Pitt Rated as 19th best Public University (Oakland: apartment, homeless)

[FreightTrainRunning]

I generally like the architecture at Pitt although I wasn't happy that they tore down a couple of the oldest buildings on the hill a few years ago. The cathedral is one of the greatest main buildings of any college in America. As a campus it's not very concise since it's scattered all over Oakland but that's sort of the nature of urban campuses.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by jay5835

I've always liked the way Pitt looks, at least the parts along Forbes and Fifth from the dorms to the YIKC and the museums. I don't get up north of Fifth Avenue much. Is that the "dysfunctional" part with the "horrible buildings"?

I was more thinking of the Brutalist complex south of Forbes.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by Love2Golf09

Barf! When are they going to shut that dump down? I'd send my kids to Empire Beauty School for a degree before sPitt.

Well Pitt has been here since 1787 so I'd say it will be here for awhile still.........

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Originally Posted by Love2Golf09

Barf! When are they going to shut that dump down? I'd send my kids to Empire Beauty School for a degree before sPitt.

sorry your kid didn't get accepted to Pitt...must have been tough on the little one :/

[MathmanMathman]

I don't know much about Pitt's buildings but as long term goals, I'd:

• Work to establish a more traditional looking campus
• Route traffic around it and shut down streets within making them pedestrian greenspace
• New buildings follow the Cathedral of Learning design
• Replace any Brutalism architecture [img]http://******************/vomit-smiley-31.gif[/img]

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

I don't know much about Pitt's buildings but as long term goals, I'd:

• Work to establish a more traditional looking campus
• Route traffic around it and shut down streets within making them pedestrian greenspace

Will never happen. Oakland has way too much through traffic to allow for the closing of streets. Pitt wanted to close the block of Bigelow between 5th and Forbes a decade ago, and all hell broke loose.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

I don't know much about Pitt's buildings but as long term goals, I'd:

• Work to establish a more traditional looking campus
• Route traffic around it and shut down streets within making them pedestrian greenspace
• New buildings follow the Cathedral of Learning design
• Replace any Brutalism architecture

I agree with some of this, ESPECIALLY the brutalist architecture (who's idea WAS that). It would be a HUGE project to make an entirely new law building and Posvar Hall type of building though. I kind of like how Pitt is not a typical "penn state" type of campus. The urban fabric that is its core sets it apart from even Duquesne, which is isolated on the hill. I have never felt like I was starved of green space because I was blocks away from Schenley park and not much farther from Frick. Now... if only Pittsburgh had a public transportation system that wasn't laughable (Imagine hopping on a subway or light elevated rail line that could take you to Squirrel Hill, Southside, etc. from oakland without having to sit in 5th Ave or Forbes rush hour traffic... *drools*)

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

Will never happen. Oakland has way too much through traffic to allow for the closing of streets. Pitt wanted to close the block of Bigelow between 5th and Forbes a decade ago, and all hell broke loose.

That's why I said "long term". It might take a while to work that out.

[Love2Golf09]

Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly

sorry your kid didn't get accepted to Pitt...must have been tough on the little one :/

I highly doubt my future children would be impressed by the sight of 4,000 people cramming themselves into Heinz Field to watch the mighty Panthers battle the Fighting Grizzlies from the University of Montana. My children will go to a Big 10 school (other than Michigan) or they will be cut out of the family. But, if I'm ever homeless, maybe I'll head to Oakland, deficate in my pants, and sleep on the sidewalk outside the Pitt dorms like the rest of the bums do. Pitt = less classy version of Temple.

[ex-burgher]

I know not everyone agrees, but I actually think the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial is an eyesore and wish that space could be part of the campus. The whole building looks fascist - even more so the auditorium inside. The way it sits on top of the hill makes it seem inaccessible and uninviting.

By the way, a few weeks ago Pitt demolished this building next to S&S M to make way for a new dorm:
University Place Office Building - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now on another note, can someone tell me how to insert images into the post as many here do? I still have not figured it out.