Do You Think Pittsburgh Can Avoid A BOOM

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I didn't count walking time. I couldn't figure out how to get onto 279 from the Stanwix Street Garage.

It didn't look like I could get onto 279 via Ft Duquesne so I had to cut through North Side.

Normally you just hang a left, then you're there, right up onto the Ft Duquesne Bridge but last week (and for a few weeks before that) the ramp was closed. It'll probably be closed again; rode on it yesterday and only some of the expansion joints appear to be done. They look to be replacing the joints.

If when you got off at Warrendale and went left, you need to make that very next right onto Brush Creek Rd, just after going under the highway (right where the park and ride lot is). That road takes you through the industrial park. Once you get to Thorn Hill Rd (the 2nd traffic light, a few miles later) going straight ahead becomes Commonwealth Drive or something like that. This is probably what you meant, although even in the dark it doesn't feel too dark there because plenty of traffic, etc. If you missed this right turn, you went several miles out of the way.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by greg42

If when you got off at Warrendale and went left, you need to make that very next right onto Brush Creek Rd, just after going under the highway (right where the park and ride lot is). That road takes you through the industrial park. Once you get to Thorn Hill Rd (the 2nd traffic light, a few miles later) going straight ahead becomes Commonwealth Drive or something like that. This is probably what you meant, although even in the dark it doesn't feel too dark there because plenty of traffic, etc. If you missed this right turn, you went several miles out of the way.

I think I was purposely trying to go several miles out of my way! LOL I didn't want to go through the industrial park since it was rush hour.

Looking at the map, I can't make sense of how I go the back way. I pass some modern building that's really cool sitting by itself in an open field hillside area.

I think I take Warrendale Bayne Road which turns into Mango then onto Pleasant Hill Road and take that to Freedom Road.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I think I was purposely trying to go several miles out of my way! LOL I didn't want to go through the industrial park since it was rush hour.

Looking at the map, I can't make sense of how I go the back way. I pass some modern building that's really cool sitting by itself in an open field hillside area.

I think I take Warrendale Bayne Road which turns into Mango then onto Pleasant Hill Road and take that to Freedom Road.

The modern building is Francois Bitz's house. He was one of the founders of FORE Systems, made a bunch selling it at the top of the market. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FORE_Systems It's on the left on Pleasant Hill. At the bottom before you pass that glass palace the one house by itself has 8 or 9 really tall tree-like Christmas light creations, so at least you saw that. Those are cool.

But if you look at map you see how far out of the way that is? The backup is nothing compared to how long that takes to drive around. It's really not THAT big of a backup, trust me.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by greg42

The modern building is Francois Bitz's house. He was one of the founders of FORE Systems, made a bunch selling it at the top of the market. FORE Systems - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia It's on the left on Pleasant Hill. At the bottom before you pass that glass palace the one house by itself has 8 or 9 really tall tree-like Christmas light creations, so at least you saw that. Those are cool.

We always thought the glass palace was a club house for a golf course that never was developed! Can't he afford landscaping?

Originally Posted by greg42

But if you look at map you see how far out of the way that is? The backup is nothing compared to how long that takes to drive around. It's really not THAT big of a backup, trust me.

Yeah, I see that NOW. However, you KNOW I hate the traffic up there. I just don't feel like I'm moving.

Last week, I tried to go from Cranberry to just east of Butler via 68. It took me 50 minutes! I thought Butler was closer than that! Mapquest says it's 34 minutes.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Hopes

We always thought the glass palace was a club house for a golf course that never was developed! Can't he afford landscaping?

I dunno what his deal is. Last I checked (which has been a few years) he owns several parcels around there with and without houses or other buildings. I swear some of the things I've seen happening (or results of happening) on that property suggest he has his own heavy equipment (or rents it for a while, perhaps) and plays around with it himself. No clue. There doesn't seem to be any coherent plan to the landscape around the place, that is for sure. On another parcel of his, on a curve on the same road, but closer to 79 and on the right hand side, there was a new house finished in just the last year or so, and it appears that what we see from the road is the back of the house, not the front. It's way up on a hill. I never checked to see if he still owns that plot or if perhaps he sold it to someone else. We consider him to be some kind of eccentric, although we've never directly seen much less met him. Also, the way both of those houses are done is supremely arrogant.

I dunno about driving to Butler. I never go to Butler for anything. I think I have, once or twice over the years, arrived there on 68, though, not sure. If you went all the way up to Zelie first on 79, you went too far, because 68 tracks back south from there somewhat. The shortest distance is probably (depending upon where in Cranberry you're starting from, because it's big) north on 79 to the Evans City 528 exit, then get 68 at Evans City. But I'm not sure that would be any faster than just 228 to 8, you know? 68 is kind of a winding road.