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.

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!