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.

Kennywood: 'America's Finest Traditional Amusement Park'

As one of the most affordable places to live in the country, when you’re looking for a good time in Pittsburgh, you can often dip into and explore one of the many Pittsburgh neighborhoods. But once you’ve explored local Pgh arts, restaurants, museums and such, where can you go that’s close by, still affordable, and a whole lot of fun? Well, if you ask any local Pittsburgher, they’re sure to tell you to go to Kennywood.

Located in West Mifflin, PA (a suburb of Pittsburgh), Kennywood is an action packed amusement park that dates back over 100 years. Originally opened as a Trolley Park in the late 1800’s, within 8 short years a carousel, casino and wooden coaster were all added to the area and the Trolley company no longer wanted to operate it. In 1906, A.S. McSwigan, Frederick W. Henninger and A.F. Meghan decided to lease and operate the park as Kennywood Park Limited. It wasn’t until 2007 that the McSwigan and Henninger families finally sold the park after over a century of close family ownership. Currently owned by Parques Reunidos, Pittsburghers continue to whole Kennywood proud in their hearts as Kennywood continues to regard itself as ‘America’s Finest Traditional Amusement Park’.

History aside however, besides for its three wooden roller coasters (two of which were built in the 1920’s), two steel roller coasters and ton of water and spinning rides, what’s the best part about Kennywood? Well, we don’t want keep bragging about how Pittsburgh is one of the most affordable places to live in the U.S., but Kennywood certainly reflects Pittsburgh’s affordability! While many theme parks these days will have you digging deep into your wallets and purses, an all day Kennywood pass is only $33.00 and if you go after 5 PM, it’s only $25.00! It’s fun for the whole family and it’s fun you can afford. It’s no wonder why Kennywood has become such a Pittsburgh tradition.

Knit The Bridge

Visit Knit The Bridge at
 http://knitthebridge.wordpress.com/

While in the past we’ve touched on the booming art culture Pittsburgh harvests within its city’s streets, recently Pittsburgh’s art culture has been turning heads and, well, stopping cars. If you haven’t yet seen or heard, last weekend a tight “knit” community of Pittsburgh artists closed down Andy Warhol Bridge in order to come together after months of preparation and “yarn bomb” the Andy Warhol Bridge in a spectacular array of vibrant colors and patterns. And quite frankly, it’s incredible.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “yarn bomb”, not to worry, most people are. Spawning from the street art and contemporary craft movement, yarn bombing is a creative and beautiful way to celebrate public spaces. It is a way for avid knitters to share their world with others as they knit away to fit vivid colors and patterns to public spaces ranging from entire tree trunks and branches to entire bridges. And the best part? Unlike some other street arts, yarn bombing is completely harmless and easy to remove!

If you haven’t yet found time to walk or drive across the Andy Warhol Bridge, we here at Vibrant Pittsburgh suggest it. This once in a lifetime display will only blanket the bridge until September 6th, 2013 when these Pittsburgh fiber artists have agreed to take it down. So take a short break while you still can, and go take some time to appreciate one of Pittsburgh’s most ambitious and creative art projects of all time to date.

For more information on the Knit The Bridge project, visit their website here: http://knitthebridge.wordpress.com/

Neat Ways to Spend Labor Day Weekend

In just two short weeks Labor Day Weekend will be upon us, and while for some it may seem like a time to say goodbye to Summer, for many others it’s a weekend to plan some fun! For the majority of America, Labor Day Weekend means an extra day off, and with an extra day off, when you live in Pittsburgh, there is a whole lot to do! That’s why we here at Vibrant Pittsburgh have composed a short of list of neat ways to spend your Labor Day Weekend.

