National Geographic Traveler got it right by naming Pittsburgh to its “19 for 2019 Cool List” of trending travel destinations. The only U.S. city to make the list, the Steel City ranked third among the coolest places to travel in the coming year.

It’s still pretty cool in 2022.

Pittsburghers might have quibbled to rank behind No. 2 Antarctica, though. What does Antarctica have except ice and penguins? Pittsburgh has those too, with the hometown hockey team at PPG Paints Arena and the colony at the National Aviary.

But Pittsburgh has much more than that – a compact downtown with a big-city vibe, dozens of distinct neighborhoods, hills and rivers, and vistas that change with every bend in the road.

Tribune-Review African penguin Bette, seen at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh’s North Side in 2018.  

“Pittsburgh has so much character and charm that we really are a destination that is a must-visit from a tourism standpoint,” said Jerad Bachar, VisitPITTSBURGH president and CEO.

Sounds like NCAA basketball tournament visitors might want to come back for another look when they have more time to spend. In the meantime, a whirlwind tour is a good place to start.

The city’s size makes it easy to take in many of the local landmarks in a single day, or even in a few hours — just right for this weekend’s visitors.

Driving probably is the quickest way to get around, but there are various public transportation options including buses, light rail, bicycles and scooters. Going on foot also is a great way to get to know some of the city neighborhoods.

On foot, on wheels or on rails, here are a few must-see sights around the city, easily accessible from Downtown.

Downtown

There are plenty of architectural gems, both historic and contemporary, to be seen on a stroll around the heart of the city. Among them:

• Gothic-style Trinity Cathedral, 328 Sixth Ave., completed in 1872; and First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, 320 Sixth Ave., dedicated in 1905.

Tribune-Review The Gothic-style Trinity Cathedral in Downtown Pittsburgh dates to 1872.  

• Old Allegheny County Jail, 950 Second Ave., part of a complex considered among the finest examples of the Romanesque Revival style for which architect H.H. Richardson is known.

• Frick Building, 437 Grant St., built by industrialist Henry Clay Frick and dating to 1902, the lobby features a John LaFarge stained-glass window and two bronze sentinel lions.

• Alcoa Building, 425 Sixth Ave., former headquarters of the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) the world’s first all-aluminum building.

• US Steel Tower, 600 Grant St., among the first to use non-corrosive steel, a new invention in the mid-1970s.

• Hendel Building, 241 Forbes Ave., commonly known as the Skinny Building — at 5-feet-2-inches wide, it is one of the narrowest commercial buildings in the world.

• PPG Place, 1 PPG Place, billed as “The Crown Jewel of the Pittsburgh Skyline,” the shimmering glass complex topped by spires sits on three city blocks in the heart of downtown.

Also downtown is Market Square, a pedestrian-friendly oasis with trees, benches and tables, surrounded by shops and restaurants.

The Point

At the southern tip of Downtown, the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio.

Point State Park occupies this spot also known as the “Golden Triangle,” preserving its French and Indian War heritage. The park’s Fort Pitt Block House dates to 1764, making it the oldest extant structure in Western Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, NCAA tourney visitors won’t see the Point’s iconic fountain in action, as the water isn’t turned on until later in the spring.

North Shore/North Side

From Downtown, it’s an easy jaunt across the Allegheny River to the home of Pittsburgh’s Steelers and Pirates and a collection of distinct neighborhoods. Stroll over the Andy Warhol (Seventh Street) or Rachel Carson (Ninth Street) bridges — the Roberto Clemente Bridge (Sixth Street) is closed — or journey under the river with a free ride on the North Shore Connector, accessible from the Gateway Station at Stanwix Street and Liberty Avenue.

Tribune-Review Walkers on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail on Pittsburgh’s North Shore will have a view of Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  

The Three Rivers Heritage Trail provides views of PNC Park, Heinz Field, Carnegie Science Center, Rivers Casino and the Tribute to Children statue celebrating children’s television pioneer and area native Fred Rogers in the area referred to as the North Shore.

