Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is a city in
Pennsylvania,
United States. It is the
county seat of
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh is one of the few American cities to be spelled with an
h at the end of a
burg suffix. While sometimes referred to as "Pittsburg" during the 19th century, in 1911 the
Pittsburgh spelling was officially restored.
["How to Spell Pittsburgh." Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Retrieved on June 7, 2006.]At the site of present-day Pittsburgh, in 1754, the French built
Fort Duquesne. During the
French and Indian War, British
General John Forbes occupied the fort. He ordered the construction of
Fort Pitt, named after British Secretary of State
William Pitt the Elder. He also named the settlement between the rivers "Pittsborough."
During
Pontiac's Rebellion, Ohio Valley and Great Lakes tribes
besieged Fort Pitt for two months.
[Fort Pitt Museum] Colonel Bouquet defeated Pontiac's forces in the
Battle of Bushy Run.
[Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition article on Pittsburgh]Following the
American Revolution, the village of Pittsburgh continued to grow. One of its earliest industries was building boats for settlers to enter the
Ohio Country. The year 1794 saw the short-lived
Whiskey Rebellion.
The
War of 1812 cut off the supply of British goods, stimulating American manufacture. By 1815, Pittsburgh was producing significant quantities of iron, brass, tin and glass products. By the 1840s, Pittsburgh was one of the largest cities west of the
Allegheny Mountains. A great fire burned over a thousand buildings in 1845, yet the city rebuilt. By 1857, Pittsburgh's nearly 1,000 factories burned 22,000,000 bushels of coal yearly.
|
Monongahela River Scene, 1857[Ballou's Pictorial, issue of 21 February 1857] |
The
American Civil War boosted the city's economy with increased production of iron and armaments. Steel production began by 1875, when the
Edgar Thomson Works in
Braddock began to make steel rail using the
Bessemer process.
In 1901, the
U.S. Steel Corporation formed. By 1911, Pittsburgh was producing between a third and a half of the nation's various types of steel. The city's population swelled to half a million, many of whom were immigrants from Europe. During
World War II, Pittsburgh produced 95 million tons of steel.
By this time, the pollution of the burning coal and steel production created a black fog (or
smog).
Following the war, the city launched a clean air and civic revitalization project known as "Renaissance II." The industrial base continued to expand through the 1960s, but beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, the steel industry in the region imploded, with massive lay-offs and mill closures. Beginning in the 1980s, the city shifted its economic base to services, tourism, medicine and high technology. During this transition, the city population has shrunk from 680,000 in 1950 to 330,000 in 2000.
Multiple organ transplants were pioneered in Pittsburgh by Dr.
Thomas Starzl in 1983 and Pittsburgh hospitals remain premier medical research institutions.
Pittsburgh is located at (40.441419, -79.977292). According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 151.1
km² (58.3
mi²). 144.0 km² (55.6 mi²) of it is land and 7.2 km² (2.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.75% water.
The city is located on the
Allegheny Plateau, where the confluence of the
Allegheny River and
Monongahela River form the
Ohio River. The area between the rivers is known as the Golden Triangle, the extremity of which is The Point. Pittsburgh occupies the Golden Triangle as well as the slopes of the river valleys, and the ridges beyond. Many of the city's
neighborhoods, particularly south of the Monongahela, are deeply sloped, making Pittsburgh one of the hilliest cities in America.
Pittsburgh has a
continental climate, with four seasons,
spring,
summer,
autumn, and
winter.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | Avg high °C
(°F) | 3
(37) | 4
(39) | 10
(50) | 17
(62) | 22
(71) | 27
(80) | 29
(85) | 28
(83) | 24
(76) | 18
(64) | 12
(53) | 6
(42) | 22
(72) |
|---|
Avg low temperature °C
(°F) | -7
(20) | -6
(21) | -2
(29) | 3
(38) | 9
(48) | 13
(56) | 17
(62) | 16
(60) | 12
(53) | 5
(41) | 1
(33) | -4
(25) | 11
(52) |
|---|
Precipitation millimeters
(inches) | 65.8
(2.59) | 62.7
(2.47) | 82.3
(3.24) | 78.0
(3.07) | 102.6
(4.04) | 99.8
(3.93) | 99.1
(3.90) | 80.0
(3.15) | 79.5
(3.13) | 59.7
(2.35) | 77.5
(3.05) | 72.6
(2.86) | 959.6
(37.78) |
|---|
Demographics
The
2000 census calculated that there were approximately 334,563 individuals, 143,739 households, and 74,169 families within the city limits. The population of the surrounding
metropolitan area was 2,358,695. The largest groups in terms of race were 67.63%
White, 27.12%
African American, 2.75%
Asian, and 1.32%
Hispanic. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,588, with 20.4% of the population living below the
poverty line. Pittsburgh has the lowest property crime rate and a lower-than-average violent crime rate among cities of similar size.
