead,” says play-by-play man Brown. “And yet here you find it.”

McCutchen, who notched his 2,000th career hit before a home crowd in June and almost reached the 300 home run milestone before an Achilles tear cut his last season short, has more to prove.

Of course, people ask him how much longer he will play. He refuses to put an expiration date on his career, saying he will play as long as he is healthy or as long as he plays well — or as long the Pirates still want him.

He has no interest in joining the Pirates coaching staff — “too stressful” — or putting on a tie and becoming an announcer. He wants to be present for his kids and be around for their T-ball games and other activities he always missed on the road. Who knows? Maybe he will become their youth coach.

Of one thing, he’s sure.

“When I’m done, I’m not going anywhere else. This is it.”

Andrew McCutchen
Designated Hitter/Outfielder
5′ 10″      190 pounds
Right-handed

Career baseball stats

7,425
At Bats

1,173
Runs

2,048
Hits

299
Home Runs

1,045
Runs Batted In

216
Stolen Bases

.276
Batting Average

.369
On Base Percentage

Source: MLB.com

Every Christmas, Kaufmann’s Department store in Century III Mall tasked Paula Biggs with leading the store’s decorating. She particularly enjoyed creating little villages, which required using risers to display layers of the town. Cotton served as snow, wires lit the houses and miniature people and cars populated the display.

“The whole shop looked like a fantasy land when it was done,” she says.

Biggs recalls bringing in her own Christmas CDs and playing Christmas music from September until January.

“It was just happy. People would come in, they’d be grumpy, they’d come into that department, and … it would make them happy, you know? They’d leave happy.”

Even off the clock, Biggs, who worked in several Kaufmann’s departments while living in West Mifflin, loved spending time at the mall, shopping for “everything” — clothes, toys, shoes, houseware items, holiday cards and more. “The mall itself was just such a nice mall,” she says. “There was so much there to do, so many restaurants and things to do, with all the mall walkers. You could spend a day there and do everything you needed to do.”

She stopped working at the mall in 2006 and has since moved to Duquesne, but she’s followed the mall’s steady and steep decline as it has become a site of disrepair, vandalism and devastating injuries. Much of the trouble has been tracked through news reports and a popular, community-run Facebook page dedicated to the mall.

“It’s sad that they let it get to that point,” she says. “I know malls are kinda going out in places, but there’s still some that are thriving.”

Residents and West Mifflin borough officials now generally view the long-closed mall as a public nuisance that should be demolished. But there’s a longing and a nostalgic fondness for what the three-story behemoth once provided to the Pittsburgh area.

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION PHOTOGRAPHS, MSP #424, DETRE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES, SENATOR JOHN HEINZ HISTORY CENTER

Center of Everything

The first enclosed shopping malls emerged in the U.S. in the mid-1950s. When Century III Mall opened in 1979, it was the third-largest mall in America, spanning 63 acres; its name comes from being created near the start of the country’s third century. Built on a portion of an unsightly slag heap used by U.S. Steel Corp., the new mall was an attempt to repurpose local land for a postindustrial future.

At its height, Century III had more than 200 stores, anchored by Kaufmann’s, Montgomery Ward, Gimbels, Sears and JCPenney. Sears, once the world’s largest retailer, has just a few locations left; JCPenney is trying for a revival. The other department store chains are long gone.

Century III’s decline follows national trends for malls, spurred by the rise of online shopping. Terms such as “dead malls” and “zombie malls” have become commonplace as many malls have become abandoned. In Frazer Township, a scheduled sheriff’s sale of the Galleria of Pittsburgh Mills was halted at the 11th hour in late September when its owner, Namdar Realty Group, paid all of the delinquent taxes on the 1.1 million-square-foot shopping center. Many of the mall’s storefronts remain empty, although it has become the seasonal home of ScareHouse.

In other parts of the region, South Hills Village, Monroeville Mall and Ross Park Mall are still doing well, despite having less prominence than in years past, when malls had a commanding grip on American commerce and pop culture. They were popular settings for such films as 1995’s “Mallrats” and 2009’s “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.”

Today, television series and movies such as Netflix’s “Stranger Things” sometimes use scenes shot in reproduced, bustling malls to tug at viewers’ heartstrings. HBO’s 2023 series “The Last of Us” shot scenes in 2022 in the closed Northland Village Mall in Calgary, Alberta, which is being turned into an open-air shopping area.

Hope For Revitalization

Moonbeam Capital Investments, a management and leasing company based in Las Vegas, bought Century III in 2013, pledging to revitalize the site. But it’s been heavily criticized by the borough and local residents for what has happened to the shopping center.

In 2018, images of a person dressed-up as the Easter Bunny sitting on a throne, waiting for children amid closed stores at Century III Mall, went viral under the title: “Lonely Easter Bunny in a Dead Mall.”

The mall closed for good in 2019.

Negative news about the mall hit a climax this past spring and summer. In April, a fire raged through the former food court. In June, a teenager sustained critical injuries after falling through the mall’s roof. That same month, West Mifflin Council hosted a condemnation hearing for the mall that drew a standing-room crowd of 100 people.

The borough presented evidence of the mall’s sad state: water damage, graffiti, mold, vandalism and more. During its slideshow, some attendees gasped at the mall images. Police and fire department officials detailed frequent 911 calls about people breaking into the mall and expressed concern about sending officers inside the mall with potentially hazardous air.

Then a Moonbeam representative defended the mall at the meeting, the audience loudly groaned and heckled. A month later, council voted unanimously to condemn the mall, but at press time an appeal by Moonbeam and its failure to pay code enforcement fines had set up what could be a long court battle on the path to demolition.

At the condemnation hearing, Moonbeam President and Chief Operating Officer Shawl Pryor said that Moonbeam still believes the mall can be salvaged and the company intended to sell.

“Currently, we are working with a potential buyer for the property, and they have to make a determination if they are going to utilize that existing structure for their facility in use, or if they are going to look at some type of partial demolition of the property, so that will determine whether or not we go in and do the cosmetic damage and address the cosmetic issues,” Pryor said.

The Nostalgia Factor

For thousands of Pittsburghers, the mall still evokes warm memories. About a decade ago, a man now living in North Huntingdon began co-running the “Century III Mall Memories” Facebook page. There, he frequently posts old photographs, news stories and other information about the mall for its 24,000 followers. A regular administrator of the page, which often publishes negative documentation and opinions about Moonbeam, he asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.

The individual, who worked in sales and marketing for the mall about 10 years ago, says the popularity of the page doesn’t surprise him. He looks back on the mall’s heydays as positively as many others.

“Nostalgia is a weird thing,” he says. “Everyone has their own recollections of things they remember, things they experienced. It’s not just malls. For me, that’s what I remember from growing up. Other people might remember the old Civic Arena or Three Rivers Stadium. I think everyone connects to places in their own way. To me, it’s human nature.”

He recalls getting his childhood dog at a pet store in the mall and a time he lost his keys and never found them. Maybe they’re still there.

Walter Samosky, 52, who lives in Beaver County, uses the Facebook page to follow the mall from afar. He says he started going to the mall soon after it opened, before he moved out of the area. His parents took him to nearby Sears and JCPenney stores for clothes shopping, but when the family noticed the mall being constructed, his mother explained that they wouldn’t need to go to those stores anymore, as there would be something called a “mall” that had everything.

When he was little, Samosky loved the toy stores. As a teenager, he got into playing arcade games and would go out with a girlfriend who liked shopping at jewelry stores and Victoria’s Secret.

“I cannot remember a week, once I was driving myself, that I wasn’t at the mall at least once a week, just either to kill some time in the arcade or to actually go and get something, buy something,” Samosky says. “Most of my Christmas shopping over the years, once I had money, would be done at the mall.”

Another of the page’s most active members, Sue La Barbera, 79, of South Park, spent a lot of time shopping at the mall with friends and family. She and other parents would drop off their teenage children to hang out at the mall, frequenting shops such as the mainstay novelty store Spencer Gifts. For her own part, she spent a lot of time at Kaufmann’s, Sears and JCPenney. Once, when picking up her daughter and a friend, she learned that they had purposely turned back the time on their watches to spend more time at the mall and insisted her watch must have the wrong time.

In the mall’s latter years, she and her husband would walk it for fun.

“We just really, really liked it. I was just so sad when it started to deteriorate,” she says. “And when [my husband] and I were walking, we could see, in some of the stores that were empty, the ceilings had fallen down from water damage. And at that point, you could even smell the mustiness.”

Even when talking to people who passionately love the mall for what it used to be, it’s difficult to find anyone saying it shouldn’t be demolished. The Facebook page administrator says he believes the mall needs to be demolished, despite all of his own nostalgia and that of the page’s followers.

Demolition of the mall wouldn’t make him or anyone else lose their precious memories of the mall, even though demolition might mean those old keys of his would be lost for good.

Matt Petras is a freelance reporter and professor based in the Pittsburgh area.

ILLUSTRATION BY HUCK BEARD

Pittsburgh has been called the Steel City, the Smoky City and the Most Livable City. It’s been called Iron City, Sixburgh and the Paris of Appalachia.

Throughout its history, Pittsburgh has inspired a number of nicknames — and even more opinions. They range from the vulgar (we’re looking at you, Sienna Miller) to the poetic (Willie Stargell said coming through the Fort Pitt Tunnels was the “most grandest exhibition of how a city can open its arms to any one individual”) to the famous (“hell with the lid taken off”).

Many of these words that have been said about Pittsburgh inspire a sense of pride, some are just amusing and some expose the hard truth. But all have been used at one time in our history, whether in truth or in fiction, to describe the place we call home.

Here are 25 of the most notable quotes about Pittsburgh.

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

“Pittsburgh entered the core of my heart when I was a boy and cannot be torn out.” – Industrialist Andrew Carnegie

“The town lies low, as at the bottom of an excavation, just visible through the mingled smoke and mist, and every object in it is black. Smoke, smoke, smoke — everywhere smoke.” … It was like “looking over into hell with the lid taken off.” – James Parton, writing for The Atlantic Monthly in 1868

“Pittsburgh was even more vital, more creative, more hungry for culture than New York. Pittsburgh was the birthplace of my writing.” – Author Willa Cather

“It would be cheaper to abandon [the city of Pittsburgh] and build a real one. This is a disappearing city: nothing comes out of it. The ancients would have swooned at the mere mention of the money it cost to build this jumble of buildings.” – Architect Frank Lloyd Wright, 1935

“Pittsburgh is the cockeyedest city in the United States. Physically it is absolutely irrational. It must have been laid out by a mountain goat.” – Journalist Ernie Pyle, 1937

In the 1958 film “Auntie Mame,” nephew Patrick asks his society-dame aunt about her English lady friend, to which Mame replies, “She’s not English, darling; she’s from Pittsburgh”

“She sounded English,” Patrick says.

“Well, when you’re from Pittsburgh,” Mame replies, “you have to do something.”

“All I do is cough and choke From the iron filings and the sulphur smoke In Pittsburgh, Lord God, Pittsburgh” – “Pittsburgh Town” written by Woody Guthrie in 1941, sung by Pete Seeger

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLEMENTE MUSEUM

“In a way, I was born twice. I was born in 1934 and again in 1955 when I came to Pittsburgh. I am thankful to say that I lived two lives.” – Baseball great Roberto Clemente

Calvin: “I wonder where we go when we die.”

Hobbes: “Pittsburgh?”

Calvin: “You mean if we’re good or if we’re bad?”

– Calvin and Hobbes comic by Bill Watterson, 1985

“For all the insularity of the old guard, Pittsburgh was always an open and democratic town.” – Author Annie Dillard in her 1987 book “An American Childhood”

“My greatest honor was the moment that I arrived in Pittsburgh and put in what I thought was the most grandest exhibition of how a city can open its arms to any one individual. I came in through the Fort Pitt Tunnels, and it was the most beautiful thing that I’d ever observed … [Pittsburgh] wasn’t a fancy place because the people are real.” – Willie Stargell when inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988

“Like most people, I have this sort of love-hate relationship with Pittsburgh. This is my home and at times I miss it and find it tremendously exciting, and other times I want to catch the first thing out that has wheels.” – Playwright August Wilson in a 1994 interview

“I thought I smelled an early hint of the mysterious bittersweet gas that fills Pittsburgh in the summertime, a smell at once industrial and aboriginal, river water and sulfur dioxide, burning tires and the coat of a fox.” – Author Michael Chabon in his 1995 book “Wonder Boys”

“All the networks dumped us. One of them said we made going to the moon about as exciting as taking a trip to Pittsburgh.” – Henry Hurt (Xander Berkeley) in the 1995 film “Apollo 13”

“Sh*tsburgh.” – Actress Sienna Miller, while filming “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh” in 2006

“I docked at Ellis Island in the city of light and spires / I wandered to the valley of red-hot steel and fire / We made the steel that built the cities with the sweat of our two hands / And we made our home in the American Land.” – Bruce Springsteen,
“American Land” (2006)

“I just feel like when I’m in Pittsburgh, every little square inch of it and every person that I meet just matters to me.” – Actor David Conrad in the 2008 documentary: “My Tale of Two Cities”

“I would like to just take a moment to say how much I absolutely love that town, not just because you don’t hear that very often. I truly love it, and I think our movie is many things and I think one of the things it is is kind of a love letter to Pittsburgh, because it looks beautiful in our movie, because it is an actual beautiful city.” – Actor Jay Baruchel during an interview about the Pittsburgh-set and filmed 2010 movie, “She’s Out of My League”

“Pittsburgh, let me show the world just where my city at / On the map, illest city out, I guess that’s just a fact.” – Mac Miller, “Smile Back” (2011)

“I always try to incorporate Pittsburgh and where I’m from and know what I’ve learned just about the grind and hustle from being there. I incorporate that in my music and really put it out there … I never get tired of my hometown vibe. I love my city.” – Wiz Khalifa in a 2012 interview

“In Pittsburgh, you are tough or you are not. You write or you don’t write. You start hearts or allow hearts to wind down like old clocks. I almost never think about what Pittsburgh means because I know it.” – Author Dave Newman in his 2012 book, “Raymond Carver Will Not Raise Our Children”

“I think it’s probably one of the friendliest cities I have ever spent time in in America. I really enjoy being here. Maybe it’s just because I’m an outsider, and I see things a little clearer, but nobody ever talks about the beauty of the architecture in Pittsburgh … It’s just gorgeous.” — Actor Russell Crowe speaking to Sally Wiggin while in town to film the 2015 movie “Fathers and Daughters”

“… Pittsburgh, for my money, is one of the best-looking cities in the country and we love to just walk around. We love rivers and bridges, so Pittsburgh is like our Disneyland. … And the charming location of Pittsburgh on the three rivers just seems like something out of a superhero story to me. I’m crazy about it.” – Actor Nick Offerman in a 2017 interview

“A visitor will know that Pittsburgh is a great city because Pittsburgh has been greatly tested, and in those trials in your days of struggle, Pittsburgh has set an example of what can come next and what can come next is good.”– Actor Tom Hanks, days after the synagogue massacre in 2018

“[Pittsburgh] has risen from the ashes like a phoenix. Other countries want to learn: What was it that Pittsburgh did that made it successful?” – U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, on a visit here in 2022

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

Shortly after returning home from his first combat engineer deployment to Iraq in 2007, Ben Weakley woke up in the middle of the night. Before he was fully conscious, he realized he was throwing objects around his bedroom, hunting for a rifle.

That was followed by evenings when he would wake up with night terrors, soaked in sweat and “screaming so loud that I scared the children and drove my wife from our bed.”

In the military, 40-70% of service members have insomnia, and more than 70% say they get less than seven hours of sleep a night. And the problem often doesn’t go away after people retire from the armed forces.

The stress of serving in war zones obviously plays a part in those numbers. But Anne Germain, a world-renowned sleep expert who runs a new sleep health company in Pittsburgh called Noctem Health, says military sleep deficits go beyond that.

Germain says she thinks the military might actually have an unconscious bias toward recruiting and promoting people who can function with less sleep than normal.

Dr. Vincent Mysliwiec, a leading sleep researcher in San Antonio, Texas who retired as an Army colonel in 2019, says a 24/7 mindset also contributes.

“Most jobs are 8 or 10 or 12 hours, but military commanders typically have around-the-clock on-call jobs, overseeing from 40 to 300 service members until they give up those positions,” he says. On top of that, there is the “inherent stress of your position, because when you make a mistake when you’re serving in the military, it’s a little different than, ‘I mismanaged the accounting.’”

Germain says that stress doesn’t stop after retirement. “Being hypervigilant and not sleeping that much might be good for survival. But I’ve talked to hundreds of soldiers who say, ‘I’ve been back for years and I sleep at home the same way I slept in the field.’”

To help service members and others who experience insomnia and other sleep issues, Germain has developed a comprehensive digital platform that allows health care providers and their patients to get the latest evidence-based advice on solving sleep problems.

For the 15% of service members who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, sleep problems are even worse, as Weakley, who retired from the Army in 2019, and Jonathan Simmonds can attest.

Simmonds, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, retired from the Air Force Special Operations Command as a master sergeant in 2021. When he joined the Air Force in 2009, “I could hit the pillow and fall asleep immediately. Toward the end of my career I was so anxious that I would sleep only intermittently. I couldn’t fall asleep at night. I wouldn’t sleep for three or four days and then I would crash for a night.”

If I get three or four days of less than four hours of sleep a night, I’m in trouble. I will get paranoid …my ability to regulate my nervous system is shot.

—Ben Weakley

She Admired Their Courage

Germain first got involved in sleep analysis nearly 30 years ago, when she was an undergrad in Montreal, looking for research experience. The director of a dream research lab gave her a chance to work there, and “I totally fell in love with it,” she says. “We were studying dreams and working with people who suffered from nightmares related to traumatic experiences, and these people were so strong and resilient, despite all their difficulties.

“What they kept asking was, ‘If only I could have one good night of sleep,’ and I thought, I can do that. I can give people one good night of sleep.”

Eventually, she landed at the University of Pittsburgh, where she developed an international reputation, especially in working with military veterans and others suffering from PTSD. She took a leave from Pitt in 2019 to found Noctem Health.

Patients with Noctem’s COAST app — which stands for Clinician-Operated Assistive Sleep Technology — can track their sleep quality and quantity, keep a daily log and get personalized advice on making adjustments. The COAST algorithm offers possible solutions to individuals’ sleep problems, based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles and the patient’s individual experience, but leaves the final decision in the hands of the patients and their doctors.

Germain says one motivation for developing the app is that there is a shortage of sleep specialists around the nation, and COAST can help overcome that gap. Most people fail to stick with self-tracking sleep apps on their own, she says, so involving patients’ doctors in the COAST app is crucial.

“It’s the principle that you’re accountable to other human beings,” she says. To date, COAST is being used by more than 600 patients in 19 clinics and 12 military treatment facilities around the nation, and Noctem Health recently signed an agreement to expand into Canada.

The app is designed for anyone to use — studies show that about a third of the civilian population suffer from insomnia or insufficient sleep — but it still has a strong focus on the military, in part because the company has received $4.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, its largest single source of financial support.

COAST Was a Lifeline

Simmonds, the former Air Force officer, worked for Noctem Health when he left the military last year, so he got to see it as a patient using the app and an employee helping to develop it for use by the Veterans Health Administration and other groups.

In November 2022, he made the decision to stay at home to take care of his daughters, a 7-year-old and a 9-month-old who gurgled happily on his lap during a recent Zoom interview. Simmonds tried several treatments for his sleep problems before his medical retirement, but the COAST app was the first technique that gave him any lasting relief.

At first, though, it actually made his sleep worse, a not uncommon experience when doctors are trying to get people on a regular sleep schedule.

“When I had insomnia,” he says, “I actually had more flexibility on when I could go to sleep,” but Germain, who served as his sleep doctor, wanted him to stick to a regular time for going to bed and rising. In fact, she and other experts say that one of the most important practices for someone with insomnia is getting up at the same time each day, regardless of how poor their sleep was the night before.

Eventually, “I actually started to normalize my sleep, and it was nice to be able to talk with Anne when I needed to. It wasn’t just a standard [therapy] process, because it was tailored to my needs.”

His combat experience gave him a lot to overcome. Many people don’t realize that the Air Force has special operations officers who work with Green Berets, SEALS and other special units to call in air support. When he wasn’t communicating with air traffic controllers, Simmonds functioned like any other soldier. He frequently hoisted a shoulder-mounted recoilless rifle whose noise and vibrations gave him small traumatic brain injuries. “There were many times I fired that shoulder-mounted weapon more than the recommended number of times a day and by the end of the day I was nauseated and throwing up, which are the typical signs of having a TBI.”

Simmonds, who deployed to Africa, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan, also was nearby when several improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, and door breaching explosions went off, which also sent shock waves through his brain.

After 13 years, “I started thinking, why is my cognition so much worse than it used to be? Why can’t I remember where I put my keys?” While he still receives treatment for his PTSD, Simmonds holds no bitterness over his military service. “I absolutely loved my job and loved serving. It was unfortunate I had to stop, honestly speaking.”

Weakley, the Army veteran who lives in Kingsport, Tennessee, knows full well how the sleep patterns of the war zone follow you home.

“When you’re in an environment where you’re sleep-deprived and going to sleep at the wrong time can be life threatening,” he says, “sometimes going to sleep at home began to feel kind of dangerous. My body would shut down but I’d jerk myself awake. My wife would talk about my whole body shuddering.”

While he hasn’t received any specific treatment for his sleep difficulties, Weakley says he knows how important good sleep is in mitigating his PTSD. “My lived experience is that when my sleep gets worse — if I get three or four days of less than four hours of sleep a night, I’m in trouble. I will get paranoid. I get very, very anxious, the hypervigilance goes through the roof, and my ability to regulate my nervous system is shot.”

Weakley is director of development at Community Building Art Works in Bethesda, Maryland, which builds bridges between veterans and civilian life through writing and art. He has published one book of poetry, “HEAT + PRESSURE,” and is working on a memoir about his military service. He says writing has been a major form of therapy and self-discovery for him.

To find out more about Noctem Health, go to noctemhealth.com/about

Overcoming Nightmares

One major issue Weakley and many other veterans have faced is bad dreams.

Matthew Walker, a well-known sleep specialist at the University of California at Berkeley, says we all experience such dreams, but normally, our brain lets us process these experiences without the surge of fight-or-flight hormones that would be present if we were awake.

When our dream state functions normally, he says, it allows us to deal with what bothers or frightens us so that we don’t experience the same rush of emotions the next time we encounter those situations.

