Well if you didn’t know I’ve been living in Pittsburgh all my life. I’ve live in the suburbs most of my life but I moved closer into the city about a year ago. You really learn a lot about a city when you live in it. I’ve learned even more since living closer to the city and going out more. I originally got the idea for this post from Michael Kwan who did 2 posts about the things he likes and dislikes about Vancouver. So I figured I know a lot about Pittsburgh I should let you know the things I like and dislike about Pittsburgh. This post is the things I love about Pittsburgh, but believe me there are things I dislike so stay tuned for that post as well!
Sports
Pittsburgh is definitely a sports city! The Penguins and Steelers are both great teams and have won championships in the past few years. The Steelers rarely have a bad team and the Penguins have built their team up over the past few years to really be one of the best teams in the league, they have been to the Stanley Cup finals 2 years in a row now!
Small City
While Pittsburgh is a major city, it is a very small city as far as actual size goes. The downtown area is very small and you can drive through it in just minutes. Most people do no live in the city, they just work there. They drive in from the suburbs, which gets to the reason why I enjoy the small city. It is very easy to get around anywhere in the city! I rarely drive more than 20 minutes to get anywhere in the city!
The Rivers
Many people call Pittsburgh the city of bridges, that’s because we have 3 rivers that go right through the city and form the ever famous Point, where Point State Park is located. The rivers are not only interesting, but also provide for some great activities in the summer. There is the Regatta, which I went to for the first time this past summer. Also there are tons of watersports that can be done on the rivers as well. If you have a boat the rivers are a great place to relax and party, especially in the summer!
Inexpensive to live here
One thing that I’m sure many people enjoy about the Pittsburgh area is how inexpensive it is to live here! The cost of living is extremely low, especially if you live in the suburbs around the city. This is another reason why many people come to Pittsburgh to work and live.
Blue Collar Town
Pittsburgh really is a working-class city. Many people here work for large corporations like UPMC and Highmark. These people work 40 hours a week if not more and are ok with that. Remember Pittsburgh was a Steel town and I think that’s where most people get their work attitude from. People who live in Pittsburgh have a great attitude towards work and I think that’s one thing that makes Pittsburgh special.
It’s a developing city
If you’ve lived in Pittsburgh over the past 10 or so years you have really seen the city change a lot. Years ago not a single person lived in the city, but now they are turning old office buildings into lofts and developing many new residential areas in the city itself. Also we have seen many changes recently with the new casino being put in and all of the new development on the North Shore. I really like what Pittsburgh has done over the past 10 years and it will be interesting to see where it all goes from here!