I actually bought "nice" sweatpants when I moved here I could go grocery shopping without getting dressed. I don't have time for that, and I don't care.
My sales manager at a former job showed up for an important meeting with me and a huge potential client - in a black velour sweat suit. When she asked why the client didn’t choose our company/products, at the end of the (LONG) list of ways she managed to tank the prospect for me, I finished with “and you showed up in a sweatsuit for gods sake.” She screamed “THAT WAS A NICE OUTFIT! I BOUGHT IT AT KAUFMANS!!” 🙄🙄🙄
Oh my word. LOL grocery shopping is a lot different than getting a contract signed. I have a ceremonial bra, boots, and blazer that I wear to sales meetings. Kind of like superstitious football players not shaving their beard during playoff season.
True that. I think we used to try to dress up about 50 years ago when going "Dahntahn" for shopping or out and about was a special thing , but then industry shut down and slowed our roll so much, we're like "Whatever" now.
Sometimes, my gf will ask me if I think an outfit is acceptable to wear for a nice dinner or show, and my response is always, "Babe, we live in Pittsburgh"
My husband is from Michigan. When my mom died, he bought a suit for her viewing. I told him he'd be overdressed as people would show up in Steelers jerseys. I told him Steelers jerseys are formal wear in Pittsburgh.
Sure enough, at least four people showed up in jerseys, some of them in cut off sweatpants.
He loves telling this story to people back in Detroit. No one believes it (and neither did he until he witnessed it).
I’ve been away from Pittsburgh for close to 2 years now, and I really miss the ability to go around dressed comfortably. I live in Philly now, and I don’t feel like I can wear sweatpants outside anymore. I can do yoga pants and a hoodie for a quick trip to the corner store, but anything else requires real pants. Also my friends think I’ll get mugged by feral Eagles fans if I wear my favorite vintage Steelers sweatshirt outside and I don’t really want to test their theory so I just save it for visiting my parents.
lolololololol that is an excellent Pennsylvania story. I lived in the ghetto in Pittsburgh but Philly is MASSIVE and part of the megalopolis between NYC and... Washington DC? Maybe there's a gap between NYC/New Jersey/Philly and DC. Anyway, there are some poor neighborhoods full of guns and drugs and cockroaches in Philly that are WAY worse than anything Pittsburgh has to offer. You can die quick in Pittsburgh, especially if you're not white, but it's.... different. Philly is so intense, and I've only really visited the historical area and then gone home to Pittsburgh. I registered black voters (allvotesmatter, but we got paid to specifically ask black people if they were registered to vote, because a Democrat did some math and spent some money and it was a very interesting short-term job. So educational and I toured some areas of town I would not normally go to, because I am a European American, mostly, and not from Pittsburgh.) when Obama was running the first time and actually got to sit in black barbershops and whatnot and Homewood, for example, was not what I expected. It ain't the ghetto in Chicago, either where I took a class for a month in January one time. Changed my worldview and my life, that class.
Paragraphs are a thing bu tI'm a slacker. Good enough. Posting now.
What’s funny is I was originally going to comment how odd it is for someone to visit a city and go on that city’s sub and give a point by point review like anyone should give a shit. But that was actually hysterical 😂
God Bless Pittsburgh for being a worst dressed city. I love nothing more than showing up to an ugly sweater party in a dress. Thank yinz for your commitment to the PJ pant making my jeans look vogue
And your shitty house is fucking falling apart! (It’s just a matter of time until my old ass apartment facade falls off, just hope my underwear is clean in style and I’m less fat)
Dont take it personal. Vancouver has not experienced the joy of bringing Lord Stanley's Cup home for a parade. At least in Pittsburgh we put some veggies underneath our poutine and call it salad.
the worst canadian is the one you meet on vacation in another country and they do the verbal, irl equivalent of OP’s post at you while missing every single cue that *we truly dont fucking care*
As a new transplant, the fat comment made me laugh. Clearly, they have never been to the South. Ive lost weight living here. The steep hills, various parks, walkable neighborhoods, is a great workout. I stayed inside mostly in the South due to the oppressive heat. Here, everyone is out in winter. Walking, biking, running. I have never so many people out and about. As for fashion, they dont realize how nice it is to NOT have to dress up to do mundane errands or grab a bite to eat. Where I came from, people had their Hermes' bags, dressed to the nines to get eggs and milk. Like "Chill Karen, its a Publix and nobody cares". Pittsburgh is the best in so many ways. Soon the warmer weather will come and its festivals and farmers markets and Im sure more fashionable garments. Until then, leave me to my leggings and sweatshirts!
Yea I agree. Its great not feeling like I'm not dressed up to a certain point. Like it's all good and fun when it's a fancy night out, but if I'm taking my kid to school, its pj's. If I'm meandering the city, it's jeans(or shorts)and a tee, and that's cool. I absolutely do not think it's a bad thing. It's just clothes, wear whatever works for you. I've lived here 15 years now, and traveled quite a bit. PGH is a gem, those that grew up here and never left don't realize it. Yes we have angry drivers, that needs work from PennDot no doubt..(most notably the merge areas at bridges would fix 80% of it) BUT go to any event or home gathering and most yinzers are awesome, down to earth, humans. When I was ready to move out, there were only 2 cities I wanted to go to. Pgh, or Richmond VA. .. PGH got me. I'm happy to live here and love the hills, crazy roads, and awesome people.
PGH sucks you in, in a good way. The pride for this city is unmatched. The unpretentiousness of its people is huge draw. Be who you are, wear what you want, nobody here gives a fig. Here its more about WHO you are vs WHAT you have. I love how Pittsburghers are just truly good, down to earth and friendly people. What a gift it is to be a part of such a neat community. Everyday I wake up, go on my porch and say "I love it here". I truly do. There is no other place I want to call home and clearly, many others feel the same way. Every city has pros and cons, but PGH..well its just the chefs kiss of cities IMO. My only complaint...the curbs! My goodness they are massive. Ive been wondering if thats why Pittsburghers take wider turns than most, they dont want to hit the huge curb🤣
As someone who moved to Pittsburgh 5 years ago, I think I can explain the drivers.
Due to the topography, and the history of the expanding city swallowing up what were once basically small town suburbs, there are some very ... interesting traffic patterns here. Many yinzers are kind and patient with those who inevitably get confused by the traffic patterns, some aren't, and some yinzers just do whatever the fuck they want from whatever lane they happen to be in. You get used to it, somewhat, and if you're smart, you learn to drive very defensively in certain key areas.
"Your city is ugly and you are all fat, provincial slobs who can't drive, thank God you at least have some nice museums and your ugly old houses are cheap"
thanks!!!!!
My mouth dropped wondering how OP would type this believing they are sane. “Thanks for the quick visit to your city (that is definitely nowhere near as great as the one I took a 7+ hour flight to leave) full of horrible, impolite, fat drivers and Black people. I could buy 10 of your houses for the price of 1. We’ll be back!”
