A Weekend in the Burgh

Flight prices in 2023 have been crazy- $500 for a roundtrip to California? No thanks. So this year I’ve had to be a bit creative with where I travel, which included searching for places that had lower flight prices and also following the genius Instagram page Escape Houston that always finds the best travel deals. Thanks to Escape Houston I was able to book a solo weekend trip to Pittsburgh and experience a beautiful spring weekend in the Burgh.

Where I Stayed

I found the cutest Airbnb in the Southside neighborhood of Pittsburgh- a renovated gas station turned loft home! The Airbnb is the actual home of a local Pittsburgh architect (I love supporting Airbnbs like this instead of ones owned by bigger businesses) and is filled with her eclectic artistic tastes and thoughtful design ideas. There was also a parking spot, which I later realized was such a perk in a city that lacks serious parking spaces.

What I Did

Mattress Factory

The museum that spurred my interest in Pittsburgh in the first place! I heard about the art installation based museum way back when I was living in New York and have wanted to check it out ever since. Specifically, the Yayoi Kusama infinity mirror room and polka dot room! Most Kusama exhibits require long waits or advance tickets, but at the Mattress Factory, its just another gallery in their museum so you can just walk in. The museum has a total of 3 buildings located near each other and each one contains fascinating and unique exhibits. In addition to the Kusama rooms there was a Dan Flavin installation where the viewer sits in complete darkness with the occasional colored light which leads to optical illusions. Another building has been set up as a haunted dollhouse that you can wander through. This is now one of my favorite museums and is for sure worth a stop!

Randyland

A weird artsy junkyard of a local Pittsburgh home that is filled with toys that have been collected by the owner over the decades. It can get crowded, but if you come early (Randyland opens at 10am daily), there will be plenty of peace and quiet and space for you to peruse the various items that fill this colorful yard. Randyland is located a 2 min walk from Mattress Factory so combine the two in one trip!

Andy Warhol Museum

One of Pittsburgh’s most famous former residents- his museum is definitely worth a visit! The Andy Warhol Museum is located at the end of the bright yellow Andy Warhol Bridge in a 7 floor building that has been set up like an art factory, with each floor representing a decade of Warhol’s life. The earliest years of his life are at the top while the lowest floor showcases an exhibit of young artists who have been inspired by Warhol’s work. Many of the more famous Warhol art, such as the Marilyn Monroe paintings, are located in other museums around the country so I felt that this Museum’s galleries were a bit sparse. It only took around 1.5 hours to explore all 7 floors and then I headed to the waterfront right outside the soak in the beautiful weather and breathtaking Pittsburgh views,

Strip District

No this area isn’t full of strip clubs! This is apparently a common misconception due to the neighborhood’s name, which is actually named after the fact that it is a strip of land. The Strip District is one long street filled with international grocery stores, souvenir shops, restaurants, and other shopping. I wandered into the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company (they import their dried pasta directly from Italy!), a macaron and pastry bakery, a dried flower shop that was so cute, and way too many black and yellow Pittsburgh sports themed stores (Pittsburgh is one of the only cities where all the sports teams have the same colors). Parking is a nightmare here (as with many parts of the city) so make sure you come at an odd time or be prepared to drive around the streets for a while.

Duquesne Incline

What use to be used by Pittsburgh workers for transportation from their homes to work is now a popular tourist attraction that brings visitors from the bottom of the hill up to a beautiful view of the city. The Incline is still considered a mode of transportation though so prices are kept low at $2.50 each way (must have exact change in cash!) and transportation cards are permitted.The view at the top is truly breathtaking- I never expected Pittsburgh to be such a beautiful city (its not covered in smog at all like most people think).

Bike The Burgh

Pittsburgh is known for its gorgeous waterfront and even has a bike trail, Three Rivers Trail that is located along the water. There are options to rent bike at various docking stations around the city, but I opted for a bike tour led by a tour guide so that I could learn more about Pittsburgh. The bike tour is 3 hours long and goes all around the city, across many of Pittsburgh’s 464 bridges and stops at various points of attractions. Its a great way to explore Pittsburgh!

