Happenings in Pittsburgh!! (Carnegie, Somerset, Oxford: purchase, prices, flooring)

[beemajabee]

Originally Posted by guylocke

Now this is neat!! It a really user friendly map that shows all the projects going on all over the city! All almost 4 billion dollars worth!

Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (broken link)

Wow, makes me feel like a spy with the inside scoop!

[beemajabee]

Originally Posted by guylocke

The Children's Hospital being built is quite an impressive feat. They even have an outside healing garden on the roof!! I have no doubt, once opened in 2009, it will snag award after award after award, more than the current one does!

New hospital for kids taking shape detail by detail

This definitely makes the possibility of switching transplant teams from Philly to Pgh more attractive... CHOP in Philly has been heavily remodeling and adding on, so I've got high standards, you know!...

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by guylocke

The Carnegie Museum, much like the area, is going through a renaissances! The new dinosaur exhibit looks beautiful (pic included) and anatomically correct!!

100 years on, another renewal for Carnegie's museums

You mean they have penis's??? LOL

[guylocke]

I think I posted something about this a while back, I definitely lose track! Here is another cultural thing in Pittsburgh that continues to break its own records: The Zoo!

Animal magnetism reaches record level - Pittsburgh Business Times:

Twin benchmarks loom around the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday for the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium -- a third birthday celebration for Koda and Nuka, its two polar bear cubs, and the likely passing of the 1 million attendance mark for the first time in the zoo's 109-year history.

This year's attendance hit 950,000 with one-third of October left, President and CEO Barbara Baker said, easily bypassing the previous record of 870,165 in 2006.

"Seven of the past 10 months have been all-time-record-breaking," Baker said, "and that includes October, where we have (several) days left. We're on the countdown, and we're tremendously excited."

The cubs, as well as full-grown polar bears, otters and other animals, are part of the Water's Edge exhibit that's played a key part in helping push attendance to new heights. The exhibit, which opened in late November, allows visitors to view animals both above- and below-water.

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by guylocke

I think I posted something about this a while back, I definitely lose track! Here is another cultural thing in Pittsburgh that continues to break its own records: The Zoo!

Animal magnetism reaches record level - Pittsburgh Business Times:

It keeps telling me to spread the love, but I wanted to spread a little YOUR way again! *sigh* Next time I suppose. You could be Pittsburgh's next Mr. Rodgers. I used to LOVE that guy!

[guylocke]

You could be Pittsburgh's next Mr. Rodgers. I used to LOVE that guy!

Oh, please no. LOL.

[guylocke]

This is interesting news, possibly an indicator for future job-growth?

Pop City - Monster employment index reports September online recruitment soared in Pittsburgh

Online job recruitment activity rose in 22 of 28 top U.S. metro markets in September, and Pittsburgh showed the biggest increase in online job demand, according to the Monster Local Employment Index.

The Index is based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities drawn from more than 1,500 different web sites, including Monster. It is compiled by Monster Worldwide, the largest global online job employment service.

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Detroit showed the strongest increases in online jobs and fin Pittsburgh, September was its highest number of online jobs for the year. The figure reflects “historically tight labor market conditions and high demand for technically skilled workers” in both IT and engineering as well as blue-collar installation, maintenance and repair occupations, the Index says.

Other highlights:
· Number of online job opportunities dipped in just three markets: Houston, San Diego and San Francisco
· Houston remains the Index’s top growth market on a year-over-year basis, followed by Pittsburgh and St. Louis

[guylocke]

Here are some random things found scattered around the net, they were put together by someone, but wasn't me.

From Imagine Pittsburgh

Education

With 35 colleges and universities, 80 trade and technical schools, and 70 companies with at least $1 billion in revenue, Pittsburgh is bursting with world-class talent.