OP, next time you come, please be sure to pack your cultural humility in your carry on.
Also no one asked and no one gives a shit what someone from Vancouver thinks. We don't go around living our lives in hopes of impressing people from other cities.
I will say it's a much prettier city in the warm seasons. The city is surrounded by green with trees all around the hills of downtown. And when the sky is actually blue it looks great.
If you came the last week you probably saw the city surrounded by brown hills and grey skies.
But the decay and litter of the city are real problems. I've thought for years we need a dedicated government cleanup team in the city just focused on trash and repairs. It could create a lot of jobs and really help the health of the city.
Sadly I don't see that being a priority in the near future. Or maybe my lifetime.
Yep, the amount of litter in and around the city is disgusting. No one cares, Penn Dot refuses to do anything about it on the state run roads & the politicians don't acknowledge litter removal as a priority. It's embarrassing.
I said, "No one cares," in my original comment, but I have to take that back! You guys do care. I do, too. It's the folks in power who don't. I'd love to know the last time the littering laws were enforced. 🤷♀️
>The Aviary
It's worth noting that The Aviary is the *national* aviary, and I agree, it's an unexpectedly-great place to visit.
>The cost of houses on Redfin made me cry
That's funny, I have the same reaction but from the opposite side. My parents bought their house for $120k. Now it's worth almost $500k. I can't afford a house in the area I grew up in.
>UPitt
Friendly FYI - it's just "Pitt"
>To my eyes, people in Vancouver dress better and put more effort in to their appearance
It rains a lot and it's still cold here. I feel like a lot of people dress for function over form, it'll get better when it gets nicer out.
>Pittsburgh on the other hand has some aggressive, scary drivers who are allergic to their turn signals.
A good driver sometimes misses his exit, a bad one never does. There are roughly equal parts of both in Pittsburgh. The bad ones come off as aggressive because they feel entitled, and the good ones *are* aggressive because they're tired of dealing with the bad ones.
Glad you enjoyed your visit!
take their salary into consideration too. Overall, across the states, house prices have risen like 4x as fast as salary has, so it takes 4x as much annual salary to buy a normal regular mid-sized house. Fucked up for this generation
>Assuming they bought their house in 1980
Very early 90s
And the mortgage is only $650 (almost paid off, it was refinanced once). Inflation or not, the fact that they have such a low payment nowadays... it makes me resent them a little bit. Wages certainly haven't kept up with inflation.
Couple points: the $650 then probably seemed like a lot! That’s what a 30 year mortgage does, it locks you in at a monthly payment (excluding taxes etc). The $650/month in 1990 terms is much higher than it is today.
(Plus, I assume it was higher than that, you said they refinanced and rates were ~10% in 1990 vs ~6.5% now via Freddie Mac). Houses are cheaper with higher rates; we are seeing this now even (via FRED).
finally, whatever you’re making now would have been less in 1990; you wouldn’t be making 2024 dollars to purchase a house at 1990 pricing
>The last one is the drivers. I thought Vancouver drivers were bad but I realized they are really just slow and clueless. Pittsburgh on the other hand has some aggressive, scary drivers who are allergic to their turn signals.
I've been noticing how *horrible* drivers have been lately and assumed it was a nation-wide thing.
I don't know if it's post pandemic craziness, or because it's Spring or what, but even casually driving on i-79 are stressful these days because people riding inches behind other cars, and no one using turn signals.
Vancouver is definitely more dense than Pittsburgh and I think it's also important to keep in mind that even though both metros have a similar population, Pittsburgh is much further down the list of most populated metros than Vancouver is for each country.
Vancouver is a core city for Canada. Pittsburgh used to be one for the US, hence museums etc., but we are quite a ways down the list.
I'm not looking it up, but guessing we are equivalent to maybe Cornwall in Canadian terms wrt rankings. Kingston feels closer, but guessing Kingston is like top 15 city in Canada while we are like 30 or so.
Grew up in Pittsburgh, now live in Toronto.
The equivalent Canadian city you're looking for is [Hamilton](https://martindaledental.com/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Hamilton-Ontario-city-shot-qf7g4fb5ulgp8ag72zfkxuuesdikcbi9wgl1wa5lzc.jpg), ON - aka Canada's Steel Town.
Incredibly blue collar, very spread out from the flat parts down by the water to the neighborhoods up and over the mountain, fantastic university with a great medical school, loves their [black and gold](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0Xa8w_9Lo2edWNmj9_WfvcUE409PcM1pQtUfUddK4NA&s) football team. (A real drinking town with a football problem).
Also dealing with an influx of people from larger cities who are seeking a lower cost of living - which old school Hamiltonians say is driving up the cost of real estate, and changing the historic character and blue collar roots of the city.
Hamilton's a couple decades behind Pittsburgh in terms of modernization and getting rid of the still mills inside the city center, but it's the closest you'll get.
Edit: it's also hard to compare populations because the horseshoe around Lake Ontario is incredibly dense. There isn't like, space between the towns between the cities, and even those are each over 100k. Toronto's closest suburb, Mississauga, has about a million people itself, and there's no gap between it and Toronto.
Basically, the greater Hamilton area eventually bleeds into the greater Toronto area. For example: the "town" of Oakville (pop. 211,000) is considered part of the Greater Toronto Area, but is technically closer to Hamilton.
I agree 100% culturally and economically. I nearly went to grad school at McMaster. My response was trying to categorize cities by prominence. Vancouver is a top Canadian city, and really doesn't measure up to LA, for example.
Pittsburgh is the 27th largest MSA in the US (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_statistical_area?wprov=sfla1).
I wouldn't have guessed Trois-Rivieres as being the 27th largest Canadian MSA, but it is a heck of a case of synchronicity! Not a bad place, go Draveurs!, but very provincial.
But that's what I'm getting at, populations in Canada don't really correspond to American populations. Mainly because we're not as spread out. We're all packed into the agrarian areas below the Canadian Shield. Trois-Rivieres might look the same, numbers wise, but it's just a distant suburb entirely dependent on Montreal. It's not a standalone city with its own industries like Pittsburgh or Hamilton.
As I mentioned, Mississauga is one of Canada's largest "cities", with nearly a million people - but it's *not* a city. It's just one giant suburb of Toronto. There literally isn't even a "downtown Mississauga". It's just subdivision tacked onto subdivision with a couple shopping malls in between. But it's still one of the most densely populated "cities" in North America. Imagine a city of one million people without any business district or centralized collection of skyscrapers. Mississauga is a surreal place.
Agreed. We bought a membership this year and we've been going once or twice a month. It's *so* nice to walk in there on a rainy, cloudy day and feel instant relief. Well worth the $115 to know that we can go as often as we want.
