Southwest PA Pittsburgh and Beyond

Downtown (natives may refer to it as "Dahntahn") is the place of business, culture, and entertainment. Point State Park Fountain is located at the site of old Fort Pitt right at the confluence of the Three Rivers. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and available to the public for biking, jogging, and boaters will often anchor in the river at this location to enjoy the sun. Market Square includes great restaurants with occasional live music/festivals and the cultural district along Penn Avenue is packed with theaters and restaurants like Nikky's Thai Kitchen. Check out PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, for some fast paced action on the ice. Towards Uptown and the beginning of the Hill District is where UPMC Mercy Hospital is located. Some residents and fellows choose to live in Downtown to be closer to the nightlife and fine dining however apartments are typically more expensive in this neighborhood.

There is nothing like a Saturday afternoon in the Strip District. An extremely walkable neighborhood with most apartments closer to the Allegheny river that tend to be newer, upscale buildings but within a short distance from fantastic breweries, distilleries, and restaurants (see Eat & Drink for more). DiAnoia's was rated the best Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh in 2020 and the pizza is amazing. Breakfast at Pamela's or Kelly O's Diner are also great ways to start the day. On the weekends, there are farmers markets for fresh produce and there are several shops that stock merchandise from around the world.

This might be one of the most popular neighborhoods among UPMC residents and fellows. It is fairly large and actually split up into different sections and parking can be an issue here but some say it is well worth the location since it is close to some of the best food, coffee shops, and breweries in the city such as Driftwood Pizza and Eleventh Hour Brewing. You can also commute over the 40th street bridge into a suburb called Millvale to check out Grist House Brewery. Most of the homes are older but renovated so don't judge a book by its cover. Prices can vary depending on how close you want to be to Butler street and there are some up-scale apartment complexes right by the action with parking if that will be your priority. It is an easy commute to Children's Hospital from here and just a bridge or two away from Oakland. There's a certain vibrant and quirky quality to the neighborhood that will make you think about staying just a little longer.

Historically, Bloomfield is known as "Pittsburgh's Little Italy" due to many immigrants from Italy settling down here in Pittsburgh back in the Steel-era. However, it has transformed to have not only great Italian food with Caliente's being some of the best pizza in town but also a lot of options for Thai food. This is the neighborhood where the old meets the new. It is located within walking distance of Children's Hospital and if you commute to Oakland then you will cross over the Bloomfield bridge. Apartments are older row homes and are pretty affordable in this more residential neighborhood but can be more expensive the closer you get to Liberty Ave.

Here is where the young professional with a decent salary thrives. Yoga studios, dogs, families, etc. The neighborhood is largely quiet and residential with most of the restaurants and business being localized to parts of Center Ave, Ellsworth Ave, S. Highland Ave and Walnut Street. There are also upscale apartments closer to the hospitals. Girasole and Casbah are two excellent restaurants to check out. During non-COVID times, Walnut street actually has its own annual street festival. Shadyside is where, as you would expect, UPMC Shadyside and Hillman Cancer Center are located.

As you drive east along Center Ave in Shadyside you will end up at East Liberty which is a neighborhood of Pittsburgh that has been slowly gentrified over the past decade. It still remains some of its original charm and neighborhood staples like Kelly's Bar Lounge but it certainly jumps out at you with all of the new shopping areas and smaller, mid to upscale restaurants such as Paris 66. It is a more affordable area compared to Shadyside if you avoid the large apartment complexes but if you go as far as the the completely built-up area of Bakery Square then expect prices to increase but amenities and restaurants galore. Millie's is a great ice cream place that is closer to Bakery Square and there is a Trader Joe's as well.

Oakland, PA is the hub for universities including University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University (some say it is actually in Squirrel Hill). UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Montefiore, and UPMC Magee Women's Hospital are located here.. South Oakland is where the college crowd hangs out with a lot of great places to eat along Forbes Ave and Fifth Ave. There are several new apartment buildings in the Oakland area along Forbes Ave that are available for rent around campus but are expensive. The Porch is a great outdoor restaurant across the street from the Cathedral of Learning for pizza and light drinks. If you are living closer to South Oakland, the neighborhood will likely be "louder" at times but the rents are pretty reasonable. Another great street to check out is S. Craig Street which is the unofficial border between the two major universities.

The Southside of Pittsburgh is divided into the Southside Slopes and the Southside Flats. The Southside Slopes are where many college students (esp. from Duquesne University) and young professionals live and they come down to the flats for the nightlife. For many decades, Carson Street has been home to approximately 40 bars with restaurants, cafes, and live music. Doublewide Grill has great vegetarian options as well as wide-ranging beer selection. Once you move past the Birmingham bridge moving towards the Hot Metal Bridge, you enter a quieter area of the neighborhood with a roster of dive bars (Birmingham Bridge Tavern and Excuses Bar and Grille) as well as Big Dog Coffee and the Southside Works. Rent and homes are more reasonable on the slopes compared to the flats but some folks choose to live in more upscale apartments on the flats to avoid difficulties with parking.

This is the neighborhood with the view of Pittsburgh. Check out Station Square at the bottom as well as the Gateway Clipper Fleet before you hop onto the Duquesne Incline for a memorable way trip to the top of Mt. Washington. There are several restaurants such as Le Mont that include this spectacular view of the city but they are expensive. If you want to catch the view and then walk into the neighborhood for reasonably priced food, checkout the restaurants along Shiloh Street. In general, the better view you have of the city, the more expensive the apartment but if you find a place that you like on the other side of the hill you may find. One of the downsides of this neighborhood would be the commute to the UPMC hospitals because of traffic crossing the Monongahela river but if you like the view and the price it might be worth it.

When you talk about the Northside of Pittsburgh, it actually includes several areas including the Northshore, Allegheny Central, Allegheny West, East Allegheny, Manchester. Most of the areas where residents live are situated around the Allegheny Commons Park and the neighborhood has it's own great selection of breweries and restaurants. Federal Galley is a great place to try since it features 4 unique restaurant concepts under one roof. The Northshore is the location of Heinz Field and PNC Park. The trail along the Northshore is a great place to run and bike as well as rent a kayak for a relaxing few hours on the river.

Squirrel is a quiet, residential neighborhood of Pittsburgh that shares borders with Schenley and Frick Park and is a common area for residents with children to live. It is home to a large Jewish population in Pittsburgh with a local deli, two well-known pizza shops Mineo's and Aiello's as well as plenty of Indian, Thai, and Chinese restaurants between Murray and Forbes Ave. Chengdu Gourmet and How Lee are particularly good for Szechuan. The commute is fairly easy to the Oakland campus by following Forbes Ave (either car or bike) and there are bus stops as well. If you are interested in buying a home, prices tend to be expensive in this area so many often look to Greenfield for additional options.