Here you will find some of the many interesting places and points within the city, divided by restaurants, museums and centers, places for amusement, theatres, sports, and tourist spots that are outside Pittsburgh, but still worth the time to see.  Click on one of the key words in the previous sentence to go to the desired section. Also check out Pittsburgh.net for other activities, local information and the weather forecast.

Restaurants. Pittsburgh has a long history of attracting workers from western, central, and southern Europe to the mines and steel mills. Add to that the international attraction of a major medical center and universities. As a result, there are many ethic neighborhoods and restaurants in the area.

There are several restaurants in walking distance from the hotel.

Craig Street, east of the hotel, has the following selections:

Ali Baba--Regularly voted the best Middle Eastern restaurant in Pittsburgh (no irony intended)

Star of India --Indian food, obviously

Kiva Han on Fifth and Craig across from the museums--Coffees and teas, pastries, vegetarian and vegan soups and sandwiches

Starbucks--Across the street from Kiva Han

Lucca --One of the best Italian restaurants in town, expensive.

LuLu’s--Inexpensive pan-Asian. Try the fish-eye tea (really!).

Union Grill—Standard upscale meat and pasta

Subway--An old stand-by

Forbes Avenue , Fifth Avenue . In walking distance to the west,

Primanti’s—famous for their sandwiches with fries and coleslaw on them, on  Forbes (I personally don’t like them),

Fast food places--Literally dozens. McDonald’s, Subway, Indian, Middle Eastern, Tex-Mex, Chinese, Deli, Starbucks, The Original Hotdog Shop, Panera’s, The Dancing Goat (coffee, pastry, and smoking).

Pamela’s—Diner type food, with breakfast all day, Forbes Ave.

Ice Cream: Dave and Andy’s (Forbes and Atwood). In Squirrel Hill (transit-$1.75 or drive): Cold Stone Creamery (Forbes and Murray), Baskin-Robbins, Ben and Jerry’s, and Rita’s custard and Italian ice (a favorite), all on Forbes.

Restaurants within driving or transit distance:

Shadyside: Dozens of good bars and restaurants on Walnut Street, Casbah (on Highland Ave, North African, Italian, $$), Soba and Umi (on Ellsworth, pan-Asian, expensive), Café Zinho (eclectic, cash only),

East Liberty : Baum Vivant (French/continental, expensive), Khalil’s II (Middle Eastern), Ritter’s Diner (get the pierogie side dish with sour cream, diner and Greek food, $), all on Baum Blvd. Abay (Ethiopian) on Highland Ave.

South Side (across the Monongahela). Café Allegro (Italian, $$), Old Europe (Central European, moderate. I like it), Mallorca (Spanish, and tapas on the patio at Ibiza , if the weather is still good, expensive).  LaMont (on Mount Washington , great views, a traditional place for special events, expensive). Southside Works: Cheesecake Factory (expect to wait)

Bloomfield : Bloomfield Tavern (Polish), Thai Gourmet (some say the best Thai in Pittsburgh , a few blocks from Bloomfield Tavern), Penn Brewery (microbrewery and authentic German food, but may have Octoberfest crowds) in Troy Hill, Church Brew Works, on Liberty Ave in Lawrenceville (microbrewery, innovative food, great space).

Strip District, next to Downtown.

Museums, Centers, and Activities

Walking distance:

Carnegie Museum of Art  www.cmoa.org/info/visiting.asp,

Carnegie Museum of Natural History www.carnegiemnh.org/,

Phipps Conservatory (botanical garden) www.phipps.conservatory.org/

Nationality rooms in the Cathedral of Learning www.pitt.edu/~natrooms/

Farther away: On the North Side

 The National Aviary www.aviary.org

The Warhol Museum www.warhol.org

The Mattesss Factory (installation art) www.mattress.org

Children’s museum www.pittsburghkids.org/

Carnegie Science Center www.carnegiesciencecenter.org

Submarine. USS Requin. www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/exhibits/requin.asp

The South Side: Riverboat cruise 3-rivers Gateway Clipper.

For a good site of happenings at Station Square , including river boats, Ducky tours, inclines, shopping, concerts: Station Square

Incline ($2.00 each way), See Mount Washington at night.

Amusement Parks Kennywood www.kennywood.com/  Open for Phantom Fright Nights, Friday and Saturday Night ( 7pm-1am. Bonus night: Sunday, October 9, 2005 ( 7-11pm ).

Worth the trip - Tourist Spots (90 minutes east):

Fallingwater (Frank Lloyd Wright design) www.paconserve.org/index-fw1.asp. We will consider a group caravan to Fallingwater if people are interested. Let me know, for reservations.

Kentuck Knob (another FLW house) www.kentuckknob.com/

Fort Necessity and Braddock's grave, French and Indian War www.nps.gov/fone  

Theatre schedule (www.pgharts.org)

Sports:

Local: The University of Pittsburgh Pitt Panthers are playing a home football game at Heinz Field (North Side) Saturday, October 8, against the University of Cincinnati Bearcats . Tickets can be purchased at:  http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/info/tickets/

Carnegie Mellon University Tartans have an open date on the 8^th.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not playing at home this weekend.

Major League Baseball. Currently, no Pittsburgh Pirates game is scheduled that weekend at PNC Park . Maybe they’ll be in the play-offs….

Golf: Schenley Park, within long walking distance, across from the museums and Phipps Conservatory. www.schenleygolf.org/

Sports 90 minutes away:

Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (strenuous, start at Ohiopyle on the Youghiogheny River )

Laurel Highlands Biking trail (Rails-to-Trails, cinders, start at Ohiopyle)