Pittsburgh : Party Times Begin
Posted by admin on Oct 13, 2008
Pittsburgh's Singular Skyline - Courtesy upload.wikimedia.org
For all its size Pittsburgh appeared to be a very efficient and relatively quiet place. I decided to do this second largest city of Pennsylvania, having heard the wonderful changes wrought over time that has made the city completely reinvent itself. To be sure from olden factories to a spartan modern-day city, the transformation is clearly there to see. People have been relocating to Pittsburgh for work and I find more and more acquaintances and even friends moving in here to join health-care, technology, financial services and even fashion. So I decided to pay a visit to come be part of the merry making about to begin here.
Arriving at the Pittsburgh International Airport I was glad of the WiFi at the airport that immediately got me in touch with the reservations made through Downtown Pittsburgh hotel site guaranteeing smooth pick up besides ensconcing me in my hotel room. Satisfied with the arrangements I quickly browsed through the brief itinerary that was to allow me to make the most of my weekend getaway.
And so it was that I explored the town. The city gets demarcated into the downtown area known as the Golden Triangle with four main areas surrounding it. They are simply divided into North Side, South Side, East End, and West End. I loved the spatial clean lines around the city and realized that not for nothing did Pittsburgh get named as “America’s Most Livable City”.
The town center has an eclectic mix of activities that perhaps reach out to everyone. Downtown built on a triangular tract is where the Allgheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River. The skyline here features high-rise buildings and lots of bridges including two inclined railways. Add to this a pre-revolutionary fortification. The setting is beautiful and pretty apt for ‘The City of Bridges’.
The area is also the entertainment hub full of theaters and arts venues. Besides it also harbors residential apartments making it more lively in the evenings and late into the night. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a great big green community residential complex. The Firstside portion of downtown borders the Monongahela River and the historic Mon Wharf and the area is home to the distinctive PPG Place, a Gothic glass skyscraper complex.
Yes the razing and redesigning of congested areas has resulted in an absolutely stunning new look for the city. The architecture is truly modern and quite breathtaking. Nestled among the forested hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, the new Pittsburgh is a city of skyscrapers, parks, fountains, more than 700 bridges, and close-knit neighborhoods with a vibrant cultural life. The city has over 70 miles of urban riverfront—more than any other inland port city in America.
I am of course here for the Pittsburgh Festival of Lights, on from October 10 upto November 20. Being an early bird I see the crowds are yet to come in. However the lights are all up in Pittsburgh to salute the arrival of the trailblazers that will be making their way here at Great Allegheny Passage and the Point Start Park. With the days getting shorter, the jubilant lighting coming up early in the evening, transforms the area into a fairyland setting.
The bright lights add a touch of anticipation to the coming holiday season as well as coincide beautifully with the visual and performance arts events scheduled for Pittsburgh. Even as all the buildings in downtown get lit up with fantastic displays done by Lucette de Rugy, the French artist, Oakland too gets illuminated connecting both these cultural hubs. The very air in Pittsburgh sings out - come on everybody lets party! O yes everyones invited to join in with the festive spirits even as Pittsburgh readies itself for the season ahead.
Festival of Lights in Pittsburgh - Courtesy www.visitpittsburgh.com