Safe place to hotel near I-76 near Pittsburgh? (Erie, Butler: hotels, construction)

[dabulls33333]

Will be driving to the east coast via I-76 and thinking about using Pittsburgh as a break point for the night. Does anyone have any recommendations for a safe, calm, easy-parking place to stay by I-76 near Pittsburgh area? Bonus if there are also some decent access to restaurants and/or CVS/Walgreens/grocery stores just in case!!

Thanks!!!

[Geeo]

If you're traveling east on I-76, get off at the Cranberry exit at around mile marker 32-ish. It's also the exit for the interchange of I-79 and marked "Pittsburgh/Erie. You'll have access to just about every hotel brand known to man, as well as chain restaurants, supermarkets and drug stores.

[markson33]

Originally Posted by geeo

if you're traveling east on i-76, get off at the cranberry exit at around mile marker 32-ish. It's also the exit for the interchange of i-79 and marked "pittsburgh/erie. You'll have access to just about every hotel brand known to man, as well as chain restaurants, supermarkets and drug stores.

+1

[shadowfax]

Originally Posted by geeo

if you're traveling east on i-76, get off at the cranberry exit at around mile marker 32-ish. It's also the exit for the interchange of i-79 and marked "pittsburgh/erie. You'll have access to just about every hotel brand known to man, as well as chain restaurants, supermarkets and drug stores.

+2

[Herodotus]

Cranberry is mile 28, not 32.

[ki0eh]

We have stayed a number of times in both the Cranberry Township area at the I-79 interchange, and also at the New Stanton area at the I-70 split.

Cranberry Twp is a bit more upmarket and easier to navigate as the restaurants and services are fairly close by along a 2 mile strip of US 19 (at the Allegheny County line and north), with a few along Freedom Rd (the other way from PA 228). The local classic restaurant Primanti Bros., which you might love, hate, or love to hate, is here.

New Stanton is a bit more compact, and seems safe too, but there are a lot of spinning around ramps.

Bear in mind that I-76/PA Turnpike makes a very wide swing around Pittsburgh, you really can't see the skyline even from the highway.

The PA 8/Butler "Valley" (a cringing misnomer amid the low plateau hills, but I digress...) interchange is relatively limited in service availability. PA 28/Allegheny Valley aka Harmarville is a bit faded, and harder to navigate for the bleary eyed highway traveler. I-376/US 22/"Pittsburgh" aka Monroeville is also faded from former glory days, but remains serviceable as long as you don't go too far west on Business US 22.

US 30/Irwin aka North Huntingdon has fewer highway services, and the US 30 arterial here is difficult to navigate for the newcomer. The Big Mac museum here, basically a display in what is otherwise a normal McDonald's, might or might not be a highlight of a highway stop here.

[Gee Whiz]

If you want a less chaotic exit, but one that offers enough, try the exit past Cranberry while traveling east called Allegheny Valley(Harmarvlle). This is easy on and easy off with restaurants, hotels etc. Cranberry is much busier and has a ton more to offer including traffic, if that does not bother you.

[erieguy]

Take the Cranberry exit. It has everything you're looking for. The traffic is excessive a couple hours a day and more limited to 228, but certainly not enough to deter you.

[ki0eh]

Since its multi-zillion dollar reconstruction a few years back the Cranberry Twp services are reachable using a far more normal American pattern than any of the other interchanges.

[guy2073]

Cranberry fits the bill