Pittsburgh’s Past, Present, and Future
Once known for its steel industry and industrial past, Pittsburgh has transformed itself and is looking to the future. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is in the middle of its third renaissance and many cities should be taking notes from this world-class leader. It’s no wonder why so many people #LovePGH.
Carrie Furnaces – Remembering the Past
The steel industry played an important role for both Pittsburgh and the entire United States. The industry began revving up in the mid-to-late 1800s and came to a screeching halt in the 1980s.
Though it has been more than 30 years since the closure of the steel mills, people can visit Carrie Furnaces and learn more about what made Pittsburgh great, thanks to the conservation efforts of Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation.
Carrie Furnaces 6 and 7 are the only two blast furnaces still standing in Pittsburgh, a reminder of Pittsburgh’s role in America’s steel industry. The furnaces produced iron for Homestead Works from 1907 until 1978. In 2006, the site became a National Historic Landmark.
Visitors can take a tour (May through October) and learn more about the site that produced more than a thousand tons of iron per day. Tours are $22 with an advance ticket purchase ($25 at the door) for general admission. [Students with college ID and seniors ages 62 and older are $18 for advance tickets and $20 at the door. Kid tickets (ages 4-17) are $14 for advance and $17 at the door.]
Carrie Furnaces is located at 801 Carrie Furnace Boulevard. It is open Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Frick Environmental Center – Teaching Today’s Youth
The largest municipal park in Pittsburgh is Frick Park, named after Henry Clay Frick who bequeathed 151 acres to the city after his death. In 2002, the old Frick Environmental Center burned and was structurally unstable. Through the partnership of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and the City of Pittsburgh, a new Frick Environmental Center has been built.
The new facility was designed to be LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge certified and may be the greenest building in the world that is free and open to the public. The building was constructed to collect as much energy as it uses through innovative design that includes solar panels, rainwater collection, and geo-thermal wells to name a few of the features.
The new center boasts more than 15,000 square feet of usable space with only a 6,000-square-foot footprint. Inside the state-of-the-art facility, there are classrooms for hands-on, experiential environmental learning programs. The surrounding woodlands, streams, meadows, and trails also provide children with up-close learning experiences with nature.
Frick Environmental Center is located at 2005 Beechwood Boulevard. It is open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. daily. The center is free and open to all.
The Cultural District – Revitalization of the City Center
What was once considered the, ahem, Red Light District, has been transformed into Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. In 1984, the non-profit Pittsburgh Cultural Trust made the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood their mission.
The area includes over 90 retail shops, 50 dining establishments, seven world-class theaters, eight public parks, art installations, and a dozen art galleries.
The Trust manages one million square feet of property, including The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Byham Theater, and Wood Street Galleries.
Over 2,000,000 people enjoy performances by the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and Pittsburgh Symphony in the Cultural District.
Tower at PNC Plaza – “LEED”ing the Way
PNC’s history can be traced back to the middle of the 19th century when Pittsburgh Trust and Savings Company opened.
Fast forward a hundred years or so and the bank evolved into the Pittsburgh National Bank, a subsidiary of Pittsburgh National Corporation. In 1982 it merged with Provident National Corporation to form PNC Financial Corporation.
Today, the company’s new corporate headquarters occupy a beautiful 33-story high rise that incorporates state-of-the-art green technology. The building was designed to exceed LEED Platinum certification and to be the greenest office tower in the world.
The Tower at PNC Plaza, which overlooks the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, is not PNC’s only LEED-certified building.
- PNC Firstside Center, which opened in 2000, was the nation’s largest green building and the first building certified under LEED version 2.0.
- Three PNC Plaza opened in 2009 in downtown Pittsburgh as one of the nation’s largest green, mixed-use buildings. It’s LEED Gold certified.
- The PNC call center located at 500 Smithfield St has achieved LEED Gold certification.
Quick Fact: Pittsburgh is ranked 8th in the nation in the number of LEED-certified buildings – there are currently 39 LEED-certified buildings in the city.
The Tower at PNC Plaza is located at 300 Fifth Avenue.
Green Ways to Get Around Pittsburgh
Sure, you could hail a taxi/cab or hire an Uber or Lyft driver to take you around Pittsburgh, but let’s take a look at a couple of other forms of transportation.
The City of Pittsburgh has become bike-friendly with the transformation of some streets to include bike paths. Also, the community group Bike Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust collaborated on artist-designed bicycle racks on sidewalks that have been installed in various locations throughout the city so that riders have a place to park their bikes.
A surprising fact to many is that Pittsburgh has a subway. It’s operated by the Pittsburgh Port Authority and known as the T. Riding the T within downtown and the North Shore is free and is a great way to explore the city. (You can find out more about getting around Pittsburgh by visiting the Port Authorities website, PortAuthority.org.)
Locations on a Map
Be sure to check out our other posts about Pittsburgh so that you can plan your trip to the ‘Burgh. From things to do, to places to eat, to where to stay, we have some inspiration for you.
If you haven’t been to Pittsburgh, then you don’t know Pittsburgh.