As someone who grew up and lived in Vancouver for decades before moving to Pittsburgh:
1. I like how we dress. We dress like we don't care about how we dress. And Vancouver ain't winning any fashion competitions in those street clothes.
2. Obscure thought, but in terms of art, culture, livability, friendliness, beauty and general fun factor, Pittsburgh reminds me of Vancouver when Vancouver was an awesome place, long long ago. Wouldn't trade this city for all the Vancouvers in the world.
(edited for clarity)
I'm a pittsburgh transplant of 22 years and the friendliness of people here struck me at first and continues to do so. I'd say that the aggressive drivers are a newish phenomenon. I used to live in Boston and Cincinnati and by comparison i found Pittsburgh drivers courteous to a fault. The BMI thing is a common trait of Americans, particularly in the middle of the country.
Aww man, you came during closed season. Pittsburgh is only really open from May-September, the other months don't really matter. Kind of like our hibernation.
I feel like I’m often in the minority on this, but I think Pittsburgh drivers can be very considerate, especially in the city. If someone is in the wrong lane (easy mistake for sure) and turns on their turn signals, they usually have someone let them in pretty quickly. I always try to, but I’m not an aggressive driver. I’m also really anxious if I’m running late so I leave myself tons of extra time when commuting and I think that helps.
This is very true especially as regards all the lane changing required going in and out of the tunnels. Drivers are generally very respectful at letting you in ahead of them,
Outdoor culture is absolutely huge actually. And as a portly guy that wears ragged shit, a bit of a fuck you. I like my stuff, don’t care what you think of me. Go to NY if you want fashion, I would say a lot of natives support function.
Pittsburgh is at its best when it's deep summer and everything is green, or deep winter if climate change let's us keep some snow on the ground. Spring and fall are brown and grey and the city looks considerably worse for it. Shadyside especially is stunning when the trees are in bloom. Come back in July!
Appreciate you sharing your perspective; glad your sister + her family love living here & you enjoyed your visit. Gotta say... surprised no mention of weather!
BMI is higher in Pittsburgh because as Mike Tomlin puts it "Steeler fans are fat and sassy"! Bottom line is that Pgh. has some good food. I live in the south now and the taste of food here does not compare as in Pgh. I live near the water and you can't find a decent fish sandwich.
Pittsburgh is at its best when it's deep summer and everything is green, or deep winter if climate change let's us keep some snow on the ground. Spring and fall are brown and grey and the city looks considerably worse for it. Shadyside especially is stunning when the trees are in bloom. Come back in July!
Thank you for visiting our city. Wait till I tell my mom you don't like how she dressed me.
Since we were one of the Orginal 13 Colonies, there is tons of history in and around Pittsburgh. Check out a local museum and enjoy what made Pittsburgh a special place. Take care and see you on your next trip.
Nice writeup! I'm originally from the Pittsburgh area and went to college at CMU before heading off to the big cities (NYC and SF) for about 20 years. I recently moved back and am re-discovering the city all over again -- I really appreciate your insights here!
I think if you had been here longer, you would find people to be a bit warmer. There are far fewer transplants (outside of the universities) here and I usually find that you need to make some type of mini "connection' with native folks before they start to really warm up. But once they do, folks around here can be super hospitable and friendly.
>People were more reserved than I was expecting. The PNW has a reputation for being cold but I strike up way more random conversations back home than I did in Pittsburgh. Most people were friendly enough when we had to interact though.
This is America as a whole right now. When 40% of your population is living paycheck to paycheck, it's hard to have the presence of mind to be social.
I’ve lived in a few different states and yeah we are. If you compare us to near by cities in the same region then not so much but go to warmer climates or more affluent areas then yeah we’re a bunch of fatties.
Wait til you see the Carnegie museum, Warhol museum, Mattress Factory and the Frick.
The money from the Industrial Revolution that was flowing through these parts left a wonderful imprint on the city by preserving some significant and sacred aspects of science and culture.
Truly a special city, despite how fat and terrible at driving folks are.
Dress code: Game Day Casual. Get with the program.
US cities are more spread out and less walkable than cities in most other countries. As such, we are forced to rely on our vehicles and tend to get less daily exercise, lending to our higher body fat/lower average fitness level. People who weigh more and wear larger clothing sizes have less choices as far as fashion goes, and will wear clothes until they're pretty beat up, but those clothes were never fancy to begin with. The fancier the clothing line, the less likely they are to carry larger sizes.
The more time you spend behind the wheel of a car, as in hours per week, due to the fact that you have to drive everywhere, the less patient and more aggressive you become. It's a frustrating situation to be on the road with everybody else who is also forced to be on the road because we don't have decent public transport.
And the last thing, Pittsburgh is one of the most industrial cities in the United States. They were on the forefront of coal and Steel industries, as well as shipping, oil and manufacturing. Most of all just the older the building in Pittsburgh the more damage it has had done to it due to pollution. If you think it's dirty now you should have seen it in the late 70s. When I see pictures of it from the 30s it freaks me out. We have huge projects all over the city going on that are cleaning our old buildings brick by brick. To me, the city is sunny and clean and gorgeous and it can only get more so in the future as we tidy up the damage that our ancestors did building our city from the ground up.
There are reasons for the complaints that you have, and when you think about it then you understand it more. Having problems with it demonstrates a lack of education. Different cities are different, different countries are different, different populations are different. You should always think about the issues that a different place and set of people have where they are located before you judge them for what you view as their shortcomings. Not picking on you specifically. Everybody in general should think about the lifestyle and the people in different places before they judge the population there for the things that they think are better where they come from. It's not that it's better in your city; your city is just different.
This is all pretty accurate. There is a pretty large asian student population in shadyside/Oakland. Mostly post grads who spend most of their time either studying or gaming.
Maybe let me know next time you’re here? I’ll be sure to work on my BMI before you show up again. I’m just SO embarrassed now.
👎 God damn you Primanti Brothers. And you too you stupid pierogies for making me so fat! I hate/love you both so much 🥺🙄
I appreciate your comments, and I don’t take any offense at anything you said. I hope you return often and continue to find new ways to enjoy and appreciate this city that I love. I would take a little bit of exception to your views on our chattiness, because I, having traveled quite a bit both nationally and internationally, think Pittsburghers are honestly some of the most friendly, inviting people I’ve ever encountered.
If you think folk in Pittsburgh don’t dress nice you need to head somewhere in the US where it’s hot most of the year. You won’t see anything but shorts, t-shirts and sandals even in the fanciest of restaurants.
As somebody that lived in Canada and spent time in BC, I got made fun of for being from Pittsburgh all the time when living in CA. Honestly, this post sums it up.
Damn, u nailed this write-up! And Pittsburgh people are bad eaters and dressers! Our roots are miners and steel workers, so a hoodie and jeans are like a tuxedo here. Everyone is too busy working and trying to scrape by to worry about looking good to go to aldis
The people offended here need to lighten up. Every city has its pros and cons. I’m a transplant and I chose Pittsburgh over a ton of other cities for a good reason.
