The Ultimate Pittsburgh Bucket List
by Chris N.
Hey there! My name is Chris and I am a rising junior studying statistics and machine learning here at CMU. Having been at CMU for more than two years already, I got to explore quite a bit of trendy spots to socialize with friends or peacefully study/work by myself in the greater Pittsburgh area. Pittsburgh is a city with a lot of colleges and even more bridges—after all, we have more bridges than Venice! Most importantly though, Pittsburgh is a city with a whole lot of personality. Within Pittsburgh, there are a lot of hidden (and not so hidden) gems scattered across downtown, Oakland and many other places that you can visit and have a great time with. That said, here’s my bucket list of things to do or explore in the greater area of Pittsburgh.
Visit Coffee Shops
With Pittsburgh being a hallmark college city (home to CMU, the University of Pittsburgh, Carlow University, CCAC and much more!), there are naturally a lot of cozy, niche cafes to explore. A coffee connoisseur myself, I visited a bunch of cafes around and compiled my favorites so far:
- Delanie’s (specifically the Southside location!): Right off the bat, Delanie’s is a place that stands out to me because of the amazing atmosphere inside. Located in East Carson Street, Delanie’s has this open interior concept that feels inviting from the get-go. My favorite feature about the Delanie’s, outside of its fantastic brown sugar cold brew latte (the “house favorite” as they call it) and open interior concept, has got to be the elevated loft area surrounded by bookshelves and cute lamps.
- Shibam Coffee Co. on Centre Ave.: Shibam is one of those cafes frequented by a lot of CMU students, and that’s for a good reason. Shibam primarily sells Middle Eastern coffee drinks and desserts, from pistachio lattes to their signature shibam latte, and of course their coveted adeni tea. With a modern, Middle Eastern-esque interior, Shibam has a lot of charging ports for students studying/working by themselves, but also big tables for social gatherings, which I found to be quite convenient. If trying delicious, unique drinks with a Middle Eastern flare sounds like it could be in your ballpark, Shibam is the place!
Happenstance Cafe on Penn Ave.: Tucked away on Penn Ave, Happenstance is a cafe that has both tasty drinks and food. What I like about Happenstance so much is how they basically transformed an ordinary family home into a cozy cafe that has a game room, cool seating across the first and second floor, and even a secret garden in the outdoor area! With the banana split cold brew latte and pancake lattes in season, I love to take my friends to this place to hang out and catch up over the summer — truly a certified Pittsburgh hidden gem.
Explore Nature Exhibits
Outside of trendy and cozy cafes, Pittsburgh boasts various places to interact with nature. Over time, I realized that just surrounding myself with nature had a soothing, relaxing effect on me, and this is something that I highly recommend doing during your time in Pittsburgh— plus, it’s fun to visit nature spots with friends, as well!
- Phipps Conservatory: located right next to campus, is a must-go location as a CMU student. What I particularly liked about Phipps outside of free admissions (yes, with a CMU ID, Phipps entrance is free!) was the cleverly themed nature display they have going on for the summer season. Every season, Phipps changes the theme of their nature exhibits, but this summer season’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland exhibit was well thought out and interesting to see.
Pittsburgh’s National Aviary: Another amazing perk of being a CMU student is the free passes to the National Aviary. I found the National Aviary to be particularly fun because of its immersive bird exhibits: stepping into the rainforest exhibit, for instance, I was immediately surrounded by cool foliage and lots of interesting bird species (including flamingoes and spoonbills). With feeding events and other daily activities happening at the Aviary, this place is most definitely worth checking out (I personally plan on going again to catch the penguin feeding).
Neighborhoods
In my mind, another factor that makes Pittsburgh so endearing is specks of culture spread across the city that highlight its diverse history.
- The Bloomfield Farmers Market: In the neighborhood of Bloomfield (AKA “Pittsburgh’s Little Italy”) where I live, there is a weekly Saturday farmers market. In it, you will find amazing food items like homemade paninis, fresh produce from local gardens and mouthwatering tacos that will sell out in less than two hours. Food aside, they also have a candle shop and fresh juice stand, which I always stop by when I’m there. Outside of the farmers market, Bloomfield is also home to various local businesses and eateries that are worth visiting, like Brothmonger, a local shop selling lovely soup and sandwiches, and the White Whale, a bookstore and cafe where you can read your favorite novels whilst sipping on your favorite coffee.
- The Strip District: This is perhaps the most iconic area in Pittsburgh, and I think there’s definitely a reason for that. In “the Strip,” I've had the chance to experience perhaps one of the best bowls of Vietnamese Pho at Maiku and have fun at places like Puttshack, an indoor mini-golf spot where I went with my fraternity. I highly recommend planning a day out in the Strip district and hanging out with friends here!
Ultimately, I’ve come to discover that Pittsburgh is a city of hidden gems. I hope that this ultimate Pittsburgh bucket list will inspire you to explore the city. What spot are you excited to visit first?