Duquesne Incline

You cannot leave Pittsburgh before you graduate Carnegie Mellon University without going to the Duquesne Incline. The view from the top of the incline provides the most iconic view of downtown Pittsburgh. USA Today voted it one of the Top 10 sites in the world for viewing a cityscape. The first time I went as a CMU student (I went before college with my mom and brother) was last year with my friend Kelly. She was visiting Pittsburgh for the first time and the incline was one of the touristy places I knew I had to take her. I wanted to show her the best view of Pittsburgh. Last weekend I went up the incline and enjoyed looking at the city on one of the first beautiful spring days. I also plan on visiting again with my friends before we all graduate in May.

The Duquesne Incline is an inclined plane railroad with cable cars that travel from the South Side to Mount Washington. It first opened on May 20 (my birth date) in 1877. Samuel Diescher designed and built the Duquesne Incline, making it his first Pittsburgh incline. He was an engineer and the country’s incline building leader during the time. The first purpose of the incline was to carry cargo up to Mount Washington. It then evolved to carrying passengers, the majority of whom lived in Mount Washington. In 1963 the incline was restored by a group of local Mount Washington residents who formed the Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline. Their goal was to make the incline a tourist attraction and mode of commuter transportation.

Some Duquesne Incline facts by numbers: it is 400 ft high, the length of the track is 794 ft, it has a 30.5 degree grade, and the cars go 6 miles per hour. The cable cars ridden in today are the original wooden cars. The upper station of the incline now includes a museum featuring Pittsburgh history. It highlights inclines from around the world and from the past. The Duquesne Incline is one of the few remaining inclines in the United States. There is also a gift shop that offers Pittsburgh photos, maps, and souvenirs. The most fascinating part of the upper station is that you can view the incline’s machinery while it is in motion. This hoisting equipment is also authentic and highlights the wooden gear teeth. If you are visiting the incline in a group of ten or more you can get a free guided tour of the machine room and the museum to learn even more about Pittsburgh’s incline history.

Arguably the best part about the Duquesne Incline is the observation deck at the top. This was created as an addition during the restoration period. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Pittsburgh due to the breathtaking view. You can get an amazing view of the three rivers, the North Shore, and downtown.

The incline is open 365 days a year, Monday through Saturday from 5:30 AM -12:45 AM and Sunday 7 AM to 12:45 AM. Port Authority bus passes and tickets are accepted as payment, so CMU id’s also secure you a free ride on the incline.

Definitely take a trip to the Duquesne Incline for the entertaining ride and the wonderful view of Pittsburgh!

How to Get to the Incline: Take a 61 bus downtown, get off at 6th & Wood. Walk to Stanwix St at Penn Ave Gateway Subway station, take the 26 outbound two stops, get off at W. Carson St opp. Duquesne Incline. Arrive at 1197 West Carson St

Strip District

One of Pittsburgh’s best-known neighborhoods is the Strip District. It is Pittsburgh’s historic market district and is called the Strip because it is only one-half square mile between Grant Hill and the Allegheny River. The vibe of the Strip has been called “gritty and authentic.” It runs between 11^th and 33^rd and encompasses three main roads Smallman St, Penn Ave, and Liberty Ave. But when most people think of the Strip it is Penn Ave that they are picturing in their mind’s eye.

A few weeks ago my friend Andrea and I went to the Strip for the day. It’s actually best to go on a weekend when the weather is warmer so you can walk through the open market set up in one of the warehouses. Despite the cold and closed warehouse we still had fun walking up and down Penn Ave.

Of course one of the most notable things about the Strip are the multiple sidewalk vendors selling Steelers gear. After all, Pittsburgh is “Stillers Country.” The Strip is always filled with black and gold. Other products are sold via street vendors as well, but they are not as abundant.

Our first stop was at La Prima Espresso Co. to fuel up for the rest of the day. Does the name sound familiar to any of you CMU students? La Prima is the mother company of the smaller La Prima in Wean Hall. As many will agree, they have the best lattes on campus. La Prima’s first location was in the Strip at the corner of Penn Ave and 21^st street, established in 1988. The inside is a very stylish Italian espresso bar. You can either order styrofoam to go cups or ask for glass mugs to stay. There are a few high-raised tables scattered around that you can stand by and rest your drink on. La Prima is also connected to a food shop, we didn’t look at the menu but there were two men next to us eating very Italian meals with their coffee. The coffee at La Prima is fair trade certified and offers some of the best coffee options in Pittsburgh.