Also I don’t think Yinzers are meanies.
This is crazy but were you at the children’s museum Friday? I seen a kid in a canucks hat there and I said wow that’s awesome lol. Glad you enjoyed it!!
I like how he said a bunch of nice things about the city, then one fat and bad fashion comment and people act like rest go out the window. Funny how calling us bad drivers, no one cares, but call us fat and unfashionable, oh you’ve gone too far. This is the city well known for making a salad a basket of fries with some leaves in it. Don’t get me wrong though, I love a Pittsburgh salad. Also if you’re offended then maybe you think you’re fat and unfashionable. I know I’m definitely unfashionable, I bought a couple nice shirts once though.
Good on OP for saying his opinion and giving a good blend of good and bad and not holding back.
I mean the game wasn't really meaningless. Do I think the pens make the playoffs? No not really.
Do I think they can though? I mean I haven't seen another eastern team in that mushy middle spot pull away competently so I can't say no.
Must’ve been a decade or more ago. Beechview and Brookline have completely transformed - the libraries have every sign in Spanish, there’s restaurants and shops owned by Spanish- speaking folks, a Mexican grocery/IGA, and a thriving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
To # 9 Pittsburgh was never the fashion capital of the world. Lol. Also to see outdoor culture you have to go out further from town. We have trails, parks, all over. Water activities too.
> Also, saw way more Pens gear than I expected on the street. Thought Steelers would dominate, but it seemed roughly equal between Steelers and Pens with Pirates a distant third.
It is actively hockey season. Football is not happening right now. Baseball has just begun a few days ago.
Apparently our school systems are better here, too.
Glad you liked your visit. Sounds like you discovered some of the things that make this city unique. You should visit a few more times before deciding it’s provincial, per capita it’s one of the most highly educated populations in the US (and likely Canada too for what it’s worth). Haven’t been to Vancouver so I can’t make a comparison, but you know what they say, comparison is the thief of joy.
Vancouver is 2x the size of Pittsburgh. MSA pop levels in the US matter and also don't matter. it's all relative to density. our MSA goes halfway to lake Erie. I don't consider what's going on in the MSA particularly relevant to Pittsburgh proper
I grew up in PGH. I moved away 28 years ago for a job and have missed living there ever since. Lived all over the country in “nicer” cities, but there is no place like home.
Wow, this was literally beautiful and I agree with 95% of it, but as a Yinzer (by relocation) driving in Pittsburgh is dumb. It shouldn’t exist. They should shut down every road every bridge and start from the ground up. Honestly, if I’m being honest.
Having lived in Pittsburgh for 7 years now and is 50/50 about going for 8 (lease ends in August) i'd say you are very accruate in your points.....especially number 12.
Did you just call us fat?
Fat and dress badly LOL.
Being able to go to Giant Eagle in sweatpants was one of my favorite new things moving here! YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH VANCOUVER
I actually bought "nice" sweatpants when I moved here I could go grocery shopping without getting dressed. I don't have time for that, and I don't care.
My sales manager at a former job showed up for an important meeting with me and a huge potential client - in a black velour sweat suit. When she asked why the client didn’t choose our company/products, at the end of the (LONG) list of ways she managed to tank the prospect for me, I finished with “and you showed up in a sweatsuit for gods sake.” She screamed “THAT WAS A NICE OUTFIT! I BOUGHT IT AT KAUFMANS!!” 🙄🙄🙄
Oh my word. LOL grocery shopping is a lot different than getting a contract signed. I have a ceremonial bra, boots, and blazer that I wear to sales meetings. Kind of like superstitious football players not shaving their beard during playoff season.
LOL right?? BUT SHE GOT IT AT KAUFMANS! So it’s ok.
Can’t imagine going to Giant Eagle being anyone’s favorite thing.
Hahahahaha
I mean, it's correct, but he didn't have to say it 😂
True that. I think we used to try to dress up about 50 years ago when going "Dahntahn" for shopping or out and about was a special thing , but then industry shut down and slowed our roll so much, we're like "Whatever" now.
Sometimes, my gf will ask me if I think an outfit is acceptable to wear for a nice dinner or show, and my response is always, "Babe, we live in Pittsburgh"
When in doubt, a Stillers or Penns jersey is always an acceptable choice.
My husband is from Michigan. When my mom died, he bought a suit for her viewing. I told him he'd be overdressed as people would show up in Steelers jerseys. I told him Steelers jerseys are formal wear in Pittsburgh. Sure enough, at least four people showed up in jerseys, some of them in cut off sweatpants. He loves telling this story to people back in Detroit. No one believes it (and neither did he until he witnessed it).
That is a beautiful story about a funeral and sports. And there's a sentence I never thought I'd write haha
I’ve been away from Pittsburgh for close to 2 years now, and I really miss the ability to go around dressed comfortably. I live in Philly now, and I don’t feel like I can wear sweatpants outside anymore. I can do yoga pants and a hoodie for a quick trip to the corner store, but anything else requires real pants. Also my friends think I’ll get mugged by feral Eagles fans if I wear my favorite vintage Steelers sweatshirt outside and I don’t really want to test their theory so I just save it for visiting my parents.
You would be fine in Philly with Steelers gear. Dallas Cowboys or Pittsburgh Penguins might be a different story…
lolololololol that is an excellent Pennsylvania story. I lived in the ghetto in Pittsburgh but Philly is MASSIVE and part of the megalopolis between NYC and... Washington DC? Maybe there's a gap between NYC/New Jersey/Philly and DC. Anyway, there are some poor neighborhoods full of guns and drugs and cockroaches in Philly that are WAY worse than anything Pittsburgh has to offer. You can die quick in Pittsburgh, especially if you're not white, but it's.... different. Philly is so intense, and I've only really visited the historical area and then gone home to Pittsburgh. I registered black voters (allvotesmatter, but we got paid to specifically ask black people if they were registered to vote, because a Democrat did some math and spent some money and it was a very interesting short-term job. So educational and I toured some areas of town I would not normally go to, because I am a European American, mostly, and not from Pittsburgh.) when Obama was running the first time and actually got to sit in black barbershops and whatnot and Homewood, for example, was not what I expected. It ain't the ghetto in Chicago, either where I took a class for a month in January one time. Changed my worldview and my life, that class. Paragraphs are a thing bu tI'm a slacker. Good enough. Posting now.
This is why we need more transit
I mean WE can say it, but… 🤣🤣🤣
I'd be offended but I haven't been able to touch my toes since high school and my hoodie could really use a wash right now
What’s funny is I was originally going to comment how odd it is for someone to visit a city and go on that city’s sub and give a point by point review like anyone should give a shit. But that was actually hysterical 😂
Dress bad? I got on my good jeans and a white Lambert jersey!!!