[Data and Demographics - Character of Life/Public Safety (December 7, 2005). Pittsburgh Regional Alliance. Last visited June 11, 2006.]Local dialect
The
Pittsburgh English dialect, or "Pittsburghese," derives from influences from the
Scotch-Irish,
German,
Central European and
Eastern European immigrants. The dialect is somewhat similar in tone to other nearby regional dialects (ie, Philadelphia, Baltimore), but is noted for its somewhat staccato rhythms (a result of the Eastern European influence). The lexicon itself contains notable
cognates borrowing from
Croatian and other
Slavic and European languages. Examples include
babushka,
pierogi, and
halushky.
[Pittburgh Speech and Society - Overview. Last visited May 25, 2006.]Emblematic of Pittsburghese is "
yinz" as the plural of "you", with "yunz" as a variant.
Pittsburghese is distinctive in dropping the "to be" from sentences, for instance "the brakes need to be replaced" is instead phrased "the brakes need replaced."
Speakers of the dialect also often compress the pronunciation of words and phrases. For example, "up there" becomes "up er." In Pittsburghese, one might "redd up" (clean) her room, which is an archaic English expression (see for example the American Heritage Dictionary) meaning "to set things in order." Speakers also often end a sentence with "and that", pronounced as, "n'at." For example, a Pittsburgher might say, "We went dahntahn to get some beer n'at."
Neighborhoods
Pittsburgh is a patchwork of neighborhoods, many of which still retain an ethnic character reflecting the city's immigrant history. An example is
Squirrel Hill, which has one of the nation's largest Jewish populations. These neighborhoods are often characterized by local restaurants, places of worship, and bars that reflect the people's heritage. Other communities typical of the city are
African American,
Irish American,
Italian American,
German American and
Eastern European, such as
Polish.
Some neighborhoods, such as
Oakland, have a more diverse, urban feel.
From the
American Civil War to the 1930s, Pittsburgh was a
Republican stronghold. Since the
Great Depression, Pittsburgh has been dominated by the
Democratic Party.
Most Pittsburghers tend to be Democrats primarily due to the historical influence of
labor unions. Democratic candidates have been elected consecutively to either the mayor's office or city council since 1933, when
David L. Lawrence led the party to power. Socially liberal, the city has an ordinance protecting
LGBT citizens from discrimination. As the only city within a 200 mile (320 km) radius with such protections, it has become a beacon for those who identify themselves as LGBT. A majority of Pittsburghers in the inner-city are strongly democratic and pro-civil rights, while the suburbs tend to be Republican and conservative.
The mayor, like the 9-member council, serves a four-year term.
Bob O'Connor, from
Squirrel Hill, replaced fellow Democrat
Tom Murphy on
January 3,
2006. City council members are chosen by
plurality elections in each of nine
districts. The
Pittsburgh Police Bureau is the law enforcement arm of the city while the
Pittsburgh Fire Bureau is a major emergency response unit in Western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh EMS provides heavy rescue and river rescue services to the city.
The city is currently facing a financial crisis, with Pennsylvania declaring Pittsburgh a "distressed municipality." Although the cause of the city's budget shortfall is debated, many cite the success of the medical and academic sectors, since the nonprofits are tax-exempt. Despite the budget crisis, the city has continued to grow, such as the recent addition of
American Eagle Outfitters corporate headquarters, renovation of the former Lazarus-Macy's department store into high-end retail, office, and condo space, and multiple mixed-use towers under construction downtown. As the result of major budget cuts, Pittsburgh had a $15 million surplus in 2005. Other possible outcomes of the financial crisis are tax increases and reforms such as city-county consolidation.
