Happenings in Pittsburgh!! (York, Carnegie, Monongahela: affordable apartment, rentals, loft)

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Developer talks up Oakland renaissance - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Oakland might be the heart of university research and development in Western Pennsylvania, but it's also well-known for rundown student apartments and trash-lined streets.

With the right mix of public, university and private efforts, it could be redeveloped for the many well-paid university faculty and other staffers craving quality homes close to their workplace, officials said Wednesday.

"Oakland is one of the rare work-live-walk communities in this region," said Bill Hunt, CEO of The Elmhurst Group, which developed the year-old RAND Corp. Building at Fifth Avenue and Craig Street. "That's an asset that every city and every market would like to have."

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Tax credits lower costs of living Downtown

People who want to live Downtown but can't afford the expensive condominiums or steep rents that now dominate the market finally may have an option.
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Pop City - Pittsburgh region makes Top Ten in national expansion and relocation list

Expansion Management magazine's "Mayor's Challenge,” is a "best of the best" list based upon the results of seven research studies conducted in 2007.

Acoording to the study, which looks at criteria such as college educated work force, logistics Infrastructure, healthcare expenses for businesses, and reputation among site location professionals, Pittsburgh ranks 7th out of 72 metropolitan markets in terms of best places in which to expand or relocate a business.

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Pop City - CMU and Caterpillar partnership will bring robotics center and jobs to Pittsburgh

Carnegie Mellon University and Caterpillar Inc. are joining forces to develop a new age of heavy machinery that will rely on robotics technology to improve safety and productivity in a variety of industries.

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Pop City - R.P. Simmons Family Foundation announces $2M pledge toward Children's Hospital

Scheduled to open in 2009, Children's Hospital's new $625 million, 10-acre campus is being built along Penn Avenue in Lawrenceville and will replace the current hospital in Oakland.

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Bad news for some but good news for Pittsburgh. Rents are rising downtown all over the place! It is a matter of supply and demand, and right now, demand is high. It's sad some people will be forced to move

Rents rising for some residents Downtown

Rich Sofranko has called Downtown Pittsburgh his home for the last 11 months. But he might be priced out of the neighborhood by a steep increase in his rent at the Encore on 7th.

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Pop City - Children’s Hospital researchers discover unique new source of stem cells

Scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have discovered a unique new source of adult stem cells derived from human muscle that could be used to treat muscle injuries and diseases such as heart attack and muscular dystrophy.

In a study using human muscle tissue, scientists in Children's Stem Cell Research Center isolated and characterized stem cells taken from blood vessels, called myoendothelial cells. Myoendothelial cells taken from the blood vessels of muscle tissue are much more efficient at forming muscle than other sources of stem cells. The cells also showed no propensity to form tumors, a concern with other stem cell therapies.

New therapies could be developed from this source, ranging from the repair of the heart muscle damaged by heart attack to the repair of sports-related bone, cartilage, and muscle injuries, the study showed.

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Here is an interesting article I stumbled upon. The news is dubious, but overall, in the next year or two, I genuinely believe we may actually see property tax relief. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Pennsylvania slots have a billion dollar month - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Gamblers wagered more than $1 billion at Pennsylvania casinos last month, but property tax relief remains a distant promise.

Not to worry, state financiers say.

More than $228 million to offset a property tax cut is set aside in "very conservative" interest-bearing investments, said Elizabeth Kupchinsky, Treasury Department spokeswoman. The investments grew 5.27 percent in the 11 months before June.

"These are all funds where you might need the cash right away," Kupchinsky said.

"This new industry continues to perform above expectations," state Gaming Control Board spokesman Doug Harbach said.

The state keeps 55 cents of every dollar lost to a slot machine; the balance goes to the operator. Through June, the state has made more than $456.3 million from casino gambling.

Of that, 34 percent goes into the state fund for property tax relief. Other accounts hold money to treat gambling addiction, fund development projects and promote horse racing.

The accounts hold a combined $307 million, said Lee Siegel, the state's chief economist.

Still, the state won't be ready to use gambling money for property tax relief this school year. State budget Secretary Mike Masch ruled in April that the property tax relief fund won't have the necessary $570 million before an Oct. 15 deadline.

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Pop City - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh receives $2M to support three area building projects

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) received $2 million from The Heinz Endowments to support construction and renovation projects on the North Side, and in the Hill District and East Liberty.

The CLP will construct a new Allegheny branch on a 16,500 square-foot lot located at 1210 Federal St. “We hope to break ground early next year. It will blend in with the plan for Federal Street—a contemporary library but also show some of the great history we have on the Northside,” says Suzanne Thinnes with CLP, of the design proposed by Loysen + Kreuthmeier Architects.

Renovation plans for the library's East Liberty branch, which is being designed by EDGE studio, call for building an 8,000 square-foot addition to the two-story structure on S. Whitfield St. “We’re working on schematic designs, and will have our next community meeting before the end of the year,” says Thinnes. Now under construction along Kirkpatrick St., the Hill District branch is being designed by Pfaffmann + Associates and is expected to open next summer.

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Here's a really cute write-up on the Pramanti Bros. sandwiches *drool* on AOL food blog. A must-read!

Primanti Bros. Sandwiches - AOL Food Blog

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a place with fierce pride and rich local tradition. We brew an eponymous beer, turn gorgeous old churches into dance clubs, bleed black and gold, and we take advantage of industrial spaces turned lofts or music venues. We also put coleslaw and French fries on our sandwiches.

No visit to the Steel City is complete without a visit to an "Almost Famous" Primanti Bros. restaurant.

Several years ago, I was in the Market Square Primanti's and a woman came in wanting her fixins on the side. A hush befell the place. The bartender calmly but firmly asked the woman to leave, instructing her to make a right and head toward Subway. She could have it "her way" there. Everyone cheered and I smiled to myself. It may not make sense to outsiders, but to a native, that woman's request was downright disrespectful.

The story of the sandwich is a love letter to Pittsburgh heritage. It all started during the Great Depression when Joe Primanti set up a cart to feed truckers in the gritty Strip District between 3pm and 3am. In order to allow drivers two hands, the sides (coleslaw and fries) were squeezed in between the bread. A legend was born.

Primanti Bros. is synonymous with Pittsburgh; A bit rough around the edges, hearty, unpretentious, proud, quirky, and memorable. Wash your lunch (or breakfast) down with an Iron City Beer and ask the bartender to tell you about the last Pittsburgh Steeler that came in. That is, if one isn't sitting next to you.