People with PTSD often can’t handle dreams normally, though. In extreme cases, they will act out their negative dreams. More often, they will awaken violently, drenched in the emotions they originally experienced.

Germain agrees with Walker’s hypothesis and says there is an effective way to deal with this problem, a technique called image rehearsal therapy. With the help of doctors, patients can learn to rehearse their bad dreams and change the endings — and there is solid evidence that it actually works.

The image rehearsal therapy information is included in the COAST app, she says.

In her constant effort to find ways to make sleep healthier and more satisfying for veterans, there has been one major helpful development.

“The attitude in the military used to be, ‘You’ll sleep when you die.’ But now the belief is that sleep is key to maintaining the ability of warfighters. Monitoring and managing sleep as a means to optimize soldiers’ readiness has taken on a lot of weight.”

Mark Roth is a freelance writer and the former science editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

When the editors of Pittsburgh Magazine launched the 40 Under 40 recognition program in 1999, some on staff doubted they would find enough worthy young leaders here to qualify. How wrong they were.

The list from the inaugural year includes several names still familiar in Pittsburgh. Some folks are doing what they were doing 25 years ago — but of course with greater authority and success.

Some have advanced to higher positions — such as David Wecht, who went from Allegheny County Register of Wills at age 36 to a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Others have moved out of the area altogether. Kevin McClatchy was on the list at age 36 as the youngest owner in Major League Baseball when he led a team of investors to purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1996. He sold his last shares of the team in 2009, and is now co-chairman of amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Dawn Keezer was just 34 when she was tapped for the honor in her fourth year as director of the Pittsburgh Film Office. She still leads that agency, which has helped bring in more than 200 feature films and TV productions to southwestern Pennsylvania, generating nearly $2 billion in economic impact; 5,000 people in the region are employed in the film industry. She will celebrate her 30th year at the film office in September.

Bill Fuller, then 31, was corporate chef of the big Burrito Restaurant Group, where he was responsible for overseeing menu and kitchen development at the six trendy restaurants in the region under the group’s umbrella. Now he’s president of big Burrito, which operates 17 restaurants and a catering service and is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

By the time Melissa Hart was selected for the first class of 40 Under 40 at age 37, she had already made history. She was the first Republican woman to be elected to a full term in the Pennsylvania Senate, at age 28. From 2001-2007, she was the first Republican woman to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives — making history again. After her time in Congress, she resumed her law practice and later threw her hat in the ring for the Pennsylvania gubernatorial race in 2022 but pulled out days before the state Republican primary.

Dan Onorato, then 38, went from Pittsburgh City Councilman to eight years as the Allegheny County Executive. During that time, he launched an unsuccessful bid for governor, losing to Tom Corbett. Since 2012, he’s been executive vice president, chief corporate affairs officer for Highmark Health.

One of the most influential honorees on the list was Linda Dickerson, who at age 38 had been a magazine publisher, business consultant and prominent advocate of people with disabilities. She spent most of her life in a wheelchair after being diagnosed with Werdnig-Hoffmann, a rare genetic neuromuscular disease. The condition did not stop her from lobbying for the Americans With Disabilities Act to become federal law in 1990 and to serve on multiple boards in the region, including as a trustee for Carnegie Mellon University. She died at age 59 in September 2020.

Mark Madden was a sports talk show host in 1999 at age 38, and he is still a sports talk show host at 62. He was on Sportsradio 1250 at that time and wrote a weekly sports column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He now hosts an afternoon talk show on 105.9 The X and writes a part-time column for the Tribune-Review.

Founder and former producing director of Quantum Theatre, Karla Boos recently drew accolades for her production of “Hamlet,” which was staged in August at the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Swissvale. Quantum, which she describes as a laboratory or “incubator of the amazing,” is in its 33rd year. Her title is now artistic director.

Two other creatives who are still doing what they were honored for in 1999 are Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza, founders and artistic directors of Attack Theatre. Their company, founded in 1994, is known for its innovative dance performances. They are in their 29th season.

Burton Morris, who was honored at age 35 with his now ex-wife and fellow artist, Julie Morris, already had gained an international reputation with his bright “New Pop” designs. NBC’s sitcom “Friends” showcased his paintings on the set of the Central Perk coffee shop for more than 10 seasons, and he was the official artist of the World Cup ’98 and 2002 Winter Olympics. Collectors of his work include Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama and Ralph Lauren.

On the medical side, Dr. Patrick J. DeMeo was director of the Division of Sports Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital at age 39 in 1999. The health system has grown substantially since then and his current title is chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Allegheny Health Network. He has been medical director of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 2000.

Steve D. Irwin was a lawyer and chairman of the board of the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition when he was tapped for this honor at age 39. He ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary in the 12th Congressional District in 2022, losing to Summer Lee. Earlier this year he was elected to a three-year term as the chair of the Anti-Defamation League of the Cleveland region, which serves Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.

Minette Seate, former producer, writer and researcher who worked on “Black Horizons” on WQED, is now supervising producer at the public TV station, where she has hosted and produced the weekly film series “Filmmakers Corner.” She produced the 2020 documentary, “Childhood Lost: The Adultification of African American Girls,” which shed light on the practice and perception that Black girls are less innocent than their white counterparts.

Esquire Magazine in 1997 named The Steelhead Grill — helmed by executive chef Greg Alauzen — the best new restaurant in Pittsburgh and it quickly shot to the “A” list of best dining rooms in the ‘Burgh. The Bridgeville native in 2003 moved on to open Eleven Contemporary Kitchen in the Strip District and later ran Cioppino, also in the Strip. In 2019, he opened his own Italian restaurant, LeoGreta, in Carnegie — named after his parents, Leon and Greta.

Rob Rogers was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in the editorial cartoon category in 1999, the year he was a 40 Under 40 honoree at age 39. Nineteen years later, editors at his paper, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, fired him after they rejected a number of cartoons deemed anti-Trump. The firing made national news. Now a syndicated freelance editorial cartoonist, Rogers in 2019 — the year after his firing — once again was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

1999 Class of Honorees

Greg Alauzen

Jim Antaki

Karla Boos

Charles R. Burke Jr.

David Celento

Rosemary Crawford

Patrick J. DeMeo

Linda Dickerson

Ezra C. Escudero

Carolyn Falk

Bill Fuller

Brian Garman

David Geller

Robert H. Getzenberg

Melissa Hart

Ted Hoover

Steven D. Irwin

Marie Milie Jones

Dawn Keezer

Peter Kope & Michele de la Reza

Brian Lang

Sean Logan

Mark Madden

Kevin McClatchy

Sean McDonald

Leslie Ann McIlroy

Mickey McManus

Glen Meakem

Burton & Julie Morris

Andy Newman

Dan Onorato

Rob Rogers

Rhonda Schuldt

Mike Seate

Minette Seate

Donald F. Smith

John Stephen

Michael & Candace Uricchio

Witold “Vic” Walczak

David Wecht

A morning last March had three things going against it: it was a Monday, the clocks had sprung forward the day before and the sky was gray with snow flurries.

But inside Provident Charter School in Troy Hill, the morning was bright and busy.

Deon L. Butler, a former receiver with the Seattle Seahawks who is now an advocate for raising awareness about dyslexia, was speaking to sixth-graders. A small group of second-graders were sitting around a table, tapping their index fingers and thumbs together as they said each letter’s sound in the word “job” before spelling it. A third-grade class was practicing listening and note-taking skills. And in the special education office, two small dogs were waiting for students who had earned a visit with them.

Upstairs in the school’s taekwondo dojo, Team Storm members were previewing a black-belt-level fan pattern they planned to debut at the Pittsburgh Zoo’s Asian Lantern Festival this fall, followed by a board-breaking demonstration.

This is life at Provident Charter School, Pennsylvania’s first public school designed for students who have dyslexia and other language-based disabilities. It opened in August 2016 and serves more than 330 students, grades 2 through 8. It has been such a success that Provident Charter School West opened in Ambridge this school year to serve students in the Beaver County area.

For Jaden Hefflin, who graduated from eighth grade last June, school had been challenging before he attended Provident. Reading “didn’t click for me, and they didn’t give me the attention I needed,” he said. In early elementary school, he was diagnosed with dyslexia in addition to ADHD (a common condition with dyslexia); both interfered with his learning.

Dyslexia, the most common learning disability, is an inherited neurological condition that impacts a person’s ability to learn to read, spell and write. It can also affect social skills, listening comprehension and time management. Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 people.

Provident “was just a lifesaver,” says Jaden’s mom, Denene. Jaden began Provident as a fourth-grader. There, “I didn’t feel like a weirdo or an outcast,” he said.

How It Started

Curtis Kossman, the founder of Provident and president of its board, says, “Kids come to us humiliated.”

He knows from personal experience. When he was in the third grade, his teacher told him and his parents that he was “either slow, stupid, dumb or lazy, or [he] thought education was a joke.”

That day is “forever imprinted in my brain. It was one of the worst days of my life.”

Subsequent testing revealed Kossman had dyslexia. For the next five years, he received intensive remediation that he estimates cost his parents upward of $300,000 (in 1977-1982 dollars). “I sit here today because of that,” he says.

When Kossman’s two children were young, he saw in them his boyhood experiences. Every day was a challenge and, he says, “the family was in crisis.”

As kids get older, he says, “they have more and more self-reflection and the realization they can’t do what their friends do.” Their self-esteem craters and that manifests in arguments about homework and school as well as behavioral challenges.

In 2010, he attended a conference of the International Dyslexia Association where he learned there were 13 private schools dedicated to children with dyslexia in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. He realized that a private school with an average tuition of $35,000 would not be viable in a city such as Pittsburgh, where the median income was then approximately $44,000. Charter schools, however, are mostly publicly funded from the school districts where students reside.

Although Pittsburgh Public School officials originally denied the school’s charter application, saying they didn’t believe the proposed school would do anything different from what was available in the city schools, the state Commonwealth Court later cleared the way for the school to open.

Kossman says Provident uses the best aspects from dyslexia-centered private schools and different kinds of charter schools with added holistic components that address “mind, body and soul.”

Resha Conroy, founder and executive director of the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children, a national nonprofit based in New York, says most schools, public and private, don’t have professionals who are trained to adequately assess for and/or remediate dyslexia. Some schools are also reluctant, she says, to classify students as dyslexic in order to circumvent appropriate accommodations as required under federal law.

An additional underlying issue is in general educational curricula, Conroy explains. “We are failing so many students because we’re not practicing evidence-based reading instruction in most classrooms.” For instance, in 2022, only 52% of third-graders in Pennsylvania were proficient in reading at grade level. If 48% of students aren’t reading at their grade level, “it becomes even more difficult to differentiate who has dyslexia and who doesn’t,” meaning that the root issue remains unaddressed.

Private neuropsychological testing can cost thousands of dollars. “So,” Conroy says, “dyslexia becomes a diagnosis of privilege.”

Conroy says that Black students are two times more likely than other students to have their issue classified as an emotional disturbance rather than a learning disability.

Impact on Students

At Provident, students are admitted by lottery. If they have not had formal testing, the school can administer nationally recognized reading assessments.

Testing for dyslexia traditionally isn’t given until second grade, but Mimi Perez spotted the condition in her son, Andrew, by the time he was 4. Mimi works in special education and dyslexia runs on her husband’s side of the family. “It was very obvious,” Mimi says. “He had this steel-trap memory [and couldn’t] recognize letters and words at all.”

As Andrew’s peers began to read in first grade, he became angry and anxious about school. He was going into third grade when Provident opened. “It was like the stars aligned,” Mimi says. By the sixth grade, Andrew was fully remediated.

“When you talk to parents for the first time, they think that this is just their child” who is going through such a difficult time, says Julie Ewing, director of enrollment.

Jen Kundick was one such parent.

When her daughter, Anna, was initially diagnosed with ADHD, she was considered too young to be tested for dyslexia. Anna, now a fifth-grader, struggled with paying attention, saying, “That would happen a lot. And it was really tough.”

In fall 2020, Jen learned the extent to which Anna’s school was unwilling to provide appropriate accommodations. She says they insisted that Anna’s struggles were a result of being undermedicated for her ADHD. Anna’s pediatrician and Jen both felt differently; Anna was exhibiting signs — academically and emotionally — of dyslexia, which further neuropsychological testing confirmed was a reading disability similar to dyslexia. Her school continued to resist meeting her needs.

“I left that meeting [after Anna’s diagnosis] very disheartened and quite angry,” Jen says, her voice breaking at the memory.

At the recommendation of Anna’s pediatrician, Jen reached out to Ewing. “To watch somebody kind of give up on your kid is a really tough thing to wrap your head around,” Jen says. “And when [Ewing] said to me, ‘No one here will give up on your kid,’ I was completely blown away by that statement because it was nothing that we had experienced.”

Anna began Provident as a third-grader and says, “Instead of switching schools, you just switched to a whole world. It feels like there’s gonna be a fresh start for you.” Jen noticed an immediate change for the better in her daughter.

“Dyslexia is completely independent of intelligence,” says Conroy of the Dyslexia Alliance. “Very often we equate someone being a non-reader with their intelligence, and so we placed limitations on them, but when you have dyslexia you are capable of doing and performing as well as your non-dyslexic peers.”

In Jaden’s experience, he says his friends and teachers at Provident were “supportive and they make you feel like you’re doing something — like you’re actually completing work, accomplishing things, meeting your goals, meeting the standards.”

To help students get to that place, the school has a full-time psychologist, two counselors and a behavioral specialist. Each classroom has two co-teachers for 12 students per classroom with instruction in reading and writing happening in groups of six. They have the same teachers for two years in a row, so there is less time spent starting over each school year.

Ordering the Mind

For remediation, Provident uses the popular evidence-based Wilson Reading System. This intensive method combines visual, auditory and tactile elements — as demonstrated by the students who were vocalizing each word’s sounds and tapping their fingers together at the same time. Teachers at Provident are certified practitioners in the 12-step system.

Multisensory and experiential learning is a pillar of Provident. “When you experience something, you understand it better,” says Kossman. Each academic subject includes maker moments, and the building has a dedicated makerspace that includes a 3D design studio, clay wheels/kilns and textiles, among others. The makerspace “has become an integral part of critical thinking [and] problem solving.”

Provident also is the first public school in the country to offer a comprehensive martial-arts program, according to Kossman. It’s written into the school’s charter.

The physical movement, Kossman says, “helps order the mind,” and the sport offers long-lasting benefits including peer-to-peer support, respect for others and reinforcement of self-respect. For instance, says Kossman, “the ability to have the self-confidence to walk away from a high-peer-pressure event in high school is extremely important.”

Grand Master Robert Zang, a ninth-degree black belt, says, “Our kids are very, very talented.” This year, one student will qualify to become the school’s first black belt.

To test for their initial uniform and subsequent belts, students not only have to master what they’ve learned from Zang, but also show they are “respectful, responsible and ready to learn” in the classroom and have been “an exemplary member of Provident’s student body” as determined by their teacher and principal. This speaks to Provident’s oft-cited motto of “perseverance, compassion and self-control.”

The 52 students who further demonstrate these concepts comprise Team Storm (a special team of role models). “They’re here to set an example to their classmates,” Ewing says.

The school’s distinctive elements aim to give students “a toolbox of skills, not just the fundamental ability to read and write.” Dyslexia, Kossman says, doesn’t have an off switch when school is over. These skills can be as small as harnessing the speech-to-text function on phones or as big as self-advocacy and determination when they need to try again.

Life Beyond Provident

When eighth-grade graduation nears, Provident hosts a high school fair to assist families in finding the best fit for their teenager.

Jaden headed to City Charter High School, Downtown, this fall. Earlier this year, he said he was “feeling pretty good, confident going into my first year.” He credits Provident’s class sizes and Wilson instruction for that confidence. “It’s gonna be different going to high school, though. Like I might be the only one there with dyslexia.”

Last school year, Andrew’s transition to Central Catholic High School was a bit of a struggle at first. It was larger than Provident and was made up entirely of new faces. By the second quarter, however, he had gotten comfortable enough to ask and answer questions, which helped improve his grades. This year, he is a member of the inaugural class of Central Catholic’s Engineering Institute program that will prepare students for future careers in engineering. He found an interest in engineering at Provident while using the makerspace.

For Andrew and his family, Mimi said, the whole Provident experience “was one lucky thing after the next.”

Amy Whipple is a part-time writer, part-time church secretary and full-time awesome. In addition to Pittsburgh Magazine, her work can be found in PublicSource, PINJ and Imprint.

ILLUSTRATION BY HUCK BEARD

VisitPittsburgh currently lists 55 famous Pittsburghers on its website. Most of these have passed on — Fred Rogers, Johnny Unitas, Henry Mancini, Billy Eckstine, Jimmy Stewart, David McCullough and August Wilson, to name a few. Some are no longer very active in the fields that made them famous in the first place — Shirley Jones, Joe Montana, Sharon Stone, Christina Aguilera and Rusted Root. Only a few listed are still making their mark — Rob Marshall, Jeff Goldblum, and Michael Keaton. Surprisingly, there’s no Billy Porter, Joe Manganiello, Mac Miller, Wiz Khalifa, Mark Cuban, Billy Gardell, four-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand or five-time Oscar winner Joe Letteri — on that list and we felt some serious updating was in order.

Also, we want to know who you would put on this list. Share your suggestions here.

Heather Abraham

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Upbeat and relatable are just two of the words frequently used to describe KDKA-TV host Heather Abraham. She shows up in our living rooms twice a day as co-host of “Pittsburgh Today Live” and her new talk show, “Talk Pittsburgh.” As you may have guessed, conversation drives Abraham — and that’s what she aims to bring to the latter show, which debuted in March.

Abraham often takes to Instagram, asking her more than 28,000 followers to weigh in on hot topics and conversation pieces. She also uses her social media to give folks a peek behind the curtain of her life, sharing family adventures and backstage shenanigans.

After making the morning announcements while attending Shaler Area High School, Abraham was convinced that journalism was the path for her. The Shaler native joined KDKA in 2010 when she returned to Pittsburgh from a stint as a news reporter in New York City.

It’s always been important for Abraham to be involved in her community, joining causes such as Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, Hair Peace Charities, Animal Friends and the KDKA Turkey Fund. The very active mom of three also keeps an eye out for her neighbors. In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Abraham helped organize a neighborhood-safe Light Up Night.

And speaking of her children, they helped her structure “Talk Pittsburgh.” The recurring segment “KD Kid’s Club” was inspired by her daughters, who like to be like mommy and play “the news.” The segment is devoted to spotlighting kids who are doing amazing things.

Sidney Crosby

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Since becoming a Pittsburgh Penguin in 2005, Sidney Crosby has been making history left and right. At 19, he became the youngest team captain in NHL history. “Sid the Kid” made history again in 2009, at age 21, as the youngest NHL captain to take home the Stanley Cup.

When he moved to Pittsburgh from Canada, Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux invited Crosby to live with him for his first five seasons on the team. Since Lemieux retired during Crosby’s rookie year, the pair shared an address longer than they shared time on the ice.

Crosby began playing hockey at age 2, shooting pucks in his family’s basement and then learning to skate the following year. Perhaps as a way to honor his very young start, Crosby started the “Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey” program in 2008, providing free equipment and lessons to children ages 5 to 9 in the Pittsburgh area. His commitment to children doesn’t stop there, as the Sidney Crosby Foundation was started in 2009 to help charities that improve the lives of disadvantaged children.

With all of his achievements, Crosby does have a couple of peculiarities. He is a somewhat superstitious guy known to have several specific routines that he must follow. For example, his hockey sticks must be cut to a specific length and taped in a specific way, and no one is allowed to touch them after they have been taped.

Sid the Kid makes sure to keep things interesting.

Gisele Barreto Fetterman

PHOTO BY BECKY THURNER BRADDOCK

Gisele Barreto Fetterman is all about making a change. Born in Brazil, she came to the U.S. at age 7. After moving to Pittsburgh and becoming an American citizen in 2009, she devoted her life to revitalizing her Pittsburgh community.

Fetterman is very vocal about her advocacy for marginalized groups, especially the immigrant community. Focusing on nutrition, basic needs and food equity, Fetterman opened The Free Store in Braddock, which distributes household goods, baby items and other necessities to those in need, in 2012. She also co-founded 412 Food Rescue, which collects surplus food from retailers and food events and gets it into the hands of those in need.

It hasn’t been without its challenges. Campaigning with her husband, John Fetterman, who won a U.S. Senate seat for Pennsylvania, kept the family busy enough, but while on the road, her husband suffered a stroke. Shortly after starting his term in January, he checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive treatment for clinical depression.

During this time, Gisele Fetterman received hateful comments blaming her for John’s health concerns. She speaks candidly about the cruelty she endured in an op-ed for Elle magazine —  and about how she feels when people tell her to toughen up.

“I like my big feelings; the ability to feel so deeply is beautiful,” she wrote in Elle. “My empathy drives my career and provides me with purpose and hope.”

Jeff Goldblum

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

His glance is intoxicating. He oohs and aahs his way through dialogue giving the impression that everything he’s experiencing is wonderous. Jeff Goldblum has been many things on screen — a 6-foot-4-inch fly, a specialist in chaos theory and an ageless elder of the universe, just to name a few.

Most recently, he’s taken to being himself.

The “Independence Day” star, born in West Homestead, calls himself a lifelong jazz aficionado and calls Pittsburgh jazz legend Erroll Garner his first musical idol. After years of playing jazz piano for lucky patrons at random bars, he released his debut album, “Capitol Studio Sessions,” in 2018. Recorded with his longtime band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, the album went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. He now tours with his band and has released another album, as well as a new single, “Plays Well With Others,” featuring Kelly Clarkson.

July 13 is a day of celebration here in Pittsburgh — officially “Jeff Goldblum Day.” During the 2019 celebration, the man (the myth, the legend) made a surprise appearance. Fans were overjoyed as he took selfies and assisted in giving tattoos. The hoopla was captured for an episode of his Disney+ show, “The World According to Jeff Goldblum.” On the show, he investigates (with wonder) the history and appeal of everything from sneakers to ice cream to dogs.

The man is a Pittsburgh treasure.

Michael Keaton

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Michael Keaton is definitely a Pittsburgh favorite, whether he’s Beetlejuice, Mr. Mom or your preferred Batman. Born Michael John Douglas in the Robinson area, the actor reminisced fondly about growing up in Western Pennsylvania when he accepted his Emmy for the Hulu series “Dopesick.” When he was a child, his father won a small black-and-white TV set in a raffle, and that was all Keaton needed to get bitten by the acting bug.

