Pittsburgh's nightlife (York, Denver, Liberty: credit card, how much, limo)

[returnedYinzer]

I keep reading post from other people that Pittsburgh has no night life. What is your opinion on Pittsburgh's nightlife? For me it is just fine. I realize that Pittsburgh is not N.Y, L.A., Chicago, or San Fran. However, compared to mid-size cities that Pittsburgh compares to, I think it is just fine. We have a decent live music scene, two major bar hangout areas with the Strip and Southside, plenty of other good neighborhood bars in the east side. If you are like me, enjoy a good Belgium beer at the Sharpedge (the best Belgium beer bar in America), and not into the clubbing scene then it is just fine. If I really wanted the big clubbing scene and was 24 again, then I would move to N.Y. or L.A. I understand a nightlife helps maintain young people. However, it isn't all.

Take Denver for instance. They have Lodo. The area with all the bars and clubs that gets crowded at night. We have the southside and the strip that is almost exactly comparable. They have scattered places throughout the east side of Denver and south Broadway, as we do in our neighborhoods on the east end and Oakland. I think it is very comparable to what you have in Denver. Any other midsize city comes out to being about equal. What do these people want? Paris Hilton and Lindsy Lohan to step out of a Limo on the south side or something?

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by returnedYinzer

I keep reading post from other people that Pittsburgh has no night life. What is your opinion on Pittsburgh's nightlife? For me it is just fine. I realize that Pittsburgh is not N.Y, L.A., Chicago, or San Fran. However, compared to mid-size cities that Pittsburgh compares to, I think it is just fine. We have a decent live music scene, two major bar hangout areas with the Strip and Southside, plenty of other good neighborhood bars in the east side. If you are like me, enjoy a good Belgium beer at the Sharpedge (the best Belgium beer bar in America), and not into the clubbing scene then it is just fine. If I really wanted the big clubbing scene and was 24 again, then I would move to N.Y. or L.A. I understand a nightlife helps maintain young people. However, it isn't all.

Take Denver for instance. They have Lodo. The area with all the bars and clubs that gets crowded at night. We have the southside and the strip that is almost exactly comparable. They have scattered places throughout the east side of Denver and south Broadway, as we do in our neighborhoods on the east end and Oakland. I think it is very comparable to what you have in Denver. Any other midsize city comes out to being about equal. What do these people want? Paris Hilton and Lindsy Lohan to step out of a Limo on the south side or something?

There's plenty to do, if it doesn't suit someone, they're pretty boring.

[MissShona]

You know what...maybe it's just me...but I think that the nightlife in Pittsburgh is far more interesting than the nightlife in Miami (where I live...hmmm, or used to live?). Sounds crazy I know, but let me explain.

I'm not really a club person. Also, I'm American born and bred, and maybe it's because of my blue collar roots or something, but it really takes the fun out of an outing when I charge $100 on my credit card and only had a few drinks and some bar nosh. Not that I'm a tad wad or something...but in Miami, every place I would go out to with co-workers or friends would be $75 min for some food and drinks (or admission, parking and drinks). Then you have a very limited "set" of clubs; either ethnic-based (Cuban, Jamaican, South American, etc.) places -- and also a very limited set of music to here (salsa, reggaeton, hip-hop, electronica/dance, more hip hop ). Not to mention the very misleading advertising like "Jazz night" at Jazzid's on South Beach was really "slow R&B" night.

Another alert was that most of the professional musicians I met in Miami would travel to New York, Atlanta, and even Orlando in addition to working in Miami because it was that hard to find work (most places like DJs and karoke machines).

Finally, whenever I had friends from Pittsburgh down to visit me in Miami, we wouldn't really find anywhere to go. Just drive around and "see the sights". Sure, South Beach is open 24-7 and you can stumble out of the clubs at 5 am. But you won't be hearing anything but salsa or hip-hop...so if you aren't into that, you're out of luck.

Pittsburgh on the other hand...any given night there is a good selection of things I can check out. In Miami I would have to wait months for something to come into the area in that the regular events were not too interesting to me at all.