Pittsburgh has adapted to the collapse of the region's steel industry. The primary industries have shifted more to high technology, such as
robotics, health care, tourism,
biomedical technology, finance, and services. An example of such a shift is the emergence of such companies as Body Media, Inc. As a biomedical start-up,
Body Media develops wearable body monitors and accompanying technologies. Other start-up companies over the years include design firms such as
Wall to Wall Studios,
Brett Yasko, and
Gist Information and Interaction Design. Education is also a major employer, from primary through magnet schools, specialized professional institutes and highly-ranked universities.
Major employers
Pittsburgh has grown its industry base in recent years to include technology, retail, finance and medicine. The largest employer in the city is the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, followed closely by the University of Pittsburgh.
Fortune 500 Corporations headquartered in Pittsburgh include:
*
H. J. Heinz Company*
Mellon Financial*
PNC Financial*
PPG Industries*
WESCO International*
U.S. Steel*
Alcoa (recently changed its corporate HQ address to Manhattan, though the vast majority of upper-level staff remains based in Pittsburgh)
Fortune 1000 Corporations headquartered in the Pittsburgh region include:
*
Allegheny Energy*
Allegheny Technologies*
American Eagle Outfitters*
Consol Energy*
Dick's Sporting Goods*
Kennametal*
Wheeling-Pittsburgh SteelOther major employers in the Pittsburgh area include the North American headquarters for
Bayer,
GlaxoSmithKline and
Lanxess. Northeast U.S. regional headquarters for
Nova Chemicals,
FedEx,
Ariba,
Rand,
US Airways and
National City.
Guru.com,
84 Lumber,
Giant Eagle,
Highmark,
Rue 21, and
GENCO are major non-public companies with headquarters in the region. Other major companies headquartered in Pittsburgh include
Mylan Laboratories and
General Nutrition Center (GNC).
Cost of living
Pittsburgh has a low cost of living compared to other cities in the northeastern U.S. The average price for a 3- to 4-bedroom, 2-bath family home in Pittsburgh is $162,000, which is well below the national average $264,540, as of October 2004, according to the Federal Housing Finance Board.
|
The Cathedral of Learning of University of Pittsburgh, the second highest educational building in the world, is a distinct landmark in the region. |
The Pittsburgh region is home to many
universities and research facilities, the most prominent of which are
Carnegie Mellon University and the
University of Pittsburgh.
Carnegie Mellon University houses one of the oldest
computer science schools and the oldest
drama school in the United States, both of which are widely considered to be among the best in their fields. Carnegie Mellon University also houses internationally renowned research centers including the world-famous
Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and the
Robotics Institute, the first of its kind in the world and a leader in the field of robotics. It also houses a top ten
engineering school,
[America's Best Graduate Schools 2007 - Top Engineering Schools. US News and World Reports.] and its
business school, The
Tepper School of Business, is consistently ranked among the best in the nation.
[[1]] Carnegie Mellon University is famous for its unique interdisciplinary environment and as an innovative leader in education.
The University of Pittsburgh is known for its respected programs in its departments of
philosophy of science,
Asian studies,
business, and
philosophy in its School of Arts and Sciences, and for its Schools of Law and Engineering. The university's Health Sciences Department and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center operate some of the finest hospitals in the world, and an advanced medical research center that performs pioneering work in areas such as
organ transplantation,
AIDS and
cancer research. University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine is ranked amongst the top 16 graduate medical programs nationally.
[[2]]Pittsburgh Public School teachers are paid well relative to their peers, ranking 17th in 2000-2001 among the 100 largest cities by population for the highest minimum salary offered to teachers with a
BA ($34,300). Pittsburgh ranked fifth in the highest maximum salary offered to teachers with an
MA ($66,380). Local public schools include many charter and magnet schools, including
City Charter High School (computer and technology focused),
Homewood Montessori,
Pittsburgh Gifted Center,
the Frick International Studies Center,
Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and several schools for blind, deaf, or otherwise challenged children.
Pittsburgh private schools include Central Catholic High School, which is run by the Christian order of St. John the Baptist De La Salle. Oakland Catholic High School, an all-girls high school, is located less than two blocks away from Central Catholic High School. Both high schools are located in
Oakland. Independent schools in Pittsburgh's Shady Side neighborhood include
Winchester Thurston School and
The Ellis School (an all-girls school).