When he moved to Los Angeles, he had to come up with a stage name to avoid being confused with the already established Michael Douglas. So, Michael opened a phone book randomly to the Ks, and Michael Keaton was born.

Never far from his roots, he returned to Pittsburgh shortly after the synagogue shooting in Squirrel Hill in 2018 and joined the stage with Tom Hanks, Joanne Rogers, Franco Harris and others at a peace rally in Point State Park. “If you want to see a city that’s tolerant, accepting, inclusive and compassionate, you should go to Pittsburgh,” he told the crowd.

The talented actor still has Hollywood calling him up for roles, but he is expanding his repertoire. In 2021, Keaton invested in transforming a former Pittsburgh steel mill into a sustainability based manufacturing plant, partnering with Nexii Building Solutions Inc., a Canada-based green construction technology company; the plant is projected to create about 300 green jobs in the area. During a “60 Minutes” interview, Keaton stated, “You can’t just have an opinion about climate change anymore.” He wants to do something about it.

Michael Keaton will always be Pittsburgh’s Batman.

Wiz Khalifa

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

In 2010, rapper Wiz Khalifa released the song “Black and Yellow,” which was mostly about his yellow Dodge Challenger — but it turned into an unofficial Pittsburgh anthem. With all three of our major league sports teams donning black and yellow, how could it not? None of the song lyrics actually mention sports or even Pittsburgh, but the black and yellow city is very much the star of the music video — the yellow bridges, U.S. Steel Tower and the 12 smokestacks at the Waterfront in Homestead are all very recognizable.

The Pittsburgh Allderdice High School alum was born in North Dakota. His military parents moved the family around a lot, eventually settling in Steeler Nation in the 1990s. That’s when Wiz, born Cameron Jibril Thomaz, began writing and performing his own lyrics. Because he was so good at everything, friends and family would call him “young Wiz.” Khalifa, Arabic for “successor or leader,” was suggested by his Muslim grandfather.

His 2006 debut studio album “Show and Prove” was followed by six more. With his unique style and lyricism, it’s evident that he loves the art of making music. Recently featured on the cover of Men’s Health magazine celebrating 50 years of hip-hop, Wiz said during the interview, “I love to create, so just the act of doing something new inspires me.”

Music isn’t his only passion. An entrepreneur, he introduced Khalifa Kush, his premium marijuana products, in the U.S. in 2015. The 6-foot-4 rapper is also dedicated to his health and fitness, which have helped him to be more focused and patient; Wiz is an 8th-degree red and black belt in the martial art Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Maybe we can look forward to a “Black and Red” track?

Summer Lee

PHOTO BY BECKY THURNER BRADDOCK

When reports of violence from local police and school administrators against students began taking up the news cycle, Summer Lee led a fight to transform her local school board. As a proud alum of the Woodland Hills School District, Lee felt it was her duty to advocate for improvement. Since then, the attorney and passionate activist has been working continually to make change happen in our community.

Running for public office wasn’t in her original life plan. She studied journalism at Penn State with dreams of becoming the next Oprah Winfrey. After earning her law degree from Howard University, she worked as an organizer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. That job gave her the ambition to organize her own community, which turned around and helped get her organized.

It was Lee’s North Braddock community that urged her to run for State House in 2018. Thanks to grassroots campaigning, she was able to defeat the 20-year incumbent, Paul Costa — becoming the first Black woman from Western Pennsylvania to take a seat in the state Legislature.

As the voice for working families, it’s refreshing to find a politician so relatable and down to earth. The activist focuses on immediate needs such as worker’s rights, police accountability, reproductive rights and gender and racial equity.

In 2022, the Democrat made history again by getting elected as the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, for the 12th District. Not one to back down from a fight, Lee is the homegrown hero that many of us want fighting for our human rights.

Kenny Pickett

PHOTO: KARL ROSER | PITTSBURGH STEELERS

New Jersey-born Kenny Pickett initially had his college sights set on Temple University. But when it came down to it, he decided to take his talents to the University of Pittsburgh. While he was playing for the Panthers, the Steelers were able to keep a close eye on his progress. A college player rarely chooses to stay in the same city, but Pickett chose Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh chose him back. In 2022, the Steelers used their first-round draft pick on the quarterback, hoping he could one day lead them to the Super Bowl.

In his still-new NFL career, Pickett is already making heads turn. Recently, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky praised the Heisman trophy finalist for being an intelligent player who knows what he’s doing. In every game, Pickett shows improvement and growth, giving fans hope for a tremendous season. And he started the latest season with a little spring in his step, having just gotten married to Amy Paternoster in June.

There is one question that fans have for Pickett. Why two gloves? Apparently, this football player has smaller than average hands for an NFL quarterback, at 8½ inches, and chooses to glove them both. It’s not unusual for a quarterback to put a glove on his throwing hand, but most signal callers leave it at that. In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” he explained, “I tried it once in my sophomore year, but I really stuck with it after the game versus North Carolina. I’ve been wearing them ever since. I just feel more at ease with it.”

Hey, do what you have to do to get the Steelers back to the Super Bowl.

Billy Porter

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Barrier-breaking Billy Porter has taken on stage and screens both big and small. He is an award-winning actor, singer, director, composer and playwright. Who has the time? While growing up in Homewood, he graduated from Allderdice and Pittsburgh CAPA high schools and Carnegie Mellon University. If you visited Kennywood during the summers of 1985 to 1987, you might have been treated to the “Kinky Boots” star performing with entertainment groups “Spirit” and “Flash.”

The massive talent took home an Emmy for his role as Pray Tell, grandfather to the ballroom children, in the FX hit series “Pose.” The critically acclaimed show, centered around ballroom culture and the gay and trans community during the ’80s and ’90s, ran for three seasons. “Pose” wasn’t just about voguing, it also tackled heavy topics such as the AIDS crisis. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Billy opened up about living with HIV since 2007. His role as Pray Tell helped him “walk through the shame.”

As a way of giving back to Pittsburgh, Porter recently partnered with local real estate developers and celebrity chef Rachael Ray to explore purchasing the Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum in Homewood, currently owned by the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. The goal is to create a community space that would include arts education, a roller rink and a culinary arts and jobs program.

Porter’s iconic gender-fluid fashion sense has made him the highlight of red carpets and magazine covers, such as Essence and Allure. His commitment to being fierce made him the obvious choice to play the Fabulous Godmother in Amazon Prime’s “Cinderella” remake.

Keep an eye out for more to come — he is only an Oscar win away from being an EGOT.

Sally Wiggin

PHOTO COURTESY WTAE

Sally Wiggin came to Pittsburgh in 1980 from Birmingham, Alabama, where she worked in television and radio. During her time at WTAE, she was a news anchor on weekends and later, weeknights; from 1993 until 2017 she also was host of the Pittsburgh Steelers pre-game shows. Perfect placement for the avid sports fan.

After nearly four decades dedicated to covering stories in and around the Pittsburgh area, Wiggin earned a well-deserved retirement from WTAE in 2018. She still lends her distinctive and recognizable voice to moderating and emceeing local events, but she does not miss reporting the news. (Although she could probably be persuaded to return for some of those Kennywood corn dogs, her favorite Pittsburgh treats.)

She helped elevate awareness of women and heart health after she shared her personal journey with coronary heart disease in the early 2000s. Both of her parents died at relatively young ages of heart attacks, and she got the diagnosis before age 50. She served as spokesperson for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation’s Working Hearts initiative.

Since retiring, she’s had more time to dedicate to advocacy for wildlife and community needs. The award-winning journalist has been on the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium board since 1995 and enjoys helping to feed the penguins. She remembers having a special place in her heart for animals since she was 3, and that simple love for furry creatures turned into advocacy after a visit to Africa in 1989. She also serves on the board of directors for the Urban League of Pittsburgh, southwestern Pennsylvania’s largest social service/civil rights organization.

She no longer really watches the news, but she keeps up with her beloved sports teams by having ESPN on the TV from morning to night.

Kahmeela Adams-Friedson is a photographer, producer, podcaster, writer and overall cinephile who enjoys sharing her opinions. Kahmeela has designed a career that allows her to create in multiple areas of media and still keep up with her shows.

PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL AVIARY

Admit it:  You’ve been a little stressed. It’s been a heck of a couple of years, and we’re betting some big parts of your routine have changed (and changed again).  The holiday season is right around the corner.  And you were busy enough to begin with! It’s time to take it easy. You need to relax — and we don’t just mean falling asleep on the couch.  We sent our staff in pursuit of calming activities, leisurely pursuits and soothing outings.  These aren’t indulgences; they’re the necessary rejuvenation you need to keep doing all the things you do.

Read on for some great ways to unwind.

Take In Nature By Night with L.L. Bean Outdoor Adventures

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

As the sun lazily sinks into the treeline, a group of novice paddleboarders tentatively inch to their feet. Moments ago, these aspiring adventurers were standing nervously on a riverbank; now, they’re walking on water, placidly listening to the sounds of the forest as night approaches.

An hour later, a full moon will shine over North Park Lake, as experienced instructors guide the increasingly confident cadre around the lake’s surface. The stand-up paddleboarding session is one of three full-moon outings presented monthly by clothing line L.L. Bean, which coordinates a number of excursions from its Ross Park Mall store.

“To see a full moon in the middle of the lake is a very unique perspective,” says Shawn McClintock, one of the instructors with L.L. Bean.

And what’s the mood like in the park after night falls?

“It’s peaceful,” says fellow instructor Cheryl Palmer. “Very serene.” The instructors report that, while only their groups are allowed on the water after dark, there are plenty of animals joining in the fun. “We had beavers with us,” Palmer says. “They were with us pretty much the whole tour, just kind of swimming next to us.”

Those who might be wary of the potential splash that comes along with stand-up paddleboarding — or who prefer a less strenuous workout — can opt for a kayaking tour, usually held the night before the paddleboard option. Stand-up paddleboarding involves a continuous core workout to maintain balance, so those looking for the sweat might prefer it; kayaking is more serenity with a side of exercise.

Availability of activities varies by season. Most activities are held in and around North Park Lake. For more information, go to llbeanoutdoors.com

Landlovers can take a hike under the moon, as well.

All are designed for beginners; before the paddleboarding tour commences, instructors will offer patient, step-by-step guidance on everything from balance and motion to where to hold a paddle.

Seeking serenity without the starlight? There are afternoon and sunrise options for paddleboarding trips, as well as more intensive instruction sessions for those who’d like to develop their skills. There’s even “SUP with Your Pup,” special instruction for how to take your dog on a paddleboarding excursion. (It’s more common than you’d think — and yes, your dog will wear a tiny life vest.)

For those truly looking to disconnect and unwind, however, the nighttime is the right time. “People will thank us and say this was so much fun,” says instructor Steve Benson. “We do get a lot of return customers.”

As the last light of the day fades, more than enough moonlight remains to illuminate the lake. The fleet of newly minted paddleboarders surveys the life of the park around them, relishing the chance to see the world from a new angle. As the moon rises higher into the sky, they point their paddleboards back toward land — and head home tired and content.
— Sean Collier

Get Pampered with the Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

The word “relax” isn’t in my vocabulary.

If you happen to still own a dictionary, you may find my picture next to words such as “high-strung,” “anxious” or “worrywart.” So, I have recently been working on my well-being in hopes of alleviating some of my stress and overbearing obsession with perfection.

Infrared saunas have become a new passion of mine because they are great for reducing inflammation — yet I still find it hard to completely relax in the booth. When the opportunity arose to get a massage and write about my experience, I was excited; this was my first in about 15 years.

I booked my appointment with Katrina at the Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing on South Braddock Avenue in Regent Square. Upon arrival (late, thanks to typical I-376 rush-hour gridlock), I was pleased with the calming atmosphere and professional, friendly staff.

Katrina asked questions to determine the best treatment for me, and I opted for a 30-minute scalp, neck and shoulder massage.

As she worked patiently with me to (wait for it) actually relax my muscles with lavender, I just kept thinking: “Why have I never done this before!?”

All of my stress sits in my neck and shoulders, and, thanks to Katrina, I learned it also sits in my cheeks, jaw, scalp, arms and hands — muscles and joints I constantly clench. She says the tightness in my neck and shoulders is typical for someone who sits at a desk all day.

Regent Square:
1124 S. Braddock Ave., Suite B.
Schedule an appointment at 412-242-4220 or pghhealthandhealing.com

For those who find it difficult to relax, like myself, she recommends imagining your body is Jell-O and practicing to relax every joint in your body, from your toes to your head, as you lie in bed at night — preferably in a cool, dark room with no distractions, such as a cell phone.

The Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing offers an array of massage therapy services customized for each client’s needs.

Whether you prefer deep tissue, aromatherapy, hot stones, mineral foot soaks, deep heat treatment, cupping or a head-to-toe rejuvenation, their educated staff has what your body needs to relieve pain and stress, get support for chronic illness, nourish your skin, improve circulation or improve your mood.

“I believe that all spa services, even those that are pampering in nature, are rooted in therapeutic healing inviting you to relax, restore and renew,” the center’s founder, Nikki Remic Bannon, writes on their website.

Book an appointment today because a massage is just what this uptight reporter ordered. For sanity’s sake, be sure to leave with enough time to beat tunnel traffic … or add “Avoid Highways” to your GPS.
— Denise Bonura

Relax and Get a Buzz at Three Cozy Cafes

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

When life gets a little too hectic at work and at home (which, for many people these days, are one and the same), it’s nice to know there are local coffee shops offering free Wi-Fi and respite from the daily grind. Everyone talks about comfort food, but comfort mood is just as important to the customer experience. If you work remotely, your coffee cup will runneth over with good vibes at these makeshift office spaces.

If you find comfort in coffee and the Great Outdoors, make a beeline for Brookline. 802 Bean Company has one of the nicest covered patios in town. Unwind with a Palm Coast Cold Brew or a Summer Breeze Lotus, a plant-based energy drink, amid a veritable rainforest of greenery.

If you’re off the clock or just playing hooky, grab a novel from the Living Books Rescue shelf or peruse the locally made merchandise on sale inside the shop, which is large with a high ceiling that’s painted gold. You’ll find everything from decorative garden stakes and greeting cards to mugs and jewelry. Breakfast sandwiches are available until noon and there are a rotating variety of pastries to purchase, including gluten- and dairy-free options.

Whether you pull up a chair on the patio, inside the shop or at a cafe table out front, you might not ever want to leave.

Meanwhile, in Friendship, lifelong residents and siblings Nick and JoAnn Redondo are the epitome of the neighborhood. They grew up across the street from the former five-and-dime on South Pacific Avenue that is now their quaint coffee shop, Perk & Brew. The unassuming spot just so happens to serve some of the tastiest homemade comfort food in town.

802 Bean Company: 802 Brookline Blvd., facebook.com/802beancompany

Perk & Brew: 300 S. Pacific Ave. perkandbrew.net

Grim Wizard: 1206 Arlington Ave. grimwizard.com

Nestled among large Victorian homes, Perk & Brew has become a community hub since opening five years ago. There’s a fireplace, cozy lounge areas and a spacious dining room for remote workers who want to feel like they’re at home away from home.

In addition to serving coffee, tea, espresso drinks and canned beer, the small business has a full breakfast and lunch menu so you can essentially stay all day and barely move anything except your mandibles. Even on a hot day you’ll find folks slurping up the wedding soup.

And don’t let the name of Grim Wizard fool you; it’s a happy place with a heavy metal heart.

The rebranded Black Forge Coffee in Allentown is now operated by Kelly Braden, co-owner of The Weeping Glass, an oddities shop in the neighborhood. Fear not, mortals; Grim Wizard still brings the thunder when it comes to killer caffeinated beverages. Yeah, the walls are painted black and you’re bound to see a skeleton or two, but the staff is friendly and the colorful lights from the pinball machines gives the small space an otherworldly ambiance.

Fans of the original business can still get signature $6.66 specialties such as the Hell Hound, an espresso latte with dark chocolate, chili and cinnamon served shaken with ice and cream. They say music soothes the savage beast, so stop in on Tuesdays for Heavy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m. for downright bewitching tunes and beverage specials followed by yoga hosted by Death Comes Lifting.

No matter what time you show up, Grim will keep the hellfires burnin’ for you.
— Kristy Locklin

Flow By the River with Yoga Flow

PHOTO BY JESSICA SINICHAK

Here’s a little biographical fact about me: I grew up just a few miles outside the city limits, in one of the small communities that dot the Allegheny River. Despite crossing the water on a near daily basis and being able to see it from the windows of my high school, I never really felt connected to the river.

On a hot, sunny morning in July, I felt connected.

I was at the Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall for Yoga Flow’s outdoor yoga series, which take place on Saturdays and Sunday mornings in May through October.

I’ll admit as I pulled off Freeport Road, yoga mat in tow, I was in a funky mood. It was early on Sunday and I had wanted to sleep in. But as I took in the beauty of the park, I felt some of my bad mood dissipate. By the time I walked onto the dock and unrolled my mat alongside the dozens of other people in attendance, I was serene as Buddha.

Class began in the traditional child’s pose. Our instructor, Margaret, encouraged us to gently roll our third eye (that would be the invisible spot on your forehead between your two actual eyes) from side to side on the mat as a way to release tension. Did you know you carry a lot of stress in the face?

She also led us in some square breathing. As the name implies, square breathing is four sided. You inhale for four seconds, hold that breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and then pause at the bottom of the breath for four seconds. (I bet you’re trying it now; it feels good, doesn’t it?)

Beyond traditional yoga classes, Yoga Flow (with locations in Shadyside, Castle Shannon, Murrysville, Irwin and Aspinwall) also hosts meditation and movement classes, sound baths and retreats throughout the year. 

From there, we opened into our ujjayi breathing — a technique that allows you to calm your mind by focusing on your inhales and exhales — and completed a series of slow, intentional sun salutations: bending forward, raising our arms to the sky, coming down to our bellies, rising up to cobra or upward facing dog, then back to downward dog.

Throughout the practice, the dock swayed softly below us, particularly as a passing boat or jet ski sent waves in our direction. Gulls screamed overhead as the sun beat down on us. I could hear a train whistle in the distance. Rather than distract from the experience, it enhanced it. Being on the river felt very Pittsburgh.

It felt like home.

Our practice ended with soothing music and a few words from Margaret about the importance of letting go of the things that don’t matter. As we all lay in savasana, or final resting pose, my body felt relaxed; my mind refreshed.

After class, I — and most of the class — hustled up to Farmer x Baker, which is within view of the dock. I ordered myself a handcrafted breakfast bagel and a cold brew coffee, and I thought about how very glad I was that I had gotten up early that morning after all.

Namaste indeed.
— Jessica Sinichak

Go Birding, from Your Backyard to Distant Peaks, with the National Aviary

PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL AVIARY

What’s that — off in the distance? A robin? A cardinal? Or something more exotic — perhaps a bird just stopping for a rest as it migrates south for the winter?

With help from the National Aviary (and, ideally, a good pair of binoculars), you can go from novice to passionate birder in a matter of hours. The first thing you’ll discover: It’s a soothing, refreshing activity that takes your attention away from your phone and into the natural world.

“Birding is just a calming experience,” says Robert S. Mulvihill, the Aviary’s resident ornithologist and the leader of many of their birding excursions. He’s found that, even for novices, the practice “plugs them into calm almost instantaneously.”

The hobby boomed during the early days of the pandemic, Mulvihill says, as people sought hobbies that could be completed outside and at a distance — or from the comfort of their own backyards.

“It’s the kind of thing that I think people never really thought about as a pastime, but it’s become so much in the public eye that I think there are folks who say, ‘Yeah, what is this all about?’”

On an Aviary excursion, Mulvihill or another expert will start with the basics — how to scan the environment for an interesting flash of color or bit of movement, how to transition from spotting a bird with the naked eye to studying it with binoculars — and then get specific, pointing out habits and migration patterns. Programs are offered year-round and can vary from brief, nearby excursions to trips in other parts of the state.

Programs are held year-round at a variety of locations; advance registration is required. Find a full list of upcoming programs at aviary.org

Coming up, the Aviary will on Oct. 22 host a trip to Allegheny Front Hawk Watch in Bedford County to observe hawks and other raptors as they migrate south. “It’s common at Allegheny Front for the hawks to be very close, very low,” Mulvihill says. “People get some really memorable looks.”

The Aviary also partners with L.L. Bean (see “Nature by Night” on page 30 for more) to offer programs from North Park Lake, combining kayaking and birding. From the surface of the lake, Mulvihill will point our birds roosting in trees; usually, a heron will swoop low over the lake, searching for a meal.

While Mulvihill recommends taking an excursion with the Aviary to learn the basics — or joining the nonprofit Three Rivers Birding Club (3rbc.org), which also hosts year-round events — he stresses that birding can begin without leaving the house.

“Walk out your door … look at everything. Whether it’s the cardinal on your feeder, the robin taking a bath in your birdbath or the crow up in the tree … look at the cardinal. Look at the robin. Watch the behavior.

“Most people are likely to become enchanted by that.”
— Sean Collier

Find Your Place in the Universe with the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

When your worries and stresses seem larger than life, it’s easy to lose sight of your place in the cosmos. In those moments, the key to relaxing can be simply staring up at the stars and welcoming the wonder and humility that come with knowing there is a vast universe around you.

Tom Reiland, director of the Wagman Observatory, says that after 50 years of helping others learn about astronomy, his favorite part of his job is watching the joy that spreads across guests’ faces when they look through a telescope for the first time.

“It makes people start to think about the universe and our place in it — how small we are in comparison, yet how we are intelligent enough to try to learn more about it,” he says.

But Reiland says you don’t need a telescope to start stargazing this fall, because many constellations and meteor showers can be seen with the naked eye. And with a good pair of binoculars on a clear night, you can even see craters on the moon and the galaxy M31 in the Andromeda constellation.

Reiland says beginners will face challenges, whether they struggle to understand star charts or miss a meteor shower by setting up their telescope one minute too late.

I have had my own share of annoyances in my journey to better understand the night sky — my primary complaint being the clouds’ uncanny ability to cover whatever I am searching for. But those frustrating moments have given me time to take a deep breath and change my perspective — there is peace in knowing that success is simply doing the best you can with what the universe sends your way. And autumn seems a perfect time to stargaze on a crisp night, letting the comforting darkness swaddle you like your favorite flannel.

Community events hosted by groups such as the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, Reiland says, can provide a solid introduction. The organization, with more than 300 members, runs both the Wagman Observatory in Deer Lakes Park in Tarentum and the Mingo Creek Park Observatory in Finleyville.

