Welcome To Pittsburgh: Buckle Up Next Million Miles

Megan and I on a half-work trip to Pittsburgh!


The most scenic rest stop in Erie


View from our hotel


The August Wilson Center http://www.augustwilsoncenter.org/ in the rays of Jesus' light




Superman's Fortress of Solitude (aka PPG Place) at Market Square






Had a great lunch at Nola's http://www.nolaonthesquare.com/.  A little bit of gumbo and a chicken po boy


Megan had the Muffaletta and French Onion Soup.  Great people watching too!


Hanging out in Market Square.  A gathering place desperately missing from downtown Rochester.  Take notes...  There will be more later as well




Jesus guy




So wonderful it doesn't look real


United Steelworkers building.  


A nice plaza that tricked us into thinking it lead to Point State Park


Here we are.  Point State Park http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_State_Park, which is at the intersection of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers



The Fort Pitt Blockhouse.  This was also the site of Fort Duquesne


"The House That Ketchup Built: Heinz Field" http://www.steelers.com/ 


The Carnegie Science Center http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/



Fort Duquesne Bridge.  I have to say that in a world gone beige, I really appreciate the use of yellow on the bridges.  



Autumn is her season...



Crossing the Fort Pitt Bridge


Point Park from the bridge.


The Duquesne Incline funicular http://www.duquesneincline.org/


Can you tell she's getting tire of me taking pictures of her? 




Reminds me of the trams in Portugal




They don't build them like this anymore!


Yikes!  I'm not a big fan of heights and all I thought the whole way up was "I hope the cable doesn't snap."


Inside the station at the top


The workings of the cable car or a good album cover (do they still have those?)



 
If you look real closely under the cable car, you will see a guy with a Tide bottle full of grease lubricating the cable/rail.  


SEE HIM!!!


On top of Mount Washington


Not a bad view...


Heinz Field again...


Everywhere we go on trips, Bill Clinton has been there before us...


If we had a buzillion dollars and a second home in Pittsburgh, we'd settle for this place.


St. Mary of the Mount Church.  


Panorama of downtown




First Mining of Pittsburgh Coal and many other facts from these signs ahead!


From an era when American's knew how to design cities...


Nice skeleton family hanging out on the porch


St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Southside Church.  


The Southside Market House


Getting a drink at the Beehive Coffee House http://www.beehivebuzz.com/index1.html

The Southside Neighborhood reminded us a lot of Wicker Park in Chicago before it was taken over by The Real World/Starbucks/American Apparel etc.  


Destined to be Ronan's new favorite bar





The "Bridge of Sighs" at the Allegheny County Courthouse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegheny_County_Courthouse










Homemade Kaya Chips and Mango-Tomatillo Salsa at Kaya Restaurant http://www.bigburrito.com/kaya/


Megan's Torta was really good!


But, I went with the Kaya Burger.  I learned a long time ago to go with whatever has the restaurants name in the title of the food.  It was right and beautiful!


Megan and I watching Monday Night Football (Bears vs. Lions) at Lefty's after a couple "Strong Island Ice Teas."  



River walk at the David Lawrence Convention Center


Roberto Clemente/Sixth Street Bridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente_Bridge



Most masculine bridge ever


Beyond teh Cheat?  Should I be upset about this?

Byham Theater Building


This is the dome inside the Hotel at the Byham Theater Building (or whatever it is called. Sorry)


PNC Park: Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=pit&sv=1


Seems like a pretty nice stadium.  A bit too much surface parking lots around for my taste, but otherwise, nice


Honus Wagner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honus_Wagner


Willie Stargell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Stargell


Roberto Clemente http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente


Live long and prosper.  It's the Vulcan Way...


If it wasn't a beautiful 75-80 degree day in October, I'd probably thought of going inside the Andy Warhol Museum.  Next time...  Same with the National Aviary...


You wouldn't think this river walk path was in the heart of an urban metropolis, would you?