The Strip District has a surplus of ethnic specific grocery stores. Three of the best known are Reyna Foods (Mexican), Lotus Food Co (Asian), and Pennsylvania Macaroni Company (Italian). The only one I’ve been inside of is the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company. Andrea and I went in for the second time together during this trip and bought Italian meats, soppressata and prosciutto, from their large meat counter. We then ordered some cheese from Pittsburgh’s most extensive cheese deli. Penn Mac offers over 400 types of cheeses from around the world at affordable prices. We finished up our shopping with some fresh rolls and imported canned sun dried tomatoes and peppers. Pennsylvania Macaroni Company is the best place to get all of the ingredients for delicious Italian sandwiches to make at home. We also went to Penzeys, which is an upscale spice store. It is only one of sixty-seven retail stores; most of Penzeys’ business comes from mail orders. The whole store contains stacks and stacks of a wide variety of spices.

Although we didn’t eat there during this trip, my favorite Pamela’s Diner is located here. It is across the street from the historic St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, which is a Pittsburgh landmark that was built in 1891 in the ornate Polish Cathedral style. I have always thought of it as the marker for the beginning of the Strip District. The Strips’ Pamela’s is the largest Pamela’s so the wait is usually not as long as the others. The theme of this Pamela’s is a retro diner with pictures of people from Pittsburgh’s past covering the walls. Pamela’s first opened in 1980 and has been serving one of the best breakfasts offered in Pittsburgh since then. The best part about Pamela’s is their amazing hotcakes, which are crepe styled pancakes.

The original Primanti Brothers is also located in the Strip District. It was founded in 1933 and has numerous locations throughout Pittsburgh and its suburbs. Their sandwiches are a Pittsburgh signature classic! This is going to sound blasphemous to Pittsburghers, and to a lot of my family, but I am not a huge fan. I don’t like coleslaw and have always found the bread slices to be too small. I do however love the concept of putting fries in the sandwich! For those of you who don’t know Primanti’s famous sandwiches contain grilled meat, cole slaw, tomato, French fries, and Italian bread.

Two other places worth mentioning that I have been to on past Strip District trips are The Enrico Biscotti Company and Peace, Love and Little Donuts. They both have great dessert treats! The biscotti from Enrico’s are amazing and pair perfectly with the Italian food from Pennsylvania Macaroni Company. The donuts from Peace, Love and Little Donuts are miniature and delectable. There is an assortment of flavors but my two favorites are the maple bacon and the Girl Scout cookie samoas.

Like many places in Pittsburgh the Strip District has a rich and interesting history. In the early 19^th century the Strip was home to mills and factories. The location was chosen because it was close to the Allegheny River, which made for easy shipping and transportation of goods. U.S. Steel, Westinghouse, ALCOA, and Heinz were some of the early residents of the Strip. A century later the district became a large network of wholesale warehouses, restaurants, and grocery stores. It was perfect for the hundreds of shift workers employed in the area who were hungry after work. In the 1920’s Pittsburgh’s economic center was the Strip District. The wholesalers and produce dealers are still standing in the Strip today, but the warehouses have been converted into restaurants, bars, and specialty shops.

The Strip District has a wide range of options for things to do and places to eat. If you’re interested in shopping for ethnic food, trying a new restaurant in the area, or searching for some Steelers clothing the Strip is the place to go.

How to get to the Strip: Take the 54 from Craig St, get off at Liberty Ave & 24^th street. Walk a few minutes to the Strip District.

Science Center

The Carnegie Science Center is one of the four Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh. If you go to Carnegie Mellon University it only makes sense that you visit all of the Carnegie Museums. After all, admission is free with our student id! The Carnegie Science Center opened in 1991, after the Buhl Science Center (opened in 1939) merged with the Carnegie Institute. The new center that stands today was constructed for $40 million and is located on the North Shore, where the three rivers meet.

There are several awesome exhibits throughout the science center. Roboworld was probably the most impressive exhibit and has been deemed “the world’s largest permanent robotics exhibit.” The entire exhibit consists of interactive games and robotic displays, with more than thirty hands-on-activities. You can play games against robots and program them to do things such as shoot a basketball or draw a picture. I thought the most fascinating one was a robot that mimics your facial expressions. Carnegie Mellon University’s Robot Hall of Fame is also located here. Along one of the room’s walls is a row of robots that have been inducted into this hall of fame. Inductees are both fictional and real life robots that have contributed to science and society. Some familiar names are WALL-E, Roomba, and R2D2. After reading more about Roboworld I learned that Pittsburgh is a leading city in developing robotic technology, which is logical after experiencing this exhibit.