Become a member of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh and find details about upcoming events at 3ap.org

The association hosts “star parties” throughout the year — with upcoming dates on Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 — in which members give guests a tour of the night sky and help them use telescopes. Reiland says members are always available to answer questions, which makes the amateur astronomer community strong.

“We’re happy to help people who are just starting out, like all of us were at one point or another,” he says.

If your schedule doesn’t leave much time for trips outside of the city, you can start your stargazing journey at multiple locations closer to Downtown. There are tours, lectures or other educational opportunities at the Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park and the Buhl Planetarium and Observatory in the Carnegie Science Center throughout the fall. Reiland says there is often an association member at the top of Mount Washington on the weekends too, ready to show locals how to use telescopes and identify markers in the night sky.

While studying the cosmos, enjoyment comes with practice and patience as you learn just how small, yet immeasurably valuable, you are. On the days when life feels off-track, it’s grounding to know that if you can identify the stars and planets that have looked over you every night, you can never be truly lost. And you might just feel one step closer to understanding your place in the universe, too.
— Emma Malinak

ILLUSTRATIONS: SHUTTERSTOCK

If you had asked Pittsburgh professors a year ago to picture a robot that can answer any question and complete any written task, most would have envisioned a scene from a science fiction blockbuster, gears whirring and steam blowing from an android’s seams.

When asked the same question today, professors picture ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools — all easily accessible by cell phone and computer — that now have the potential of upending the pillars of academia.

Since ChatGPT’s release in November, professors have questioned whether the new technologies should be feared or embraced.

Aside from Carnegie Mellon University, which has no plans to change its academic integrity policy because the unauthorized use of AI falls into its category of “unauthorized assistance,” other local schools at the time of this reporting are scrambling to incorporate rules for the new tech into existing academic frameworks.

The University of Pittsburgh recognizes that AI is a “powerful tool and can be used for good or evil” and has been providing resources for professors since November, according to a statement, but is taking a “deep dive” look at the new tech in a provost-commissioned committee before any official policy is established.

At Chatham University, officials say they are trying to address AI in current academic policies instead of creating new policies that may quickly become outdated for the rapidly advancing technology. Duquesne University is similarly considering a policy that is “flexible enough to grow with the technology,” according to a statement, and is “encouraging thoughtful experimentation” with the new tools.

Point Park University is organizing a committee of students and faculty members to make recommendations on how to best approach policy changes, and the Community College of Allegheny County is hosting common hours for faculty to discuss the new technology and its impacts on their programs.

Despite these varying approaches, Pittsburgh schools agree on two points: AI is here to stay, and students, professors and administrators must adapt now. Aarti Singh, a professor in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon, says the window to reform higher education will not stay open forever.

“The technology is out there, and people will use it regardless,” Singh said in an interview. “So if we don’t account for it, then it will be used to spread misinformation. It will be used in ways that we may not be prepared for.”

Understanding the New Technology

AI tools such as ChatGPT are called large language models, or LLMs, which are artificial neural networks that learn skills by analyzing data in the form of digital text. By pinpointing patterns in that text, LLMs learn to generate their own text, which can range from blog posts to poems to real-time conversations.

ChatGPT exploded in popularity at the end of 2022 and had 100 million monthly users within two months of its debut — for comparison, it took TikTok nine months to reach that many users, and Instagram took two-and-a-half years.

Concern grew among tech experts as ChatGPT entered the mainstream, and many warned that if AI continued to advance without strict regulation, it could eventually replace human thought and jobs. Fears quickly spread into higher education as well; by December, articles with headlines such as “The College Essay Is Dead” questioned how writing samples could be used to grade undergraduate students, and even grant Ph.D.s to graduate students, when writing processes could now be significantly automated.

Now, as institutions are still grappling with how to address the technology in official university policies, professors are left to make their own rules — ones that they deem best for the given topics, levels and requirements of their courses — and adopt new strategies to
incorporate, or deliberately avoid, AI use in their classrooms.

Mark DiMauro, assistant professor of English literature and multimedia and digital culture at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, says there is no need to start this school year with the anxieties that initially surrounded AI technologies.

“When we invented the calculator, people didn’t stop doing math. When we invented color photography, people didn’t stop creating art,” he said in an interview. “AI is just another tool, and as long as we demystify it and contextualize it, there should be zero problem with applying it effectively and ethically.”

ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK

Responding to the Challenges

Professors now face new challenges in creating their syllabi and conducting their courses; the first of which is deciding how much, if any, AI use is allowed.

Singh says that because current AI tools can only complete “mundane, regular, low-complexity tasks,” they can help students in higher-level classes be more efficient and aid, not harm, their learning of difficult topics. However, in introductory classes that focus on simpler thought processes and don’t involve much critical thinking, Singh says AI tools are dangerous to student learning because they could replace nearly all student work.

DiMauro says that he prohibits AI use in his lower-level classes for that very reason — he doesn’t want students to become dependent on AI for foundational skills such as researching and writing. To ensure students are doing their own work, he gives assignments that AI cannot complete. His go-to strategies are including current events in his assignments and asking students about their personal experiences with class material, as AI tools are not trained with data that can answer either type of question.

Related: Real or Robot? Can You Tell Which Passage Was Written by ChatGPT?

Grading assignments also proves to be a challenge, as students now have a tool that can gather information, condense that information into concise summaries, find alternative phrasings to improve clarity and more. So when professors grade papers, DiMauro says, they may not be able to tell what was written by students and what was written by AI.

DiMauro says tools such as ZeroGPT that claim to detect AI-generated text within students’ writing are unreliable, and he recommends instead that professors shift to grading students’ thinking process in addition to their final written product. Professors can designate grading checkpoints throughout an assignment and ask students how they organized their research, made improvements to their rough drafts, came to their final conclusions and other questions to ensure that no unauthorized shortcuts were taken with AI.

John Slattery, director of the Carl G. Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology and Law at Duquesne University, says when he is suspicious of a student using AI on assignments without his permission, he asks that student to explain class concepts to him in an oral exam to assess their true understanding.

But Slattery says that professors’ focus shouldn’t be on catching students who misuse AI but rather on teaching students how to ethically engage with the technology in any situation. He teaches a class devoted to the ethics of technology and says he plans to start his fall class by introducing students to ChatGPT, asking it questions and dissecting the answers to those questions to look for elements of bias, accuracy and other ethical concerns.

Embracing New Opportunities

Despite the looming challenges, Pittsburgh professors are finding ways to not only address the changes that AI has brought to higher education but also use AI to improve the learning experience.

“AI is going to enhance student creativity, student efficiency and student effectiveness,” says DiMauro, “and ultimately, in the long run, that’s what we as educators are here to do.”

The technology can act as an assistant to students in higher-level classes — a brainstorming assistant for generating prompts, a research assistant for gathering facts, or even a marketing assistant for creating taglines and logos, he says. Using AI as a helper doesn’t destroy human creativity but rather makes students more efficient and gives them more time to discover connections between ideas and critically analyze their work.

For example, DiMauro says it could take a student three weeks to brainstorm and develop a concept for a fictional short story on their own. Another student could develop a story idea in a few hours with the help of AI by asking ChatGPT to generate prompts, find patterns in previously written stories or simply respond to ideas. The student that uses AI then has more time to write the story and refine and improve their ideas — all of which are higher-level thinking skills that the student will benefit from practicing.

Inara Scott, an associate dean at Oregon State University’s College of Business and a leading voice for adapting higher education to AI, says the technology encourages creativity by forcing students to be unique and original if they want to stand out.

“You have to ask yourself, ‘What am I bringing to the world? Can a computer do this just as well as me?’ And if the answer is ‘yes,’ we’ve got a problem,” she says.

Stepping Into the Future of Higher Education

Some Pittsburgh professors are already looking ahead to how AI will continue to shape higher education and society beyond this academic year.

CMU is home to one of seven new National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes and received $20 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation to begin work on June 1. The institute, directed by Singh, will first analyze how emergency responders, health officials and others who operate in time-sensitive environments make decisions. Researchers will then decide where AI can be incorporated in the processes and create AI tools that will ethically aid the officials’ needs.

Singh says members of the institute are also creating a curriculum about AI’s place in society that will be shared with 40 public schools and 30 community colleges nationwide. She has been working closely with teachers from the Winchester Thurston School in Shadyside to design the curriculum and contemplate how AI can be taught to future elementary, middle and high school students.

CMU has also received one of 14 “Future of Work” grants from the National Science Foundation. The university is teaming up with CCAC to investigate how components of that school’s information technology courses can be aligned with AI tools to enhance and accelerate learning.

Michael Rinsem and Justin Starr, endowed professors of technical curriculum at CCAC, say the grant has already allowed for impressive developments, such as the creation of AI tutors that can help students identify their mistakes in real time. Starr says CCAC is committed to incorporating AI in all of its offerings, as made evident by the new $40 million, three-story Center for Education, Innovation and Technology on its North Side campus.

“A broad philosophy we’ve been talking about at CCAC is that AI is one of the new skilled trades and one of the new things that we need to integrate into our [general education] programs. If we want to prepare students for careers with AI, we need to not just integrate it into the computer science classes,” he says.

Some job descriptions are already listing ChatGPT experience as a preferred job skill, DiMauro says. Slattery says that for this reason, universities would be doing students a disservice by not including AI in future courses.

“How can we serve these students to make sure that they’re not blindsighted when coming out of college and that they actually have the skills to go into the workforce and say they know how to ethically work with AI?” Slattery says.

Oregon State Leads the Way in AI Use Standards

Inara Scott, an associate dean at Oregon State University, in April issued a clarion call to academics across the nation.

“I thought we could create personalized discussion questions, meaningful and engaged essay assignments and quizzes that were sufficiently individualized to course materials that they would be AI-proof.

“Turns out, I was incorrect.”

ChatGPT is creating a “crisis” in the classroom, and university officials and professors need to take action, she says, saying that efforts to create course materials that can “outwit” AI have already proven unsuccessful. She and her colleagues at Oregon State are among those taking the lead in developing policies and guidelines that send a clear message to students about what is acceptable and not acceptable with AI use.

Oregon State in February established a university-wide policy, which trickles down into different rules and guidelines for each school and individual course.

“The policy was intended to encourage faculty not to just reflexively block AI but to think about how it could be used and how to structure assignments in light of it,” says Scott.

An example is Oregon State’s School of Business AI policy, stating that a student’s use of AI without proper citation will be penalized the same as any other case of plagiarism. A citation format is included for students to cite AI as a source, allowing students the freedom to reference AI in projects.

Scott and OSU are working behind the scenes to ensure that specific, detailed guidance is available to every student. The university’s top priority is to prevent blurred lines and academic integrity issues and to advance with the technology.

“The worst possible situation would be for students to not have any guidance at all,” says Scott. “The way that I would approach it in a law class versus the way somebody approaches it in a data analytics class is going to be different. We just need students to understand what the expectations are for the class they’re in.”

As part of the new policies, Scott is working to develop a list of icons that faculty can include in their syllabi that represent a multitude of AI tasks such as generating ideas, rephrasing text, adjusting grammar and spelling, generating outlines or first drafts, analyzing data and more.

The icons provide each professor freedom to choose which tasks they are comfortable with their students using AI for, and will
be a universal way to set
expectations without confusion or unexpected loopholes.

“Someone will realize that higher education is focused on the wrong things — the wrong outcomes, the wrong content —
and make something better, a higher education for critical thinking, ethics, empathy, human dynamics and problem-solving, perhaps, skills students really need.”

— Abby Yoder

Emma Malinak is a rising junior at Washington and Lee University, where she is majoring in journalism and English and seeking a minor in Africana Studies. Abby Yoder is a rising senior at Point Park University, where she is studying multimedia.

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

Situated between vast expanses of protected land and recreation areas, Pittsburgh is a prime location for outdoor lovers.

From the Laurel Highlands region of the Appalachian mountains to the dozens of state parks and national forest land in Pennsylvania to the nation’s newest national park in West Virginia, it’s no surprise that many Pittsburgers cut their teeth on a mountain pie and have been camping ever since.

Even for those who did not grow up camping, interest in the activity is on the rise. In a recent report by Dyrt, a popular camping app, campgrounds reported it was five times more difficult to book a campsite in 2022 than in previous years. They also found that 15 million Americans camped for the first time ever over the last two years.

The surge in camping was initially believed to be a brief trend during the pandemic, but the outdoor recreation industry continues to boom. This can mean popular campgrounds book quickly — making last-minute camping trips nearly impossible during the summer months.

Campers and the camper-curious shouldn’t discount the fall season for camping adventures. There’s more lodging available, fewer crowds and just as much value to be found in the outdoor experience. While it may be too chilly in Western Pennsylvania for a dip in a lake or campground pool, the fall months offer so much for outdoor adventurers — including some of the best fall foliage in the United States; in 2022, the Laurel Highlands region was ranked 7th in the country for viewing fall foliage by USA Today.

In this region, fall camping means a chance to observe changes to flora and fauna first-hand. At state and national parks, rangers run free programs every day to educate visitors on the natural world.

Monarch butterflies that hatched over summer months prepare to migrate to Mexico each fall; education programs at local state parks allow visitors to catch and tag butterflies alongside the park rangers. Even the youngest children can carefully place a numbered sticker on the fragile wings with a bit of help. Campers receive an update if their butterfly survives the journey south.

Fall is also a great time to observe bird migrations in this region. Several species of hawks begin their migration in late August and can be seen soaring along ridgelines throughout the fall months. Their impressive wingspan over bright fall foliage is an unforgettable sight. Other birds of prey also begin to migrate in the fall, including kestrels, peregrine falcons and merlins. Smaller songbirds are on the move in the fall as well, and waterfowl flock back to Pennsylvania lakes and streams to spend the winter. Apps from Audubon and other organizations help campers identify the species they spot.

Cooler temps bring mating season for deer and elk, meaning animals are more active — and therefore more visible. While the only remaining elk herds in Pennsylvania reside in and around the Allegheny National Forest to the northeast, white-tail deer are common in all natural areas in this region.

Bears are also active in the fall as they fill their bellies for winter hibernation. During September and October, bears eat and drink nonstop — campers are more likely to see a bear during the fall than at any other time of year. Remember to observe animals, even small ones, from a distance. Not only can human interference upset the ecosystem, some animals become aggressive when disturbed.

Related:

Some of Our Favorite Camping Spots Near Pittsburgh When the Leaves Change

Camping Events This Fall That Are Worth The Drive

How To Camp Like A Pro In the Fall

Tent camping is one of the most affordable travel options and can be an enjoyable experience — with the right gear. Tent sites in Pennsylvania’s state parks begin at just $16 per night, although investing in the right camping gear for cold weather can make it a pricier venture than in summer months.

Camping does not have to involve a tent, though. Even the most enthusiastic tent camper might choose a cabin, yurt or RV. There are many options around Pittsburgh that provide solitude in the woods with the comfort of running water and an indoor bathroom. Rustic campsites are often also not ADA accessible and can be difficult for travelers with disabilities to navigate, but government-owned and privately owned campgrounds are required to provide some accessible cabins.

Camping is also all about the food. Even for lodging with a full kitchen, lean into the simple and hearty meals that camping memories are made of. Hot dogs and kielbasa over the fire, mountain pies bursting with apple filling and s’mores are essential. Foil packet meals full of vegetables and freshly caught fish can be baked over the coals of a campfire for a truly authentic backwoods meal. Rural communities also often have local eateries that provide home cooking to rival any city restaurant. A tiny diner in a one-stoplight town with a packed parking lot? Stop there for lunch.

The main feature that makes a trip a “camping trip” is the proximity to nature, not the type of roof overhead. A quiet cabin in a state park or a treehouse overhanging a creek provide much of the same benefits as tent camping — fewer people around, fewer distractions and more space to unplug and unwind.

Information for this article was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Go Laurel Highlands and West Virginia Tourism. For more information on camping and fall activities in these regions, please reach out directly. 

(This article was originally published in December of 2018)

When innocent people are murdered because of their beliefs, it’s hard not to lose our faith — in mankind, our community and maybe even our religion.

In the wake of the anti-Semitic attack on Oct. 27 on worshippers at Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill that left 11 people dead and six injured, Pittsburghers were shaken. The most profound impact was on the targeted Jewish community. But people of all faiths and even those who don’t follow a particular religion were stricken by what happened.

While this was an attack on people practicing their religious faith, it went further and assaulted the foundation of our community.

In response, we asked a diverse group of people from different religious practices to address this crisis of faith with the hope that their words will help heal and restore not only communities of believers but everyone. Because what keeps Pittsburgh surviving and thriving is our faith in each other.
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Hillel Academy Pittsburgh
Rabbi Sam Weinberg, Principal and Education Director

I don’t think I’ve properly contextualized it for myself yet. I have not been able to really grieve, to think about and to put into context since we heard the news. It’s been, essentially, non-stop work. My number one priority is to make sure the students at Hillel Academy have the support that they need.

A lot of that is, probably, pretending like I’m handling this better than I am. I personally talked to all the students in the school the first day and I’m going to do that again tomorrow (five days after the massacre). Kids need routine. Kids need structure. And it depends on their age. The goal of crisis intervention is to get people to rely on their natural supports, and, thank G-d, we have those supports here.

What moving on means is difficult. It’s a process, and it comes in waves. With younger kids, well, they’re kids. You sit down and talk to a second grader about it and they’re sad and they’re distraught, and three minutes later they’re playing dodgeball. That’s normal.

As for faith, it’s meeting everyone on their level. This is hard for the kids. My 5-year-old son asked me on Sunday night, “Why did G-d put the bad man into the shul?” That’s a hard one. So how does faith help? The way I was raised and the way I’m raising my children is that faith guides everything that we do. There’s a sense of Jewish pride that we’re trying to instill. It’s hard for kids to understand why people would hate us just because we are Jewish. All the support we’ve gotten from the community, not just Jews, is that people love us because we’re Jewish, too.

I teach a Jewish history class. It’s very easy — you look at a lot of standard Jewish history and you read about 3,000 years of persecution of the Jews. I like to reframe it as 3,000 years of perseverance. 3,000 years of moving forward. 3,000 years of overcoming challenges and obstacles. That’s something that we’ve been discussing with our students. Thank G-d this is, for most of us, the first anti-Semitic experience we’ve had. Definitely the most horrific.

In terms of faith, every kid is going to connect to this differently. The classic Jewish response is prayer for the deceased, for the family of the deceased and for us. It gives us comfort and it gives us hope. We took the kids over to Tree of Life for a service, and we prayed outside. That was the first time it really hit me. It felt, standing there praying and singing, it was helpful for me and for a lot of the students. We’re a small school, and we’re close with all the kids. I was talking with some [mental health] professionals right after the attack, and they said, ‘The first thing you do on Monday is you gauge the climate with the students.’ I knew we didn’t need to wait until Monday because by Sunday everyone was texting.

Song and prayer. In the Torah, people sing in moments of pure emotion. And that raw emotion is what prayer is modeled after. It’s cathartic. It’s healing. It gives you a chance to think and reflect.
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The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Very Rev. Father Philip N. Farrell

For me, it’s about hope. We can’t get stuck. We have to keep moving forward. We have to recognize the sadness that happens, we have to recognize the evil that happens. But we can’t allow the sadness, and especially the evil, to stop us from having hope. That’s exactly what evil, in particular, is: It’s out to destroy hope.

I think if we recognize the fact that God has given us something to look forward to, God has given us a reason to live, God has given us the reality of His presence in our lives, that we’ve got that to look forward to, and nothing, nothing, not the worst evil, can take that away from us.

But what that means also is we have to be there to help each other, to be there for each other to see that hope, because sometimes it’s hard to see.

We’re there to support each other, to help each other, even when we don’t have words. The reality is that we are in solidarity with other folks just to see above and beyond, to keep moving forward. To recognize the struggles, the evil that has occurred, but also to say: we will not be stuck because of that. We will work to overcome things but also look to something that is far, far better. Otherwise, we’re lost.

From a Christian perspective, obviously, you look at Jesus. On the night before he died, he says, “Father, would that this cup might pass away, but not my will but yours be done. I know there’s something bigger than the evil I’m about to face. I know you’re with us.” When he’s dying on the cross, what does he say? “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” We have hope, and that’s what gets us through this thing.

For people who struggle with faith or lost it somewhere, this seems to be the most ludicrous thing in the world: How can you deal with something like this? But you look at all the folks who came to the vigils in Pittsburgh or anywhere else, who basically said, ‘We’re here,’ as a sign of strength, a sign of support, because there’s something more. And that something more is not just strength in numbers, there’s something deeper in our hearts. And however you wish to express that, ultimately it’s God. When you have that relationship with the Lord as the foundation of your life, you can give folks a reason to keep moving forward and not allow ourselves to be stuck in the tragedies of the past.

In a time like this, you don’t have words, you have faith. You want to do everything, but there’s not a lot you can do except support. You can’t go in with blind ambition or expect you’re going to save the world single-handedly, but you do something by supporting, by participating, by saying, ‘We’re in this together.’ Regardless of what differences you might have, we’re all in this together. And when you recognize the fact we’re in this together you realize — I keep going back to this — that there’s hope. That we can overcome.

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Islamic Center of Pittsburgh
Wasi Mohamed, Executive Director

I think one of the most beautiful things about the response to all this has been unity and solidarity. And I think that people can’t understand how important that is. And that’s what can’t be wasted — the sacrifice of these individuals.

It doesn’t mean we’re unified as a city, but it means we can take some steps toward it. Unfortunately it took a tragedy for us to be given the opportunity, but we can really take advantage of it and build more bridges and stronger bridges and move toward a more equitable Pittsburgh. If we don’t do that, we’ve really failed the people, their memory. Keep in mind we can mourn, but before the last tear drops, we have to have a plan of building that solidarity.

A lot of people have tragedies occur in the world or their own lives, and they question the existence of God, or they think if God exists He’s a cruel one. I always really remember that these horrible things happen no matter what. They just exist, and they’re horrible and terrible, and to take away all meaning from it and drag that from a person is really cruel in and of itself. If you do not look for the meaning or why something happened, that’s just senseless tragedy. Nothing comes from it. It’s just random. I cannot understand how people handle that. The reality is tragedies happen all the time, whether or not God exists, and I believe God exists out of necessity — that the loss of human life and tragedy have some meaning to it as opposed to no meaning.

There are lots of reasons that disaster and tragedy happen, from teaching lessons to helping communities. For example, what if the sacrifice these individuals made was God’s way of bringing us all together and making the city more unified in solidarity and a model for the rest of the country and the world? I think a lot of people didn’t think the headlines would be about that moving forward. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the darkness in this tragedy being completely blotted out by the beacons of light of people bonding, and the stories of the victims are beautiful, and that’s what I want to hear. It’s not filling the world with more negative and hateful news; it’s bringing hope to the people of the world.