In the 19th and 20th centuries, wealthy businessmen and nonprofit organizations donated millions to create educational and cultural institutions. As a result, Pittsburgh is rich in art and culture.
In music, the
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs in
Heinz Hall. The
Benedum Center and Heinz Hall provide venues for other groups, such as the
River City Brass Band and the
Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra. Pittsburgh also has a large
indie and
punk rock scene.
The city has an extensive library system, both public and university. Most notable are the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the
University of Pittsburgh's University Library System.
In theater, the
Pittsburgh Playhouse of Point Park University has four resident companies of professional actors. Other companies include
Attack Theatre, City Theatre,
Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre,
Pittsburgh Musical Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and Quantum Theater. The city's longest-running theatre show,
Friday Nite Improvs, is an
improv jam that has been performed in the
Cathedral of Learning and other locations for 17 years.
Media
Pittsburgh is the home of the world's first commercial radio station (
KDKA 1020AM), the world's first non-commercial television station, the first "networked" television station, and "mid-western" newspaper. It is one of the few mid-sized metropolitan areas in the U.S. with two major daily papers; both the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review have long histories of
Pulitzer Prizes and breaking in-depth investigative news stories on a national scale. The alternative papers in the region include the
Pittsburgh City Paper, the
Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle,
The New People, published weekly by the
Thomas Merton Center, and the
Pittsburgh Courier, one of the larger ethnic publications in the region.
The Pitt News, a financially independent student-written and managed newspaper of the
University of Pittsburgh, is closing in on its 100th year of publication.
The Pittsburgh TV Market is served by
KDKA 2 (
CBS),
WTAE 4 (
ABC), and
WPXI 11 (
NBC).
WQED 13 is the area's
PBS member station and is a major contributor to national media as the source for
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,
National Geographic Explorer, and
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?.
UHF stations include
WQEX 16 (home-shopping),
WPCW 19,
WPMY 22,
WPCB 40 (religious), and
WPGH 53 (
Fox).
Pittsburgh Radio has long been dominated by KDKA 1020 AM. However, as of early 2006 the station is no longer #1 in the ratings.
KQV 1410 AM, now an all-news outlet, was Pittsburgh's dominant Top 40 station throughout the
1960s.
WEAE 1250 AM provides sports radio to the tri-state area. On the
FM dial, album-rock
WDVE (102.5,
WXDX (105.9 The X),
WRKZ (93-7 K-Rock),
WZPT (Star 100.7),
WKST-FM (96.1 Kiss) and
WAMO (106.7) provide the foundation of the pop music scene. FM talk radio is available in the Pittsburgh market at
WPGB (104.7). Pittsburgh is also home to three public radio stations:
WDUQ, the local
NPR station;
WQED-FM, a listener supported commercial-free classical music station; and
WYEP 91.3FM, the nation's third-largest independent "adult album alternative" (AAA) station. The
Radio Information Service, broadcasting on a
subcarrier of WDUQ provides special programming for the blind and print impaired. Additionally, Pittsburgh hosts the non-commercial radio stations
WRCT (affiliated with
Carnegie Mellon University) and
WPTS (affiliated with the
University of Pittsburgh). In December 2005,
WRRK adopted the
Bob FM radio format that features a mix of classic and hits with some current
hot adult contemporary singles.
Pittsburgh has a very active
Independent Media Center. The Pittsburgh IMC produces a weekly radio program called
Rustbelt Radio that airs live on
WRCT and is syndicated on
WARC,
WVJW, and
WPTS, as well as
podcast at
radio.indypgh.org. They have produced several documentry films about protests in Pittsburgh that are available from the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, as well as maintaining the open publishing newswire and website at
indypgh.org. In the near future, the group will begin Rustbelt TV, a weekly television news program to be aired on
PCTV.
Outdoor advertising in the area is handled by
Lamar Outdoor, who controls a majority of large posters and billboards in the region, while
Clear Channel Outdoor concentrates on bus shelters (including Downtown Pittsburgh) and shopping centers in the area.