Labor Day Weekend Fun

1. Kayak Pittsburgh. Located in North Shore, Millvale and the North Park Boathouse, a great way to spend a day off is by renting a kayak for an hour and getting out on the river! And if kayaking isn’t your thing, Labor Day Weekend is the last weekend to Kayak Pittsburgh rents out bicycles, too! Enjoy the city from the river or one of its fantastic bike trails. For more info, click here: http://bit.ly/175wuuc

2. Go Ape! Located in North Park, Go Ape! is a brand new treetop adventure course featuring a zip line, obstacles and more! Just 22 minutes from downtown, Go Ape! is a great way to spend a day off as you climb through the trees of a gorgeous pine forest and overlook the 63 Acre lake below. For more info, click here: http://bit.ly/1esyzTP

3.Buccos Game. This Labor Day Weekend watch the Pittsburgh Pirates face off against the St. Louis Cardinals! With Free T-Shirt Friday and a performance by Third Eye Blind on Saturday, these action packed games will be sure to satisfy every customer! For more info, click here: http://atmlb.com/15ay0se

4. Just Ducky Tour. Take the time you have this labor day weekend to explore and get to know the beautiful city of Pittsburgh with a Ducky Tour! Pittsburgh’s only water and land adventure, Ducky Tours utilize old WWII vehicles to drive and boat around Pittsburgh for a family fun adventure. For more info, click here: http://bit.ly/1cvEdrT

5. Allegheny Cemetery. A bit unconventional, Allegheny Cemetery is a great place to spend a free day. One of the most picturesque places in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Cemetery consists of over 300 Acres of rolling hills and trees. And if you’re a sucker for Pittsburgh history, with some gravestones dating back to the French and Indian war, this is the perfect place for you. For more information, click here: http://bit.ly/OS5IOs

There are few things that top the excitement of a three day weekend, which is why it’s important to get the most out of yours. Whether it’s a kayaking down the Monongahela or taking a stroll through a park, do Labor Day Weekend right this year and make sure you plan to do something great!

Preschool Prep!

August is officially here! And while this may be the month of vacations, in just a few weeks children across the nation will be packing up their book bags and ending their Summer as they head off into their brand new classrooms. That’s right! Back to school time is approaching, and while this can be quite a relieving time for those parents who need to get back to concentrating on work, for many new Pittsburgh parents who are sending off their child to preschool for the first time, this can be quite stressful. This is why we here at Vibrant Pittsburgh have composed a short list of tips on how to prepare your child for preschool.

Preschool Prep.

1. Socialize. It’s necessary for children in preschools to get along with other children. This is why it’s important that, before you send your child to preschool, your child has learned the skills of sharing, turn taking and playing with others. A great hands on way to teach your child these skills are group play dates.

2. Listening. Preschools often emphasize listening and sitting still. Preparing your child for this ahead of time is a great way to assure an easy adjustment. Some great ways to teach this before heading off to preschool is by taking moments throughout the day to have your child stop, close his/her eyes and have your child tell you what he/she is hearing.

3. Morning Routine. Having a comfortable, easy going morning routine will help your child relax and be ready when it finally comes to assimilating into the strange new environment of preschool. Establishing this morning routine before preschool begins is a great idea, and making sure you keep this morning routine relaxed and comfortable once preschool begins, which may mean waking up earlier, will surely help with the adjustment.

4. Goodbye. For many children, preschool will be the first time he/she is away from his/her parents. This can be a scary and an anxious time for a child, especially if the child doesn’t understand when the parent will be back or where the parent is going. Being honest with your child about where you're going and when you'll be back, as well as establishing a goodbye routine, like a high five or a double kiss on the cheek, can be a comfortable way for your child to be sent off and feel reassured that you will be back soon.

Preschool can be a tough time for parents and an even more difficult time for children. It’s important to start thinking about your childs assimilation into socializing before the big day comes! For some more tips and tricks on sending your child to preschool, check out the Scholastic website here: http://bit.ly/15yosei

Pittsburgh's National Recognition

Pittsburgh is a city with deep roots and history. It’s a city of firsts and above all else, it’s a city of innovation. While it may have experienced somewhat of an economic depression after the digression of the Steel Industry, over the past 20 years Pittsburgh has bounced back. People and businesses have flocked to the City of Bridges to start new lives of economic prosperity and the city has faced a transformation that’s got everyone talking! In fact, in 2013 alone, Pittsburgh has already been recognized by multiple sources, including The Huffington Post and CNN Money, as being the “next big thing” and a city to “pay attention to”. This is why in this weeks blog post, we here at Vibrant Pittsburgh would like to draw our reader's attention over to a Pittsburgh internet marketing website, www.EyeFlow.com, to check out their compilation article, “7 Mentions of Pittsburgh Topping ‘Best City’ Charts”!

For the article, click here: http://bit.ly/131VROW