The concept of hope in a dark time is what we keep coming back to. You could take this and take it into a dark place: “Hey, none of us are safe anywhere. We’re not safe in our sanctuary, where can we be safe? The minorities are not welcome, the marginalized communities will stay that way, and we are as divided as ever.” But that is not the common reaction.

We’re going to make it through this together; we’re stronger together — that’s a much more powerful narrative. That’s a much more godly narrative, in my opinion. And it’s really heartening to see Pittsburgh come together in a very authentic way and a very natural way. It’s not just platitudes from politicians — this is the way people on the ground are actually reacting.

It’s a moment, and in order to keep this momentum going in loving memory of all these people who passed, it’s going to take a lot of work and we have meetings planned. We have political leaders and lay leaders and educators just continue to react to this. Everybody needs to be in a room to see how to maintain and build upon this work. It’s needed in order for us to actually honor the memory of all of these victims.
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Temple Sinai
Rabbi Keren Gorban

The synagogue has been a safe space and now it has been violated. In particular, it’s a safe space where we Jews can go in a society that doesn’t always have a lot of room for Judaism to flourish. It’s not to say that Jews are “just tolerated,” but Judaism doesn’t permeate American culture except as part of TV shows, bagels and stuff like that.

Jews, for the most part, pass as white, but there are ways in which we’re outside of mainstream American culture. And the synagogue is the place where we’re not outsiders. And that’s a hard thing to wrap our heads around, that in a society where we get integrated, to some extent there’s this barrier.

This act of violence against Jews in Jewish space requires Jews, regardless of how they engage with Judaism, to think about what it means to identify as Jewish and whether they want Judaism to fade into their identity or come out more strongly. There were people who showed up to services on the following Friday night who hadn’t been to services in decades. But an attack on Jews — and not just on Jews but Jews in a synagogue as they were preparing to pray or praying — made them want to identify more strongly.

It’s a question that we’ve all been asking, how to make the synagogue feel safe. I don’t have specific answers. In Europe, it’s standard practice to have armed guards outside a Jewish institution. And people are just used to that. I don’t know what the internal reaction is among European Jews, but at this point, it’s just the way it is. Kids are growing up with an expectation that a guard will be outside. And it’s mostly preventative, but you want to make sure it’s safe. For better or worse, things are different in the United States; anti-Semitism has not been as big a deal. Yet, at most major [Jewish] institutions, you can’t just walk into a building without being buzzed in or showing identification. But there’s been the thought that on Shabbat, you don’t need that. I think that’s where there might be a significant change.

Part of moving forward is making reasonable changes. A more significant part of it is not living life in fear. Terrorism, hate crimes, they’re all meant to disrupt life and create anxiety and fear where they haven’t existed before. It’s an act of defiance to say, “Actually, you don’t get to change my life so drastically. You don’t get to change my community so drastically. We’re going to keep living.”

Jewish ritual is helpful in this regard. This Shabbat (the Friday following the massacre) was a big deal because it was about coming together and saying that our sanctuaries will continue to be sanctuaries, safe havens. And look at all these people who came out to affirm that the sanctuary of a synagogue should be a safe place. Now, that our dead have been buried, we’re entering shiva, the first week of actual mourning — not just trying to put one foot in front of the other, but reflecting on the significant trauma of what just happened. Next Shabbat will be a conclusion to that intense grief. Thirty days from now, we’ll have to have something to mark the fact that it’s been a month. That period of shloshim (30 days of mourning) will start us moving from the intense grief of shiva to less intense grief of the rest of life. In a year, there will be something to mark the yahrzeit, which will bring up the grief and trauma again, but also give us perspective about how we as a community and we as individuals have grown from the trauma. And we’ll do something annually for many years because we can’t forget this.

Music also helps because it hits a different part of us. You can’t intellectualize it as much as you can with words, especially songs that are connected to memory. There’s this idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and there’s some sort of spirit that infuses a group of people doing something together. Music, especially singing together, pulls out the spirit within us and connects our spirits with those around us.

There’s one more piece that is really important. The attack was not just anti-Semitic but also anti-immigrant. This person — and I refuse to use his name because I do not want him to gain fame from his horrific actions — had a well-documented social media history of spewing hatred against immigrants and refugees in general and against HIAS in particular. As a community, we will have to find ways to heal from the reality that this person attacked a synagogue on Shabbat, but as a nation, we will have to reckon with our closed-mindedness and fear regarding people who look different, speak different languages and come from different places.

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Pittsburgh Buddhist Center
Bhante Pemaratana, Chief Abbot

What happened in Squirrel Hill is only the result of a long process. What we would like to pay attention to is not the result but rather the process that brings a person to such a state. What are the causes and conditions that make somebody’s mind so violent and aggressive? What ideas feed a person’s fear and, consequently, anger?

We consider anger and violent behavior a kind of cover-up for our own internal struggle; when we have fear or any other kind of disappointment, if you do not know the tools to handle it, you will use your anger as a cover-up. Anger is an expression of weakness; aggressive people may feel powerful on the outside, but the inside is very weak.

We have a responsibility as religious teachers, and anyone who has some mastery of human emotions, to teach these tools. Ultimately, it’s an individual task; societally, however, organizations — particularly religious organizations — have a responsibility to teach people tools and techniques to deal with their emotions and deal with the views that we construct. We should offer help to people who are misguided, people who have a confused mind. People who are suffering from their own fear. All of us are misguided on some scale; it is easily possible for our mind to go to extremes if we don’t take care of it. We have a great responsibility to take care of ourselves and help our neighbors.

There’s beauty in Pittsburgh; I came to Pittsburgh from Sri Lanka 10 years ago, and what kept me here was this openness. This interconnectedness among different communities; that is the beauty of Pittsburgh. We have such a strong sense of welcoming and openness and embracing. I have no problem going anywhere in my robes; I have never experienced (or encountered) any negativity in my 10 years here. That’s what kept me here.

Incidents like these can bring negative feelings. At the same time, we should also pay attention to how much support and coming together of communities has happened afterward. There was an outpouring of help; everyone is coming together. What we have in Pittsburgh is solidarity, openness, this amazing attitude; we should not lose our sight of that. This horrible incident happened. But we also have seen so many good things. We should not lose our hope.

One way that we can help someone to mourn and go through the pain is to be for that person; let that person know that we are behind you, we are ready to share your burden. When people who have suffered know that other people understand what they are going through and are ready to give a shoulder, give an ear, it’s much easier to go through the mourning process. I think, as a community — as a very friendly, connected community in Pittsburgh — we should keep our arms open and eyes open. If you can, physically be there; at synagogue meetings, if they allow, go and sit with them, show them. The best way to help them to mourn and go through the grieving process — because it takes time — is to be available to them. Listen to them. Be with them.
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First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
Rev. David Herndon

Here at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, we send our deepest sympathy to our neighbors at the Tree of Life synagogue and the entire Jewish community of Pittsburgh. We mourn with the families of those who died in this horrific and hateful incident, and we hope for a speedy recovery for all who have sustained injuries, including the officers serving in the Pittsburgh police force.

Two starkly contrasting visions struggle against one another nowadays in the United States. In one of these visions, straight, white male supremacy dominates the center, while other people — women, people of color, the LGBT community, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, and other non-Christian religious groups, people with disabilities, and so on — are regarded as less important and even as threats to the entrenched tradition of straight, white male power. This is the vision that insisted on putting yet another straight, white man on the Supreme Court, despite serious questions about his fitness for the position. This is the vision that created the disturbances in Charlottesville in August 2017. And in a more extreme form, this is the vision that led to the deaths of 11 members of the Tree of Life synagogue here in Pittsburgh.

The other vision promotes a more inclusive society, with many different kinds of people in positions of influence and authority, with many different kinds of people enjoying respect and admiration and opportunity, and with many different kinds of people contributing their narratives and their cultural truths to the fabric of our society. This is an inclusive vision, where differences in personal characteristics such as race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and family background do not lead to open hostility, or attempts by one group to dominate other groups, or judgments about who is acceptable and who is not. Instead, in response to personal differences, this inclusive vision invites mutual appreciation and a willingness to listen and learn.

Which of these two visions will our country choose — the vision that perpetuates straight, white male supremacy, or the vision that points toward a more egalitarian and inclusive society? The Unitarian Universalist faith tradition that I serve envisions a world that truly recognizes all humanity as one united community where all are accepted and loved for who they are, and none are subject to hate, bigotry, oppression, injustice or exclusion.

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East Liberty Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Patrice L. Fowler-Searcy

In some ways, this started as a typical Saturday for me, and in some ways not. Believe it or not, throughout the year, we’ve had a number of programs at our church on facing systematic racism. We were scheduled to have our fifth anti-racism session, on white privilege, that evening. I was at church to prepare for that as well as to write a sermon I was going to deliver, not at my church, but at Judah Fellowship Christian Church.

The Judah Fellowship congregation is made up of LGBTQ individuals who typically have been ostracized by organized religion. Saturday’s events changed the sermon I had been preparing. Instead, I preached from the Fourth Chapter of Genesis about Cain killing Abel.

The very first murder was a brother who killed a brother. As human beings (I won’t even say as people of God, but as human beings), crimes are often committed against those who are closest to us. Crime is very often one of proximity and familiarity. But any time we take the life of an individual, we have taken the life of a brother, or a sister or a sibling — because we are all a part of the human race.

The person who went into the synagogue killed people he saw as “The Other.” In actuality, he was killing his siblings in the sight of God.

The Other is typically anyone who is denigrated or looked upon as lesser, or someone who we are unfamiliar with. I don’t like to use that terminology. I believe we’re all a part of the human race, and so we’re all in this together. I prefer to say “Another.”

I ended the sermon talking about how we are a people who will never allow darkness to put out the light or have fear overcome our hope.

We are also required, not only to pray for the people whose lives were taken and for their family and friends and our city, but also to faithfully pray for the person who perpetuated this crime upon all of us. Because God tells us to pray even for our enemies. Even though that’s difficult, that’s what is required of us as people of God.

My hope for the future is that somehow, in God’s time, we will realize that we are all in this together. There are no “Others” in this country or, really, in the world. We’re all created in the image of God.

I have hope that we will have leadership in the presidency and across the country that will espouse that love for your brother, your sister, your sibling, no matter who they might be, their country of origin, their ethnicity, their gender or their sexual orientation.

As are the majority of our city residents, I am heartbroken and angry. Heartbroken that our Abrahamic brothers and sisters were violated and gunned down in their place of worship, a sacred place and sanctuary, and angry about the current state of our country and the total disregard, devaluation and disposability of people considered by some as “The Other.”

I am still processing and praying about where we go from here. However, as a person of faith, I realize that the only place we can go is to God in prayer. I am praying God will heal the hurt and devastation suffered by the Tree of Life families and community. I am praying that God will heal the residents of the City of Pittsburgh, the nation, Israel and the world. I am praying for God to heal the souls of those who have reduced the lives of those they consider “The Other” as being valueless, disposable and to be feared.

And I have faith that darkness will never overcome light, that hate will never overcome love, and that divisive and hateful rhetoric will never overcome the truth that we are all created in the image of and loved by God.
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Sri Venkateswara Temple
Vijay Shekher Reddy, Secretary of the Board of Directors

Hate crimes are common phenomena, with the frequency of such crimes increasing significantly in the past few years. One should not be complacent about this matter; one must take needed precautions to avoid exposure to such acts.

After Saturday’s incident, we have all faced the reality that hate crimes can impact us. We are determined to show support to our fellow citizens and community — to create a cooperative spirit without worrying about the differences we may have, but instead focus on the similarities we all have as human beings.

First, one has to realize that we are living in a society where values have changed and differences among us are magnified. With this in mind, one has to curtail the freedom we used to enjoy in the past, without any second thought. A human-made disaster could strike at any place without any [clear] cause. [We must] not take anything for granted and prepare to face this new reality while taking all the precautionary measures that we can control.

These types of incidents also unite those of different backgrounds and religious faiths to work together for the greater good of society. During these times, one has to be empathetic to others and extend our arms to bridge any gaps in society and the community. Take part in activities organized by other communities and show solidarity to each other, irrespective of religion, race and sexual orientation. Open, heart-to-heart discussions will help heal the wounds caused in communities by the cruel acts of a few individuals.

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SRI VENKATESWARA TEMPLE
Krishna K. Kasi, Chairman of the Board of Directors

This has been a great country because it is a country of immigrants, with people coming from different cultures. People have to be open minded and be respectful of each other — not focusing on cultural differences.

We need to focus on our common goal in our cultures: to benefit our society and our country.

Unfortunately, the current political climate is causing division in people. The media, especially, is fueling the division, leading to the radicalization of people with deranged and weak minds. The media can tone down the criticism and focus on good news, showing good deeds by people for people.

The perpetrator of the recent incident was mentally unstable; it would have been a different outcome if he had received professional help. He is still alive; he may face the death penalty. Instead, if we spare him from that punishment, get him medical and mental help, [we can have] him communicate to the people — admit his evil actions and show his remorse. If, over a period of time, the media can show he can be transformed, there is a chance to prevent others from being radicalized. People have to see positive thoughts and actions in the news.

Mutual respect and appreciation will go a long way.
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Dor Hadash​
Donna Coufal is president-elect. Dor Hadash was one of the three congregations worshiping in Tree of Life synagogue at the time of the massacre.

Dor Hadash is over 50 years old. We’re a lay-led, do-it-yourself congregation, and we’re a strong congregation. It’s been a horrible process, and all three congregations suffered together through the tragedy of the shooting. We do think it’s important to make it clear that while we respect Rabbi Myers (Rabbi Hazzan of Tree of Life congregation), he didn’t speak for the whole community when he was speaking to the national media.

Dor Hadash has a strong social action component at its core. We are a member of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS); as a congregation, we are very concerned with the refugee situation and helping refugees as much as we can. HIAS was established in 1881. This is not a radical organization. This is an organization that has helped settle Jewish refugees, Vietnamese refugees and others for well over 100 years now. So it feels horrific, it feels scary, to be a target for something that you believe in.

I don’t want to make generalizations about Jews, but it seems when the morality of a culture is in question, Jews are often part of the target. I can’t say I know exactly how this works, but when there has been unrest in countries, Jews are often targeted. I think we’ve underestimated that [in the United States] because we couldn’t believe it would happen here.

It’s not just us. On the same weekend as the shooting in Pittsburgh, there were two black people, Maurice Stallard and Vickie Lee Jones, killed in Kentucky. That shooter was trying to get into a church but couldn’t. The following week, two people were killed in a yoga studio. The problems of guns, and the accessibility of hate through the internet, is enormous. Clearly, the leadership of the country has been promoting hateful language, and that’s a problem. Anti-Semitism has been on the rise, and there have been shootings at other organizations, as well as desecration of cemeteries. This shooter believed Jews were responsible for bringing in refugees. In this context, refugees are not seen as people who are suffering but as carrying diseases or as dangerous criminals.

The response to this has been unbelievable. So many communities have stepped up to help us. The money raised by the Muslim community, the food cooked, the letters sent to us is overwhelming. There are so many good people in the world. [In the wake of the massacre,] people are talking to each other and finding out how connected they are. It’s been so interesting how people we never thought knew each other are connected. It heightens the sense that we’re not so isolated as we think. The mayor really stepped up. Pittsburgh is culturally rich, but it’s a small city of neighborhoods.

The founder of the Reconstructionist movement, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, talked about Judaism as a civilization, not a religion. Not identifying with religion is important for some people — there are members at Dor Hadash who are agnostic and there are some who are very observant — and I can understand that. Reconstructionist Judaism is steeped in history; it’s not watered down. We are egalitarian Jews. We had the first Bat Mitzvahs as far back as the 1920s. We do not consider ourselves the “chosen people.” So we take a lot of the historical material and think about it in the context of the ethics of the world today.

And so in terms of how we go forward, we’re more committed than ever as an organization to what we stand for. I think you have to keep going. Language creates reality. It’s important for people in power to understand that the language they use is extremely potent. So vote for people who speak about the positive aspects of human beings rather than those who are separating groups and creating fear and hate.

I think that people who have suffered in any way grow themselves to recognize the suffering of others. What happened to us is so horrible, but if we didn’t name other people killed that weekend or if we didn’t talk about wars around the world where people are traumatized every day, if we only have self-involvement, then you don’t feel. You can’t just care about yourself. These issues are central to Dor Hadash, and that was why I joined this congregation. We are all responsible.

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

When explaining Pittsburgh to a visitor, there is a lot of ground to cover. The city offers many things to many people. What do you prioritize in your plans? Where do you begin? Our advice: Start with the city’s wonders — long-standing, striking landmarks — that will engage you into a better understanding of our past and present.

Here is our lineup of the 7 Wonders of Pittsburgh. Each location is within 15 miles of the city center, has a wide appeal and has been around for decades. Many are cultural attractions that have, by this point, become community pillars. And each can be enjoyed at multiple times of year (all but one are year-round operations, in fact), so you can enjoy them whenever you visit the
Steel City — or simply decide it’s time to get out of the house.

1. Monongahela & Duquesne Inclines

Slow and steady wins the race. Our inclines are not fast-moving, operating at an average rate of 6 mph, but they’re consistent. And one holds the title of the nation’s oldest operating funicular railway (a bragging right to break out at your next get-together).

Debuting in 1870, the Monongahela is the longest-running incline in the United States; it was renovated in 2022 to modernize controls and electrical components. The Duquesne joined it seven years later and has run alongside it consistently (minus a brief period in the 1960s, when it was being repaired). The inclines effectively book-end Grandview Avenue and operate often (Monongahela runs approximately every 15 minutes, whereas Duquesne is based on demand); with low fares, they’re inexpensive and safe transportation options for a night out or a daytime jaunt.

“On foggy mornings, you can also witness an interesting sight as the buildings emerge from the cloud cover,” says a spokesperson with Pittsburgh Regional Transit, which owns both (although the Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline operates the Duquesne).

Whether you ride the Mon or the Duquesne, the view from the car is unbeatable; it’s surely why the inclines are buzzed-about attractions among locals and out-of-towners alike. And the sights from the summit of Mount Washington are unmatched. There are multiple overlooks to check out the city, take photos and maybe even catch a life event in action: Given the breathtaking setting, wedding parties, soon-to-be-engaged couples and other celebratory groups make their way to the overlooks for photo ops.

Sweetening the deal is Emerald View Park, which runs through Mount Washington — but more importantly, its paved walkway lines Grandview’s outer edge, so you can get in your steps and sights at the same time. Follow the trail to either incline station and the neighboring business districts; the bustling Shiloh Street is near the Mon’s upper station, while Grandview eateries, such as the upscale Altius, surround the Duquesne’s upper stop.

South Shore: East Carson Street
rideprt.org; duquesneincline.org

{BY THE NUMBERS}

MON INCLINE
635
track length (feet)

367.39
elevation gain (feet)

35
grade (degrees)

DUQUESNE INCLINE
794
track length (feet)

400
elevation gain (feet)

30.5
grade (degrees)

Know Before You Go:
To pay, you’ll need exact cash (you can withdraw some at the onsite ATM) or a Pittsburgh Regional Transit fare card.

2. Kennywood

PHOTO COURTESY KENNYWOOD PARK

Anticipation builds as you’re sitting next to your friend with the lap bar closed. The bell sounds, and your car begins rolling down the flat track and then whips around the corner as you travel in line with 15 other cars. You can’t help but smile, and your pal’s face lights up too each time you quickly zip around the bend. After experiencing a little more than 2 minutes of unabashed joy, your car stops. Time to get off The Whip.

Kennywood’s oldest flat ride was restored for the 2023 season, just in time for the park to celebrate its 125th year in business. The amusement park’s story remains one of “blending classic and innovation,” says Tasha Pokrzywa, communications manager. Within the park, there are wooden coasters, such as the fan-favorite Jack Rabbit, alongside the thrill-seeker’s coasters such as the Steel Curtain and Phantom’s Revenge.

“In the most general sense, our goal is to create a fun but quirky atmosphere,” says Pokrzywa.

About the quirk: The alien-themed Spinvasion ride was added for the 2023 season (a year that also began with heightened security, such as physical upgrades and more lighting). Another masterpiece returned for its 50th season: the Potato Patch and their delectable fries.

Patron feedback is seriously considered as the park is updated, as evidenced by the return of the Kangaroo ride a few years ago. Pokrzywa says the team was met with a wave of dissenting feedback regarding the ride’s retirement, ultimately resulting in a full restoration of the classic attraction.

For decades, locals have turned to the park for entertainment — from school and work picnic days to food festivals and special events added in more recent years. Kennywood’s season extends well into the fall and winter annually, with Phantom Fall Fest and Holiday Lights themed festivities taking place in cooler months (and granting access to select attractions, too).

Kennywood’s Old Mill — its longest-running ride — has, over the decades, gone through multiple theme and structural revisions and embodies what Pokrzywa called one of Kennywood’s strengths: “[It’s] a park that can provide fun experiences with things that have been around for a long time.”

West Mifflin: 4800 Kennywood Blvd.
kennywood.com

{BY THE NUMBERS}

8
number of roller coasters

125
years of operation

197
tallest inversion (feet) on the Steel Curtain coaster (a World Record)

Know Before You Go:
The Racer, Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt are American Coaster Enthusiasts Roller Coaster Landmark rides. (The group reserves this recognition for “rides of historic significance.”)

3. Cathedral of Learning

Inspirational” is an apt word to describe the world’s second-tallest educational building, better known as the Cathedral of Learning. The 42-story structure — whose construction in Oakland was completed in 1936 — may be on the University of Pittsburgh campus, but it’s a treasure for all to enjoy. Lovingly nicknamed “Cathy” by Pitt students, the cathedral is open to the public for lunch breaks, study periods or enlightening excursions; certain floors and aspects, like the gift shop, are fair game, whereas others, like the Nationality Rooms, require advance planning.

“Its presence is a testament to the university’s longstanding history in the region and is one of our earliest examples of how Pitt welcomes community collaboration,” says university spokesperson Nick France.

The Nationality Rooms pay respect to the ethnic groups of Pittsburgh and were built in stages: On the first floor, you’ll find the first 19, crafted by 1957; of the remaining 12, created since 1987, some are on the third floor. Each year, the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs welcomes 10,000 visitors; paid guided tours are available in person and online.

“The 31 Nationality Rooms themselves are never altered from their original designs,” says France. “Each room was designed and constructed based on a respective ethnic group before 1787 — the year of the University of Pittsburgh’s founding, excluding the French room, which was styled after post-18th-century Empire style.”

