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Alright so the 2nd weekend of May of 2024, I'll be taking a weekend solo trip from Friday Morning to Sunday night. I haven't taken a solo trip in ages every since I've been married and now have the opportunity to do so.
I want to hit up as many museums and attractions as possible in a weekend span, stay in a vibrant walkable neighborhood but inexpensive airbnb/hotel(nothing over $300.00 a night), and rely a 100% on public transportation(not renting a car and don't wanna do uber).
So quick back drop, I've been to NYC and D.C. before the pandemic. D.C. back in 2012, NYC back in 2016.
I never been to Pittsburgh before but it seems cool plus it's a city that my Wife doesn't find that interesting and since this is a solo trip I thought about maybe hitting up a place I know she wouldn't mind skipping out on.
My top priority would be NYC. But I'm wondering if NYC would be too much moving around for a weekend trip that only has 1 full day. Granted I'm planning it out where I can still do things on arrival date and the date that I leave.
D.C. is my 2nd priority because of the museums, safer public transportation and it seems like it would be easier to experience more in that short amount of time.
Pittsburgh on the other hand seems extremely underrated and I'm curious to go to a city that I never been. Plus, I like the idea of slightly being out of my comfort zone.
If you had the short amount of time doing a solo trip, which city would you guys and ladies visit?
Pittsburgh. You'll have plenty reason and opportunity to see NYC and DC again.
I would recommend eating breakfast at the Grand Concourse and doing one of the Iclines. I did a self guided tequila tour in February in Pittsburgh and still had a bunch of fun.
Maybe catch a Pirates game. They have one of the top 2 ball parks in the MLB.
Pittsburgh on the other hand seems extremely underrated and I'm curious to go to a city that I never been. Plus, I like the idea of slightly being out of my comfort zone.
You answered you question, try Pittsburgh, a great city.
Red, I’ll say Pittsburgh. You’ve been to NYC and DC and will probably have more future opportunities to revisit both.
I do enjoy your posts and would look forward to hearing some of your insights and perspective on Pittsburgh as an AA male, albeit even for a short visit.
Pittsburgh is an under-rated city, and it is a really nice city with a ton to see and do.
Quite smaller than either DC or NYC, but that will make it much more "doable" for the short amount of time you have.
Pittsburgh is indeed a rust belt city, but has shown a ton of gentrification and great white collar/tech job growth the past decade or so. It's getting better and better.
I'd give it a visit for that weekend. Check out the Andy Warhol museum and definitely do the incline.
If you had a couple more days, I'd suggest NYC, but for the short amount of time, give Pittsburgh a look and do as much as you can.
If you decide on Pittsburgh, just take the 28X Airport Flyer to downtown Pittsburgh or Oakland. If you are in downtown Pittsburgh, the T (rail) is free at 6 stations on the North Shore and downtown itself. Once you get points south on the T, you have to pay. You also have the East Busway which is completely dedicated to specific bus routes going east to west between East Liberty and downtown and stops in between (Polish Hill, Shadyside, Friendship and Bloomfield). Pittsburgh in a lot of core neighborhoods is really quite walkable. I just did Open Streets PGH last weekend and went from the Allegheny West neighborhood all the way to the heart of Lawrenceville all by walking. You get to see a lot, too. Don't miss out on the inclines. The views from Mount Washington are great and something to see that is quintessential Pittsburgh.
If you do not mind walking, take in the vibrant Strip District and up into Lawrenceville for great food options. If you stay somewhere in East Liberty, Shadyside and Oakland, you get diverse young college crowds (Pitt and Carnegie Mellon), museums, and shopping options.
Parks to check out would be Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh and Schenley Park. Pittsburgh has some larger and smaller parks that are more frequented by locals like Frick Park, but they offer hundreds of acres of wooded trails in the middle of the city. Emerald View Park up near Mount Washington has some great views of the city. There are tons of trails along both the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers showcasing just how far Pittsburgh has come as a city visually and economically.
The Northside neighborhoods offer tree-line streets full of rowhomes mixed in with different restaurant offerings. The Southside has Carson Street and has over a mile's worth of bars and restaurants.
Why is Pittsburgh out of your comfort zone? Also why not Philadelphia? It is very compact and you can check a lot of things off your list in a day. The museums are likely better.
DC has changed a lot and you can probably kill the whole weekend just visiting the new museums. NYC has new museums open in the past decade too and I bet there are things you missed in your 2012 visit. You're right though that you'd be spreading yourself too thin in NYC for just a weekend.
What about cities that are further south and closer to you so you spend less time on the flight? May is comfortable in most of the south.
Interesting choice. I just spent a few days in Pittsburgh for the first time and enjoyed it greatly — much to my surprise! Didn’t see the residential Pittsburgh, but mostly the Oakland and downtown neighborhood, and a quick drive through of the Hill district. Made time to eat at a restaurant in The Strip, visit the August Wilson center downtown, the Carnegie museum, and even found the Bicycle Museum, which I absolutely loved. I am a big time cyclist. Missed a chance to see a Pirates game though. Wanted to check out that stadium. I did use a few Ubers, but no mass transit.
And yes, so many buildings with Carnegie, Mellon, or Heinz names. The city built on steel and ketchup. Many were beautiful masonry old-school buildings too. Lots of lovely architecture downtown. As a city lover I liked that, even though parts of downtown are definitely grungy with shuttered stores and homeless people. But that’s most cities these days.
I was a bit uneasy because the city is very white, and I anticipated that might be problematic for a Black visitor. But no problems, never got “the look”, and no problems from the cops like I’ve had in some other cities. Maybe I had the “tourist” look — or maybe I’m just old enough to not seem threatening! At any rate, everyone I met was friendly and helpful.
Yeah, nothing holds a candle to New York and nothing is like DC. But for a few days, Pittsburgh is more than worth a visit if you’ve never been. I wouldn’t at all mind visiting again.
Last edited by citylove101; 07-01-2023 at 12:56 AM..
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