The next exhibit was the Miniature Railroad & Village that fills up an entire room of the museum. The platform that it sits on is 83 by 30 feet wide. The detail and intricacy of this model is breathtaking! It depicts the lifestyle of people in Western Pennsylvania from 1880s to the 1930s. There are hundreds of realistic scenes. Some of the favorites include replicas of Fallingwater, the Monongahela Incline, and Forbes Field. These are only a few out of the more than fifty replicas of historically or culturally significant Pittsburgh landmarks that can be found throughout the model. The number of elements that the village includes is impressive! It consists of 250,000 trees, 85 automobiles, 60 trucks, 22 horse-drawn carriages, 14 aircrafts, and 23,000 fans inside Forbes Field. On most days there are five trains and one trolley operating on the tracks. The display has been at Carnegie Science Center since 1992, before that it was at the Buhl Planetarium starting in 1954. Most shockingly the model actually started in 1920 as a holiday display in the home of a man in Brookville, Pa. When it made its move to the Carnegie Science Center it expanded sixty percent through the addition of more animations and replicas.

When I visited the Science Center I went to see a show in the Buhl Digital Dome. It was called Sky Watch, which featured the constellations and stars that you can see here in Pittsburgh. The full-domed room projects in high definition. The Digital Dome was built in 2006 after the science center received a $1 million donation from the Buhl Foundation. You can view multiple planetarium shows and laser shows here. The science center also has an Omnimax Theatre. This IMAX theatre is the biggest screen in Pittsburgh and the only dome screen in the area. It is four stories tall! I was not able to see a show when I visited but they are currently screening “Mysteries of the Unseen World”, “Hubble”, “Flight of the Butterfly”, and “Jerusalem.” Tickets for the show are $8.50.

Outside of the center is where the USS Requin is docked. The submarine was used in World War II and holds the honor of being the first Radar Picket submarine in the Navy. The exhibit takes a look at the defensive and scientific missions of the sub. I was not able to go through this exhibit because it is only open on the weekends during the winter months.

There are other exhibits inside the Carnegie Science Center including SeaScape, Highmark SportsWorks, SplacePlace, and Exploration Station. The science center offers a wide range of topics to learn about and enjoy! The next time you want a break from school but still want to learn something new I encourage you to go to the science center.

How to get to the Science Center: Take a 61 downtown, get off at 6^th & Wood. Walk to the Wood Street Gateway Station to take the Blue Line inbound to the Allegheny Station. Walk a few minutes to 1 Allegheny Ave.

Schenley Park

One of the best things about Carnegie Mellon University’s location is its close proximity to Schenley Park. Throughout my four year of college I have spent countless hours in different sections of the park. I would be shocked if there was a CMU student who had not yet set foot in Schenley, but I still encourage everyone to spend more time in the park.

Flagstaff Hill is one of the most accessible locations from campus, right across from Hunt Library and Baker Hall. It is a fantastic place to read in between classes or just sit and enjoy a remarkable view of Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. On the infrequent sunny days in Pittsburgh, Flagstaff is the perfect spot to sun bathe or take a nap. I am planning on lounging there this Carnival (if the weather warms up!) and during senior week. Citiparks presents free movies on Flagstaff throughout the summer months for free. CMU students can catch the last screening of the season during the first week of school. Flagstaff is also a perfect hill for sledding on the more typical snowy days. I wish I had gone this winter because the amount of snow we had would have been perfect!

In the beginning of the year, when it was still warm out, I spent a lot of time running through the park. The Panther Hollow Trails are a great course to run. I really enjoy running through the nature trails because it is more engaging then staying in one place on a treadmill. The Park Conservatory’s website outlines two walks through this woodland section of the park. The first is classified as “intermediate” and follows the Upper Panther Hollow Trail and the Bridle Trail. The Lower Panther Hollow Trail and the Steve Faloon Trail compose the “difficult” course. The Panther Hollow Trails are a great escape because the dense forestation and windy trails can make you easily forget that you are in a city. One of my favorite Pittsburgh places is here at the Panther Hollow Lake. It is a man made lake that was created in the 1880s as a recreational and picnic spot. Up until 1930 there was a boathouse where people could rent boats to take out on the lake. On sunny spring and summer days it is still a great spot for picnics and lounging. I can still remember discovering the lake for the first time my freshman year during midsemester break. I have continued to bring friends to this isolated and relaxing spot on nicer days to talk, read, and sunbathe on blankets.