Away from the Shore and farther into the North Side is another only-in-Pittsburgh destination —Bicycle Heaven at 1800 Preble Ave. It’s billed as the world’s largest bike shop and museum, with a collection of vintage rides numbering more than 6,000. Walk-in admission is free.

Strip District

An easy walk north from Downtown along Penn Avenue, the bustling Strip District retains remnants of its history as a regional produce distribution hub while also catering to the present-day visitors with numerous shops, eateries and entertainment venues.

South Side

Across the Monongahela River from Downtown, and easily accessible via the Smithfield Bridge, the South Side is home to Station Square, a collection of restaurants and businesses including Segway Pittsburgh, which offers a variety of two-wheeled tours around the city.

There’s wildlife of the urban sort along East Carson Street, another option for dining and entertainment. Late at night, it’s the place to be for revelers – including students from Pittsburgh’s many institutions of higher learning. Go early for a quieter experience.

Tribune-Review East Carson Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side is a hub for night life.  

The Color Park is a public art space along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail bordering the Monongahela that invites graffiti artists to express themselves without getting in trouble with the law. Anyone is welcome to bring their own paint and leave their own mark. A dirt path leads to the park located at 1 S. Sixth St.

The Inclines

Visitors can scale the steep slopes on Pittsburgh’s South Side on two funicular railways, the Duquesne and Monongahela inclines, operating daily from early morning until past midnight.

The red cars of the Duquesne Incline are accessed at 1197 W. Carson St., while the yellow Monongahela Incline cars journey upward from Station Square, both serving the city’s Mt. Washington neighborhood.

Round-trip rides are $5, or $2.50 for children, but the city views they afford are priceless.

Mt. Washington

The hilltop neighborhood perched above the South Side offers million-dollar views of Downtown Pittsburgh and beyond. Check out the Grandview Overlook or Pittsburgh Skyline Overlook along Grandview Avenue.

Oakland

You can practically feel the brainwaves pulsating as you walk through Pittsburgh’s Oakland section, home to the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University. Oakland is less than four miles from Downtown via Forbes Avenue or Bigelow Boulevard.

Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review The University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  

The urban campuses offer a variety of compelling sights, including Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning, a 42-story skyscraper listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Also worth a look are the circa-1960s Litchfield Towers dormitories and Posvar Hall, an example of Brutalist architecture.

Note that buildings on the Pitt campus currently are open only to those with a university ID.

Many of Carnegie Mellon’s original buildings were designed in the Beaux-Arts style by noted architect Henry Hornbostel, making it one of America’s most distinctive classical campuses. The campus also is home to a replica of the 100-foot Jonathan Borofsky sculpture, Walking to the Sky.

Tribune-Review The moon sets behind “Walking to the Sky,” a 100-foot sculpture at Carnegie Mellon University in Oakland, created by CMU alumnus Jonathan Borofsky.  

Other notable sites around Oakland are the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, and the latter’s resident dinosaur Dippy, a life-sized Diplodocus replica, and the glass house at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, dating to 1893.

Yinz come back

Hit all of these sights and you’ve barely scratched the surface of what Pittsburgh has to offer. On your next trip, you’ll want to go inside some of the historical and cultural sites mentioned, or others including the Andy Warhol Museum, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh or the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Pittsburgh has ballet, opera, a symphony and a wealth of music and theater venues.

“The Science Center, the Warhol, the History Center are so good and are so unique to Pittsburgh. Those are must-sees,” Bachar said. “We talk about those in the context of ‘only in Pittsburgh.’ You can only go to the Warhol in Pittsburgh. The History Center, you can only do that in Pittsburgh. The science center is awesome.”

For more ideas, the VisitPITTSBURGH website has blogs on public art, free things to do, the city’s hidden gems and more. Go to visitpittsburgh.com.

Related:

• Here are 8 Pittsburgh sports bars • Dining options near PPG Paints Arena

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