16 Reasons Pittsburgh Is The Greatest City On The Planet (Carnegie: smog, vehicle)

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Copanut

No, at the time it was an accurate description.

It was also a compliment! Or at least, not seen as a negative, just a rather awestruck observation.

[LIRefugee]

Originally Posted by greg42

It was also a compliment! Or at least, not seen as a negative, just a rather awestruck observation.

Yep, this is the first paragraph from the "Hell with the lid taken off" article by James Parton from the January 1868 issue of Atlantic Monthly:

Originally Posted by James Parton

There are three cities readily accessible to the tourist, which are peculiar, - Quebec, New Orleans, and Pittsburg, - and of these Pittsburg is the most interesting by far. In other towns the traveller can make up his list of lions, do them in a few hours, and go away satisfied; but here all is curious or wonderful, - site, environs, history, geology, business, aspect, atmosphere, customs, everything. Pittsburg is a place to read up for, to unpack your trunk and settle down at, to make excursions from, and to study as you would study a group of sciences. To know Pittsburg thoroughly is a liberal education in "the kind of culture demanded by modern times."

I like this quote too: "Every street appears to end in a huge black cloud, and there is everywhere the ominous darkness that creeps over the scene when a storm is approaching."

And here are some lovely pictures from an article in a British newspaper of some pictures housed by Pitt:

Hell with the lid taken off: The pictures of bygone Pittsburgh and its residents choking under clouds of thick smog | Mail Online

17th reason: Pittsburgh looks nothing like that anymore.

[pman]

Originally Posted by LIRefugee

Yep, this is the first paragraph from the "Hell with the lid taken off" article by James Parton from the January 1868 issue of Atlantic Monthly:



I like this quote too: "Every street appears to end in a huge black cloud, and there is everywhere the ominous darkness that creeps over the scene when a storm is approaching."

And here are some lovely pictures from an article in a British newspaper of some pictures housed by Pitt:

Hell with the lid taken off: The pictures of bygone Pittsburgh and its residents choking under clouds of thick smog | Mail Online

17th reason: Pittsburgh looks nothing like that anymore.

perhaps more interesting is that, according to a chart I saw on nullspace, the pollution got much, much worse in the 20's through the 50's than it was in 1868!

[LIRefugee]

Originally Posted by pman

perhaps more interesting is that, according to a chart I saw on nullspace, the pollution got much, much worse in the 20's through the 50's than it was in 1868!

I can easily believe that. The pictures in the Daily Mail article all appear to be post-WWII with maximum population, maximum (I assume) industrial output, and before any pollution laws were enacted. The industrial footprint was much, much smaller in 1868 and concentrated in what is now Downtown and adjoining neighborhoods.

[Copanut]

Take a walk up to the incline and look at the photo of Pittsburgh at Noon.

[SolitaryThrush]

People who name regional things "greatest on the planet" are the ones who have never travelled out of said region. Pittsburgh is swell for a mid-sized American city, but let's not put down every other place ("on the planet!") to make ourselves feel better or drive ad revenue to a website.

[Bludy-L]

Originally Posted by EveKendall

Is everyone crabby today? It is just a lighthearted positive list. Of course they are silly but it seems better than 1) complaints about the weather; 2) whether or not you can get good pizza; or 3) who has the best donuts.

Thank you!

The problem with this Pittsburgh forum are those ultra opinionated people who resort to abuse and childish name calling and hate.

I'm glad they don't represent Pittsburgh's fun-loving and considerate majority.

Of COURSE this was a lighthearted piece that most normal people would recognise as just that instantly.

I'm not impressed by the haters if that's what they actually think they are accomplishing.



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[Bludy-L]

Originally Posted by SolitaryThrush

People who name regional things "greatest on the planet" are the ones who have never travelled out of said region. Pittsburgh is swell for a mid-sized American city, but let's not put down every other place ("on the planet!") to make ourselves feel better or drive ad revenue to a website.

Wow!!!!???

Seriously! Do you also take David Letterman's Top Ten Lists as serious journalism or news?



Posted with TapaTalk

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by LIRefugee

Yep, this is the first paragraph from the "Hell with the lid taken off" article by James Parton from the January 1868 issue of Atlantic Monthly:



I like this quote too: "Every street appears to end in a huge black cloud, and there is everywhere the ominous darkness that creeps over the scene when a storm is approaching."

And here are some lovely pictures from an article in a British newspaper of some pictures housed by Pitt:

Hell with the lid taken off: The pictures of bygone Pittsburgh and its residents choking under clouds of thick smog | Mail Online

17th reason: Pittsburgh looks nothing like that anymore.

You beat me to it. I heard that expression decades ago, back when I was a kid. Just looked it up on Wiki, didn't know who James Parton was. D'you suppose he's related to Dolly?

PS: Just read the list. Sorry, #5 appalls me. A shirt to commemorate that? Don't wear it out here. Couldn't they have picked a different movie?

[jay5835]

Ugh. The Coke (sic) Brothers, who own buzzfeed.com, are more soulless than a smoothie made of Cranberry, Daryl Metcalf, and the gov.