Pittsburgh’s Director of Public Works, Edward Bigelow, designed Schenley Park. The park started with a 300-acre piece of land originally called Mt. Airy Tract. This land was the inheritance of Mary Schenley, who donated it in 1889 to the city with the caveat that the park be named after her. Bigelow had grand-scale plans for a park system that would be connected through bridges and boulevards. Over the years the park has expanded to 456 acres and new amenities have been introduced. This includes the Bob O’Connor golf course, ice skating rink, Oval Sportsplex, and public pool. Also the Park Café and Visitor Center, right across the street from Phipps Conservatory.

In addition to all of those great attributes, there is also Schenley Plaza, which is often forgotten as part of the park because it is geographically removed. It is in Oakland, settled in between the Carnegie and Hillman libraries and across from the Cathedral of Learning. It is an ideal green oasis for the Oakland community. There are four dining kiosks, café tables, and a tented area with free wi-fi. It is also the home to PNC Carousel, which is an adorable family attraction. Ever since 2011 a restaurant called the Porch has been open and serving delicious meals there. I have been for lunch a few times and really enjoyed their gourmet sandwiches and pizza which they serve on a metal tray. They also serve a handful of speciality sodas and drinks that are delicious! I hear they have a fantastic brunch and is an excellent venue for special events as well.

I truly believe that every CMU student should take the time out of his or her busy schedule to reenergize with a walk, run, meal or nap in Schenley Park. We should take advantage of being so close to such a diverting park!

How to Get to Schenley: Walk!

Wigle Whiskey

Wigle Whiskey is an awesome place! I never knew much about it or even where it was until I went a couple months ago. I added it to my blog bucket list because people had told me there was a whiskey distillery in Pittsburgh. I’m really grateful I did because I had a terrific time when I went! For $20 you can participate in a tour of Wigle’s distillery on Saturdays. You need to purchase these tickets in advance on their website. Included in the one hour tour is a free cocktail, a hands on experience of the distilling process (you are able to hold and smell the ingredients), a history of the whiskey rebellion, and a seated straight tasting. Wigle Whiskey’s hours are Monday-Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 10-4. You can walk in at anytime to do a tasting and buy their products. Their products include organic white whiskey, organic aged whiskey, bitters, gins, and rums.

Keegan was enthusiastic about going to Wigle with me, but we thought we missed our chance to go together since it was a weekday. Luckily we found an event on their website for a labeling party. This still seems like an unfathomable concept to me but it is amazing! When it is needed, Wigle hosts labeling parties where people can sign up (for free) online to come and help label their bottles. Wigle is a small company and doesn’t’ have a labeling machine or processing plant, so they creatively use free labor to get a large quantity of bottles labeled efficiently. To entice people to attend everyone gets two free cocktails and limitless popcorn from Pittsburgh Popcorn Company! Keegan and I had a fantastic time! We sat at a table with three other men, one had attended once before and the other two were a father-son duo that has contributed to multiple labeling parties. They were definitely experts and had a whole system that they were kind enough to show us. Our table was responsible for Wigle’s “Landlocked” bottles, which is rum but they can’t call it rum because it is made with honey instead of sugar. You can trust me from personal experience that it is delicious! The handcrafted cocktail that I drank featured this Wigle product. The process behind labeling was writing the date of the batch on the back label (it was finished two days before), placing this label on the back of the bottle where the seam was, placing a front label with the Landlocked signature design, and a final label around the neck of the bottle. Next was putting plastic wrap around the top, heating it with a blow dryer like device to seal them, and placing twist ties around the neck with a Wigle tag. Although it was technically “work” it was a lot of fun and the set hour flew by. It was a remarkable feeling to have a small part in the finished product!

