Andrea Polli's masterpiece in the heart of the Cultural District is an absolute gem of immersive…read moreart! A place I would often take visitors to our great city and a spot I still swing by whenever I'm home. The canal aka Garrison Place was originally a dank and dark alley (Garrison Alley) that transformed with the Cultural District coming into fruition. The LED art installation wasn't unveiled until 2018 but is still considered a vital and iconic piece of Pittsburgh art & history. The idea of the artwork is to mimic swimming under water. The lights change colors depending on weather. The animated waves also shift & change around the weather. If you're visiting Pittsburgh, be sure to check it out (after the sun goes down) in the 900 block of Liberty.

"Garrison Canal" is a piece of artwork that was designed by artist Andrea Polli and installed in…read morethe Garrison Place alley between Liberty Avenue and Exchange Way. The artwork consists of thousands of lights that were recycled from the "Energy Flow" art on the Rachel Carson Bridge. According to the website for the artwork, Polli describes the artwork as waves of big-data lights under which visitors "swim." The lights change color in response to the weather. Recently late in the evening, my husband and I walked under this artwork. The shimmering lights looked very beautiful. Unfortunately, a man stopped and really stared at us, and even my husband felt worried that we would be robbed. We were not harmed at all (phew!), but I recommend that people walk with a buddy and keep a safe distance from others.

If you are new to Pittsburgh, the name can be a bit confusing, but it refers to being a literal…read morestrip of land between the river and steeper banks. Although some also say it is from the strip mills that were once in the area. Regardless of how it got its name, it is a wonderful place that anyone spending time in Pittsburgh should visit! There are restaurants of every variety. Polish, Vietnamese, seafood, Italian and the original Primanti Brothers location! There is a winery, butcher shop, places to buy kitchen items, a spice store, tons of Pittsburgh themed sports and souvenir shops. Candy stores, Pittsburgh popcorn. Maybe the most known entity is Wholey's Market with their amazing selection of fresh seafood. The strip is always busy during the day, especially on Saturday and Sunday. It is a little less crazy in the evenings because a lot of the retail stores are only open until 5, but there are still plenty of great spots to grab a bite. It is easily walkable and there are a wide variety of parking options (a municipal garage near one end, surface lots, metered spots and some businesses (like Wholey's) have their own lots. What is great is that anyone can enjoy the Strip District. You can enjoy time with your family, wander on your own, have a girls day our or have a date day. So many fun things to choose from. Definitely one of the top Pittsburgh "things to do"

Yes it's a must see strip. Lots of food places , something for everyone. Cafes to choose from …read more Shopping , road side vendors. We went to play mini golf, amazing place , it's huge, kids area is separate, restaurants is separate, people host birthdays, there is a bar, but lots of shops closes at 4 pm on a Sunday .

Strawberry Way is an alley in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh that's been transformed into an…read moreeclectic outdoor seating area that attracts people from all walks of life: business professionals, students and artists. The street has been painted in a vibrant and funky pattern and in the summer months filled with multi-colored tables and chairs. The seating area provides a fun experience for lunch hour or just to take a break and enjoy the views of surrounding buildings. This is one of those little gems I'd love to stumble across as a tourist in another city. Definitely worth enjoying and not taking for granted as a city resident or area local.

Fun, funky, quiet, an oasis. This little neighborhood alley can be anything you want it to be. The…read morewalkway has been painted in a multitude of colors/shapes and there are planters and tables and chairs throughout to take a load off and just relax. If you need a spot to unwind, come on down!

Some of the best views of the Pittsburgh Skyline…read more I ended up using my tripod-mounted DSLR and 70-200mm lens to get some great photos of the Pittsburgh Skyline from this location. Although the park itself is safe with visitors typically present...the surrounding area is very very quiet. In driving to the park's parking lot on Fairview Avenue, you will notice this. At no time did I feel unsafe, even with my photography equipment on hand. A police cruiser did circle around the parking area during my visit...which is reassuring. There are about 15 parking spaces in the main lot. There is also a port-a-potty there.

While not as well known as it's more famous sister on Mt. Washington, the West End Overlook is a…read moregreat spot to get a head on view of downtown and look up the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers. I love to come here as it's a little quieter than Grandview Ave and has lots of trees and greenery about.

