Pittsburgh, the Steel City, is a city with a heart. Just as the three rivers come together at its center, the city comes together with its vibrant sports, history, culture, art, and food scene. 

Market Square is an example of this balance between old and new, culture and business, tourists and locals. The square was first established in 1764 as the location for the city’s courthouse, jail and newspaper.  In 2009 the square was revitalized into a pedestrian friendly business and food district. The mirrored skyscrapers share the space with the more modest brick buildings. Local restaurants share the space with national chains. Check out the original location of Primanti Bros (opened in 1933) and a coffee shop that has been around for over a century: Nicholas Coffee & Tea (1919).  The square also hosts festivals, farmer’s markets, exercise classes, and the like. 

Pittsburgh is built around the junction of 3 rivers: the Monongahela, Allegheny & Ohio. Jutting out into the junction is Point State Park. Here you have a view of all the different sides of the city — up the hill to Duquesne Heights on the South Shore and over to the PNC stadium on the North Shore.  Point State Park also has its own history; the granite outline in the grass marks the location of Fort Duquesne. While the fort is no longer there, the Fort Pitt Block House (built in 1764) still stands.  This building has served as a defensive stronghold, a trading post, and even a tenement building.

To see more views of the city, I walked across the Fort Pitt Bridge (one of the 446 bridges in the city) to the Duquesne Incline.  This cable car opened in 1877 and is one of the few remaining inclines in the country. From the top of the incline, the city of Pittsburgh sprawls out below. Besides the view, the novelty of the ride inside the wooden cable car is worth the price in itself (cash only). The incline also hosts a small historical exhibit and gift shop of local wares at the top. 

Most cities have zoos, and Pittsburgh does too, but Pittsburgh also has the National Aviary – a place just for the birds.  It boasts over 150 different species of birds, from small songbirds to vultures, flamingos, and penguins. Oh, and they have sloths (my favorite). Many of the exhibits have you right next to the birds, and if you’re willing to pay for it, you can schedule an encounter with some of them.