After the labeling was over, the owners offered an impromptu tour of the distillery. There were around 40 people at the labeling party. The party is a great opportunity to spend time with a big group of friends and do something different. The space they have is not very large and we were given a shortened version of the tour. It was really interesting to learn how whiskey is made and to understand the differences between that process and the beer process. Every Wigle product is made on site and is created from scratch. It is one of the few craft distilleries in the U.S. that employs this process. Wigle mills the local and organic grains on the same day that they start a batch to ensure freshness. They place the soon to be whiskey liquid into a small copper pot to yield small batches of whiskey.

The part of the tour that we missed was the history lesson, but I was able to look it up on their website and got some clarifications online to share that information with you here. Did you know that American whiskey was born in Pittsburgh? I didn’t! Wigle is the only whiskey distillery in the area today, but in the 1800’s there were four thousand documented distilleries in Western Pennsylvania. The name Wigle comes from whiskey maker Philip Wigle who helped to spark the Whiskey Rebellion and was ultimately hung for his refusal to stop making whiskey. Wigle Whiskey adopted Wigle’s name and the process that he used in the late 1700’s.

At the end of the night every labeler got a free t-shirt as a reward for our hard work that says, “I work for whiskey.” Wigle Whiskey proved to be another incredible Pittsburgh experience that I am eager to do again! I would love to attend another labeling party or go to a tasting when I am in the Strip District. Wigle also hosts release parties for new products. I strongly suggest following them on Facebook to be up to date and informed of their new products and upcoming events. Wigle Whiskey should be on every college student’s Pittsburgh bucket list!

How to Get to Wigle: Take the 54 bus from Craig Street, get off at Liberty Ave & 24^th, walk down 24^th St and take the second right on to Smallman St, arrive at 2401 Smallman St on the left hand side.

Arsenal Cider House

Arsenal Cider House is probably one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been to. It is a “Civil War Thematic Winery.” Their specialties are hard apple cider, cider styled fruit wines, and mead, which are all hand crafted.

Arsenal Cider House is a small colonial styled house on a side street in Lawrenceville. When Keegan and I first arrived at the GPS destination I almost didn’t believe it. Luckily there was a sign out front that pointed us in the right direction. Inside there are two rooms-a main area with a bar and a back room to sit. The most notable aspect about the cider house is that it is very dedicated to its Civil War Theme. There are multiple pictures and antiques mounted on the wall. Additionally, the tap handles were designed to replicate gun barrels.

Arsenal Cider House only produces small batches so the products they have on tap are constantly changing. This encourages people to come frequently and taste all of their new concoctions. On each visit you are allowed six samples. When we went they were serving a dry champagne styled cider, two classic apple ciders, and fruit wines such as plum and sour cherry. The bartender explained each one to us and told us which ones were frequently on tap versus the more seasonal drinks. Once you settle on a drink (we chose the sour cherry) you do not simply get a glass, instead a jug is filled up for you to purchase. If you want to stay in their back room and drink you need to buy the jug and then ask for glasses. We also saw many people stop in, buy their jug, and bring it home to enjoy later, which seems to be the more common approach. The best part about Arsenal Cider’s system is that once you buy a growler you can come back to get it filled up with a discount price. There is also a punch card-for every 10 growlers you fill you get your 11^th free!

To keep with their Civil War style every growler gets a personalized label with your name and a military title, mine says “Major Hiatt.” Keegan and I had a great time sitting and drinking our sour cherry wine. We actually stayed until closing, finished our growler, and got a refill to take to our BYO restaurant. It worked out really well! Because of the hours (4-8 Wednesday-Friday, 12-9 Saturday) Arsenal is a perfect place to spend time with friends before going out or an opportunity to pick up a growler for dinner. I have already been back once to get a personalized growler for Keegan as a present and loved the place just as much. Additionally, I have told my friends about it and we are making plans to visit and spend the evening talking over a jug of cider.

How to Get to Arsenal: Take the 54 bus from Craig St, get off at Penn & 39th St, walk two minutes to 300 39th St

Penn Brewery

When my boyfriend Keegan came to visit me earlier this semester we ended up having a very alcohol related tour of Pittsburgh. In one week we went to a brewery, distillery, and cider house. Who knew that Pittsburgh made so many alcoholic beverages?