Over time, the 535-foot, gothic-style structure naturally has required maintenance, such as foundation waterproofing, but stands strong as a “tower of learning,” in line with the vision of former Pitt chancellor John Bowman, who led the university during the cathedral’s construction. Its routine use by the community also was part of his wish, for it to be accessible to all.

“The cathedral is a symbol, literally and figuratively, of Pitt’s progress and success,” says France, “but also the progress and success of our neighbors.”

Oakland: 4200 Fifth Ave.
pitt.edu, nationalityrooms.pitt.edu

{POINTS OF INTEREST}

36
For a high-end aerial view of the city, take the elevator to the Honors College on the 36th floor, and head to a window to check out the sights.

22,000
Square feet — a half acre — of space in the four-story, Gothic Commons Room.

Souvenir tip:
If you visit the Nationality Rooms and are inspired by the cultures, pick up a copy of the recipe book in the cathedral’s gift shop. For a little more than $10, you’ll boost your ideas for the next time you need to whip up dinner, an appetizer or fudge.

4. Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

For the past 130 years, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens has delivered on its aim to provide a connection to nature — and has educated locals while doing so. But equally impressive is that the conservatory has continually presented seasonal flower shows; it’s actually one of few conservatories in the nation to do so, says senior director of communications Joe Reed.

Its origin story involves philanthropist Henry W. Phipps, who bestowed the conservatory to Pittsburgh. The attraction, stretching across 15 acres, now encompasses 14 glasshouse rooms, some of which house permanent collections — such as Palm Court, part of its original nine-room offering — plus a total of 23 gardens.

To draw its annual visitor count of 500,000, Phipps likes to keep it fresh. For the Spring Flower Show alone, the team uses thousands of plants, and it’s important that they promote responsible plants that are not high-maintenance, says Reed.

The conservatory plays a pivotal role in the community, as it partners with area schools and businesses. A newer offering is the professional landscaping training for locals (learners receive a certificate showing they’ve mastered the essentials of sustainable landscaping, upping their odds of becoming neighborhood lawn heroes). There’s even a complimentary “Ask Dr. Phipps” service, allowing novice growers to seek advice from the conservatory’s Master Gardeners.

Phipps also maintains a commitment to sustainability and has been “going green” for years. Three decades ago, it transferred ownership from the city to nonprofit management and doubled down on sustainability, as “human and environmental health go hand in hand,” says Reed.

Over time, its campus has grown to include production greenhouses and the Center for Sustainable Landscapes. A few of its buildings, such as the center, generate their own energy and have garnered attention for their excellence by earning recognition such as LEED Platinum status.

Phipps may be a gorgeous cultural institution and (let’s be honest) an Instagram-worthy photo backdrop on any given outing; however, it has stuck around and remained relevant because of the effort made to honor its roots while embracing the future.

Oakland: One Schenley Park
phipps.conservatory.org

{PRO TIP}
As Phipps closes at 10 on Friday nights, it’s an ideal date-night spot. Head there in time to watch the sun set — perhaps on the Tropical Forest Patio — and complete your tour through the rest of the campus.

Know Before You Go:
There are many ways to enjoy this spot, from private events to brunches and checking out the latest exhibits. But don’t forget about the top-tier gift shop and cafe.

5. Frick Park

Imagine having a place within city limits where you could take your pup to a massive off-leash area — then play tennis, go birding in dense woods and have a picnic. Perhaps coolest of all, you could walk into a living green building, at no cost, any day of the week to learn about the environment.

Good news: This place exists. It’s Frick Park. The original 151-acre plot was granted to the city by Henry Clay Frick in 1919 and opened in 1927; the park has grown to 644 acres and touches Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill, Swisshelm Park and Regent Square.

That green building is the LEED Platinum-certified environmental center, a joint project between the city and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy; even on a casual pass through, you’ll learn new things (like how to create a worm bin) but definitely consider attending a class or two.

After visiting the center, you’ve got choices for where to turn next. If you’re up for birding, head toward Clayton Hill, recommended by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s team because it provides optimal views of avian wildlife migrating in the spring and fall.

Alana Wenk, the conservancy’s director of advancement, says the bottom segment of Clayton is prime for exploratory outdoor activities, such as mountain-biking.

Where Clayton shows the wild side, Blue Slide Park is whimsical.

“It’s always fun — I love seeing tagged photos on social media,” of Blue Slide Park, says Wenk. That’s one Frick element that’s widely known, due at least in part to pop culture; “Blue Slide Park” also is the title of the debut album from late rapper and area native Mac Miller.

As the city’s largest historical park, Frick draws quite a crowd, especially in warmer months. In 2022, it was the site of 4,000 get-togethers, from after-school programs to Earth Month happenings. The conservancy team often works with the community; construction will begin in late 2023 on an outdoor sensory classroom near the environmental center that’ll be created in partnership with local groups to validate its features.

Speaking of features: We tend to be boastful about our scenic views. If you’re looking for a spot to catch the sunrise or sunset, check out Riverview Trail; you won’t be disappointed.

Squirrel Hill: Frick Environmental Center,
2005 Beechwood Blvd.
pittsburghparks.org

{FINDING YOUR WAY}

You don’t have to wing it on your visit; there’s a detailed map on the website and at select trail entrances (pittsburghparks.org).

{POINTS OF INTEREST}

40°25’35.3” N,
79°54’19.5” W

Search the lower part of the park to find a tranquil boardwalk along Nine Mile Run. Prefer technology to going wandering? Point your GPS to these coordinates.

6. The Andy Warhol Museum

It’s fitting that the museum dedicated to the late Andy Warhol, an influential Pop-Art king, is ever-changing.

For starters, The Andy Warhol Museum (one of four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh) is home to more than 10,000 works of art by the native son. What’s more, although he’s well known for his Pop-Art creations of muses such as Marilyn Monroe, he worked in various artforms throughout his multi-decade career — film, TV, painting and drawing are but a few examples.

Born and raised locally, Andrew Warhola was drawn to art at an early age; he graduated with a pictorial design degree from what’s now Carnegie Mellon University before he zipped off to New York City. The museum’s material naturally covers his claims to fame but also his background — the tale of his parents immigrating to the States, his Catholic faith and so on.

“We really try to tell the full Warhol story in a deeper way,” says Patrick Moore, director of The Warhol.

The seven-floor art gallery, which welcomes 150,000 visitors annually, provides exclusive experiences. For example, at press time, there’s an acoustically treated space set up to listen to recently digitized Velvet Underground master tapes while admiring cover album art by Warhol. Families with kids in tow can have fun, too, by making artworks in The Factory, whose name pays tribute to Warhol’s NYC studio.

The single-artist museum, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024, largely pays homage to the namesake artist’s works, but it also features special exhibitions a few times per year.

In 2022, The Warhol team established The Pop District, a multifaceted initiative involving multiple blocks of public art, workforce development offerings and various events and performances. Final Fridays, for example, are held from May through September in the nearby Silver Street event space and are effectively outdoor parties set to the beats of guest DJs.

“We want to attract, invite, [inspire people to] take selfies,” says Moore, “and make it an experience, hang around.”

North Shore: 117 Sandusky St.
warhol.org

Know Before You Go:
Block off at least 2-3 hours for the full museum experience, and more if you like to read every plaque.

{PHOTO OP}

Snag a selfie on the signature red couch located in the entrance space. (Like Andy, whose portrait is displayed above the couch, you, too, may want to throw on a pair of shades while striking a pose.)

{SOUVENIR TIP}

The gift shop stocks enviable knickknacks and prints of Warhol’s works.

7. Point State Park

It’s difficult to envision a city-skyline postcard or sporting-event live shot that doesn’t include the Point State Park Fountain. Heck, even a decade ago, when a giant rubber duck dropped anchor nearby, the roughly 150-foot fountain was not upstaged by the likes of the sizable, temporary art installation.

The fountain sits at, you guessed it, the point of our three rivers, where the Monongahela and Allegheny meet to form the Ohio. It debuted in 1974 and largely has remained a constant ever since; it required a full renovation in 2009 and shuttered before returning in 2013, when the park also received a facelift.

The 36-acre park space has quite the history, dating to its involvement in the French and Indian War. The Fort Pitt Museum has a wealth of info on that occurrence but also others, including the city’s founding; the Fort Pitt Block House, originally created in 1764 as a military redoubt, serves as a living relic. Point State Park’s green space was formalized due to the Pittsburgh Renaissance; after a 1950s urban renewal project wrapped, it was dedicated in 1974.

The park celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024, and has been a gathering spot for everyday life and special occasions. Its green lawn is just the place to sit after the Pittsburgh Marathon or when celebrating July Fourth with tunes, food and pyrotechnics. On an average day, you’ll see families walking along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, colleagues enjoying lunch and couples admiring the reflecting pool. Bikes are omnipresent here, as this is an access point for the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile trail connecting Cumberland, Maryland, to the Steel City.

Back to the fountain: We’ll boldly say that catching a sunset there is a must. Everything surrounding the experience is slow-paced — people are conversing, picnicking, hanging out, relishing moments — and simple. On your first fountain experience at nightfall, you may feel as if you’ve been trusted with a sweet secret; you begin to understand some of the pride Pittsburghers have for the city and why our scenery gets such high praise.

Downtown: 601 Commonwealth Place
dcnr.pa.gov/stateparks

Know Before You Go:
The park is open year-round. The fountain is open May through October, weather permitting.

{POINT OF INTEREST}
You can spot the Duquesne Incline from the park, too!

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Five years after trading in their Lawrenceville rowhouse for a condo in the Carlyle, a former bank skyscraper at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Wood Street, Ashley and Adam Brandolph have no regrets.

They love being close to Downtown restaurants and amenities. Going car-free — Adam walks to his job in public relations and Ashley takes a 15-minute bus ride to Oakland for work — has saved money they use for travel.

There is considerably more space for them and their two dogs now in the two-bedroom unit, eight stories above the thoroughfare once known as the “Wall Street of Pittsburgh.” And that history has its own appeal.

“Sometimes I’ll see groups of visitors and tourists walking down our street, looking up at the tops of the buildings and marveling at the architecture,” says Ashley, who manages volunteer and internship programs for the Carnegie Museums. “It’s so cool to hear them say ‘Wow!’ I’m like, ‘yeah, I live here.’”

VINTAGE PHOTOS COURTESY THE DETROIT PUBLISHING COMPANY; SOURCE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

When their building, with its distinctive rounded granite front, opened in 1907 as the Union National Bank, it was one of two dozen financial institutions on a two-block stretch of Fourth Avenue. That small section also included the Pittsburgh Stock Exchange, then one of the nation’s busiest regional securities markets.

Now the former banking and stock trading nexus is a popular place to live — so much so that noise from major construction projects nearby is becoming something of a drawback. Since the Brandolphs moved in, they have witnessed the conversion of the Commonwealth Building next door into 150 apartments, the Bank Tower across Fourth Avenue into renovated office space, and the Arrott Building (cater-cornered to them) into a boutique Marriott hotel called the Industrialist.

For now, the couple is enjoying a brief respite from the dust and clangor. That will last until construction starts on City Club Apartments, a 24-story skyscraper with 300 residential units at the former YWCA across Wood Street. The project, approved last year by city planners, is nearing completion of its design phase, though a construction start date has not been announced.

JEREMY WALDRUP, PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP | PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

“I think that residential density is more important now than it ever has been as we think about the continued evolution and revitalization of Downtown,” says Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

The organization took new offices in 2021 in the Bank Tower, the former Peoples Savings Bank of 1902, at the same busy intersection of Fourth and Wood.

“It’s changing the street life in this neighborhood by bringing new users on nights and weekends, supporting new restaurants, and really breathing new life into these historic buildings,” Waldrup says.

His favorite feature of the second-floor space is an enormous arched window that admits streams of sunlight into the organization’s 5,800 square feet of mostly open floor, which boasts original interior columns and handsome wood paneling. The building also has a dizzying 16-story marble staircase, wrapped in an elaborate exterior of carved stonework and richly textured red brick and terracotta.

Across Wood Street, the Arrott, also from 1902, is even more over the top, with striped walls, false balconies and a cornice 18 stories up with howling faces seemingly overwhelmed by vertigo. The building, which also retains its extravagant marble and bronze lobby, once housed a bank, an insurance company and the corporate headquarters of bathtub manufacturing mogul James Arrott.

Both are among the very first skyscrapers erected in Pittsburgh. Between 1900 and 1910, when skyscrapers radically transformed the city’s skyline, Fourth Avenue boasted more of the new steel-framed structures than any other section of the city.

Not coincidentally, the bank-crammed thoroughfare also was the site of the city stock market. In 1900, when regional exchanges handled trades for stocks and bonds of local companies, Pittsburgh’s annual volume of 3 million shares trailed only New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.

The Pittsburgh Stock Exchange evolved from an older exchange for petroleum, formed after the world’s first successful oil well was drilled in 1859 in northwestern Pennsylvania. At first pumped straight into open barges, then somewhat more carefully into barrels, the oil was shipped down the Allegheny River to Pittsburgh, where seven refineries sprang up within the first year to turn the crude into lubricants or kerosene for lamp fuel. Traders organized a market to set spot prices, options and futures contracts on the hot commodity.

John D. Rockefeller and his Standard Oil usurped Pittsburgh’s early refinery edge. But the city remained a busy trading hub for petroleum, and its market grew to encompass other commodities, plus stocks and bonds for the area’s numerous industrial concerns, investment banks and trust companies.

The exchange’s longtime home was demolished in 1963, and a reduced operation closed the following decade as regional markets were shuttered and trading centralized in Manhattan.

Like many Pittsburghers, Bill Benter was unaware of the former stock market. That was until the philanthropist and entrepreneur, who made his fortune designing software algorithms to handicap horse races, became an owner in the condominium next door.

“I had no idea, and in fact no real appreciation, that this had been the Wall Street of Pittsburgh,” says Benter, who owns six floors of the Benedum-Trees Building, including the top three for his Benter Foundation and other businesses. “There’s so much rich history here that we don’t know about … When I learned what was next door, it really helped me to understand this building.”

Besides extensively remodeling his floors, Benter has spent more than $800,000 on restoration of the Benedum-Trees Building’s original lobby of marble, brass and gold leaf. Last year he also funded a public art project to highlight the Fourth Avenue story. Artists Karen Krieger and David Montgomery created a mural-sized banner showing the old stock exchange; it now hangs above the spot where that building once stood.

The Benedum-Trees was originally built and named for Caroline Jones Machesney, the first woman in Pittsburgh to commission a skyscraper. It started out as private offices for stockbrokers and financial firms, until local oil tycoons Mike Benedum and Joe Trees bought it from her and turned it into their company headquarters.

Benter first learned about the stock exchange from Rob Pfaffmann, who has his architectural practice in the Benedum-Trees. So he asked the architect to direct the public art project, which they would like to see extend farther up Fourth Avenue with more art, history and creative street lighting.

“I think it’s the most underappreciated street in the city,” Pfaffmann says. “It’s still mostly intact, obviously with a few missing teeth.”

Pfaffmann has worked on Fourth Avenue since he came to the city 40 years ago, when the narrow urban canyon still had a functioning trolley line. Back then, concerned that the Fourth Avenue corridor might be torn down for an urban shopping mall, Pfaffmann and other preservationists gave walking tours to raise awareness of the street’s special history. The area is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, though Pfaffmann is quick to point out that the designation does not ban owners from demolishing a building.

The oldest bank still standing on Fourth Avenue, Dollar Bank, dates from 1870. A venerable brownstone guarded by two carved lions, it has been in operation ever since, with tellers and customers transacting over the same polished marble countertop for more than 150 years. Photography is not permitted, but any visitor can step in and appreciate the soaring interior, which somehow seems twice as big as the sidewalk view suggests is possible.

Besides being a functioning financial institution, the bank is an excellent small history museum. One display includes pictures and biographies of early working-class depositors, including many Black people, immigrants and women.

Nearby, two tall offices feature rugged stone facades inspired by the then-new Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail. One of them, the 1889 Fidelity Trust Building, is where board members convening to plan Andrew Carnegie’s great library in Oakland received a $1 million check from the tycoon to fund its construction.

An imitation Greek temple next door, despite its deceptively small stature, once housed one of the biggest financial institutions in the country. The Union Trust Company, founded by Andrew Mellon, had $16 million in surplus funds according to a 1903 survey of local banks, equal to the combined total of all 38 national banks in Philadelphia.

The building opened in 1898 and was designed by Daniel Burnham, the celebrated Chicago architect and chief planner of the world’s fair there in 1893. While the Flatiron Building in Manhattan is Burnham’s most famous skyscraper, he designed more in Pittsburgh than New York, or indeed any other city outside Chicago. His local works include the Frick and Oliver buildings and the railroad terminal on Grant Street known as the Pennsylvanian.

The Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania purchased the former Union Trust in 1987 and uses it for meetings and other functions. The interior still makes quite an impression on members, says Tammi Halapin, president of the society.

“The very first time I stepped in the building was probably 20 years ago, when one of my former coworkers took us to lunch there,” she recalls. “I was like, ‘wow, what is this place?’”

The gigantic, armor-plated safe is used as a private dining room for member luncheons. That’s one challenge with old bank buildings: Their safes are far too massive to remove.

So creativity is called for. At the Bank Tower, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership hit upon an inspired reuse strategy: the large safe there is now a locker room for its cleanup and outreach volunteers to stash their valuables before heading out into the neighborhood.

More Resources
Explore the history and important people of Pittsburgh’s Wall Street, including images of the stock exchange trading floor, through Go Fourth Pittsburgh. The website was created by Mark Houser and Philadelphia artist Chris Hytha with support from the Benter Foundation. Find it at: GoFourthPittsburgh.org

Mark Houser is a writer, professional speaker and skyscraper tour guide focusing on landmark buildings in Pittsburgh and across the country. He is the author of “MultiStories: 55 Antique Skyscrapers & the Business Tycoons Who Built Them,” available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and select bookstores. Houser’s current project with Philadelphia artist Chris Hytha, showcasing great Art Deco skyscrapers across America through stories and unique drone photo compositions, can be seen now at HighrisesCollection.com and will be released this fall as a coffee table book. His website is: HouserTalks.com

For more than three decades, Pittsburgh Magazine has named a Pittsburgher of the Year. Previous winners include philanthropists Henry Hillman & Elsie Hilliard Hillman, Mario Lemieux (twice), Fred Rogers, August Wilson, former Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma and current Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin. Each summer, our editors and publisher begin to review potential candidates for Pittsburgher of the Year. Let us know who, or which group of people, you think deserves the honor by filling out the short form below.

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

If you had never heard of pickleball before 2019, you’re not alone.

Although the sport was invented in 1965, pickleball only gained popularity in dribs and drabs over the years, remaining a relatively niche sport for decades.

But now, according to the latest data released by USA Pickleball, pickleball’s national governing body, it’s the nation’s fastest-growing sport. More than 14% of Americans (a whopping 36.5 million people) played pickleball from August 2021 to August 2022, with more than 8.5 million people playing pickleball eight times or more over that period.

That’s a lot of people playing a sport that was relatively unknown a decade ago.

Pickleball, as the story goes, was invented when three friends were looking for an activity to keep their kids entertained and created the game using the only equipment they had at their disposal: ping-pong paddles, a wiffle ball and a badminton court. It borrows elements from badminton, ping pong and tennis, and is now a common part of physical education for elementary school students. Dedicated pickleball courts regularly have long lines of waiting players, there are wait lists to join local pickleball clubs and an entire pickleball coaching industry is popping up — not to mention pickleball gyms, camps, activity centers, a chain of restaurants and other side businesses. That includes the Canonsburg-based Pickleball Magazine, which launched with 15,000 subscribers in 2015 and now reaches more than 2 million readers for every bi-monthly issue, according to publisher and founder Wayne Dollard.

“We’ve featured celebrities and sports legends, including country pop’s Maren Morris, NFL’s Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Brees, NHL’s Kris Draper, and tennis icons John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Michael Chang,” as well as features on pickleball instructions, rules and the latest gear, says Pickleball Magazine’s editorial director Julie Talerico (a former Pittsburgh Magazine editor).

And the amount of pickleball players in Pittsburgh is growing, too.

Larry Gioia owns Side ’Aht Pickleball (which takes its name from the pickleball term ‘side out’), an organization that sells Pittsburgh-based pickleball merchandise to fund community pickleball projects — including programs that promote inclusivity in pickleball and pickleball events in Pittsburgh. He says he was hooked the first time he played.

“I did not know what the hell Pickleball was until about six years ago,” Gioia says. “My father invited me to play this silly game or what I thought was a silly game. He got me into this, and at first, I was apprehensive. You walk on the court, and you’re like, ‘This is definitely for people who are aged up and not for me.’ Like, I don’t want to come out here and cream old people, you know? Then you’re in there, and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is not what I expected at all.’”

The beauty of pickleball, says Gioia, is that age, and other athletic abilities, aren’t the barriers to entry they can be for other sports.

Pickleball player and instructor Laurel Heilman agrees. She started playing pickleball a few years ago, after her father, who was 88 years old at the time, began playing with his friends three times a week.

“Every time I called home, my mom would say, ‘Your dad is out again playing pickleball,’” Heilman says. “And I was like, ‘He’s 88 years old! How is an 88-year-old going three times a week?’ So I checked it out for myself.”

After a decades-long career spent coaching college basketball, she translated those skills into a pickleball coaching business in and around Pittsburgh. “It made sense to me to start writing up drill sessions and workouts and create introductory classes, beginner classes,” Heilman says. “Visually, I’m able to correct things and help people on their specific pickleball journey.”

The sport has found an audience, she says, because it’s not difficult to improve your performance once you understand the basics.

“Tennis takes you years to be confident,” she says. “The court is huge. It takes a long time just to be

able to keep a ball going back and forth. But pickleball doesn’t take as long, so you can pick it up easily.”

Heilman, who mostly works in the South Hills, says the increase in new clients has exploded in recent years.

“The problem for me and other instructors is finding courts because the game is so popular,” she says. “If I had my own place, I literally could probably teach morning through night.”

As demand from players reaches a fever pitch, the City of Pittsburgh, other municipalities, parks and recreation directors, and community leaders are trying to find new places to add courts.

Right now, there are 14 outdoor pickleball courts run by the City of Pittsburgh, including at Allegheny Commons East Park, Schenley Park, Frick Park and Bud Hammer Park in Hazelwood. In welcome news to the pickleball community, the city announced late last year that it would add 10 new pickleball courts on Washington’s Landing; they’re under construction now.

