If I could give HackPittsburgh negative stars, I would…read more I was a member of Hack Pittsburgh for three years and was at the shop nearly every day. I contributed thousands of dollars worth of equipment and spent more time there working on improving the shop than working on my own projects. I truly enjoyed my time there until a new board was elected. When this new group took over, they made a series of decisions that benefited them and exercised their power over other members, not for the benefit of the shop as a whole. Two board members, a couple, ran their Internet Service Provider business out of the shop and received a $100,000 grant, even though running a business out of the shop violates their constitution. Another board member was particularly cruel to older men. She even posted an apology on her Facebook page, blaming her behavior on not having good health insurance and being off her medication. Even after she got health insurance, her behavior didn't improve. Her boyfriend, also on the board, always voted with her. The fifth member of the board, the President, was ineffectual and unable to resolve conflicts between members. The situation was completely out of his control. The shop took on a park beautification project for the City of Pittsburgh, with an agreement to maintain the park for five years. Months later, most of their work was destroyed, and they had already spent the entire project budget. They made no effort to fulfill the terms of their agreement. Funds that were supposed to be used for maintaining shop equipment were spent on one large and expensive tool for the benefit of one former board member. Because of the placement of this tool in the shop, there was not adequate walking space around it, against the manufacturer's recommendations. This tool's placement also jammed the other tools in the shop together in a way that made them unsafe to use. When I called for a vote about this tool's location, my membership was anonymously revoked with no opportunity for discussion. Three other older men were also driven out about the same time I was. We contacted an attorney to take legal action against Hack Pittsburgh for lack of ADA compliance and ageism. The arrangement of the shop required that heavy tools be moved, and in one case climbed on, for use. We were told that as a private club, they are allowed to be prejudiced and that even if we won a lawsuit, the shop's total assets wouldn't cover the legal fees. If you are going there to use the tools, don't bother. Due to bad maintenance, any given tool may not be working when you get there, and if you're not part of the in-group, you may be treated badly. Also, don't donate anything to Hack Pittsburgh. During the time I was there, I saw valuable tools and materials carelessly thrown away during shop cleans. Sincerely, don't waste your time at Hack Pittsburgh. I know five other former members of Hack Pittsburgh who will tell you the same thing: avoid this place. The shop is so badly run it can only exist because its landlord gives them cheap rent and doesn't know what's going on in his building.

Nerdvana!!! My husband visited last week. He was excited about the space and brought me last…read morenight. This is several large rooms of machines and lots of computers. There are several advanced 3D printers and etching equipment. There are sewing machines a computer driven embroidery machine and other equipment which were being used by a group who were designing cosplay outfits. There are computers with licenced copies of Adobe Suites and other graphics programs. There is sautering equipment. One of the best features of the place is the people. Interesting friendly nerds in the best sense. If you want to learn to use the equipment, there are times for lessons or you can contact a member and ask him or her to teach you. This space is well known in the community and beyond. It has been visited by some famous people. It costs $50 per month to join but there are significant discounts for students, military, people over 62 and others. If you join you get a key fob which gives you 24 hour access. There are usually open houses for non members Saturday and Monday evenings.

What a sweet store in Robinson Mall! The artwork produced and laid throughout the store really…read morebrings an ambiance to it but what's even better is actually doing the artwork there. The owners - who are the sweetest - provide you direction and all the materials you need to make your glassware perfect! There are all the colors and types of products to make. I attended with a group and it was worth the cost!

We just hosted my daughter's 10 year old birthday party at Kolor-N-Kiln. It was an easy process and…read moreeveryone at the studio was so friendly and amazing!! The selection of pictures to paint was extensive. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I have been here twice AND have interacted with Velda and Mr. Arm outside of their tour. I just…read morelove these people and the wacky maximalism they're living in. Velda is a superb tour guide. Be sure to give them a donation (suggested $20 for the hour) or alcohol or some weird oddity if you go! They have events like movie nights that I would love to attend. Many great dead things are waiting to meet you at the Trundle Manor. Parking on the street!

This was the coolest place ever. We had a group of eight people and came hear to see all the…read moreoddities. If you are into Steam Punk, this is a definite must go. All they ask for is a donation of liquor or cash contribution-$20. If you are with a large group, I would suggest doubling the contribution, since it is really such a cool experience and I love supporting local artists. Everyone in our group were in awe of all the taxidermy and the creativity of the house. The tour is private and the couple who owns Trundle Manor limits the tour to eight people maximum. Can't really explain it, except something like the Adams Family meets Steam Punk. Great experience and thank you Velda for allowing us to your your home and giving us the narration.