I have always wanted to check out Penn Brewery once I became of age. Since Keegan is a home brewer it seemed like the perfect place to take him during his visit. The walk-in tours occur on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 1, 2, 3, and 4. It only costs $5, which is a really great deal for a tour and two free beer samples. We went with the plan of taking the last tour at 4 and then eating afterwards. Due to the brewer actually being in the process of making a batch of beer we switched our order of events and started with the tasting. Although their website says two, the bartender told us that tour participants are allowed to sample four of the beers. On tap were Penn Pilsner, Penn Dark, Allegheny Pale Ale, Kaiser Pils, and Penn Weizan. They also had three Seasonal Brews, Nut Roll Ale, St Nik Bock, and St Nik Reserve. My personal favorite was the Penn Dark. They are most famous for their Penn Pilsner and Penn Dark beers.

After the tastings we took advantage of the 4-8 Happy Hour and got two appetizers for half off and a pint each. In the spirit of a German brewery the appetizers were also German cuisine. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 11- midnight. Penn Brewery calls their fare “Euro-Pittsburgh” which includes wurst, schnitzel, pierogi, and goulash. Keegan and I split pretzels with beer cheese and latkas, both of which were delicious!

Next we got a personal tour of the brewery-it was just us and two new employees that hadn’t learned about the beer making process yet. Keegan and I have both been on brewery tours before-his in Jersey and mine in London-but we still enjoyed this one. The brewer was vey friendly and explained the process behind how Penn Brewery specifically makes their beers. It was particularly fascinating to hear him talk about the process while actually demonstrating some of the steps. Penn focuses on authentic German-style beers to keep with the tradition of their past. The beers are brewed with real German hops, two-row barley, and follow the quality standards of the Reinheitsgebot or the “German Purity Law.” In order to achieve this quality all of the brewing equipment at Penn is from Germany. The brewer also told us about other breweries within Pittsburgh, all of which are now on my bucket list. Keegan and I ended the trip by getting a six-pack to enjoy later in the week.

Penn Brewery is Pittsburgh’s oldest and largest brewery. It is located in the North Side’s Deutschtown neighborhood, where German immigrants settled in the 19^th century. Craft beers have been brewed at Penn since 1986, but their roots date back to 1848. The building is located where the Eberhart and Ober breweries were once located. The two families opened three breweries on the site, and today three of the original buildings still stand. All are now historical Pittsburgh landmarks. In 1989 Penn opened up its restaurant, which made it the first “tied house” (brewery accompanied with a restaurant) in Pennsylvania since Prohibition. I think the history and tradition that Penn Brewery upholds makes the brewery even more incredible.

The next time you’re at Giant Eagle or the liquor store I encourage you to pick up Penn Brewery’s beer. It’s really delicious and it’s great to support your local breweries! You can also take a tour on Wednesdays or look out for Penn Brewery hosted beer tastings in the area. The perk is that if you buy a case you can keep your pint glass with the Penn Brewery logo. Penn Brewery should be on every Pittsburgher’s list of things to do for its history and novelty, especially if you enjoy drinking beer!

How to Get to Penn Brewery: Car is the best option. Take the 54 bus from Craig and get off at East Ohio stop, then a five minute walk to 800 Vinial St

Ice Skating at PPG Plaza

In the past I have gone ice-skating at the Cal U Ice Rink at PPG Plaza with my family the day after Thanksgiving. We didn’t go this year but I made it a point to get there on my own. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it close enough to Christmas when the tree was still up. That’s definitely the time I recommend going, because skating around the tree is a lot of fun and festive! Nonetheless, it is still worth going at anytime during the winter. The rink is open from mid-November through mid-February. The hours for weekdays are 11-3 and 6-10, on Friday and Saturday 11-11, and Sunday 12-8, so there are lots of times available to skate.

I went two Friday nights ago with friends to celebrate “100 days until graduation.” CMU sponsored free skating for any senior to celebrate the milestone. They even gave us free scarves! Despite the cold it was a lot of fun to skate, especially in the evening with all of the lights. The rink is surrounded by holiday lights and lit up trees on the sidewalk. Cal U Ice Rink is small, 104’ x 104’, but it is well taken care of and skating below the towers of PPG is a great experience. The rink first opened in 2001 and has become a staple Pittsburgh holiday tradition. Another perk is that there is hot chocolate, coffee, and snacks right there. So if you need a break or are kicked off by the zamboni there is a warm spot to hangout before you’re ready to skate again.

Skating at PPG Plaza is one of my favorite winter activities in Pittsburgh. I am looking forward to going in future years when I am back for the Thanksgiving holiday!

How to Get to PPG Plaza: Take a 61 bus downtown, get off at 6th & Wood St, walk a short distance to the plaza.