I have definitely learned that contemporary/modern art is just not my thing. That being said, that…read moredoesn't mean that Mattress Factory isn't worth a visit. The museum does not have its own parking lot, so you will need to find street parking. However, there seemed to be plenty of options in the area. They exhibits are spread out over various floors and areas. They have a suggested path, but you can really explore at your own pace and interest. The "famous" work is the polka dot room which is really intriguing and visually appealing. My daughter like to say "art is all about how the artist sells it and what you make of it" and this is the perfect place to put that mentality into effect. There were some pieces that I was just baffled about being "art" and there were others that while I personally didn't enjoy them, I could appreciate the time and talent that went in to creating them. If you are looking for a unique museum experience, this is definitely the place for you.

The Mattress Factory excels at site-specific imersive installation art, and their permanent…read morecollection has some origami art by some of the biggest names in installation art. The museum also hosts private events, a few of which I've attended, and they were outstanding. The staff are very welcoming. The museum gives back to the local community in a big way.

I always thought the steepest street in the U.S. would be in San Francisco, but it's not. It's in…read morePittsburgh. Drive around to the top. You can't drive up or down, but you can walk down it. After reading the sign that states it's the steepest street in the continental U.S.A., my eight-year-old daughter and I ran down the cobblestone street. What a view!

This is an attraction that may get overlooked sometime, but it is awesome. It is the steepest…read morestreet in the US, at a 37% grade. When I told my family that I was going to take them to a hill, they were all pouting and did not want to go. After we go there, they did not want to leave. We walked up it a few times and drove it a few times. We got the full experience. They were scared when I first drove up it and I must admit, so was I. I did not think that my littles could run up it so I bet them $100 and some how they did. I was shocked. Even the 3 year old did it two and a half times and kept wanting to go up. This is surrounded by other steep hills in the same neighborhood. I do not know how the residents do it. Anyway, this hill is one -way and has a set of stairs on the side of it that you can use to walk up and down. You can easily find parking at the top and/or bottom of the hill and we spent about 30 mintues here climbing up and down and just having fun. I did knot know that my kids would love this hill so much. This spot is located just outside of Pittsburg and is a must do. You will not regret it.

This is my 2nd time taking advantage of this event and it was as delightful the second time as it…read morewas the first. First of all, it's free. I believe they announced there were 53 sites handing out cookies. We didn't make it to nearly half of the venues but it did allow us a visit to Lawrenceville for shopping nonetheless, cookies or not, so fulfilled the intention of the event and we left some money in the town shopping for furniture, shoes, chocolate, pastry, signed book, artwork, earrings, at the very least and having both breakfast and lunch. Oh, and the cookies provided came with the corresponding recipe. Not too shabby, I'd say!

Love getting to do this tour every year. Living in Bloomfield makes it so convenient to enjoy…read moreeverything that is Butler Street all year round. This however is so much fun and really brings the holiday spirit!

What's not to love about the place that gives you incredible views of Pittsburgh?!…read moreThere are so many neat things here. Public parks, some interesting sculptures, viewing platforms, the top stations for both inclines, tons of great restaurants, bars and bakeries. It is such a cool place! Really something for everyone. And the absolute best views of the beautiful Pittsburgh skyline.

It's a bit of a stretch to call this a "mountain", but it is an absolutely STUNNING place to…read morephotography PGH from! I recommend coming around sunset/sunrise or even at night! Fading natural light is a great contrast to artificial city lights. If you do this, I highly recommend bringing a tripod. There are some decent places to eat up here as well! I hiked up through a trail system from the Sheraton, it was a blast!

You don't have to shell out any Dough to visit the Doughboy, because of course it's free…read more This is a popular little roundabout with an ice sculpture in the middle of it... actually it's a "nice sculpture" but google dictate hates me. Having said that, an ice sculpture would probably survive here for several months a year in icy Pitt. So it's pretty awesome, and one which is located in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighbourhood. As you can see Barbie came here, and like her, it adds a nice little bit of culture and artistic flavour to the neighbourhood.

It's The best party of the year in Pittsburgh. nearly 2,000 people attend this annual eventread more