For most of my life, Pittsburgh has been a city I’ve passed through, a giant wayside on the way to my Grandma’s house in Colver.
This weekend, I had a chance to look around a little, thanks to a whirlwind trip for a beautiful wedding. I have to say the Steel City and the family members we traveled to see are looking fine.
I treated myself to a little photo walk before the festivities began and I loved the cool mix of architecture. Giant steel structures rise up proud and strong next to well-preserved historic landmarks. A perfect example of this is Strawberry Way, which is part of the city’s original 1784 street plan. It includes three cool brick row houses, which hold their own against more imposing structures like the original headquarters of Alcoa, the 20-story Bell Telephone Company, which now houses Verizon, and the Harvard-Yale-Princeton Club.
I found a tiny playground, kept safe with a wrought iron fence and wall of small pine trees, on the edge of a highway entrance ramp and right in the shadow of three towering skyscrapers.
A public art mural of stern Russian Orthodox couple on one building, looks down at Wiener World, housed in another.
A red port authority bus stopped in the middle of the street to let me take a picture of a piece of friendly graffiti I found.
Its history and contrasts make Pittsburgh a fascinating place and I can’t wait to go back.
The “Resurrection” sculpture in front of First Lutheran Church, the first English speaking Lutheran congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains..Strawberry Way is an historic little stretch with a cool public art installation in which solar panels power an audio amplifier that plays Vivaldi’s Four Season from four speakers along the street.Paris or Pittsburgh?This is Mellon Green Fountain, which is very cool, but I especially like the variety of architecture that surrounds it.I love how protected this urban playground is, by the wrought iron gate and pine trees that surround it and by the tall buildings that look like they’re keeping a thousand watchful eyes on the little people playing below.A friendly transit authority bus driver stopped in the middle of his route to let me take this picture. I thought that was mighty sporting of him. Greetings Pittsburgh!I love the optical illusion of this stern Russian Orthodox couple, painted on the building next door, looking out over Wiener World.How cute is this toy shop, right in the heart of the city?I think this picture sums up the cool variety of Pittsburgh architecture. The red brick building, part of the original 1784 street plan, holds its own against the more modern steel structures. It’s a really interesting corner.I could not get enough of the Pittsburgh eclectic skyline.Of course, we were in town for the wedding of these two lovely people, my cousin’s son Tucker and his bride Noelle. There was hardly a dry eye in the house during their tender first dance.My travel companion and mother had herself an excellent time. She whooped it up on the dance floor all night.The groom, my cousins Julie and Susan and me. I battled cellphone battery issues throughout the night so I don’t have many pictures but it was a lovely, love-filled wedding.
Great photos f the city. And a superb one of your traveling companion celebrating.
Thank you! My travel companion does love to celebrate.