* President Bush suggested renaming Pittsburgh "Knowledge Town."
* Carnegie Mellon University was named the hottest school for getting a job by Newsweek.
* Two University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering graduate programs have been ranked in the top 15 according to U.S. News & World Report.
* Duquesne University's Mylan School of Pharmacy is one of the top four private schools of pharmacy.
* Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business ranks 3rd in the nation and 3rd internationally, according to The Wall Street Journal.
* Duquesne University is consistently ranked among America's top Catholic universities by U.S. News & World Report.
* Carnegie Mellon University has the nation's best graduate program for computer science and the 8th best in engineering, according to the latest 2007 rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

That's where I go and my major!! :P

From USA Weekend Magazine

The 10 Most Beautiful Places in America
It's a nation so blessed with sights -- natural and man-made -- that you could ask all 300 million residents for their favorites and expect 300 million different answers. So how do you go about picking the country's 10 most beautiful spots?

2. Nighttime view from Mount Washington in Pittsburgh
In a nation with a wealth of stunning cities full of compelling stories, ranking Pittsburgh as the No. 2 beauty spot is perhaps our most surprising choice. But the Steel City's aesthetic appeal is undeniable, as is its very American capacity for renewal. Standing atop Mount Washington, the steep hill that rises giddily on the city's south side, sightseers enjoy the unforgettable panorama of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers flowing together to create the mighty Ohio, that waterway so essential in the nation's settlement. The rivers cup downtown's lustrous Golden Triangle, where landmark skyscrapers thrust upward like rockets. At night, lights twinkle on no fewer than 15 bridges. Almost as breathtaking as the vista itself is the urban renewal that made it possible. A century ago, a pall of smoke lay so thick over town that streetlights burned all day. As Pittsburgh continues an evolutionary course that has taken it from trading post to transportation hub to industrial goliath, we salute its reinvention into one of America's most scenic and livable communities. In the life of a city, there's nothing more beautiful, or inspiring, than a renaissance. For more, go to pittsburgh.net.

From the Business Times and William M. Mercer Firm.

Pittsburgh ranked among the cleanest cities in the United States and the 17th cleanest city in the world, according to a new survey by William M. Mercer, a San Francisco-based consulting firm.

Calgary, Canada, was named the cleanest city with an environmental index ranking of 166, followed by Honolulu, Hawaii, with a 161.5 ranking.

Pittsburgh ranked 145.5 on the index along with seven other U.S. cities.

Scores are based on the level of air pollution and the efficiency of waste disposal and sewage systems. Cities are ranked against New York as the base city, which scores 100. The analysis is part of a worldwide quality-of-life survey covering 215 cities.

According to the survey, 13 of the world's top 30 cleanest cities are in North America.

The lowest-ranked city for environmental cleanliness is Mexico City, which scores 29.5.

From Foreign Direct Investment magazine

Pittsburgh ranked as a "City of the Future"
Pittsburgh ranked number three in the top 10 “North American Cities of the Future” in the April 2007 issue of Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) magazine, published by the Financial Times group in London. The category of major cities showed Chicago coming in at number one followed by Toronto then Pittsburgh.
Every two years, fDi selects its cities--from those that participate--through a “rigorous market research process” that compares cities from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Pittsburgh rated in the category of cities, out of 108 considered, with a population over two million. In addition, it ranked as number one in the most “cost effective” cities for business and landed in the number two spot for the best infrastructure.
“The Cities of the Future is not your average list by your average publication,” notes Michael Langley, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. “This recognition indicates the growing prominence of southwestern Pennsylvania as a key area for global investment.”
“Recognizing Pittsburgh as a ‘City of the Future’ highlights the many benefits that the city and region have to boast,” adds William Peduto, Pittsburgh councilman. “The world is discovering what we already know: Pittsburgh is a great place to grow a business, raise a family and invest resources for the future.”
Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Michael Langley, Allegheny Conference, William Peduto and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance

From Visit Pittsburgh

Covered Bridges in Western PA
The first covered bridge in the United States was built in Philadelphia in 1805—it was named the Permanent Bridge. Over the course of the next century roughly 12,000 of these iconic American spans were constructed across the country, and while the Permanent Bridge is gone, 750 remain standing today, 47 of them in southwest Pennsylvania.

Countryside Trails
While Pennsylvania's highest elevation is only 3,200 feet, the sheer number and density of its hills and ravines gives it one of the most dramatic changes in elevation per linear mile of any state in the country. The southwest Pennsylvania region's unique topographic blend of steep, winding hills and flat river areas makes it one of the best for hiking and biking enthusiasts.

