PGH Connections
Oakland
Active commercial and residential neighboorhood
Full of students from all around the world
Most students will likely end up spending a significant amount of time in nearby Oakland. Luckily, it is exactly this student population which gives the area its charm. A true student hangout, Oakland is located in and around two of the city’s universities – Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh.
Since it is such an active commercial center full of students from all around the world, Oakland is a great place to find a variety of ethnic foods at relatively cheap prices. Atwood Avenue, a residential street off of Forbes, is home to lots of hidden favorites like Ginza, a Korean/Sushi restaurant; Spice Island Tea House, serving Asian-fusion cuisine in a cozy and funky atmosphere; India Garden, rated best Indian cuisine in Pittsburgh; and Mad Mex, a good Mexican
restaurant with great happy hour deals. Another Oakland favorite is Fuel and Fuddle, an American restaurant featuring not just burgers and fries but also interesting sandwiches and brick oven pizzas (all of which are half off after 11:00PM). Oakland is also the place to go for classic Pittsburgh fare such as Primanti Brothers, known for hefty sandwiches loaded with toppings. If you are in the market for some seriously good grease then visit the Original Hot Dog Shop, known affectionately as “The O”, which serves huge portions of delicious fries, super dogs, and subs with fun separate counters depending on what you are ordering. It can be a little overwhelming (and confusing!) the first time you are there, but it is definitely worth it because once you acclimatize you definitely feel part of the Oakland community (if it’s your thing, then venture upstairs to feed the jukebox some change for a subwoofer experience that will
blow your mind).
Even closer to campus than the Fifth Avenue stretch of shops is South Craig Street. Eclectic and full of interesting shops, restaurants, and cafés, Craig Street has a little piece of everything all in one block. Some Carnegie Mellon favorites are the Union Grill, the Craig Street Coffee, LuLu’s Noodles and Yum Wok, Ali Baba, Kiva Han coffee, Thai Place, and the Star of India. You can get a haircut, find a used book, and rent a movie all in about three blocks. Craig Street is an easy walk from campus, and a wonderful place to escape to during your spare time.
Getting There:
By Car/Bus or On Foot:
It’s just to the west of campus on Forbes Avenue.