Phipps Winter Garden Show

Phipps has become one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh. Since the four years I have gone to school at Carnegie Mellon I have gone over a dozen times. And why not? It’s free with my school id! If you are a CMU student and have not made the short walk to Phipps yet, I strongly urge you to do so! I’m not sure what my favorite time of the year to go to Phipps is, but I do know that the Winter Flower Show is always incredible. The best part is that it provides a beautiful escape to the wintery weather. On display throughout Phipps’s 14 rooms were pine trees, poinsettias, amaryllis, paperwhites and other festive flowers. The rooms also featured reindeer, presents, gingerbread houses and other classic holiday elements.  Most spectacular were the new glass installations in some of the rooms. Artists Matthew McCormack and Jenn Figg designed the colorful mushrooms, ferns and bromeliads sculptures.

The highlight of the winter show is the train display in the center room. This year there was a twist to the traditional display-dinosaurs were added. Dispersed amongst the tracks and reeking havoc in the town were dinosaurs. I guess the train display usually tells a story but this year the “Phipps Prehistoric Park” went beyond the usual Christmas town.

There was also the Winter Light Garden on display outdoors. This was the second year that Phipps included an outdoor portion to their show. It opened every night at five o’clock, once it was dark enough to appreciate all of the lights. There were a ton of colorful spherical and conical lighted sculptures around the outdoor garden. And of course no outdoor Christmas show would be complete without hundreds of Christmas lights. On the weekends there was a snack stand that sold hot chocolate and mulled wine, which I am disappointed that I missed.

As for Phipps itself, the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is one of the nation’s largest Victorian “glass houses.” Henry Phipps gave it as a gift to the city in 1893. Phipps has become a cultural attraction for Pittsburgh while presenting artistic work and advocating environmental practices.

Pittsburgh has many other Christmas oriented events and spectacles but Phipps concluded my personal Christmas experience in the ‘Burgh. Although I have seen the winter flower show in the past I am extremely glad that I got to see it this year, because as nostalgic as this sounds, I don’t know the next time I’ll get to see its splendor.

How to Get to Phipps: Walk to 1 Schenley Park Drive

Clayton House

When I was brainstorming places to visit for this blog my mom recommended that I go to the Clayton House during the Christmas season. The house is located within Frick Park, next to the Frick Art & Historical Society, but is a separate entity. You can get guided tours of the home of Henry Clay Frick and his family, or simply the Clayton House. For those who are not familiar, Henry Clay Frick is one of America’s greatest industrialists and art collectors. He played a major role in Pittsburgh’s history because he and Carnegie owned Homestead Steel. During the summer of 1892 the Homestead labor strike occurred. Frick was the one who ordered to initially close the mill and arranged for Pinkerton detectives to take action after the workers seized the mill. Frick was a millionaire and spent a large portion of his money collecting art. His home in New York City is now also a museum dedicated to displaying his collections. The house was restored beginning in 1984, after Helen Clay Frick, Henry’s daughter, died. It is a historically significant house because it is one of the few intact homes from Pittsburgh’s lost “Millionaire’s Row.” The home is in dedication to the late 19^th century architecture and furnishings, because all repairs were made to replicate the era.

I happened to schedule my tour for a time that no one else had, which left me with a private guided tour. It was a little odd at first but the woman was very enthusiastic and was obviously a Frick aficionado excited to share her knowledge. Throughout the year there are different exhibitions and themed tours in the house. In December the focus of the tour is Christmas at the Frick home. The home is decorated with hundreds of poinsettias, wreaths, a large Christmas tree, holly, and other festive decorations. (Unfortunately no pictures were allowed so I can’t show these decorations.) I think the best part of the display was that each holiday decoration is presented how it would have looked in 1890 when the family still lived there. Most of the house is left just the way the family left it- ninety-three percent of artifacts are Frick originals. I got a very in depth history of Henry Clay Frick and his entire family. The most remarkable part of the tour for me was seeing a real Claude Monet piece in Frick’s study. I was amazed to think of someone having enough money to own a famous painting and to display it in a shadowy corner of a private room. The tour of the house would be remarkable at any time of year but I especially enjoyed it during the holiday season. It was a perfect way to learn some Pittsburgh history!

 

How to Get to Clayton: Take the 69 bus, get off at Penn Ave at Homewood, walk a short distance to 7227 Reynolds St