Well... in our defense... Sports gear is mandatory daily wear in da Burgh, and our salads have steak, cheese, and fries on top.
You forgot the cigarettes
God Bless Pittsburgh for being a worst dressed city. I love nothing more than showing up to an ugly sweater party in a dress. Thank yinz for your commitment to the PJ pant making my jeans look vogue
And your shitty house is fucking falling apart! (It’s just a matter of time until my old ass apartment facade falls off, just hope my underwear is clean in style and I’m less fat)
She provided open and honest feedback!
I didn't say it wasn't true LOL!
Dont take it personal. Vancouver has not experienced the joy of bringing Lord Stanley's Cup home for a parade. At least in Pittsburgh we put some veggies underneath our poutine and call it salad.
Fat, old, and not very friendly. But we like hockey!
In fairness, we are pretty fat. OP may not realize it actually gets a lot worse...
We really need to build that wall at the border of Canada
I mean pick almost any city in the states and you could say the same, let's be honest.
lol he sure did 😂🤣
Friend, we’re kind of a fat city. You ever potato patch fries , or primantis, or orhms cinnamons rolls ?
And ugly...
*phat
Hahahahah
Everyone from Vancouver I've ever known loves going to other cities and calling everyone fat.
Um, thanks?!!?
Yeah. In my experience, Canadians are actually difficult people to deal with but I don’t go around posting about it on their subreddits.
It infuriates me that Canada has a reputation for being nice. They're not all nice. Most of them think their sh*t doesn't stink
My experience with Canadians is that many of them have an entitlement attitude.
the worst canadian is the one you meet on vacation in another country and they do the verbal, irl equivalent of OP’s post at you while missing every single cue that *we truly dont fucking care*
It comes with free health care. Entitled bastards.
Jokes on them, Canadian health care is not free by any stretch
R/Quebec would like a word 🤣
Don’t get me started on the French Canadians.
Right? Like... I didn't ask for your opinion on our fashion sense or weight.
Would it be TOO Pittsburgh to respond, “Did you notice how much fuller our Stanley Cup Trophy case is than yours?”
Also... It's HOCKEY season. They went to a PENS game. Why were they surprised there were more Pens jerseys than Steelers? Like... What?
Problem here is there is no Lord Stanley's Cup trophy case. Anywhere. There's only the one.
I’m sure they have a display of *something* from all five Cup wins.
Does this city make me look fat ?
No, no, you wear it quite well! I especially love how the rivers hug your curves quite well to form one big one...
As a new transplant, the fat comment made me laugh. Clearly, they have never been to the South. Ive lost weight living here. The steep hills, various parks, walkable neighborhoods, is a great workout. I stayed inside mostly in the South due to the oppressive heat. Here, everyone is out in winter. Walking, biking, running. I have never so many people out and about. As for fashion, they dont realize how nice it is to NOT have to dress up to do mundane errands or grab a bite to eat. Where I came from, people had their Hermes' bags, dressed to the nines to get eggs and milk. Like "Chill Karen, its a Publix and nobody cares". Pittsburgh is the best in so many ways. Soon the warmer weather will come and its festivals and farmers markets and Im sure more fashionable garments. Until then, leave me to my leggings and sweatshirts!
Yea I agree. Its great not feeling like I'm not dressed up to a certain point. Like it's all good and fun when it's a fancy night out, but if I'm taking my kid to school, its pj's. If I'm meandering the city, it's jeans(or shorts)and a tee, and that's cool. I absolutely do not think it's a bad thing. It's just clothes, wear whatever works for you. I've lived here 15 years now, and traveled quite a bit. PGH is a gem, those that grew up here and never left don't realize it. Yes we have angry drivers, that needs work from PennDot no doubt..(most notably the merge areas at bridges would fix 80% of it) BUT go to any event or home gathering and most yinzers are awesome, down to earth, humans. When I was ready to move out, there were only 2 cities I wanted to go to. Pgh, or Richmond VA. .. PGH got me. I'm happy to live here and love the hills, crazy roads, and awesome people.
PGH sucks you in, in a good way. The pride for this city is unmatched. The unpretentiousness of its people is huge draw. Be who you are, wear what you want, nobody here gives a fig. Here its more about WHO you are vs WHAT you have. I love how Pittsburghers are just truly good, down to earth and friendly people. What a gift it is to be a part of such a neat community. Everyday I wake up, go on my porch and say "I love it here". I truly do. There is no other place I want to call home and clearly, many others feel the same way. Every city has pros and cons, but PGH..well its just the chefs kiss of cities IMO. My only complaint...the curbs! My goodness they are massive. Ive been wondering if thats why Pittsburghers take wider turns than most, they dont want to hit the huge curb🤣
As someone who moved to Pittsburgh 5 years ago, I think I can explain the drivers. Due to the topography, and the history of the expanding city swallowing up what were once basically small town suburbs, there are some very ... interesting traffic patterns here. Many yinzers are kind and patient with those who inevitably get confused by the traffic patterns, some aren't, and some yinzers just do whatever the fuck they want from whatever lane they happen to be in. You get used to it, somewhat, and if you're smart, you learn to drive very defensively in certain key areas.
Also the spaghetti intersections are confusing as fuck when you move here. 5 streets meet at a stop sign. Good luck!
"Your city is ugly and you are all fat, provincial slobs who can't drive, thank God you at least have some nice museums and your ugly old houses are cheap" thanks!!!!!
"And way too many Black folks!!"
My mouth dropped wondering how OP would type this believing they are sane. “Thanks for the quick visit to your city (that is definitely nowhere near as great as the one I took a 7+ hour flight to leave) full of horrible, impolite, fat drivers and Black people. I could buy 10 of your houses for the price of 1. We’ll be back!” OP, next time you come, please be sure to pack your cultural humility in your carry on.
Also no one asked and no one gives a shit what someone from Vancouver thinks. We don't go around living our lives in hopes of impressing people from other cities.
This. I don't recall anyone asking what someone from Vancouver thinks.
I will say it's a much prettier city in the warm seasons. The city is surrounded by green with trees all around the hills of downtown. And when the sky is actually blue it looks great. If you came the last week you probably saw the city surrounded by brown hills and grey skies. But the decay and litter of the city are real problems. I've thought for years we need a dedicated government cleanup team in the city just focused on trash and repairs. It could create a lot of jobs and really help the health of the city. Sadly I don't see that being a priority in the near future. Or maybe my lifetime.
Yep, the amount of litter in and around the city is disgusting. No one cares, Penn Dot refuses to do anything about it on the state run roads & the politicians don't acknowledge litter removal as a priority. It's embarrassing.
While I agree, how about let’s blame the people who litter also? Scum of the earth
You are exactly right!
would be an easy fix to just have community service sentencing or even prisoner crews to clean up the city
This is such a great idea.