Sites of interest
Museums include the
Andy Warhol Museum and the
Carnegie Museum of Art. Installation art is featured outdoors at
ArtGardens of Pittsburgh. The
Carnegie Museum of Natural History has extensive dinosaur collections and an
Ancient Egypt wing. The
Carnegie Science Center is technology oriented. The Pittsburgh History Center & its Sports Museum are located in the Strip District. The unusual and eclectic
Bayernhof Music Museum is 6 miles (9 km) from downtown.
Pittsburgh houses the country's
National Aviary. The
Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens features a Victorian-style greenhouse.
The Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania and
Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden are also located in the area.
Other sites of interest include:
*
Duquesne Incline*
Monongahela Incline*
Fort Duquesne*
Fort Pitt*
Mattress Factory - museum of contemporary installation art
*
Pittsburgh Zoo*
PPG Aquarium*
Point State Park*
PPG Place*
Station Square and
Southside Works - entertainment complexes
*
Kennywood - amusement Park
*
Sandcastle - water park
*
The South Side - home to a many bars, eateries, and entertainment
*
The Waterfront - home to many trendy bars, entertainment, and eateries (i.e. Dave & Busters, Lowes Movie Theater, and Joes Crab Shack)
*
The Strip District - a shopping complex also home to many local bars and clubs
Sports
Pittsburgh's dedication to sports has a long history. Both its professional and collegiate teams have championship records. Three separate colleges have sent their football teams to major bowl games. The
Pitt Panthers have won multiple national titles in both football and men's basketball. The Pittsburgh region also has developed several
NFL quarterbacks including
Dan Marino,
Joe Montana,
Joe Namath,
Jim Kelly,
Marc Bulger,
George Blanda,
Jeff Hostetler, and
Johnny Unitas. There is also a long list of baseball stars such as
Ken Griffey,
Stan Musial, and
Honus Wagner, as well as numerous
Olympic medal winners such as wrestler
Kurt Angle. For these reasons, Pittsburgh has been called the "City of Champions."
The main highway connecting Pittsburgh to the
Pennsylvania Turnpike (
I-76) on the east is
I-376, locally known as the "Parkway East," while
I-279 (called either the "Parkway North" or the "Parkway West," depending on its location relative to Downtown) connects the city with points north and west.
I-76 (
Pennsylvania Turnpike),
I-79, and
I-70, roughly form a triangular-shaped "beltway," but its distance from the city center and the need to exit and enter each leg in order to continue circling the city render it impractical as a beltway. Navigation around Pittsburgh can be accomplished via the
Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Belt System.
The city is served by
Pittsburgh International Airport in
Findlay Township.
Allegheny County Airport handles 139,000 general aviation flights a year.
Pittsburgh is a
city of bridges-- 446 in total.
[Pitt Chronicle: "Venice, Schmenice"] Pittsburgh has more bridges than Venice, Italy, which has historically held the title of "City of Bridges". Around 40 bridges cross the three rivers near the city. The southern "entrance" to Downtown is through the
Fort Pitt Tunnel and over the
Fort Pitt Bridge. A bridge also carries the PATransit 42-S/47-L subway lines across the
Monongahela River. All told, over 2,000 bridges dot the landscape of Allegheny County.
[[3]]Port Authority of Allegheny County, commonly known as the Port Authority, but often erroneously referred to by its former nickname "PAT" or "PAT Transit," is an urban
mass transit system in the United States. Port Authority runs a network of inter- and intracity
bus routes, two
funiculars (more commonly known as "inclines") on Mount Washington (used primarily by tourists rather than a means of commuting), and a
subway/
busway system.
The city has
Amtrak intercity rail service at
Penn Station, as well as various freight railroads. Current railroads include
Norfolk Southern,
CSX and Amtrak.
Steep hills and variable weather make
biking a challenge in Pittsburgh, but some bike trails have been established.
Pittsburgh has fourteen
sister cities:
[Sister Cities designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI).]{| valign="top" |
* -
Bilbao (
Spain)
* -
Donets'k (
Ukraine)
* -
Fernando de la Mora (
Paraguay)
* -
Matanzas (
Cuba)
* -
Ostrava (
Czech Republic)
* -
Omiya (
Japan)
* -
Presov (
Slovakia)
* - Saarbrücken (Germany)
* - Saitama (Japan)
* - San Isidro (Nicaragua)
* - Sheffield (England)
* - Sofia (Bulgaria)
* - Wuhan (China)
* - Zagreb (Croatia) | 
