Black History Month is well underway and the city of Pittsburgh has spotlighted some local resources for commemorating Black history in the region. The City is hosting an exhibition of Charles "Teenie" Harris photographs in the City-County building through the end of the month. And Visit Pittsburgh has assembled a handy guide to local events … Continue reading Black History Month in Pittsburgh
Category: Cities
Bridges, Biden, and the Sublime Object of (Pittsburgh) Infrastructure
Last Friday President Joe Biden stopped in Pittsburgh in order to use some of the Steel City’s post-industrial transition into technology research and development as the backdrop for a speech about the Infrastructure Bill. News of Biden’s visit only broke the day before, and the timing seemed coincidental for me personally because Biden was to … Continue reading Bridges, Biden, and the Sublime Object of (Pittsburgh) Infrastructure
Moving forward in Pittsburgh
The New Year started with a boom in Pittsburgh, and this period of calenderial transition portends more changes than usual. When I returned to Pittsburgh this past summer after an extended absence I had to steel myself for the changes wrought by the pandemic. It seemed unfathomable that a popular nightlife spot like Brillobox would … Continue reading Moving forward in Pittsburgh
City Scenes: Xmas lights at Phipps & PPG Place
The past year saw my return to Pittsburgh after an extended absence that was precipitated by the pandemic. This return has involved much revisiting familiar terrain, but also a great many firsts. For instance, last month I visited Phipps Conservatory for the first time, despite the local landmark having been on my Pittsburgh to-do list … Continue reading City Scenes: Xmas lights at Phipps & PPG Place
Shots from the Block: Duquesne Brew House & Abolition Art Show
This past weekend I went on a walk around my neighborhood with a friend who lives on my block. She had messaged me asking if I had gone outside to take advantage of the abundant sunlight we were having that day. I had been inside grading all morning and was eager to take a break … Continue reading Shots from the Block: Duquesne Brew House & Abolition Art Show
Belcourt Appreciation & Pandemic Media Memories
For the Thanksgiving break last week I visited my family in Nashville. My parents have only been in Tennessee for a few years, so there’s not much personal history connecting me to the place, but after having lived there through the first 18 months of the pandemic returning this time felt like a true homecoming. … Continue reading Belcourt Appreciation & Pandemic Media Memories
City Scenes: Threadbare Cider House
My trip to the Spring Hill cemetery city view last month was preceded by a visit to Threadbare Cider House, located just down the hill in the same neighborhood. The day featured seasonally-appropriate fall weather, and the cider house itself was bedecked with seasonal accoutrements. There is an outdoor seating area that was inactive at … Continue reading City Scenes: Threadbare Cider House
Pittsburgh Mayoral Elections Update
The Pittsburgh mayoral election will be held tomorrow, and the result will be historic regardless of which of the leading candidates wins: either Ed Gainey will be the city’s first Black mayor, or Tony Moreno will be the first Republican mayor since the 1930s. The endorsements, campaign ads, and mailers have been out in full … Continue reading Pittsburgh Mayoral Elections Update
City Scenes: Spring Hill Cemetery & City View
This weekend I traveled over to Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood to take in some of the local fare as well as the killer city views. My roommate had recently biked to this North Side neighborhood to visit the Threadbare ciderhouse, and he returned with rave reviews of the brewery and the panoramas afforded by the … Continue reading City Scenes: Spring Hill Cemetery & City View
Pittsburgh 2021 Mayoral Elections
On November 2nd Pittsburghers will elect a new mayor. Whatever the results, it will mark a post-Peduto era for the first time since I’ve lived in the city. I was completely caught off guard when Ed Gainey won the democratic nomination earlier this year. I had assumed that Peduto was a shoo-in for a third … Continue reading Pittsburgh 2021 Mayoral Elections