Portland East: Bike Heaven, Rich in History, 95 Neighborhoods to Explore: Your Vacation in Amazing Pittsburgh

By Bill Malcolm*

Pittsburgh Skyline with the Duquesne Incline credit Dustin McGrew

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will surprise you. The city is set on numerous hills as well as at the confluence of three rivers in southwestern Pennsylvania. Its hipster vibrant scene is reminiscent of more popular (but less affordable) Portland, Oregon. It is a young scene due to the universities (Carnegie Mellon, Chatham, University of Pittsburgh, and more). It has a small town feel although it is a big city. And in rich in history including the steel making days where it was dubbed "Hell with the Lid Off" due to the pollution from the mills. Andrew Salk's polio vaccine was invented here as weas Westinghouse's development of electrical machines.

The economy once dominated by the steel industry -- is now a health care and technology hub.

LGBTQ+ visitors will enjoy all this plus the fun nightlife at the 5-6 bars scattered around the city.

What to Do

Heinz History Center credit Julie Kahlbaugh

Make your first stop the Heinz History Museum (across the street from the Hampton Inn in the Strip District). You will learn how we almost became a French speaking nation after George Washington surrendered to the French in the French Indian War. And of course about the 57 varieties of Heinz products (from pickles to ketchup). Details at heinzhistorycenter.org.

We took a two hour historical walking tour with Ken of Bike the Burgh Tours (biketheburgh.com) who gives a history of the city plus a tour of key buildings including my favorite, the PPG Buildings (4 buildings and a tower). You can also rent a bike and ride all the way to D.C. on the C&O trail with drop offs in Cumberland, MD and D.C. Book your two hour historical walking tour at walktheburgh.com or by calling 412-246-9494. You will find them at 1049 Penn Avenue downtown just a few blocks from the Hampton.

The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are another must. Chihuly glass combined with floral displays, tropical gardens, and more make this an incredible visit. Details at Phipps.conservatory.org.

Take a Rivers of Steel Tours of the former Carrie Blast Furnace. We took a two hour tour the site which used a smelting process to make iron. We also stopped by the Bost Building, site of the Homestead lock out and strike. The nearby waterfront features a bike and hike trail that runs to Pittsburgh as well as shops and restaurants.

Walk over the bridges downtown to the Andy Warhol Museum on the North Shore, the most comprehensive single artist museum in the world. The provocative museum highlights the multi-talented LGBTQ+ colorful life (art work, videos, films, magazines). Made famous using Campbell Soup Cans as artwork (and the Studio 54 1970s New York City disco scene), the artist was born and grew up in Pittsburgh before moving to New York. (Warhol.org, 117 Sandusky).

Tour the Frick Pittsburgh which includes an Art Museum, the Clayton Car and Carriage Museum, and the historic home (the Clayton Home) where the Frick family lived. . Learn about the steel magnate's controversial history (he told Andrew Carnegie he would meet him in hell although the two were business partners who ran the steel industry in an anti-labor fashion for years).We took the "Gilded Not Golden" signature tour. The Gilded Age featured labor strife, industrialization, and more. The grounds alone are beautiful and worth a visit. Details at friskmuseum.org.

Take the Monongahela Incline up the hill to historic neighborhoods. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the city from the hilltop.

Explore Point State Park downtown where 3 rivers come together.

Nightlife

They don't call it the Strip District for nothing. The Real Luck Café at 1519 Pennsylvania Avenue features a dive bar on the fist floor and dancers on the second. The owner said no to gentrification, so the building stands alone on a lot awaiting development.

The 5801 Video Lounge and Café (5801 Ellsworth Avenue in the Shadyside neighborhood) has a fun trivia night on Tuesdays. The bar features indoor and outdoor seating. They could lose the $13 wine price, though As well as requiring holding your credit card to place an order. They also have a full menu. The Mexican quesadillas were particularly good. The bar features outdoor seating as well as an enclosed patio. A fun, cute crowd characterizes this iconic video bar and restaurant.

The Blue Moon at 5115 Butler is in an eclectic neighborhood of unique and independent shops and restaurants. No chain stores or fast food here. It features a fun happy hour and good pizza. It is in the funky Lawrenceville neighborhood. Check out the Hippie and French Cannabis Boutique.

The Brewers Hotel and Bar at 3315 Liberty is a fun dive bar with a long running happy hour. $4 for a glass of wine. And a chatty crowd and cute bartender.

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton Pittsburgh-Downtown (1247 Smallman Street). It's walkable to all the attractions (Riverfront Trail, Terminal District (Food Court), Lucky Café Bar, Club Pittsburgh, Warhol Museum, and more). We had a quiet room on the second floor facing the river. Their store has late night snacks and alcohol. Rooms were clean and quiet although you had to ask nicely to have them cleaned daily. (Each hotel in America now has its own cleaning protocol. Always inquire although the Hampton had a confusing set of rules on when they would do a "refresh" and when they would do a "cleaning.") The parking was freeunheard of at a downtown hotel. Other nearby hotels include the Homewood Suites and the AC Hotel. The Omni William Penn is a historic gem and another option.

Where to Eat

The nearby Terminal District is a food hall that was formerly a produce distribution center. Enjoy a fresh carrot juice at Playa Bowls (1707 Smallman Street). The Novo Asian Food Hall looked appetizing. Nearby you can have an original Pittsburgh sandwich at Primanti Bros. Served on oversized white bread, the sandwich features coleslaw, meat, and French fries for just $10. It's a tradition.

Getting There

We drove from Indy (with a stop at the Roseland Campground in West Virginia along the way). The Grant Street Transportation has inter city buses and nearby is the Amtrak station (with service to Philly and beyond (DC, NYC, Baltimore) as well as Chicago to the west).

You can walk everywhere in Pittsburgh or take the excellent transit. The subway is free downtown and to the North Shore. Driving is a hassle. The roads are narrow and congested (those annoying bike lanes and bicyclists). Parking is scarce and/or costly. The speed limit is 25 mph. And those hills.

Insider Tips

Pittsburghers (aka yinzers) have their own slang and dialect. A gumband is a rubber band. A jagoff is a jerk. A pop is a soft drink. A sweeper is a vacuum. You warsh your clothes. And yinz means y'all. The roots of Pittsburghers and their dialect from its Scottish, Irish, German and Slavic-speaking roots.

VisitPittsurgh.com has an LGBTQ+ section to help you plan your trip.

QBurgh.com is the on line LGBTQ "publication." Lots of ideas and current events can be found.

There is too much to do in Pittsburgh. We were there for a week and did not see all the attractions (including missing the Carnegie Museums). We will be back.

*Bill Malcolm's syndicated LGBTQ+ value travel column runs or has run in LGBTQ+ publications throughout North America.