Those are just the outdoor courts run by the city. There are dozens of other places to play, if you know where to look.

Gioia created a mostly crowd-sourced map on his website (sideaht.com) that informally lists available courts (both indoor and outdoor) in Western Pennsylvania and as far east as State College in Centre County, from converted tennis courts to pickleball spaces at youth recreation centers.

It’s not a perfect list, Gioia says, but it’s a good place for players to start when they’re looking for a court.

“Demand is just incredibly high, and there’s just a very limited supply,” he says. “Now there are churches saying, ‘Wait a minute, we have this empty gym, we can use it for pickleball.’ There’s a lot of unused spaces turning into pickleball courts because the demand is so high, and people will not bat an eye at paying five bucks to go play for a couple of hours.”

The boom is not without controversy. Across the country, the sport has spawned noise complaints and even lawsuits about the continuous loud tapping of plastic ball against paddle (it can be 25 decibels louder than a felt-covered tennis ball hitting a racquet), forcing some municipalities to close courts or limit hours.

Locally, Franklin Park Borough Council in March voted to require players to use only Gamma Foam Quiet pickleballs on courts in Old Orchard Park after nearby residents complained about the noise. The borough hired Thornton Acoustics & Vibrations to install a noise monitoring system, which found the noise emitted from pickleball exceeded the borough’s noise ordinance.

There’s also been a divide between pickleball enthusiasts and tennis players, most notably because of tennis-court conversions. Because of the smaller playing surface, four pickleball courts can fit on one tennis court. Clubs and rec centers, taking note of the sport’s rising popularity, are making the change.

Despite these concerns, communities across southwestern Pennsylvania are investing in pickleball and building courts in response to requests from community members.

Cranberry, which has one of the strongest pickleball contingencies in the state, invested early. The Cranberry Township Pickleball Association was founded in 2017 and now boasts more than 1,200 members. They recently opened 500 more membership slots ($125 per year for Cranberry residents and $138 per year for non-residents) to better meet community demand.

“I’m a member in Cranberry, even though it takes me an hour to get there,” says Heilman. “It’s just beautiful. Fences around each court, they’re just extremely organized. It’s everything.”

There are 13 dedicated outdoor courts at Graham Park in Cranberry — and six more were set to open in June — which can be covered with an inflatable dome for indoor play during the winter. The township’s Park & Recreation website even has a live ‘Court View’ feed, with a new photo taken of their courts every minute. On a recent sunny Wednesday at 11 a.m., every court was filled with doubles players.

Then there are pickleball events, most notably the GAMMA Pickleball Classic, one of the largest pickleball tournaments in the country.

The three-day event, hosted by Pittsburgh-based GAMMA Sports, will be held this year from Aug. 18-20 at Downtown’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Hundreds of players from around the country will participate in the all-level tournament.

Josh Taylor-Martin, vice president of marketing and supply chain at GAMMA Sports, says GAMMA started creating pickleball products a few years ago after the company noticed that other brands were re-purposing their tennis racquet grips to use on pickleball paddles.

“We decided to launch some of our own paddles and see what we could do with it,” he says. “And it’s been bananas ever since.”

The GAMMA Classic is open to anybody, with any skill level. “Even if you’ve only picked up a paddle a couple of times,” Taylor-Martin says, “it’s a great way to test your tournament chops.”

Across the region, other organizations are embracing pickleball and hosting organized tournaments regularly, including at the Robinson Township Recreation Center and weekly matches run by the Pittsburgh Sports League.

Taylor-Martin says that once a player picks up a pickleball paddle, they become evangelical about the sport.

“I was at, and this is terrible, but I was at a funeral for my uncle in February, and my cousins, aunts, uncles, everybody, the only thing they wanted to talk to me about was pickleball,” Taylor-Martin says. “Not, ‘Hey, it’s been years since we’ve seen you.’ It was, ‘Hey, can we talk about pickleball a little bit? Can you get me a paddle?’ Like, I should have brought some paddles to the funeral! Once people get bit by the pickleball bug, there’s very little that can claw them back from it.”

Emily Catalano is a writer and founder of Highly Social Media, a social media and influencer marketing agency. She also runs the website Good Food Pittsburgh.

How to Play

The easiest way to learn is by picking up a paddle and learning the rules hands-on. But these are the general steps to play:

1. The game starts with one team serving the ball diagonally to their opponent.
2. Once the ball is in play, both teams must let it bounce once on their side before they can hit it.
3. After the ball has bounced once on each side, players can either volley it back and forth or let it bounce before hitting it.
4. The ball remains in play until one team fails to return it properly (also known as a fault).
5. Points are scored by the serving team when the receiving team either commits a fault or fails to return the ball.
6. The first team to reach 11 points (with a two-point advantage) wins.

Equipment

You don’t need much equipment to play pickleball, but each match does require:

1. A pickleball paddle (you can find sets of four online for as little as $30 or spend up to $250 on a professional-grade paddle).
2. A perforated pickleball ball, similar to a wiffle ball but slightly smaller in diameter (note that there are slight differences in balls for indoor and outdoor play).
3. A rectangular court, similar in size to a badminton court, with a net that is 36 inches tall.

Terms to Know:

• Non-Volley Zone
  A section of the court next to the net where players are prohibited from stepping inside, unless the ball has bounced. (It’s also known as “the kitchen.”)
• Banger
  Whacking the ball from a short distance, which can result in rapid-fire exchanges.
• Dink
  A soft shot that arcs over the net and lands in a non-volley zone.
• Dead Ball
  The pickleball ball after a fault is called.
• Fault
  An action that is a violation of the rules of pickleball, causing play to stop.
• Side Out
  A side out is called when one side loses its service, and the other side is awarded the serve.
• Rally
  The continuous play that happens after a serve and before one side faults.

Where to Play

The City of Pittsburgh currently has 14 outdoor pickleball courts:

• Allegheny Commons East (2)
• Bud Hammer Park (2)
• Fineview Park (1)
• Frick Park (3)
• Moore Park (2)
• Schenley Park (4)

Indoor pickleball courts are available at CitiParks Recreation Centers in Arlington, Brookline, Phillips and West Penn. Riverbank Park in Verona has four outdoor pickleball courts available daily from 9 a.m. until dark, with two courts always available for drop-in play. Graham Park in Cranberry has 13 dedicated outdoor courts, available to members of the Cranberry Township Pickleball Association. Lauri Ann West Community Center in O’Hara offers indoor pickleball sessions throughout the week.

The website sideaht.com has an interactive map with dozens of available courts.

Pickleball Tips

New to pickleball? Players and coaches share their tips:

1. Don’t assume anything. “You might see someone who doesn’t look athletic, or they appear to be older, and you think you can take them,” says Larry Gioia. “I’ve thought, ‘I’m younger, I’m more athletic, I’m faster.’ And then I would just get smoked.”
2. Introduce yourself to your opponents. “If you’re playing with strangers, at the very least, share your name. It happens all the time, because you’re mixing with everybody, but introduce yourself before the game,” says Laurel Heilman.
3. Play within your skill level. “Find a beginner group, an open play group,” says Heilman. “As you get better, you can move up, but it definitely helps to play with those on your level.”
4. If you want to start playing more frequently, speak up. “It’s very casual here in Pittsburgh, but there are a lot of cliques. People who like to play together form their own text threads. They’ve got their own WhatsApp groups where they’re organizing play. You’ve got to be proactive and let people know you want to be included,” Gioia says.
5. Invite others to play. “The very ethos of pickleball is that it’s so approachable,” says Gioia. “If I see someone sitting on the side with their paddles, I invite them to play, just to play.”
6. Remember, the receiving team always gets the benefit of the doubt. “You call your own lines, and it’s literally your call to make if the ball is in or out,” Gioia says. “So, you just have to trust your opponent, and let the call stand, unless it’s an officiated game.”
7. Wait your turn. “If someone is playing a game and you’re trying to get to the court next to them, don’t walk behind the court during a rally,” says Heilman. “Respect the rally that’s going on, wait until there’s a miss, then walk behind the court.”
8. Watch your balls. “If your ball rolls over to another court, don’t run in the middle of the court to get it back, but do yell, ‘Ball, Ball, Ball,’ if there’s a safety issue,” Heilman says. “And, when you give someone’s ball back, don’t trade it with your ball. Everybody wants their own ball back.”

PHOTOS BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Late last summer, Meghan McDermott stepped onto her covered patio and peered at the backyard with a feeling that landed somewhere between dread and excitement. The renovation of her family’s six-bedroom, red-brick Colonial in Upper St. Clair was stretching into its 15th month — with all the noise, dust and disruption that entails — and they hadn’t even considered the outdoor space yet.

In order to complete the three-story addition on the back of the home, construction workers had to dig out a new foundation and then fill and grade the property. That process left a backyard that was wider, flatter and brimming with possibilities. McDermott didn’t want to see that potential squandered in the face of renovation fatigue.

“We need to pay just as much attention to the outside as we did to the inside,” McDermott warned her family. “The outside should be just as designed.”

Of course, that would be a tall order given the scope of the indoor renovation overseen by McDermott, the owner of Blue and Blanc Design. The expanded square footage allowed for an entertainment room in the basement; a dining area, sitting room and laundry room on the first floor; and an expanded master bedroom and office on the second level.

True to McDermott’s tailored, transitional aesthetic, the new space is packed with clever, customized details: rich navy cabinetry in the butler’s pantry, a water-bottle filling station in the hallway, a barrel ceiling in the sitting room and — wait for it — floral wallpaper in the elevator. (Yes, they added an elevator to save square footage in the basement and make laundry days easier.)

McDermott was set on having that same attention to detail in the backyard while creating a space that served the entire family’s needs.

Her four children, who range in age from 8 to 14, immediately proposed one very specific idea — a pool. Fulfilling that request took some thought and compromise.

While the yard was now wide, it was still fairly shallow and hemmed in by a brick wall and a stand of evergreens. McDermott suggested an in-ground hot tub the family could use year-round, but the kids balked at that. Instead, they ended up somewhere in the middle, with a 4½-foot-deep plunge pool that can be heated to 105 degrees on chilly nights or provide a refreshing dip on summer days.

To maximize space, the pool is situated in the corner of the yard and curves with the arc of the brick wall. The placement is visually pleasing, plus it preserves a wide swath of uninterrupted green where the kids can toss a football or run with the family dog, Fletcher.

While McDermott was willing to concede on the pool, she was prepared to fight for her ideal dining area. She had long envisioned a long white table set on a diamond pattern and a blue stone-and-grass patio.

“I wanted it to look like something out of a magazine,” she says.

It was doable, her landscaper agreed, but to ensure its longevity, he advised using turf between the stones instead of grass. The suggestion raised the price tag, but McDermott took the leap. In fact, she decided to turf the entire backyard, providing 365 days of green (and no yellow spots left behind by Fletcher).

“I figured, we need to do it once, do it right and not cut any corners,” McDermott says.

Just beyond the dining area are the covered patio, stone fireplace and a 60-inch television, which pre-date the renovation, and a new, state-of-the-art Twin Eagles grill framed in navy fireproof board.

Because the addition is wrapped in bright white molding, it’s all set on a clean backdrop and accentuated with pops of blue (including throw pillows in a leafy motif from Schumacher’s outdoor line).

McDermott considered adding unexpected colors but kept returning to her signature palette of blue and “blanc.”

“It just keeps everything so crisp and clean,” she says.

In all, the renovation took 18 months and, because it finished last fall, this will be the family’s first full summer in the upgraded outdoor space. They’re already taking advantage of all it has to offer. On an unseasonably warm day in April, a forgotten game of cornhole lay on the turf while McDermott readied the plunge pool for visitors.

“I’m my own worst client,” McDermott jokes. “I see a new thing and I want it.”

But, in this backyard, it seems she got everything she desired.

LED BY SENIOR DAVID YOU, CMU’S STUDENT-RUN EATERY SPECIALIZES IN GRAIN BOWLS. | PHOTOS COURTESY CAPITAL GRAINS

When Carnegie Mellon University student David You agreed to head an experimental project for the school’s dining services department, some would say he was biting off more than he could chew. 

The senior business administration major was also juggling a minor in computer science, a Google internship and multiple extracurricular activities. Undaunted by his hectic schedule, he developed an on-campus eatery that, like CMU’s 32 other dining concepts, is open to the public. 

“This is my capstone project,” says You, who is moving to San Francisco this summer to work full time for Google. “I’ve always been a big believer that it’s important to be involved in the community and clubs.”

Chartwells, CMU’s primary dining vendor, operates in 300 colleges and universities across the country. Capital Grains is its first student-run eatery. 

Located in Rohr Commons on the second floor of the Tepper Building, the fast-casual concept features customizable bowls and salads made with whole grains, fresh vegetables and proteins, including tofu. It is open from noon to 3 p.m. weekend days during the academic year.

Capital Grains debuted on Saturday, Feb. 25. By the end of business hours on Sunday, Feb. 26, the staff had prepared more than 400 bowls — impressive for a place that’s only open 360 minutes each week.

“We were expected to make $4,000 by the end of the semester and I was going to be very happy,” You says, a proud smile spreading across his face. “We reached $4,800 by the end of the first week.”

CAPITAL GRAINS CEO DAVID YOU (FOURTH FROM LEFT) STANDS WITH HIS RESTAURANT STAFF

He chalks up Capital Grains’ success to the student body’s desire for healthier on-campus grub and his hand-picked, 11-member staff, including sophomore Prisha Goyal, who serves as chief marketing officer. The applicants included undergraduate and graduate students representing all schools at CMU.

Goyal, who is studying business administration, organized a menu sampling event, where student feedback was collected and analyzed. She also helmed the grand opening festivities and is in charge of public relations. She says the project melds academics with real world situations.

“As a student who believes in learning by doing, I am always seeking opportunities to learn and grow,” she says. “Working on a first-of-its-kind initiative, led and managed by students, was a challenge that excited me as I would learn to navigate the challenges of building and running a business. The mission of Capital Grains to develop a fast-casual concept with healthy food options also drew me in as I wanted to make a positive impact on the CMU community.”

All Capital Grains students are paid an hourly wage and receive independent study credits for their work, which ranges from participating in weekly board meetings to preparing and selling food. And while the enterprising pupils are proving themselves quite capable of running an eatery on their own, they do receive guidance from professor Sun Kee Lee along with Dining Services Director Joseph Beaman and Chartwells’ District Regional Manager Mike Tokarek and their respective staff members.

About a year ago, Beaman and Tokarek came up with the idea for a sustainable, student-run dining concept. After seeing the way You expertly organized an orientation session for 1,700 first-year undergrads, they knew they had found a proven leader. You even returned from summer break a week early to obtain his Pennsylvania Restaurant Manager Certification and set up standard operating procedures for Capital Grains.

Aside from purchasing a new rice warmer and a second refrigerator, CMU and Chartwells didn’t have to dish out a lot of money to get Capital Gains off the ground. 

“It’s a huge win,” Beaman says. “It’s our biggest win on campus this year and it’s part of the educational model. People talk about it a lot.”

Capital Grains’ Chief Financial Officer Raphael Isea Rodriguez can attest to that. The first-year business administration student regularly receives pats on the back from friends who are fans of the food. He also is getting hands-on experience making financial statements and tracking costs and revenue trends, something he never got to do while working as a busser back home in North Bethesda, Maryland. 

Junior Michael Maddalon serves as chief operating officer, which aligns with his future goals in the hospitality industry. 

“Students are completely choosing the menu, the recipes, the marketing, the compensation,” he says. “It’s a very cool project and a unique opportunity.”

And he digs the food, too — particularly the Seed Funding, a grain bowl containing brown rice, quinoa, pickled red onions, cucumbers, corn, chickpeas and baked chicken with a house-made cilantro lime dressing.

Beaman and Tokarek are in talks with other universities in Chartwells’ framework that want to add similar culinary operations to give their students a taste of the real world. 

“It’s entrepreneurship with guardrails,” You says. “You learn a diverse set of skills in a safe environment. This is all part-time for us, but the most important part is the learning aspect.”

He is confident Capital Grains’ success will continue after he graduates. 

His heart and belly are full.

PHOTO COURTESY AURA SAUNA STUDIO

If you’re like a lot of Pittsburghers, the last three years have been intense.

Ever-increasing political divide and a teetering economy have weighed heavily on us all, not to mention a still-ongoing global pandemic.

And while the pandemic has shifted so much about our lives, from the way we work to the way we travel, it has also led to some major pivots in the wellness industry. Spa owners and wellness industry leaders report that there have been big changes in what people are looking to get out of a spa experience and a lot more interest in alternative forms of self-care, particularly ones that promise rest, relaxation and stress-reduction.

From sound spas and forest bathing to float tanks and aromatherapy massages, a lot of us are using more holistic activities and therapies to find new ways to practice wellness — though, if you want to try a new therapy, it’s always a good idea to consult your doctor first.

“It’s been so much more critical for people to take care of themselves these last three years,” says Jonelle McMahan, who owns Sewickley Spa. “The pandemic was a big awakening for a lot of people.”

Sensory Deprivation Tanks

PHOTOS COURTESY VICTORY FLOAT LOUNGE

Imagine, for a moment, that you could literally shut down all of your senses. There are no distractions — no television running in the background, no podcasts, nothing to see but darkness, and nothing to do as you float away with your thoughts.

That’s the experience you’ll find in a sensory deprivation tank, an increasingly popular option for those who want to tune out. Here in Pittsburgh, there are now more than half a dozen flotation spas offering the experience.

As the mother of a toddler, the thought of drifting around in the ether sounded nothing short of heavenly, and I was eager to try it.

There are essentially two types of floating options: Traditional pods, which are shaped like oversized bathtubs with a lid, and larger floating chambers, walled-in structures that feature a door you can shut. Each type of structure contains 10 to 12 inches of warm water and enough Epsom salt (typically at least 1,000 pounds) to keep you buoyant.

For my first float, I landed at True REST Float Spa in McMurray; this is part of a franchise with locations also in Scott and Wexford, as well as a few dozen more across the country. Floats start at $89 each, though there are special introductory and membership prices available.

After getting checked in and watching a short introductory video, I was led to a private room with a small shower and the floatation pod. Per the instructions, I rinsed myself off and put in a pair of provided earplugs. (Bathing suits are optional.)

Stepping into the pod, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The water was body-temperature warm. I immediately felt a buoyancy that lifted me up, and then … nothing.

I chose to do a full sensory deprivation experience, shutting the lid tightly and disappearing into the darkness. I floated for an hour, allowing my mind to rest. I didn’t fall asleep, and I didn’t get bored (something I was a little concerned about). When my session was over, the lights slowly started to come up, and I stepped out of the pod feeling about as rested as if I’d slept for a solid 8 hours.

Guests have complete control over their experience in the pod and can choose to close the lid entirely or keep it cracked a bit. There are options for lighting and soothing music, all of which can be controlled within the pod. I was worried that I’d start to panic in the small pod, but the space offered enough room for me to fully spread my arms and legs and comfortably move around.

And it was comfortable.

Casey Williams co-owns Victory Float Lounge, with locations in Lawrenceville and Sewickley that use the larger, chamber-style tanks. He says, while they get a lot of clients who use their tanks as a method of relaxation, there are a host of other reasons why people visit their tanks.

“Our whole approach is the idea that everybody’s win looks different,” Williams says. “We don’t approach it with the idea that you have to come in and find your zen. It’s not always that. We get a lot of people who come in with neck pain, back pain, stress and anxiety. A lot of new parents who just want some peace and quiet.”

Infrared Saunas

AURA SAUNA STUDIO

Laura Early opened her Strip District infrared sauna, Aura Sauna Studio, after visiting a spa in Nashville, Tennessee with her mother. The duo fell in love with the service and decided to build their own studio in Pittsburgh.

“Traditional saunas just heat the air around you. With an infrared sauna, it actually heats you from the core to the outside,” says Early, who has a background in marketing.

According to Early, a 45-minute session in the sauna can help reduce inflammation and improve circulation; she also says the experience can help with muscle recovery, joint pain and back pain, rebuild the collagen in your skin and burn up to 600 calories as a “passive cardio experience.”

“And, obviously, you get all kinds of other benefits too, like emotional healing, stress healing and better sleep,” she says.

Whew. Sign me up for all of that.

Aura Sauna Studio has six private units that can be booked individually or with a friend or partner. The saunas are heated to about 140 degrees, but guests can adjust the temperature to their tastes; they can also scroll around on a studio-provided tablet to choose their own music or watch television shows or movies. Single sessions are $45.

Himalayan Salt Caves

PHOTO COURTESY PEACE, LOVE & ZEN WELLNESS CENTER

For those looking for a less sweat-inducing stress-relief session, East Liberty’s Peace, Love & Zen Wellness Center provides a relaxing retreat in their Himalayan Salt Cave, a salt room made using 8 tons of Himalayan sea salt bricks. Guests can book $35 sessions in 45-minute increments (often with others, though private bookings are available).

“There’s actually salt being dispersed into the air, and you’re actually breathing the salt into your lungs,” says owner Susan Coe. “It’s just a very clean atmosphere.”

A halogenerator in each room grinds up the salt and pushes it into the air when the room is in session.

“The original intention of the salt therapy is for all respiratory ailments: asthma, allergies, sinus problems. And it’s great for relieving headaches and migraines,” says Coe.

While there have been a few studies on the effects of using salt therapy to ease symptoms of asthma and bronchitis, the results haven’t been medically conclusive. As with other forms of alternative therapy, if you’re interested in trying it, it’s always a good idea to talk with your doctor before committing to a session.

“Of course, it provides an atmosphere that promotes a lot of relaxation and de-stressing,” Coe says. “There’s relaxing music playing that we designed specifically for our salt cave, and a lot of subliminal things in the music that help send your body to a more relaxed state.”

Coe says that it’s not uncommon for guests to fall asleep in the room.

“It’s really, really great for just stepping out of the chaos of everyday life,” she says.

In addition to the salt cave, Peace, Love & Zen also offers traditional spa services such as massage therapy, saunas, acupuncture and dips in their oxygenated whirlpool tubs, which have highly oxygenated water.

“That in particular is really good for muscle recovery,” she says.

Massages, Facials and Beauty Care

MINK TREATMENT ROOM | PHOTO COURTESY SEWICKLEY SPA

Of course, there are always classic spa services to help you unwind. McMahan, the owner of Sewickley Spa, says that her spa has been offering many of the same services since they opened in 1997.

“We stick to the basics,” she says. “We just really focus on executing the best service that we can.”

