The Burgh

Last week I made a little trip to Pittsburgh for a mini-baby tour.  As I was driving across the Liberty Bridge and looked left into Heinz Field, and right, at my old office, a wave of nostalgia hit me.  Don't get me wrong, I'm liking West Virginia and the friends I have made. People are friendly, it has a small town atmosphere, without being too small and always seeing the same people, and is a very safe community. But oh, I do miss Pittsburgh! I think unless you have spent some time in the city, you may have a certain impression of it....run-down steel town. But not so! There is a lot to do, there are many parts of the city that are beautiful, and is actually rich with culture!  I am now only 2.5 hours away, so if we wanted to do a day trip for the zoo, aquarium, museums with Will when he gets older, it would be a pretty easy trip.  So here are some of the things I miss:

Pizza. Its everywhere and its almost all good! You will have to search for a chain pizza place, because there are few. And Papa Johns just doesn't compare!  Here in WV, we're back to Pizza Hunt or PJs. So sad.

Pierogies. Most grocery stores have one, maybe two varieties of pierogies in the freezer section.  Pittsburgh brings it to a new level with a whole section for pierogies. And churches typically sell them during lent. And you can't forget the pierogie race at Pirates games!

Speaking of the Pirates...Pittsburgh sports!  Even the Pirates stepped it up this year. And no one really cares that they are typically a losing team because the Penguins and Steelers are the real stars of the city!  Ok, so maybe not the Steelers right now.  I made the mistake my first game day in Pittsburgh, not wearing black and gold...just to the grocery store! There is some serious pride. But if you want to get a bunch of errands done, do it during a game. Stores are like ghost towns!

Mt. Washington. Where we lived. While the rental house we lived in left a lot to be desired, it had an amazing view, at the head of Emerald Park Trail, was close to the incline, and a dog park out our front door! So those are a few things wrapped into one bullet: unique public transportation, green space, and pet friendly! We loved our street and our neighbors. To our surprise, we found Pittsburghers to be extremely friendly. I think it's because of the common love of the Steelers...always something to talk about. This southern transplant assumed the northern crowd to be rude. You know what happens when you assume...

Ed and Med: this former steel town reformed itself for newer industries. There are a ton of colleges...Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Duquesne to name a few. Which is why it was so easy for me to find a job. And there are about 10 hospitals in 5 square miles of the city proper. Perhaps more. But they are outstanding and people come from all over the country for Children's Hospital. The one I delivered Will at is one of the top women's hospitals in the country.

Shopping: ok, maybe this isn't much different than any other big city. There isn't anything lacking and there are plenty of options in every direction of the city. Even Ikea! But let me say that I had 3 Targets to choose from in a 10 mile radius. Here in WV: ZERO. I have to travel an hour to the state capitol for my Target fix. The silver lining is that I'm probably spending less money.

Fireworks: All the time and we had an awesome vantage point on top of Mt. Washington.  Seriously, the city must have a massive fireworks budget because every time the Pirates played, Bret Michaels was in town, or it was Saturday, it seemed like they had a show.  Eventually, I stopped going outside to watch.  Billy never tired of them though!

I'm sure I'm missing a few gems, but those are the major bonuses to living in the city that come to mind.  We miss it so much, but we do see the benefit of living in WV for now.  

In other news: I gave Will some mandarin oranges and he is a fan!  He is eating so much more now that he is just drinking milk from the sippy cup and not nursing.  In the morning, as I'm getting breakfasts for everyone and coffee ready, as soon as he sees me grab a banana for him, he starts making all kinds of excited noises.  He also mastered the standing up on his own and is walking pretty much full time now.

Best buds!