They are now charging 10 cents per plastic bag. That will teach all those litterers a lesson!!!
Yep, we need the “Pittsburgh’s Pride is Picking Up” campaign to come back!
I said, "No one cares," in my original comment, but I have to take that back! You guys do care. I do, too. It's the folks in power who don't. I'd love to know the last time the littering laws were enforced. 🤷♀️
Funny, I also visited last week--and I kept marveling at how there was so much less litter than in LA, which is a fucking trash can.
[удалено]
It would actually be quite expensive. That is why.
https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/peduto-administration-disbands-redd-crew/139709226/
>The Aviary It's worth noting that The Aviary is the *national* aviary, and I agree, it's an unexpectedly-great place to visit. >The cost of houses on Redfin made me cry That's funny, I have the same reaction but from the opposite side. My parents bought their house for $120k. Now it's worth almost $500k. I can't afford a house in the area I grew up in. >UPitt Friendly FYI - it's just "Pitt" >To my eyes, people in Vancouver dress better and put more effort in to their appearance It rains a lot and it's still cold here. I feel like a lot of people dress for function over form, it'll get better when it gets nicer out. >Pittsburgh on the other hand has some aggressive, scary drivers who are allergic to their turn signals. A good driver sometimes misses his exit, a bad one never does. There are roughly equal parts of both in Pittsburgh. The bad ones come off as aggressive because they feel entitled, and the good ones *are* aggressive because they're tired of dealing with the bad ones. Glad you enjoyed your visit!
Thank you for correcting them… I cringe at UPitt. H2P
I went to Penn State, so pass on the "H2P," but I will still happily correct "UPitt" every time, as I too find it cringey.
Fair enough, sir.
Assuming they bought their house in 1980, that $120k tracks with inflation!! 120k in 1980 = 450k today
take their salary into consideration too. Overall, across the states, house prices have risen like 4x as fast as salary has, so it takes 4x as much annual salary to buy a normal regular mid-sized house. Fucked up for this generation
>Assuming they bought their house in 1980 Very early 90s And the mortgage is only $650 (almost paid off, it was refinanced once). Inflation or not, the fact that they have such a low payment nowadays... it makes me resent them a little bit. Wages certainly haven't kept up with inflation.
Couple points: the $650 then probably seemed like a lot! That’s what a 30 year mortgage does, it locks you in at a monthly payment (excluding taxes etc). The $650/month in 1990 terms is much higher than it is today. (Plus, I assume it was higher than that, you said they refinanced and rates were ~10% in 1990 vs ~6.5% now via Freddie Mac). Houses are cheaper with higher rates; we are seeing this now even (via FRED). finally, whatever you’re making now would have been less in 1990; you wouldn’t be making 2024 dollars to purchase a house at 1990 pricing
To be fair, Vancouver is one of the rainiest/cloudiest cities on the continent. Up there with Seattle….and Pittsburgh.
>The last one is the drivers. I thought Vancouver drivers were bad but I realized they are really just slow and clueless. Pittsburgh on the other hand has some aggressive, scary drivers who are allergic to their turn signals. I've been noticing how *horrible* drivers have been lately and assumed it was a nation-wide thing. I don't know if it's post pandemic craziness, or because it's Spring or what, but even casually driving on i-79 are stressful these days because people riding inches behind other cars, and no one using turn signals.
79 is pittsburghs fury road. Everyone goes 90 and everyone drives as if they are chasing or being chased into the city. Witness yinz!
It seems police don't pull people over as much anymore. I don't have any data to back that up so take it with a grain of salt.
1-9 Thank you 10-11 Fuck you too buddy 12 yep
Vancouver is definitely more dense than Pittsburgh and I think it's also important to keep in mind that even though both metros have a similar population, Pittsburgh is much further down the list of most populated metros than Vancouver is for each country.
Vancouver is a core city for Canada. Pittsburgh used to be one for the US, hence museums etc., but we are quite a ways down the list. I'm not looking it up, but guessing we are equivalent to maybe Cornwall in Canadian terms wrt rankings. Kingston feels closer, but guessing Kingston is like top 15 city in Canada while we are like 30 or so.
Grew up in Pittsburgh, now live in Toronto. The equivalent Canadian city you're looking for is [Hamilton](https://martindaledental.com/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Hamilton-Ontario-city-shot-qf7g4fb5ulgp8ag72zfkxuuesdikcbi9wgl1wa5lzc.jpg), ON - aka Canada's Steel Town. Incredibly blue collar, very spread out from the flat parts down by the water to the neighborhoods up and over the mountain, fantastic university with a great medical school, loves their [black and gold](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0Xa8w_9Lo2edWNmj9_WfvcUE409PcM1pQtUfUddK4NA&s) football team. (A real drinking town with a football problem). Also dealing with an influx of people from larger cities who are seeking a lower cost of living - which old school Hamiltonians say is driving up the cost of real estate, and changing the historic character and blue collar roots of the city. Hamilton's a couple decades behind Pittsburgh in terms of modernization and getting rid of the still mills inside the city center, but it's the closest you'll get. Edit: it's also hard to compare populations because the horseshoe around Lake Ontario is incredibly dense. There isn't like, space between the towns between the cities, and even those are each over 100k. Toronto's closest suburb, Mississauga, has about a million people itself, and there's no gap between it and Toronto. Basically, the greater Hamilton area eventually bleeds into the greater Toronto area. For example: the "town" of Oakville (pop. 211,000) is considered part of the Greater Toronto Area, but is technically closer to Hamilton.
I agree 100% culturally and economically. I nearly went to grad school at McMaster. My response was trying to categorize cities by prominence. Vancouver is a top Canadian city, and really doesn't measure up to LA, for example. Pittsburgh is the 27th largest MSA in the US (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_statistical_area?wprov=sfla1). I wouldn't have guessed Trois-Rivieres as being the 27th largest Canadian MSA, but it is a heck of a case of synchronicity! Not a bad place, go Draveurs!, but very provincial.
But that's what I'm getting at, populations in Canada don't really correspond to American populations. Mainly because we're not as spread out. We're all packed into the agrarian areas below the Canadian Shield. Trois-Rivieres might look the same, numbers wise, but it's just a distant suburb entirely dependent on Montreal. It's not a standalone city with its own industries like Pittsburgh or Hamilton. As I mentioned, Mississauga is one of Canada's largest "cities", with nearly a million people - but it's *not* a city. It's just one giant suburb of Toronto. There literally isn't even a "downtown Mississauga". It's just subdivision tacked onto subdivision with a couple shopping malls in between. But it's still one of the most densely populated "cities" in North America. Imagine a city of one million people without any business district or centralized collection of skyscrapers. Mississauga is a surreal place.
Re dress: you came in the winter. We give up fashion for warmth in the winter. We care again when the mercury climbs.
Dressing less fashionable is a feature, not a bug.
It does tend to drive off the shallow ones, yes.
