Things To Do
Duquesne Incline
The best view of the city, hands-down. (If taking the trolley to the top makes you nervous, you can always just drive to the lookout, but what's the fun in that?)
Saturdays in the Strip
Saturday morning is the best time to be in the Strip! On a nice day, you'll find open air food and souvenir stalls, produce markets, ethnic groceries and more. Lots of Pittsburgh food staples, like Primanti's and Pamela's (home of Obama's favorite pancakes!) are also here. Kaya, DiAnoia's and Café Raymond are great spots for brunch, and Jimmy & Nino's pepperoni rolls come highly recommended. (And if Lucy, the elusive banh mi hawker, is out that day, you're in for a serious treat.) Check out Penn Avenue between 16th and 26th streets!
Heinz History Center
A fun way for the uninitiated to get a crash course in what Pittsburgh is about. The Heinz History Center is a kid-friendly museum that contains a pretty awesome Mister Rogers exhibit as well as the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, which is enjoyable even if you don't hold the Immaculate Reception close to your heart. (Also, Heinz is the only ketchup that counts here. It's a thing.)
Mattress Factory Museum
If you're into weird modern art (or want an Instagram photo op - there's a Yayoi Kusama room!) , this is the Pittsburgh museum for you. We love that there is always something surprising and thought-provoking to be discovered here. The surrounding neighborhood is also worth a stroll, with some interesting homes that have been turned into art projects by the artists living there. The Carnegie museums are great, too - there's a Natural History museum, an Art museum, and a great Children's Museum. (Mind the GPS -- this isn't to be confused with the Original Mattress Factory, which is actually just a mattress store.)
Butler Street
We bought our house in Lawrenceville last year, and we love Butler Street! It's a great place to spend a free few hours - shopping, bowling, and great restaurants and bars are to be found all the way from 36th to 52nd (our block!) A few of our favorites are The Vandal or Pita My Shawarma for lunch, Grapperia or Bar Botanico for cocktails, Wild Card for gifts and Goldmark for a night out.