Your Guide to Pittsburgh: Need-to-Know Culture
As the end of summer grows closer, we’re hoping to get our incoming students acquainted not just with Chatham, but with Pittsburgh as a whole—that’s why we’re offering our “Guide to Pittsburgh” series. In our first installation, we tackled Pittsburgh’s varied neighborhoods—check them out here. Now, we’re moving on to the cultural institutions, traditions, and touch-points that give our city flavor, personality, and a deep sense of community. Be sure to take notes on these quintessential components of Pittsburgh’s culture—
Esther Barazzone Center, Eden Hall Campus
From A Steel City To A Green Technology Haven
Pittsburgh has long been known as one of the steel titans that emerged from the industrial revolution, an identity that was decimated and polluted by the collapse of the steel industry. Our history as one of the leading steel manufacturing cities is still reflected in our nickname, “The Steel City,” and our football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. And though we honor our city’s origins, Pittsburgh has long since pivoted towards becoming a hub of sustainable technological and medical innovations. Chatham’s commitment to health sciences and sustainability is very much entwined with the strategic rehabilitation and transformation of the city we call home.
Exploration Homework: Spend some time at our Eden Hall Campus. Though slightly outside of the city, the legacy of Eden Hall reflects Pittsburgh’s transformation over the years. Once used as a retreat center for the women who worked in the Heinz factories, the land was gifted to Chatham in 2008 by the Eden Hall Foundation. Nowaways, Eden Hall is a hub for sustainable education, research, and community empowerment.
Sports Are Everything
Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park
Sports are part of Pittsburgh’s DNA. No matter where you go or who you meet, you’re never far from a “yinzer” fanatic. If you like football, you’re sure to love (or hate) the Pittsburgh Steelers and our six Super Bowl rings. If you prefer hockey, the Pittsburgh Penguins have plenty to offer—five Stanley Cups. And even if you don’t love watching baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ PNC Park is one of the most stunning baseball parks in the country. Luckily for your wardrobe and your budget, Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams all share the colors black and yellow (or gold)—hence Pittsburgh native, Wiz Khalifa’s famous ode to the city.
But our famous franchises are not the only Pittsburgh sports teams of note. We’re also home to the Steel City Roller Derby league, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer team, and a robust array of intramural sports leagues, thanks to organizations like the Pittsburgh Sports League.
Exploration Homework: Use your student ID to take the bus and/or T to a Pirates game in PNC Park; tickets are affordable and transportation is free!
A City Of Diverse Cultures & Perspectives
A Hill District street
Pittsburgh is rich with a diversity of cultures, languages, histories, and more. The city’s work towards equity and inclusion that accommodates people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, women, disabled folks, and other marginalized groups is ongoing and emphasizes providing opportunities to make Pittsburgh livable and accessible for all of its residents. This work is supported and enhanced by a wide-ranging non-profit scene that aims to empower and support Pittsburgh residents. Vibrant Pittsburgh works to diversify Pittsburgh’s workforce through collaboration with human resource departments, recruiters, and non-profits. Boom Concepts offers artist studios for creatives in need throughout the city. If you are interested in activism and/or volunteer work, Pittsburgh is home to a thriving community of activists and social justice organizations ready and willing to accept your assistance. Check out this list of organizations and their corresponding causes to see where you might want to get involved.
Exploration Homework: Familiarize yourself with the history of Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Once known as ‘Little Haiti,’ the Hill District was home to middle-class Black citizens in the early 1800s. By the early 1900s, the neighborhood served as a popular spot for immigrating families and was becoming a major cultural hub for jazz music. It was home to the Black-owned newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier, Pittsburgh’s only Black radio station, WHOD Radio, and served as the setting for many of playwright August Wilson’s plays. In the 1950s and 60s, the federal government activated a redevelopment plan that tragically displaced over 8,000 residents of the Hill. Multiple movements since the late 1980s have begun to revitalize the community. You can learn more about the Hill here and here.