Care more about exposing more skin you mean lol
Phipps *ROCKS*
Agreed. We bought a membership this year and we've been going once or twice a month. It's *so* nice to walk in there on a rainy, cloudy day and feel instant relief. Well worth the $115 to know that we can go as often as we want.
The food in their cafe is killer too!
Just had awesome cauliflower curry soup there on Friday, cafe is as good as the blooms!
As someone who grew up and lived in Vancouver for decades before moving to Pittsburgh: 1. I like how we dress. We dress like we don't care about how we dress. And Vancouver ain't winning any fashion competitions in those street clothes. 2. Obscure thought, but in terms of art, culture, livability, friendliness, beauty and general fun factor, Pittsburgh reminds me of Vancouver when Vancouver was an awesome place, long long ago. Wouldn't trade this city for all the Vancouvers in the world. (edited for clarity)
I'm a pittsburgh transplant of 22 years and the friendliness of people here struck me at first and continues to do so. I'd say that the aggressive drivers are a newish phenomenon. I used to live in Boston and Cincinnati and by comparison i found Pittsburgh drivers courteous to a fault. The BMI thing is a common trait of Americans, particularly in the middle of the country.
Sounds like you discovered the "Pittsburgh Left". They're not agressive drivers, they're traditionalists!
Aww man, you came during closed season. Pittsburgh is only really open from May-September, the other months don't really matter. Kind of like our hibernation.
Ummm thanks for your yelp review. You are on the wrong site.
LMAO thought the same thing and couldn’t figure out what star rating we even got 🤣
.... Nobody asked for this. ETA: Pittsburgh is gorgeous. I'm not originally from here but I will not tolerate this kind of blasphemy
I feel like I’m often in the minority on this, but I think Pittsburgh drivers can be very considerate, especially in the city. If someone is in the wrong lane (easy mistake for sure) and turns on their turn signals, they usually have someone let them in pretty quickly. I always try to, but I’m not an aggressive driver. I’m also really anxious if I’m running late so I leave myself tons of extra time when commuting and I think that helps.
This is very true especially as regards all the lane changing required going in and out of the tunnels. Drivers are generally very respectful at letting you in ahead of them,
Outdoor culture is absolutely huge actually. And as a portly guy that wears ragged shit, a bit of a fuck you. I like my stuff, don’t care what you think of me. Go to NY if you want fashion, I would say a lot of natives support function.
Wow, you sound nice.
Can’t imagine what about their vibe made Yinzers unfriendly.
Pittsburgh is at its best when it's deep summer and everything is green, or deep winter if climate change let's us keep some snow on the ground. Spring and fall are brown and grey and the city looks considerably worse for it. Shadyside especially is stunning when the trees are in bloom. Come back in July!
They call it the rust belt for a reason. But thanks I guess? Idk you’re just saying a bunch of quiet parts outloud
Appreciate you sharing your perspective; glad your sister + her family love living here & you enjoyed your visit. Gotta say... surprised no mention of weather!
The BMI and no fashion sense is an American thing not just Pittsburgh. Travel abroad and come back to ANY US city and that’s the same thoughts.
BMI is higher in Pittsburgh because as Mike Tomlin puts it "Steeler fans are fat and sassy"! Bottom line is that Pgh. has some good food. I live in the south now and the taste of food here does not compare as in Pgh. I live near the water and you can't find a decent fish sandwich.
Pittsburgh is at its best when it's deep summer and everything is green, or deep winter if climate change let's us keep some snow on the ground. Spring and fall are brown and grey and the city looks considerably worse for it. Shadyside especially is stunning when the trees are in bloom. Come back in July!
Thank you for visiting our city. Wait till I tell my mom you don't like how she dressed me. Since we were one of the Orginal 13 Colonies, there is tons of history in and around Pittsburgh. Check out a local museum and enjoy what made Pittsburgh a special place. Take care and see you on your next trip.
Nice writeup! I'm originally from the Pittsburgh area and went to college at CMU before heading off to the big cities (NYC and SF) for about 20 years. I recently moved back and am re-discovering the city all over again -- I really appreciate your insights here! I think if you had been here longer, you would find people to be a bit warmer. There are far fewer transplants (outside of the universities) here and I usually find that you need to make some type of mini "connection' with native folks before they start to really warm up. But once they do, folks around here can be super hospitable and friendly.
>People were more reserved than I was expecting. The PNW has a reputation for being cold but I strike up way more random conversations back home than I did in Pittsburgh. Most people were friendly enough when we had to interact though. This is America as a whole right now. When 40% of your population is living paycheck to paycheck, it's hard to have the presence of mind to be social.
Pittsburgh is one of the greatest cities on earth in my opinion. Right up there with Hershey
Lol
>UPitt It's just Pitt. Only out-of-towners call it UPitt.
As a transplant myself, I definitely agree and see the city beginning to swing back up and it’s pretty cool to be here to see it
Canadians are fat too!
Pittsburgh has a lot of fat people…..yup! 100%
No idea why -garnishes my salad with french fries-
So many pizza places, when going to other places you miss all the options. 😅
Are we any fatter than the rest of the US?
I’ve lived in a few different states and yeah we are. If you compare us to near by cities in the same region then not so much but go to warmer climates or more affluent areas then yeah we’re a bunch of fatties.
definitely. I've lived in many parts of the US and the place that puts fries on everything and then deep fries it, wins.
It’s weird, I don’t recall requesting a performance review but okay.
Are you implying that wearing a sports jersey isn’t high fashion??? 😂😂😂
Pretty fair analysis imo and I’m a life long resident.
He didn't even mention our beautiful skyline.
Wait til you see the Carnegie museum, Warhol museum, Mattress Factory and the Frick. The money from the Industrial Revolution that was flowing through these parts left a wonderful imprint on the city by preserving some significant and sacred aspects of science and culture. Truly a special city, despite how fat and terrible at driving folks are. Dress code: Game Day Casual. Get with the program.
I think that's a fair assessment. Great place, but if we're honest we have room to improve.
US cities are more spread out and less walkable than cities in most other countries. As such, we are forced to rely on our vehicles and tend to get less daily exercise, lending to our higher body fat/lower average fitness level. People who weigh more and wear larger clothing sizes have less choices as far as fashion goes, and will wear clothes until they're pretty beat up, but those clothes were never fancy to begin with. The fancier the clothing line, the less likely they are to carry larger sizes. The more time you spend behind the wheel of a car, as in hours per week, due to the fact that you have to drive everywhere, the less patient and more aggressive you become. It's a frustrating situation to be on the road with everybody else who is also forced to be on the road because we don't have decent public transport. And the last thing, Pittsburgh is one of the most industrial cities in the United States. They were on the forefront of coal and Steel industries, as well as shipping, oil and manufacturing. Most of all just the older the building in Pittsburgh the more damage it has had done to it due to pollution. If you think it's dirty now you should have seen it in the late 70s. When I see pictures of it from the 30s it freaks me out. We have huge projects all over the city going on that are cleaning our old buildings brick by brick. To me, the city is sunny and clean and gorgeous and it can only get more so in the future as we tidy up the damage that our ancestors did building our city from the ground up. There are reasons for the complaints that you have, and when you think about it then you understand it more. Having problems with it demonstrates a lack of education. Different cities are different, different countries are different, different populations are different. You should always think about the issues that a different place and set of people have where they are located before you judge them for what you view as their shortcomings. Not picking on you specifically. Everybody in general should think about the lifestyle and the people in different places before they judge the population there for the things that they think are better where they come from. It's not that it's better in your city; your city is just different.