That includes aromatherapy massages (a Swedish massage using essential oils), hydramemory facials (a deeply hydrating skin treatment) and cupping (where small heated cups are placed in various points across the body to create suction and facilitate blood flow). McMahon says that new services — such as a fast-drying vegan nail polish that eliminates the use of UV lamps and a lash lift service that acts as a perm for your lashes — are only a small part of their offerings.

“We’re not huge into jumping into fads,” she says. “We don’t want to divert too much from what we do, and what we do really well — the massages, the facials, the body wraps, the nail services.”

McMahon has also noticed a big change in the way that clients use her spa since the beginning of the pandemic. More people are taking time to care for themselves than she’s seen before. They also have more flexible schedules.

“Fridays and Saturdays would be our busiest days, and evenings were always hugely popular,” she says. “Now, with everyone working from home, they can sneak away a little bit during weekday hours and come to us and get their facials.”

Sound Massages and Forest Bathing

SOUND MASSAGE | PHOTOS COURTESY WYATT MYLIUS

Wyatt Mylius of Aspinwall was on his own health journey in 2012 after losing a significant amount of weight. To better connect with his new body, he began doing yoga; he found a teacher who also used sound therapy, primarily with gongs and cymbals.

“I had a session with sound, and it was the first time that I felt my body in that way,” he says. “It really connected me to my body in ways that I just can’t explain at all.”

Mylius began to experiment with his own sound practice, studying ways to use music for holistic therapy. He opened his own sound studio, Rooted in Sound, in 2016 in Lawrenceville, later moving the studio to its current location in Aspinwall. Each sound session is about 45 minutes long and can also include additional coaching or assessments, depending on the client’s needs. Prices start at $125 per session.

One of Mylius’ most popular offerings is a practice called sound massage.

“The name is a little misleading, because I’m not massaging them,” Mylius says. “I don’t touch them with my hands at all.”

Instead of a traditional massage, singing bowls are set at particular points around the body then tapped gently, offering vibrations that can be felt.

“It’s more like vibrational acupuncture, more than a massage,” Mylius says. “The vast majority of my clients are coming because they want some kind of change, they want some kind of shift in their life.”

And of course, they all want to relax.

“No matter what, you’re going to hit that state of rest, and a feeling of relaxation will just come over them,” he says. “I mean, when people get off the table, they look five, 10 years younger — just because they let go of the stress.”

FOREST BATHING

While that’s definitely in the eye of the beholder, there’s no denying that the process is relaxing. For clients who want a change of scenery with their pursuit of wellness, Mylius also takes groups outside of the studio and runs forest therapy sessions near the Rachel Carson Trail — which stretches 45 miles from North Park to Harrison Hills Park.

Starting in April and until the weather gets too cold, Mylius leads participants into nature to practice the art of forest bathing, a series of activities and meditations while surrounded by trees.

“It allows people to enter a state of rest while connecting to natural surroundings,” he says. “Meditations are very sensory, and I’m having them sing and think about what they’re seeing. We look at the different shapes and textures of things like leaves and listen to the noises in the distance.”

Each session also involves “forced play,” where participants can play in the creek and interact with nature in a way they don’t typically have the chance to in their everyday life.

“It’s like if you were in that environment as a child,” he says. “We want to look at the forest with a child’s eye and with the eye of curiosity.”

Mylius’ forest sessions all conclude with a leisurely forest walk and a cup of fresh-brewed tea from foraged ingredients.

“What we do on these walks is so repeatable,” says Mylius. “It helps people to slow down so they can take time in nature on their own.”

Emily Catalano is a writer and founder of Highly Social Media, a social media and influencer marketing agency.
She also runs the website Good Food Pittsburgh.

PHOTO BY K. GERARD PAINTER JR./PITTSBURGH MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Start with a sea of mud near the bank of a river. It’s hardly inspiring — not yet. But add some tax-credit magic and a dash of pixie dust. Voila: Pittsburgh really will be Hollywood on the Mon by 2024.

Ground was broken late last year on the construction of film studios at RIDC Carrie Furnace along the Monongahela River in Rankin, right next to the historical blast furnaces.

It will begin with a 52,000-square-foot structure to house at least two sound stages at a cost of $20 million, the vision of the Pittsburgh Film Office.

Next to this will be a 60,000-square-foot “tech flex” multipurpose building (a $15 million project). Once the latter is leased, a second, similar tech flex building will follow.

And all involved say there is room to grow.

This venture between the Regional Industrial Development Corporation and Allegheny County is “sort of the missing piece in our Mon Valley charm bracelet,” says Timothy White, RIDC’s senior vice president, business and development strategy.

The film office has assisted in more than 200 films and TV productions in southwestern Pennsylvania since it was established in 1990. And although the region has been home to major productions — ranging from “The Dark Knight Rises” to two projects about Fred Rogers — film crews on those projects have had to use retrofitted studios that began life as vastly different structures.

“We’ve made do with repurposed warehouses,” says Dawn Keezer, the director of the film office for 28 years. “We’re fortunate to have 31st Street Studios, fortunate we have the [former] American Eagle distribution clothing place out in Warrendale.”

Other local facilities have been used as sound stages, including spaces in Carnegie, Churchill, an airport hangar and the WQED studios in Oakland.

“But the industry has changed, the need has changed,” Keezer says. “The amount of technology that’s needed for these facilities to operate effectively and efficiently? People have different requests now.”

PORTIONS OF “FENCES” WAS FILMED IN A HOME ON ANAHEIM STREET IN THE HILL DISTRICT | PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Silver Screen Gold Rush

MovieMaker magazine recently bumped Pittsburgh into the big leagues, naming it one of the top 10 big cities for filmmaking with its 2023 “Best Places to Live and Work.” (Atlanta was No. 1.) The magazine had previously ranked Pittsburgh a “small town,” based on its population.

But now “it can hold its own against much bigger cities,” MovieMaker editor Tim Molloy wrote about Pittsburgh. “Shockingly affordable, especially given its beautiful housing stock, it boasts architecture that begs to be filmed, rolling hills, countless bridges crossing its three rivers, and world-class museums, music and food.

“People who visit from elsewhere often wonder why no one’s ever told them how cool Pittsburgh is, so folks: We’re telling you now.”

Attracting film and TV projects is more competitive than ever. No one can compete with the likes of Los Angeles and New York City — and much more recently the state of Georgia, which has unlimited film tax credits to offset production costs. Then there’s the Great White North powerhouses of Toronto and Vancouver.

Yet other cities have jumped in. Louisville, Kentucky, for example, recently announced its intent to construct a $65 million studio. According to the proposal, the historic Louisville Gardens will be renovated to include 40,000 square feet of studio space in addition to retail, office and museum space. Groundbreaking is expected later this year with completion expected in 2025.

Kentucky has reinstated its film tax credit program, with 30%-35% of what is spent returned to the visiting projects. It’s capped at $75 million per year.

The greater Pittsburgh region, with a rich history bolstered by the story of George A. Romero and his “Night of the Living Dead” franchise, has done well for itself. It often stands in for other cities, such as New York — or Gotham — in “The Dark Knight Rises,” Washington, D.C., in some scenes of the series “Mindhunter,” Indianapolis in “The Fault in Our Stars” and, currently, Kingstown, Michigan, in the Paramount+ series “The Mayor of Kingstown.”

It’s even played itself on occasion — including in acclaimed films such as “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” and “Fences.”

When the Cinemax series “Banshee” moved production for its final season — from North Carolina to Vandergrift — producers say they were thrilled to find locations that actually were fitting backgrounds for the story set in a small Western Pennsylvania town.

THIS IS A RENDERING OF THE $15 MILLION, 60,000-SQUARE-FOOT “TECH-FLEX” BUILDING THAT WILL PROVIDE MULTIPLE USES. IT WILL BE NEXT TO A $20 MILLION BUILDING HOUSING AT LEAST TWO SOUND STAGES | RENDERING BY PIEPER O’BRIEN HERR ARCHITECTS

Meeting Demand

But locations and come-as-you-are converted soundstages are not actual studios, and the RIDC project aims to attract even more projects.

“In 2021, we had 11 [major] projects shoot in southwestern Pennsylvania, a record-breaking year. They spent $338 million while they were here,” Keezer says.

Admitting she sounds “like a broken record,” she adds that there could have been even more projects. “We are getting an additional $30 million this year,” she says, referring to the film tax credits — shared throughout the state — that state lawmakers raised from $70 million to $100 million.

“Which is great, but understand, we had $250 million worth of applications. The program is still woefully underfunded and oversubscribed.”

There is no blueprint for what makes a city or region a shoo-in for production. In Nevada, where a total of 415 projects were shot between June 2021 and June 2022, the tax credit cap is $10 million per fiscal year, with any unused rolled over.

But the Nevada Film Office is part of the state government, which leads to “synergies with other state agencies and municipalities — and our services are offered free of charge to our clients,” says Danette Tull, production and communications manager.

Obviously, the Strip in Las Vegas is a huge draw. But many other sites are popular locations, including the Mob Museum (also in Vegas), ghost towns, Virginia City and the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, near the California border.

One of Pittsburgh’s most filmed backdrops is the Carrie Furnace itself, which has been used for numerous productions including the Christian Bale feature film “Out of the Furnace,” the series “One Dollar” and “Hemlock Grove” and even “Antiques Roadshow” and “American Ninja Warrior.” For the Showtime TV series “American Rust” — currently in production for its second season on Amazon Freevee — Carrie Furnace was the site of a key murder.

MAURA TIERNEY AS GRACE POE AND JEFF DANIELS AS DEL HARRIS IN “AMERICAN RUST” | PHOTO BY MATTHIAS CLAMER/SHOWTIME

Building Stages and Partnerships

Recycling former brownfield sites such as Carrie Furnace — a remnant of the former U.S. Steel Homestead Works — has been aided by the commonwealth’s Act II of 1995, a law that “creates a realistic framework for setting cleanup standards, provides special incentives for developing abandoned sites, releases responsible parties from liability when cleanup standards are met, sets deadline for Department of Environmental Protection action and provides funding for environmental studies and cleanups,” according to the Department of Environmental Protection’s website.

For RIDC and the four municipalities (Rankin, Swissvale, the City of Pittsburgh and Braddock) involved, teaming up with the Pittsburgh Film Office was a logical next step.

“It really is a critical partnership to have that industry insight, combined with the real estate development knowledge that RIDC brings,” says Don Smith, RIDC president.

“We would be delighted to build out the whole site in the next year but the reality is, it’s an incremental process,” he says. “We will get the first set of soundstages up, the first tech flex building, and the market will respond to that.”

“We haven’t had neighbors for a long time but it is an opportunity to bring a lot of dollars into this region … [The Film Office has] proven time and again they can bring a lot of economic power and provide an awful lot of jobs,” said Ron Baraff, director of historic resources and facilities at Rivers of Steel. The nonprofit oversees the former furnace site, located in Swissvale.

To that end, the new facility will house a training center where some technical trades of filmmaking will be taught, such as electricians, hairstyle, grips and makeup.

This Pittsburgh Film Works program already has trained a group of grips and electricians, with hairstylists following last January. Funding for this comes from the film office, the state, Richard King Mellon Foundation and various economic development funds.

Unions such as IATSE 52, which represents motion picture studio mechanics and Local 489 (production technicians) and IATSE Local 798 (makeup and hair), help bolster the local workforce that will be needed for multiple productions.

“We want young people ready to go to work,” Keezer says, adding that the first classes have been inclusive of women and have BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation.

DAWN KEEZER | PHOTO BY K. GERARD PAINTER JR./PITTSBURGH MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Georgia on Their Minds

Keezer and an RIDC delegation traveled to Georgia in November to get an idea of what one member called “the Goldilocks tour” — the high-end facility, the low-end and the midstream.

“We drove more than 250 miles in less than 30 hours, and I never made it to Downtown [Atlanta],” Keezer says.

They toured EUE/Screen Gems, where the Netflix hit “Stranger Things” is shot. They went to the massive Trilith Studios just south of Atlanta, where Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as “Black Panther” and multiple “Avengers” installments were shot.

Trilith is one of the places in the country with what’s known as a “volume” soundstage. Imagine a capsule of screens (ceiling included) that can place the actors in otherworldly locations, such as those featured in Disney’s “The Mandalorian” or just down a country road. It represents something else that Keezer says Pittsburgh can aspire to, albeit on a physically smaller scale: working studios, facilities for scenery and costume fabrication and also a village complex including retail and housing.

For the Rankin project, the two new sound stages would be capable of being sectioned into smaller, multiple studios.

“It doesn’t have to be that big,” Keezer says, comparing RIDC Carrie Furnace’s potential to Trilith. “We have 54 acres down at Rankin, right? Six stages would be 300,000 square feet of stage space.

“This is a start. I don’t expect this to be the only soundstage facility in Western Pennsylvania, but I think what this does is, it gets us moving in the right direction to keep the work coming.”

Maria Sciullo is a Pittsburgh-based journalist whose coverage of arts and entertainment found her scrambling around the old Carrie Furnace site on numerous occasions. It remains an awe-inspiring location.

TRAVIS, SUTTON AND PEYTON SWAGGERTY | PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Peyton Swaggerty started dating her husband, Travis, when she was still in high school. As a freshman at the University of South Alabama, Travis was a star baseball player, with an eye toward the future.

“His goal was always to make it to the majors and play baseball professionally,” Swaggerty says. “So a lot of our date nights were just me feeding the pitching machines and him hitting in the cages.”

Travis was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018 as the league’s 10th overall pick. In New York for the draft, Peyton and his family cheered him on.

“When they announced his name, it was just unbelievable,” she says. “It was like watching his dreams come true in that very moment.”

And just like that, Peyton was thrust into a new club of her own: A group of wives and girlfriends of professional baseball players who band together as they navigate relentless travel, near-nightly games and the uncertain future that comes with being a pro athlete’s partner. As the Pirates gear up for another season, six wives and partners of current players share with us the highs and lows of the lifestyle — and why they form such strong bonds both on and off-season, staying connected through massive group texts and family trips.

JT AND DARCI BRUBAKER | PHOTO COURTESY DARCI BRUBAKER

Planning for Changed Plans

In this walk of life — like any other — there’s often a lot going on behind the scenes.

“Three days [after the draft], I found out I had cancer,” Swaggerty says. “At the draft, my mom actually noticed the lump on my neck, but she didn’t want to freak me out.”

Swaggerty was diagnosed with stage 2 thyroid cancer and underwent surgery soon afterward; she has been cancer-free since then. She and Travis got engaged a few months later, a short time into his professional career.

“That’s why we got married,” says Swaggerty. “I was like, life is so short. I wanted to have kids right away, and we had [our daughter] Sutton nine months to the day after our wedding.”

The wedding, of course, was held in December.

“We all get married in the winter,” laughs Darci Brubaker, whose husband, JT, made his MLB debut with the Pirates in 2020. “Winter weddings happen a lot with baseball families because you don’t really have time for that in the season.”

That means that engagements, weddings and births are planned for those few months when baseball is off.

Life for pro baseball families is a fun existence, they say, but a lot of work. And, while it may look glamorous from the outside, with million-dollar contracts and constant travel, the wives say that supporting their partners comes with a whole host of sacrifices.

WIL, KOA AND HILARY CROWE | PHOTO COURTESY HILARY CROWE

A Unique Lifestyle

It’s not unusual for a professional baseball player’s year to be divided into three places: their home base (typically close to family and where they grew up), Florida for two months of spring training, then their team’s home city for the rest of the year.

And that’s just for players who have made it to the 40-man roster in the big leagues.

Life, on the other hand, doesn’t always fit neatly into that three-location schedule.

“I was due in August last year with [my son] Jett, so I came back home to Ohio at the very end of July because I wanted to deliver here,” Brubaker says. “The guys — all the players and coaches — they only get three days for a birth. So, I had him, and then we had to do the distance apart until JT was able to come home the first week of October. Hopefully we’re going to plan our next child a little bit better and push him a little more into the off-season, because anything that happens during season, it’s all about baseball.

“It’s a unique lifestyle,” she adds. “It’s hard to explain to even your girlfriends back home — who will be like, ‘What do you mean you move three times a year?’”

Hilary Crowe, wife to Pirates pitcher Wil Crowe, says that keeping a home base in South Carolina, where she and Wil grew up, is important for their family’s sanity and offers a way to stay connected to both sets of their parents. The Crowes spend October through February in South Carolina, then head to Florida together for spring training.

“After that, we’re in Pittsburgh for six months,” she says. “So we just kind of switch back and forth and do that rotation throughout the year.”

EMMA HENZES AND MAX KRANICK | PHOTO COURTESY EMMA HENZES

For families with older kids in school, that can be much harder, Crowe says, as they have to juggle school schedules and kids’ activities. She and Wil have a 16-month old son, Koa, who is mostly happy to go with the flow and toddle around wherever he happens to be. That’s why — for now, at least — “we’re doing the whole shebang as a family,” she says.

That means that Crowe packs up Koa for lots of long nights at the ballpark and travels — at their own expense — to most of the away games to be with her husband.

“The wives pretty much set everything up,” she says. “If we want to go on a trip, we set up our own travel plans to get to the airport, our own flights, and figure out how to get to the hotel. The team is really great and will provide transportation in some of the cities from the hotel to the field, but most of the time, it’s up to us.”

It’s a struggle to plan and execute, but they’ve decided as a couple that it’s important. During the regular season, a typical schedule for the team is roughly seven days in Pittsburgh, then seven days on the road.

For many families, that’s just too long to be apart.

“During the two seasons that we’ve had with the Pirates, we’ve traveled on the road with Wil as much as we can,” says Crowe. “I can get to a point sometimes where I’m like, ‘Oh, this is a lot.’ But on the flip side, I know that if I don’t, [Koa’s] missing that time with Wil, where they could be sharing a special moment together on the road.”

Swaggerty also brings her infant daughter along to almost all of the away games — and all of the home games, too.

“We wives get together, fiancées and girlfriends, and we all try to make sure we’re on the same flight. And it’s all hands on deck, because the majority of us have kids.”

“I see the moms, oh, my God, the super moms, the moms who have kids in the baseball world,” says Emma Henzes, pitcher Max Kranick’s fiancée. “They’re traveling alone, they’re not traveling with their significant other. But people do it, and it’s amazing.”

So many late nights at the ballpark mean that some of the wives have imposed non-traditional schedules on their babies, too.

“We actually made our daughter’s sleep schedule a baseball schedule from the beginning,” Swaggerty says. “She goes to bed about 10 every night, and will get up around 8 a.m. My friends have babies that go to bed at, like, 6:30, and I say, ‘Uh uh, the game hasn’t even started yet.”

During home games, the Pirates organization provides child care for families at the field, along with family parking, extra tickets, prime seating and other perks.

“With Mitch being a starting pitcher, he only plays every five days,” says Clancy Keller, who is married to Mitch Keller. “I for sure go to every game that he starts in. And, I usually go on the weekends, because that’s my social scene, to see my friends. But, I mean, 162 games in a year is kind of a lot.”

MITCH AND CLANCY KELLER | PHOTO COURTESY CLANCY KELLER

Sudden Moves and Paused Careers

Then there’s the constant potential for trades. Players can get traded at any time throughout the season, usually with only a few hours’ notice.

“I know that eventually it’ll happen,” says Henzes, who became engaged to Kranick in December. “Everyone in baseball gets traded or moves rosters … you could be on to a new place on the other side of the country, you could go to Japan, you could go to Korea, all those are possibilities. But that’s OK with me. I love to travel. You kind of have to be that way with this.”

Even within an organization, there’s a lot of uncertainty and movement, with players being sent back and forth from various minor league teams as rosters change.

“Max has bopped up and down from so many different leagues, from the minors to the majors, and all over the place,” Henzes says. “Once, I was taking a flight to Charlotte, [North Carolina], only for him to get called up. And then, I had to go on a work trip to Miami, so I get to Miami, thinking I’m going to be heading out to Pittsburgh, and then all of a sudden, he’s back in Charlotte for now, but has to go to Indianapolis the next day.

“I’m just really, really close with American Airlines.”

Crowe, whose husband was traded from the Washington Nationals in 2020, says having gone through a trade within her own family has helped her to offer better support to other wives who may go through it.

“If the guys are traded midseason, they’re on a plane to wherever and they’re gone. And we’re sort of left to figure out how to move, how to get things packed up, deal with the lease situation and all that,” she says.

It’s often a moment when the whole group of wives and girlfriends come together.

“Having seen women who have done the moves, it’s like, ‘Hey, I’ll come over and help you pack up your boxes, we’re going to help you get everything together, and you’re going to be able to go in 8 hours like you need to,’” says Brubaker. “There really is such a community around you.”

Living with that kind of uncertainty can put a damper on the wives’ own career ambitions. It’s tough to grow a career when the threat of moving is always at the forefront, though some of the wives say that the shift to remote work because of the pandemic has helped them continue their professional life while still being able to be present with their partner.

Henzes is able to work remotely as a market and content manager for a nonprofit organization that helps women get into the sports tech industry.

“It’s really important for me to have my own thing,” she says. “Baseball is such an all-consuming world. And it’s really cool to be a part of, and it’s been really meaningful that I could find a nonprofit that I’m really passionate about, while still being able to support Max and physically be here.”

Casey Holderman, married to pitcher Colin Holderman, works as a nurse at a fertility clinic near their home in Texas but will be making the move to Pittsburgh for the season.

“I’m having a hard time leaving this job just because it’s a job that I’m very passionate about,” she says. “I know there are other jobs that are better for remote options, but nursing is one of those that it’s important to be in person.”

CASEY AND COLIN HOLDERMAN | PHOTO COURTESY CASEY HOLDERMAN

After she moves to Pittsburgh, she’ll be able to continue some parts of her job remotely. “I’m very fortunate that my coworkers and the doctors I work for have been very supportive and understanding,” she says.

While the Pirates organization doesn’t have an official liaison for the families, the women say they offer support throughout the season, from throwing a baby shower for the moms-to-be last year and hosting a regular Bible study with the team chaplain.

“When I was in preterm labor with our son in Pittsburgh, [the organization] was able to set up being able to go to the hospital so they knew that we were coming,” Crowe says. “As far as those kinds of things are concerned, we have a lot of people in our corner to help make our lives easier in a city where we don’t have anyone.”

And the women make it a priority to be there for each other.

“We truly have become a family,” Swaggerty says. “It takes a village for sure. Only a few people can understand our lifestyle in baseball, and they definitely have become like my sisters.”

Emily Catalano is a writer and founder of Highly Social Media, a social media and influencer marketing agency. She also runs the website Good Food Pittsburgh.