Photo c/o Public Source
Pittsburghers Have Their Own Language
Chatham students prepare to ride Pittsburgh’s Party Pedaler through Downtown Pittsburgh
Have you ever heard of Pittsburgh-ese? If you haven’t yet, we can only offer our best attempt at a lesson. Check out Pittsburgh native Joe Manganiello’s professional rendition here. It takes a few years of listening to catch on to this dialect but the below can serve as a quick cheat sheet:
Yinz = You all or you guys
N’at = And that
Jagoff = Jerk
Redd up = Tidy up
Gumband = Rubber band
Aht = Out
Dahn = Down
Nebby = Nosy
Slippy = Slippery
Exploration homework: Try not to start churning out your best Pittsburgh-ese to anyone who will listen. Instead, spend time with lifelong Pittsburghers, be that other students, members of the Chatham community, or locals you meet. No one knows and loves Pittsburgh the way its natives do; ask them questions and pay attention to their recommendations. You’ll find yourself familiar with some of the best parts of the city before you know it!
There Is Only One True City of Bridges
Roberto Clemente Bridge, Downtown Pittsburgh
Depending on where you are from, you may have heard other cities tote themselves as “The City of Bridges”… we’re looking at you, Portland, OR. 🙄 But to be frank, there is only one true city of bridges. Pittsburgh is home to 446 unique bridges; many are colorful, some are monumental, and the oldest was built in 1881. Downtown Pittsburgh is home to a bridge named after famed environmentalist and Chatham alumna, Rachel Carson. Rachel’s bridge is one of the giant yellow bridges you’ll often see in shots of the city, and sits beside the Roberto Clemente and Andy Warhol bridges, two other monumental Pittsburgh icons.
Exploration Homework: Grab a friend and rent a kayak in Point State Park. The bridges are beautiful from every angle but floating below them via our three rivers (Allegheny, Ohio, and Monongahela) is an ideal way to appreciate their majesty.
Our Food Is Famous
The Primanti Brothers’ sandwich, available city-wide
We have a lot more than fries on salad and coleslaw on sandwiches, but yes, we are known for those too. Beyond being the birthplace of Primanti Brothers and Heinz Ketchup, Pittsburgh is a veritable foodie wonderland, complete with high-end cuisine, affordable delights, and international offerings. Pittsburgh Magazine offers a yearly list of the city’s best restaurants according to food critic and Chatham alum, Hal B. Klein and you can catch a slightly younger version of the city’s food culture featured on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. But the best way to explore our city’s food culture is eating your way through, obviously.
Exploration Homework: The sheer number of food options in Pittsburgh can feel overwhelming. Discover the Burgh (written by a Pittsburgh couple) offers food recommendations and rankings broken down by affordability, style, and location; it’s a great place to get started on your food explorations.
Photo c/o Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Hills Are No Joke
Pittsburgh is home to some of the steepest hills in the country: Canton Avenue and Dornbush Street. And nestled between these mammoths are thousands of other miniature to massive hills. We are home to hundreds of sets of city steps that help Pittsburghers get from the side of one hill to another. Each year ambitious Pittsburgh cyclists take on the “Dirty Dozen Bicycle Ride,” which challenges participants to tackle thirteen of the steepest hills in the city on bicycles. Intimidated? Thanks to your student ID you can rely on Pittsburgh’s Port Authority buses for the majority of these hills.
Exploration Homework: Take a hike in one of our comfortably hilly parks, like Schenley or Frick, or if you’re looking for a great view, hop on the Pittsburgh Incline and ride it up to Grandview, Pittsburgh’s premier overlook.
The Duquesne Incline overlooking Downtown Pittsburgh
Randyland, North Side
An Arts Scene Like No Other
Pittsburgh is home to famous institutions like the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, as well as to the Andy Warhol Museum, the Mattress Factory, and plant-filled Phipps Conservatory. It’s also a popular hub for writers, artists, and actors and is a popular and affordable spot for filming movies and television. We’re home to the annual Three Rivers Arts Festival, which features art for sale from local vendors and live music from renowned musicians. Plus, you can see live shows at a range of theaters and performance arts centers, including The Benedum Center, Heinz Hall, and Kelly Strayhorn Theater.
Exploration Homework: Randyland is a one-of-a-kind museum (of sorts), designed and maintained by artist Randy Gilson on his property. If you’re looking for an immersive artistic experience, this one is both affordable and unique. Or, if you’re looking for something closer to campus, check out Penn Avenue’s Unblurred Art Crawl, a monthly event which features photography, dance, painting, sculpture, music, and more.
Photo c/o Facebook
Getting to know our city takes time, curiosity, and ambitious exploration. Are you ready?! Check out Your Guide to Pittsburgh: Neighborhoods and check out this advice from Chatham students who were once Pittsburgh newcomers.