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden

Another Pittsburgh attraction that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to visit the city! The Phipps Conservatory is located near Carnegie Mellon University in a huge glass building. Because I went in the spring, I was able to see their annual flower show in all its glory and view peak bloom. The Conservatory has several themed rooms that are set at temperatures for plants that otherwise would not survive in Pittsburgh’s normal weather to be able to live. My favorite was the Hawaiian room that grew bananas! I visited in the afternoon so it was quite crowded and the lines moved slowly and there was no parking left, so plan your visit accordingly.

Where I Ate

I had low expectations over Pittsburgh’s food options because the city is located on the cusp of the East Coast and is pretty much the Midwest, but I was pleasantly surprised. When I first started researching, there was so many places I wanted to check out and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to eat everything. The places I ended up selecting were chosen based on location and convenience and what I was craving. One restaurant I saved for my next trip is Pusadee’s Garden- a Thai restaurant located in a garden!

Delanie’s Coffee

First coffee stop of the trip! Delanie’s was located a 2 min walk from my Airbnb in Southside and is a loft styled cafe filled with the sunlight streaming through its large windows and plenty of space to park yourself for an hour or two and read. Which is exactly what I did! I finished one of my favorite books of this year, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, while sipping on a pistachio matcha oatmilk latte with honey.

Divvy’s Buns and Coffee

Delanie’s didn’t have too many food options so I headed to Divvy’s near the University of Pittsburgh campus to eat their sweet and savory buns. The pink themed cafe is known for its sweet bun options (I got a chocolate peanut butter one!) as well as its savory bun options (the breakfast sandwich with bacon is delish!). Its a minority female owned cafe so I loved supporting them!

DiAnoia’s Eatery

DiAnoia’s is located at one end of the Strip and is famous for its handmade pasta.and bread. I had such a hard time deciding what I wanted to eat with my limited stomach space- in the end I went with fried artichokes and the aglio e formaggio (which the waiter promised was basically a garlicky mac and cheese). The food was amazing! The pasta is melt in your mouth good and everything was flavored super well. It can be hard to reserve a table here during weekend dinners so make sure to either book a table well in advance or come early (I sat down around 4:30pm).

Big Dog Coffee

Big Dog was really highly rated and when I arrived I knew exactly why. The coffee shop is located in a small neighborhood and is filled with comfortable couches and tables and even a fireplace. Drinking coffee and reading here is like being in your own living room. Like most places on my list, there is only street parking available so come early!

Five Points Artisan Bakery

Another neighborhood gem- this bakery is located in the Jewish neighborhood of Squirrel Hill and has a line out the door. But don’t worry, the line actually moves pretty quickly and you’ll be able to grab your crispy croissant and buttery pies in no time. The bakery doesn’t have anywhere to sit (their indoor dining is still closed) so I grabbed my pastries and headed to the nearby Frick Park to enjoy the fresh air.

Tsaocaa

My love for bubble tea is no secret and I’ve always made it my mission to try the drink everywhere I travel. Pittsburgh had so many different options all around the city, but I chose Tsaocaa because of its popularity and location in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. As with anything popular, there was a wait here, but my peach milk tea with tapioca was SO good that I forgave the longer wait. There are so many drink options here that its guaranteed to find something that suits your taste.

Primanti Bros

Primanti’s is synonymous with Pittsburgh and I couldn’t end my trip without trying one of their famous french fry sandwiches. Primanti’s started out as a small family owned deli and now has locations all over Pittsburgh- there happened to be one located right next door to my Airbnb! My cajun chicken sandwich with fries inside (of course) was interesting and yummy, but not something that really stood out to me out of everything I ate in Pittsburgh. Still, worth a taste though in order to satisfy my curiosity!

I got a lot of comments on why Pittsburgh and what there is to do there. These comments about cities I’m traveling to have always annoyed me because every city has its hidden gems and its wonderful spots. There will always be something interesting and fun to do during a short weekend trip! My advice is to be open minded and curious and adventurous when you travel so that there’s the opportunity to learn something new and see something different. And do your research! Pittsburgh had so much more to offer than I originally thought- I’m already planning my next trip because there was just too much more left I wanted to do. Next time I’ll be hitting up the Frick Center and the Heinz History Center!