September 20, 2025 The first stop of our 12.5 mile walk across Pittsburgh was Middle Hill, one of the five neighborhoods that make up the Hill District. The historic center of the Hill District, Middle Hill is home to many of the businesses and institutions for the area including a branch of the Carnegie Library…

September 19, 2025 The City of Pittsburgh’s story began in the neighborhood now officially called “Central Business District,” better known as “Dahntahn” or “The Golden Triangle.” Ringed by bridges, topped by skyscrapers, and full of landmarks, Downtown is also where our family worships (at Smithfield United Church of Christ), where Pippa goes to school (at…

September 13, 2025 After picking Pippa up from a babysitting job, Liddy and Pippa headed to Frank & Shirley’s Restaurant in Overbrook. Frank and Shirley purchased the land for the restaurant in 1981; it was previously the site of the first ever Eat ‘n’ Park. Today, Frank & Shirley’s is an old-fashioned classic diner serving…

September 6, 2025 Also known as Pittsburgh’s Little Italy, Bloomfield is a long but doable walk from our house. Along our walk, we passed the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh building, constructed as a family mansion, and then converted into the Ursuline Academy in the 1890s. We also saw West Penn Hospital, Pittsburgh’s first chartered public…

August 26, 2025 Located to the west, Crafton Heights is home to many things but most notable for our family is the Pittsburgh Gifted Center. Gifted is located in the Greenway School building (which also currently houses Pittsburgh Classical school, and teacher development for Pittsburgh Public Schools). Gifted was a favorite part of school for…

August 23, 2025 Known to locals as Observatory Hill, Perry North is Pittsburgh’s 10th largest neighborhood by area. Despite its size, it has no ice cream store, so we headed to Trios Market, a convenience store at the center of the neighborhood’s small business district. A Blue Bunny ice cream freezer did the job: Pippa…

August 22, 2025 Continuing our effort to visit daytime-only locations before the start of the school year, we drove to Homewood South to check out Sandy Boo’s Delights at Dana’s Bakery. Outside the bakery, established in 1979 and full of delicious-looking baked goods, is Sandy Boo’s, an Italian ice stand. After a nice conversation with…

August 18, 2025 As the start of the school year threatened, we rushed to visit neighborhood locations that are only open during the day. Our top priority: historic Gus and YiaYia’s, a shaved-ice cart founded in 1934. It’s the only independent frozen dessert vendor in Pittsburgh to be depicted in the Carnegie Science Center’s Miniature…

August 5, 2025 Liddy’s colleague Will Fuller (PA state lead for Common Ground USA, an awesome peacemaking organization that’s preventing political violence and rebuilding social cohesion) has been to lots of baseball stadiums, but never to Pittsburgh’s PNC Park — until tonight! This was our family’s first game since spring training, and we were excited…

July 31, 2025 After picking Pippa’s godmothers Sandy and Angela up from the airport, we drove to Westwood, a neighborhood in the West End that we had never visited before. Antney’s Ice Cream, located just within the borders of Westwood, serves a delicious set of homemade flavors. Liddy had strawberry pretzel cheesecake, Pippa had angel…