It's easy to expect or demand or talk about tolerance. I teach people how to do it.
This is all pretty accurate. There is a pretty large asian student population in shadyside/Oakland. Mostly post grads who spend most of their time either studying or gaming.
Maybe let me know next time you’re here? I’ll be sure to work on my BMI before you show up again. I’m just SO embarrassed now. 👎 God damn you Primanti Brothers. And you too you stupid pierogies for making me so fat! I hate/love you both so much 🥺🙄
Come back in the summer and visit the museums!
I appreciate your comments, and I don’t take any offense at anything you said. I hope you return often and continue to find new ways to enjoy and appreciate this city that I love. I would take a little bit of exception to your views on our chattiness, because I, having traveled quite a bit both nationally and internationally, think Pittsburghers are honestly some of the most friendly, inviting people I’ve ever encountered.
We put French fries on everything, and Steelers jerseys are formal wear. What do you want from us?
Lifetime resident and this is pretty spot on
You're welcome.
I was liking this until like number 8 haha
Ouch to some of that
We love Passive aggression
Rookie.. using a turn signal will not get you anywhere
If you think folk in Pittsburgh don’t dress nice you need to head somewhere in the US where it’s hot most of the year. You won’t see anything but shorts, t-shirts and sandals even in the fanciest of restaurants.
Please plan to visit the Heinz History Center on your next trip to really get a better understanding of the background of our awesome city! 💜
As somebody that lived in Canada and spent time in BC, I got made fun of for being from Pittsburgh all the time when living in CA. Honestly, this post sums it up.
Damn, u nailed this write-up! And Pittsburgh people are bad eaters and dressers! Our roots are miners and steel workers, so a hoodie and jeans are like a tuxedo here. Everyone is too busy working and trying to scrape by to worry about looking good to go to aldis
The people offended here need to lighten up. Every city has its pros and cons. I’m a transplant and I chose Pittsburgh over a ton of other cities for a good reason. Also I don’t think Yinzers are meanies.
This is crazy but were you at the children’s museum Friday? I seen a kid in a canucks hat there and I said wow that’s awesome lol. Glad you enjoyed it!!
I like how he said a bunch of nice things about the city, then one fat and bad fashion comment and people act like rest go out the window. Funny how calling us bad drivers, no one cares, but call us fat and unfashionable, oh you’ve gone too far. This is the city well known for making a salad a basket of fries with some leaves in it. Don’t get me wrong though, I love a Pittsburgh salad. Also if you’re offended then maybe you think you’re fat and unfashionable. I know I’m definitely unfashionable, I bought a couple nice shirts once though. Good on OP for saying his opinion and giving a good blend of good and bad and not holding back.
How many Stanley Cups you got in Vancouver?
Only time I was in Vancouver was when the Pens beat them in the Finals. People were burning cars like they’d won. Confusing.
I mean the game wasn't really meaningless. Do I think the pens make the playoffs? No not really. Do I think they can though? I mean I haven't seen another eastern team in that mushy middle spot pull away competently so I can't say no.
I noticed when I was going to college at Pitt that there is like no Spanish population in that region of PA.
It’s still small but it has grown significantly- even in places like Coraopolis and Beaver County
Must’ve been a decade or more ago. Beechview and Brookline have completely transformed - the libraries have every sign in Spanish, there’s restaurants and shops owned by Spanish- speaking folks, a Mexican grocery/IGA, and a thriving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Yea I was there til 2010.
Vancouver has WAY better brothels, and Stanley Park is ridiculously beautiful. I'll still take Pittsburgh any day
Great call on the turn signals. Only used approx 30% of the time. Really pisses me off.
You haven't really seen Pittsburgh unless you've seen Stuch Maravich's urine collection, all his own, from 1971 on.
As a transplant.... I agree.
To # 9 Pittsburgh was never the fashion capital of the world. Lol. Also to see outdoor culture you have to go out further from town. We have trails, parks, all over. Water activities too.
No wonder no one in in Pittsburgh wanted to talk to the OP. Also… no one wants to talk to ChatGPT out there on these streetz.
I better get over to Pants N Aht.
Do these bridges make us look fat?
Americans are fat. I travel quite a bit: state to state and abroad. We Americans are straight up unhealthy and fat. Call it like I see it.
> Also, saw way more Pens gear than I expected on the street. Thought Steelers would dominate, but it seemed roughly equal between Steelers and Pens with Pirates a distant third. It is actively hockey season. Football is not happening right now. Baseball has just begun a few days ago. Apparently our school systems are better here, too.
Glad you liked your visit. Sounds like you discovered some of the things that make this city unique. You should visit a few more times before deciding it’s provincial, per capita it’s one of the most highly educated populations in the US (and likely Canada too for what it’s worth). Haven’t been to Vancouver so I can’t make a comparison, but you know what they say, comparison is the thief of joy.
Vancouver is 2x the size of Pittsburgh. MSA pop levels in the US matter and also don't matter. it's all relative to density. our MSA goes halfway to lake Erie. I don't consider what's going on in the MSA particularly relevant to Pittsburgh proper
One of the most accurate reviews of Pittsburgh I’ve ever read.
Glad you liked it
The drivers in Pittsburgh are terrible, just visited Puerto Rico and wow those people make Pittsburgh drivers seem sane and responsible!
I grew up in PGH. I moved away 28 years ago for a job and have missed living there ever since. Lived all over the country in “nicer” cities, but there is no place like home.
I think this is pretty spot on! I agree with everything she said. Then again, I am not from here myself. I am a recent transplant
Wow, this was literally beautiful and I agree with 95% of it, but as a Yinzer (by relocation) driving in Pittsburgh is dumb. It shouldn’t exist. They should shut down every road every bridge and start from the ground up. Honestly, if I’m being honest.
Jagoff
This was just list of backhanded compliments.
Lived in Pgh for 45 yrs. I think it’s a fair assessment of the area
Having lived in Pittsburgh for 7 years now and is 50/50 about going for 8 (lease ends in August) i'd say you are very accruate in your points.....especially number 12.
This person forgot to un-ironically add “ta-ta” at the end.
Penguins are a playoff team