This store has absolutely everything. I'm at Pitt and I come here for all my studio supplies…read moreseveral times a semester. The staff are so friendly and helpful. This place is a life saver

My daughter has done several art projects here and always has a great time!…read more Not only does she have fun but her skills have improved and the teacher has been really encouraging to her pursuing her talent and unique art style. Not just a great place for technical abilities of an artist, but makes it fun and builds confidence.

For my first ever visit and show at the CLO, this was a great experience!…read more Walking into the theatre you immediately notice the intimate size room. Definitely big enough for a large group of tables, but close enough to the stage that you never feel like you have a bad seat in the house. The menu includes themed drinks and a range of food choices which you can order prior to showtime. The staff is friendly and attentive to the tables through the first part of the show. The show itself was exciting and tongue in cheek at times. The Altar Boyz brought energy and comedy to the room and kept everyone engaged - even bringing up an audience member for one of the numbers! Great reminder for me to never sit in the front! Haha I can't wait to come back to see another show soon! Thanks to Rachel and the CLO for another great event!

We visited the CLO for the first time this last week. I was very impressed with the facilities. I…read morereally like the set up with the tables, reminds me a little of the Improv design, except those tables were entirely too small for four people to actually eat at, so good thing we were just nibbling on the yummy Yelp snacks. I can't say enough about the show we saw, Judge Jackie Justice. I would go see this show again in the future it was that good and the CLO seemed to accommodate the backdrop for the show perfectly. The staff seemed very professional but also extremely on the slow side. We ordered some drinks right when we got there and we were 30 minutes early for the show. Well the drinks showed up about two minutes before the show and not all at the same time. I got mine while my H was still waiting for his. 30 minutes is really excessive to wait for a drink, and they weren't cheap so please don't make me wait so long to wet my whistle. Continued with the slower service the waiters waited until the end to hand out checks. I guess this was ok, but it seems like they should have handed those out 15-20 minutes before the show was over so people could square up and leave when the show was over, not wait for 15-20 minutes more to give your check with payment to the server so they can charge you. We thought we could go out to the bar and pay there. Well we were wrong. I actually ended up ordering another drink finished it and paid for that one at the bar before our waiter came to collect our tab. I think in the future my best bet maybe to just pay cash or order at the bar to begin with. Otherwise loved the place and look forward to coming back to see another great show!

This has been a great place to explore improv! The classes are typically only 4 weeks long which is…read morehonestly the perfect amount with busy schedules. We are able to learn so much in just 4 weeks and it is such a safe space to practice getting out of one's comfort zone. The instructors are all great! They primarily focus on long form but do also have short form classes too. They periodically host jams and shows as well. Definitely recommend for anyone looking to try out or continue their improv journey! They typically do try it out classes beforehand as well for a low stakes way to see if its something you want to jump into!

I loved it here and will definitely be back. It is fun, crafty, and a great evening of inexpensive…read moreentertainment. The improv actors are very skilled, and they seem to offer something different nearly every single weekend. The theater has a fun, indie feel to it. I have enjoyed this type of improv in many cities where I have lived and am glad to have something of this nature here in PGH.

A nice little shop on Walnut in Shadyside. It's been a couple years since I stopped in, and saw…read morethat it really hasn't changed much with time. A pleasant fellow let me look about and we chatted about this and that. The collection here is rather eclectic and spread among many themes - and there's a lot of Pgh sports stuff. I did find two pieces by a Spanish artist. They were a bit overpriced...but he did knock of a some off for the pair and I liked them, so I went ahead and made the purchase. It's all good; the place is worth a look. I hear they do nice framing as well.

Maser Galleries is excellent for framing. We had a page from an old magazine with artwork that…read moremeant a lot to us. Brenda helped us frame it beautifully. She had great ideas that we never would've come up with if we'd tried to design it ourselves. It took four or five days, and the price was very reasonable. When we picked up the framed piece, they had created a pocket in the back and tucked in some information about the magazine (Harper's) explaining its cultural and historical significance. It was very thoughtful and we really appreciated it. While we were in the gallery for framing, we loved looking around at the paintings. They are striking, lovely, and accessibly priced. We visited during the pandemic (December 2020) and were grateful and at ease because of the common-sense precautions they took. Brenda wore a mask the entire time, without mentioning it. She took care to stand back from us as we looked at the framing materials. She propped open the door for air flow.