Our Neighborhoods
With 88 neighborhoods and districts, Pittsburgh is a city to be explored one area at a time. While it's impossible to highlight each area, here are a few neighborhoods you may want to check out when you're in the Burgh. (Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods are closest to the Carnegie Mellon's campus - and most frequented by our students.)
Oakland
www.onlyinoakland.org
Oakland is an education and cultural mecca. Home to both Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh, this neighborhood boasts the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History. Within walking distance of Carnegie Mellon's campus, the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens have delighted plant and flower enthusiasts for over 100 years. Housed in what is considered to be one of the largest and finest Victorian glasshouses in the country, the glass display rooms at the Phipps feature tropical, desert, regional, flowering and fruit displays, as well as fabulous seasonal displays. New construction includes a tropical rainforest conservatory and state-of-the-art greenhouses.
Shadyside
www.shadysideshops.com
Shadyside is a hip, upscale area teeming with young professionals and students and is best known for its trendy Walnut Street clothing shops. An affluent, artistic area of sorts, it maintains a diverse group of restaurants; among them are Italian, Thai, Peruvian, Mediterranean and French cuisine.
Squirrel Hill
www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/district8/html/squirrel_hill.html
Squirrel Hill is usually the first shopping choice for Carnegie Mellon students running quick errands. You'll find a complete set of commercial venues, including apparel stores, restaurants, amenities, grocery stores and two movie theaters.
South Side
www.southsidepgh.com
The South Side is home to an eclectic collection of shops, restaurants and bars. On the eastern end of South Side you'll find the newly opened SouthSide Works. Set on the site of a former steel mill, there's more shopping and dining to explore including Urban Outfitters and the Cheesecake Factory. At the western end of the South Side is Station Square, a former train station turned tourist center. More restaurants and clubs are located here including Pittsburgh's Hard Rock Cafe. You can ride one of our famous inclines to the top of Mount Washington for a stunning view of the city's skyline.
Strip District
www.neighborsinthestrip.com
The Strip District is where much of the nightlife in the city is located. However, on Saturday mornings the city's wholesale mecca comes alive with the feel of a European bazaar. Peruse fresh produce, fresh seafood and enough ethnic specialty shops to create a mini United Nations. Sample international flavors at one of the Strip's ethnic restaurants or learn about local history at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.
North Shore
On the North Shore, you'll find PNC Park, Heinz Field, the Andy Warhol Museum and the Mattress Factory, hailed as one of the best facilities for installation art in the United States. You'll also find the only National Aviary in the country. Stroll through the indoor tropical rain forest and come face to face with more than 600 species of exotic and colorful birds from around the world.