[returnedYinzer]

Pittsburgh is fun for a cheap nights, and blue collar people. I can compare Pittsburgh to Philly. I was 23 when I was in Philly. I hit the pubs, bars, music venues etc. It was similair to Pittsburgh. Of course there were more options, but it was a much bigger city.

[gallacus]

I often hear people complain about Pittsburgh's night-life and I've learned to just dismiss these comments. When I’ve prodded people in the past as to why it is that they feel Pittsburgh’s night-life is so horrible, I find out that they are not in fact referring to Pittsburgh, but rather whatever suburb they live in. Of course the night-life in Cranberry isn’t going to compare to that in San Diego, but honestly, is there something you can do in San Diego at night that you can’t do in Pittsburgh? If so, fill me in…

One thing that is neat about Pittsburgh’s nightlife is that it is a city in transition. Cities like Miami (ones with a very solidified identity) have very many, albeit very homogenous options for night-time entertainment. Obviously I’m generalizing, but when I went out in Miami, it seemed like you had your choice of 100 of the exact same bar – trendy and upscale where everyone dresses to impress. Your options in Pittsburgh are very diverse, you can hang out at a goth, heavy metal bar if you’d like, or a sports bar (God knows we have those), or a Miami-esque ultra-lounge, or a shot-and-a-beer dive bar, or a beer garden, or a club, etc. You can hit all of these -- 10 of each for that matter -- within walking distance of each other on Carson St.

I’ve always said that the only reason people don’t think Pittsburgh is cool is because people don’t think Pittsburgh is cool, and the same goes for its perceived lack of night-life.

[returnedYinzer]

good points. I had a friend who lived outside of Monroeville and always complaining about how Pittsburgh was boring while he lived at home and went to the art institute. Then he moved out to Capitol Hill in Denver, and was saying how much more fun it was over Pittsburgh. I finally got annoyed with it, and pointed out he is comparing monroeville to Central Denver, not Central Pittsburgh to Central Denver. I asked him if Littleton would be a blast to live in.

[Merge]

I have to second the above sentiments. I've found it the case that boring people are bored anywhere. There's no excuse for it in Pittsburgh.

[guylocke]

Representing the gay community, I have to say, I rather enjoy Pittsburgh's gay nightlife quite a bit, and I've been to many MAJOR city's that have a LOT MORE than Pittsburgh.

Several of ours are actually downtown on Liberty and it's quite fun going to theatre in the evening and heading to clubs afterwards. We of course, change in the car.

We also populate Ellsworth which is a very gay-friendly, mostly gay-owned, and thriving little section of Shadyside.

People are just used to complaining about everything in Pittsburgh. A great majority of complaints just don't hold water.

[BVH]

Originally Posted by guylocke

Representing the gay community, I have to say, I rather enjoy Pittsburgh's gay nightlife quite a bit, and I've been to many MAJOR city's that have a LOT MORE than Pittsburgh.

Several of ours are actually downtown on Liberty and it's quite fun going to theatre in the evening and heading to clubs afterwards. We of course, change in the car.

We also populate Ellsworth which is a very gay-friendly, mostly gay-owned, and thriving little section of Shadyside.

People are just used to complaining about everything in Pittsburgh. A great majority of complaints just don't hold water.

I have to agree. The gay nightlife here in Pittsburgh is quite large, for a city this size. Dallas had a much larger crowd and a few more bars, but, the gay bars here have far more charm and character. I think that has to do more with the blue collar nature of Pittsburgh than anything else.

[rd620]

I would say Pittsburgh nightlife is surprisingly good for most people. If you can't find anything to do in the burgh than you probably are one of those people that sits at home and complains but never even attempts to find something to do. These are the same people that think that the only food they serve in pittsburgh is sandwiches with fries on top. That is another one that kills me ... the no good restaurants in Pittsburgh debate. I find another good one every week. For a city of 350,000, Pittsburgh dining and nightlife rocks.