Allegheny National Forest
Pennsylvania

The Allegheny National Forest sits in the rugged plateau country of northwestern Pennsylvania. Many creeks and streams cut deeply into the plateau, creating a rolling and sometimes steep topography with a 1,300 foot range of elevation. The terrain is covered with a typical eastern hardwood forest: Black cherry, yellow poplar, white ash, red maple, and sugar maple are all common to the area.
The Tionesta and Research Natural Areas and Hearts Content Area feature some of the oldest and largest tracts of virgin beech-hemlock forest in the eastern United States. The Allegheny River Islands Wilderness is another unique feature of the Allegheny National Forest. The seven islands in the Allegheny River offer remote canoeing and back-country camping.
The Allegheny National Forest covers more than 500,000 acres and offers every imaginable recreation possibility. Over 1,000 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails await. Also swim, boat, and fish the Clarion, Allegheny, and Tionesta Rivers. The Allegheny National Forest has more than 600 miles of trails and roads mostly available to mountain bikers, providing a challenging and beautiful way for enthusiasts to see spectacular scenery. Marienville Bike is 23.1 miles and is rated difficult. Rocky Gap is 20.8 miles and rated most difficult. The Laurel Hills Trail is 9.1 miles of groomed trails that are well marked and range from easy to difficult for cross-country skiing.
You'll find many recreation opportunities here, including swimming, fishing, boating, water skiing, hiking and camping, and leisurely scenic drives. Dirt bikers, ATVers, cross country skiers, mountain bikers and snowmobilers will love the loop trails that wind throughout the hills. Foot trails ranging from one half mile interpretive trails, to the 87 mile North Country National Scenic Trail, traverse the terrain. Several reservoirs and over 700 miles of streams offer outstanding fishing opportunities. Congress designated 87 miles of the Allegheny River, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System to protect its natural, cultural and recreational features. There are over one hundred undeveloped islands, including seven wilderness islands included in this stretch of river. The Hickory Creek Wilderness, Allegheny Islands Wilderness, and Allegheny National Recreation Areas offer rare opportunities to view unique ecosystems in a quiet, undisturbed setting.

From Wildernet

Located primarily in Fayette County, Ohiopyle State Park encompasses about 19,052 acres of rugged natural beauty and serves as the gateway to the Laurel Mountains. The focal point of the area is the more than 14 miles of the Youghiogheny [yaw-ki-GAY-nee] River Gorge that passes through the heart of the park. The "Yough" [yawk] provides some of the best whitewater boating in the Eastern U. S. as well as spectacular scenery. Surrounding Ohiopyle Falls is the Falls Day Use Area, the central point for the casual visitor. This area provides parking, modern restrooms, gift shop/snack bar, and overlook platforms with magnificent scenery.

[guylocke]

Could this ever see the light of day?? It would be wonderful!! The T light-rail heading to Oakland and the airport??

Onorato unveils $1B transit system plan - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato this afternoon unveiled a $1 billion plan to connect Oakland, Downtown and the airport corridor by light rail.

The proposal was a key recommendation of the Transportation Action Team, which Onorato formed in March 2006 to address short- and long-term transit goals in the region. The system, which would connect the second and third busiest business districts in the state, would be funded through federal transportation dollars and public/private partnerships, officials said.

"While we fix the current fiscal crisis at Port Authority ... we are also focused on the next phase for transit in the region," Onorato said.

[guylocke]

SouthSide Works expands!! Plans for the next phase are moving forward!!

Soffer plans 'lifestyle center' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Plans are moving forward for the next phase of the Soffer Organization's SouthSide Works development, with a marketing effort under way for a 160,000-square-foot office building facing the Monongahela River.

The Quantum V building is part of a redesign of a riverfront block that will be home to an upscale hotel and condominium tower, conference center, Hofbrauhaus restaurant and other residential developments.

"We're excited about the opportunity to market not only a corporate office building, but an incredible lifestyle center abundant with amenities unmatched anywhere in the region," said Jack O'Donoghue, commercial real estate broker with Grant Street Associates Inc.