Primanti Bros.

When you think of Pittsburgh’s past you may think of steel. When you think of Pittsburgh’s past you may think booming Pittsburgh neighborhoods filled with rich culture. And when you think of Pittsburgh’s past you may think of ketchup. But when you think of Pittsburgh’s past, do you ever think of french fries and coleslaw? If not, maybe you should start. In the early 1900’s, US steel careers, neighborhoods and ketchup were not the only thing thriving in the city of Pittsburgh. Tucked away in a little nook in the Strip District, a business known as Primanti Brothers was just starting to boom.

Started by Joe Primanti in the 1930’s Great Depression era, Primanti Brothers was a haven of deliciousness for truckers and warehouse workers. It was a place to grab a hefty bite to eat and a place to do it quick. In fact, Joe was so worried with providing truckers and workers with a quick and easy bite to eat that it lead to the invention of the Primanti Brothers signature sandwich style of including both fries and coleslaw in the actual sandwich. Originally meant as a safe and easy alternative to eating an entire meal while you drive, Joe’s innovative sandwich technique was a hit that, after opening a restaurant in the Strip District with his brothers Dick and Stanley, would go on to become a national sensation.

Featured in a 2003 edition of National Geographic magazine, Primanti Brothers has reached even more national recognition in recent years. Mentioned on the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in conversation with President O’Bama, making the list of 1,000 Place to See Before You Die in the USA and Canada by Patricia Schultz, as well as being featured as a stop in Man v. Food, hosted by Adam Richman, Primanti Brothers is a delicious Pittsburgh staple and a must eat when you’re living or visiting the city.

Luckily, the recent expansion of the restaurant to outside of the Pittsburgh region might make eating at Primanti Brothers a bit easier. However, to get the true taste and feel of what it is to be a Pittsburgher and eat a Primanti Brothers sandwich, you’ll have to visit the original Primanti Brothers restaurant which still stands today in its little nook on 18th Street in the Strip District.

The Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts

In the past, we here at Vibrant Pittsburgh have touched upon how Pittsburgh, one of the most affordable places to live, is a city of firsts. However, in just one week from today, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is giving ‘city of firsts’ a whole new meaning. On September 27th, for the first time ever, Pittsburgh will be having the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts!

Lasting from September 27th to October 26th, the Pittsburgh Festival of Firsts is a month long festival that will host a series of international acts debuting works never before seen in the United States. Acts from Australia, France, Quebec and many other countries and international cities, will be brilliantly displayed throughout Pittsburgh stages on different days and times to assure audiences optimum time to experience as much global culture as they can. It’s a chance to learn, imagine, dream bigger and view the world in a completely new way, and it’s the chance to do it all from the grand city of Pittsburgh.

But don’t worry. If sitting down in a theater to see extravagant acts isn’t your forte, that’s okay. One display that has been catching attention since earlier this year is that of artist Florentijn Hofman. Hofman’s work of art will be able to be seen floating along side Point State Park at 5:30 PM on September 27th. That’s right. We said floating! Hofman is displaying his larger than life, 4 story tall, rubber duck sculpture that has seen the waters of Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Belgium, Osaka and more.

Now get ready to expand your palette beyond the ranks of pgh arts. In just one week Pittsburgh neighborhoods will be opening their arms to the world in a spectacular array of international arts. To make sure you’re not the last to experience the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, check out the festival website here: http://www.pifof.org/

Fallingwater

As we roll into the third week of September, the city considered one of the most cheap cities to live in the US, is slowly turning into the most beautiful. The rustic colors of the nature are beginning to align with the Rust Belt city we all know and love. Pgh arts are thriving, and those who chose to surrender to the chill of indoor air conditioning this summer are slinking their way outdoors as the air starts to cool. And while traveling to the tip of Mt. Washington or riding a bicycle through the hilly roads might be considered one of the best ways to see the gorgeous city known as one of the most affordable places to live, we here at Vibrant Pittsburgh have something else in mind.

About an hour outside the depth of Pittsburgh, in the Laurel Highlands, sits a work of architecture many feel is one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s best pieces. Its name is Fallingwater, and rightfully so. Instead of having a breathtaking view of one of the many waterfalls on Bear Run, Wright designed the home to be one with nature and hang partially over a waterfall. This, Wright said, would allow its residents to live with the waterfalls, as opposed to looking at them every once in awhile. And it’s this, along with its other nodes of architectural genius, that landed the work in the Smithonian’s Life List of 28 “places to visit before you die”, as well as as a designated National Historic Landmark in 1966.

While the home itself is like nothing you’ve ever seen, it is this home-turned-museum seen standing within its environment that is so magnificent. As it co-exists with nature, Fallingwater is a site to lay eyes on whether its surrounded by the thriving lush of summer, the burning colors of autumn, the blankets of pure white winter snow or the blossoming life of spring. It’s a Frank Lloyd Wright architectural triumphant and it’s one we here in Pittsburgh take great pride in!

To learn more and take a tour of Fallingwater, visit www.fallingwater.org

Biking in Pittsburgh

Photo taken from bike rental website, www.bikepittsburgh.com

Autumn is just two weeks away. The days are becoming shorter. The air is becoming cooler. And as the leaves on the trees begin to change their color, Pittsburgh, one of the most affordable places to live, will start its transition into one of the most beautiful times of year. A city built on hills and positioned at the crossing of two rivers, Pittsburgh provides incredible views from all over the city, and one of the best ways to experience them is via bicycle.

While cycling in a city with hills may sound like a turnoff to some, over the past decade Pittsburgh has turned itself into a bike friendly city with a biking community to back it up! Recently ranked #35 of ‘America’s Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities’ by www.bicycling.com, Pittsburgh has over 50 miles of riverfront and roadside bike trails, as well as over 500 bike racks. And as the Pittsburgh biking community grows, the number of cycling events have, too!  With Bike Free Fridays, BikeFest, the Pedal Pale Ale Keg Ride - an event where you pull a keg from the East End Brewery to a mystery destination and then top the day off with a nice local brew - and many more, there is no denying that cycling has become a large part this wonderful city.

And what’s our favorite part? Well, besides for the fostering of local community, we here at Vibrant Pittsburgh can’t help but love the fostering of distant communities that cycling has provided. After a highly anticipated wait, this past June the 150 mile bike trail from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. was finally finished, opening a gateway to those Pittsburghers and Washington D.C. people adventurous enough to ride it!

So, break out your tire pumps and get ready to ride! If you’ve been looking for cheap places to live in the US that are also incredibly beautiful and very bike friendly, Pittsburgh is the place for you. And as the autumn season approaches, now is one of the best times to experience the great city of Pittsburgh from the front row seat of your bicycle.