Downtown

The downtown areas of many cities are truly their cultural and retail centers, as well as being the hub of almost everything that goes on in the city at large, but with all of the other neighborhoods and destinations that Pittsburgh offers, it is easy to be in the city without ever spending time in the downtown proper. However, downtown Pittsburgh is exciting and certainly worth a visit.

If you head downtown around lunchtime, you will be greeted with a bustling scene. With everyone coming and going on their lunch break, it’s delightful to realize that not everyone is there for the same reason as you. A lot of the people who spend their time downtown are business men and women who work in the area, but there is actually a surprisingly diverse crowd. The streets are lined with people waiting for PAT buses, shoppers are browsing the many store windows and workers are heading to or from their favorite lunch places. The downtown area has a lot to offer shoppers from the trendy women’s store Strawberry to Pittsburgh’s own Kaufmans to New York department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue (appropriately located on Pittsburgh’s Fifth Avenue). Market Square, which borders on the glass monolith that houses PPG offices, is a beautiful grass quadrangle bordered by a variety of restaurants and coffee shops. In the winter, the center of PPG place is turned into a fun ice-skating rink which encircles a giant Christmas tree. With its beautiful architecture, grassy parkettes and wide sidewalks, downtown lends itself well to walking around.

The downtown area has been successfully re-vamping its image of late to encompass some of the more exciting cultural developments in Pittsburgh, especially the performing arts. Pittsburgh’s Cultural District is an up-and-coming area in the nation’s larger artistic community and organizations like Pittsburgh Cultural Trust are focused on promoting the city as an artistic hub. With several performing arts venues downtown, such as the Byham Theatre and Heinz Hall, there is almost always an interesting show to see in Pittsburgh. As a result, the downtown area is drawing an increasing number of people into its theatres, onto its streets, and into its new bars and restaurants, making it a great place to be at night.

Getting There:

By Car:
Follow Fifth Avenue West. This will lead you directly into the heart of downtown

By Bus:
Catch the 61A, B or C. It will proceed all the way down Fifth (it will come back on Forbes), and put you right in Market Square.

Web Site:

www.downtownpittsburgh.com