Top 10 Anything in Pittsburgh

I was perusing the web for great things to do and see in Pittsburgh, PA, and there are a bunch of them, mostly written by one organization or another and very few that were actual polls from people living here in the city. I thought, well what is a better indication of mass popularity than Google’s search results (ie, the higher the search result, the more relevant the content is, according to Google, and the more people link to it, so it’s a sort of roundabout voting). Therefore, according to the greatness that is the Internet, I proudly present to you the Top 10 Anything in Pittsburgh.

Top 10 Anything in Pittsburgh.

    Cathedral of Learning at Night

  1. Tied for 10th we have two Oakland mainstays: The Cathedral of Learning and The Carnegie Museum of Art. The former is the world’s largest cathedral and reportedly has secret rooms and passageways throughout, and the latter is one of four Carnegie Museums (one of two to make it to the list) in Pittsburgh.
  2. 8th The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium has over 4000 animals and participates in 64 species survival plans, according to Wikipedia. Personally, I find the truly astounding escalator ride in the beginning to be about as much fun as anything inside of the zoo. 🙂
  3. 7th The Strip District, nuzzled along Liberty Avenue, Penn Avenue and Smallman Street, and tucked right up against downtown, is by day a market of fresh produce, antique stores and green garden and building suppliers and by night Pittsburgh’s raging club scene.
  4. Tied for 6th is the Andy Warhol Museum (the second Carnegie Museum to make the list) which features art from the man who transformed everyday Americana indelibly into what we now call pop culture as well as other modern artists’ works and Point State Park, the grassy convergence of our three rivers which is downtown’s largest park, often home to festivals and concerts, the original site of Fort Pitt, and crowned with a large water fountain perfect for sharing a romantic meal around.

    5. Primanti San'ich with fries galore

  5. 4th Primanti Brothers is a sandwich shop which I believe started in the South Side and now has multiple locations around the city, my favorite is the downtown location where you can sit outside along the brick-lined streets of Market Square and watch the pigeons and the businessers all go about their daily scavenging.
  6. 3rd Kennywood Park is a decent sized amusement park, formerly home to the Steel Phantom which was at one point the fastest steel roller coaster in the world. If you’re into a speed rush, they’ve got plenty of coasters left, as well as a bunch of other heart stoppers, including a giant swing that pulls you dozens and dozens of feet into the air, along with two partners, and then just lets you fly. Or navigate you and your lady around in a paddle boat if you’re looking for something a little more laidback.
  7. 2nd The Inclines & Mt. Washington. The Inclines (Duquesne and Monongahela) are basically railroads that go up and down the steep slopes of Pittsburgh’s Mt. Washington. Once you’re up there, sunset looking over our city’s skyline is supposedly how 3 out of 5 marriages succeed (facts not based on reality.)

    8. Pittsburgh Steelers

  8. 1st Best Anything The Picksburg Stillers, er… The Pittsburgh Steelers are the greatest team ever, and not only the greatest football team, but the greatest anything to have ever existed on the face of this planet. At least, that’s what you’d think were you in a bar during a game where we’re doing even mildly well. Terrible towels, one for the thumb and enough black and gold to make even Iron City taste good, the Steelers seem to be the single greatest reason anyone would ever utter the name Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

    9. No list would be complete without an honorable mention section, so here are a few of the folk that didn’t make it into the top 10 but which I found incredibly interesting:

    • What says sacrilege better than drinking and smoking in a renovated church known as the Church Brew Works?
    • Watch free movies outside on Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. Oh, and they’ve got frisbee golf, too.
    • Of Pittsburgh’s multitude of museums, none comes close to the Mattress Factory for a truly unique experience.

    Other great aspects of our city are Heinz Ketchup, known round the world, our city steps, McConnell’s Mills park north of the city, and our friendliest neighbor, the late Mr. Rogers.

    Up Next: A Progressive Pittsburgh