16th Street Bridge.  I learned a hard lesson about Pittsburgh on this day.  If you plan to cross the river, please check to make sure a bridge exists beyond the one you are currently walking by.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Bridge_(Pittsburgh)

 
The Unkillable Human


Old Heinz Factory turned office/loft complex




The view from Herr's Island.  Notice the 16th Street Bridge.  The next bridge I saw was the 31st Street Bridge and it was missing part of its span.  I saw no bridge after that...  A long walk back...


The almost famous Primanti Bros. http://primantibros.com/home.html


Union Station.  If you don't think this is impressive, you should see what Detroit let happen to theirs.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Pittsburgh)
compare:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Central_Station


Consol Energy Center: Home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. http://penguins.nhl.com/  Too bad the NHL is in a lockout.  Also, because of Google Maps I thought the Igloo (Civic Arena) still existed and was really excited to see it.  I knew it was next door, but after a couple of laps realized it was turned into a parking lot...


Mario Lemieux statue


DON'T JUMP!!!  St. Benedict the Moor Church


Back on the Northside with some timely World Series Baseball history


Can you guess who this is?


It's Mr. Rogers.  A very lumpy day in the neighborhood


Just to give you perspective on how large this statue really is


And how close it came to killing me...

 
The USS Requin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Requin_(SS-481)


Gateway Clipper passing the Clemente Bridge http://www.gatewayclipper.com/



Allegheny Cotton Mill Strikes sounds like they happened just yesterday


Rochester could have a river walk like this that would be twice as nice with little effort.





Ultimate BBQ Potato Chips at Diamond Market Bar.  http://diamondmarketgrill.com/


Walkway under the Lawrence Convention Center


Crazy waterfall during the day at the Lawrence Convention Center


A sign to the Cell Phone Disco: My Own Personal Hell http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/computing/2010/fall/cell-phone-disco.shtml


Strip District Meats would be a very different place in Chicago (or most other places really)


Flashing Steady: My new band and album cover (seriously, do they have covers on MP3s?)


French Toast and a Western Omelet at Deluca's Diner.  


Is the ketchup bottle half full or half empty at the Heinz History Center?  http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/


Lewis and Clark in Pittsburgh?  I didn't know that.  


Goodbye Pittsburgh!  I was completely surprised by how great of a city it is.  Will have to go back and check out all the things I missed!

That's Bill-ievable

If I keep going to Bills games, I'm going to run out of these kind of lame titles.  I guess I better pace myself or enjoy it while it lasts...

Bills vs. Titans.  I have a feeling we'll need a few bloody mary's to make this a good game.


Tailgating outside of Conklin's Bar & Grill




Just to make my sister jealous, an entire huge box full of Herr's potato chips

Megan enjoying her Buffalo Wing



Buffalo lost 35-34.  My philosophy about football doesn't focus on the QB being the cause of all that is good and bad with a team, but Fitzpatrick may be changing that...


Megan and I at Postcard Falls on Allen's Creek at Corbett's Glen looking for salmon.  They are there, but not quite ready to swim upstream.  We were late last year and are constantly checking this year.

October 2012 #27

Issue #27

Goodbye Chicago.  You’ve always had a place for me on your broad boulevards.  But, I’m married now and it’s time for me to move on.  To settle near family and have kids of my own.  Find a place to call “home” and live the clichés of Thanksgiving dinners and grilling in the backyard.  I love my simple life of taking the “el” to work and checking out the neighborhoods on the weekend; but I must go.

I remember the day I decided to move here.  After that misleading job interview, I wondered all around the Loop knowing there was nothing I could do back in Michigan.  Staring at the spitting faces of Crown Fountain.  Grabbing a hot dog and fries at Max’s Take Out.  I gave myself one year to sink or swim and moved into my Spartan Ravenswood apartment a few days later.

Now, the moving truck has all our junk in it and we’re starting a new life in Rochester, New York.  Will it be better than Chicago?  Apples and oranges.  But, I will miss the activity of a world-class city.  The adventure, amusement, and/or oddities I could find around every street corner.  The food.  All of my friends going to dive bars, the bartering of Maxwell Street Market, all kinds of concerts at a wide variety of venues, apartment parties for any reason, and just sitting on the porch people watching.  It’s been good.