Summer Fun in the Steel City

BY niki kapsambelis Pittsburgh Correspondent





Pittsburgh – Summer is just beginning, and for most summer associates, that means a break from months of all-nighters and the first chance to make the most of your spare time away from a firm.





Fortunately, it’s also the best season for exploring Pittsburgh, a provincial little city with deep roots and a culture all its own, caught somewhere between the sophistication of the Northeast and the folksiness of the Midwest. No longer the smoky city of its industrial heyday, Pittsburgh offers everything from sports to the arts, weekend getaways in the mountains to intimate dining spots overlooking the city’s skyline.



Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

Museums

Andrew Carnegie made his fortune here and has left his legacy on everything from the university that bears his name to the city’s most prominent museums: the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Carnegie Museum of Art, both at 4400 Forbes Ave. in the heart of the city’s university district. There’s also the Carnegie Science Center, Allegheny Avenue, next to Three Rivers Stadium on the city’s North Side, which includes many hands-on exhibits for those with a more logical bent.



Funky-minded art enthusiasts should check out the Andy Warhol Museum on the North Side at 117 Sandusky St., home to the such odd attractions as a room filled with silver balloons and Warhol’s collection of death photos.



For those seeking to get a grasp of the area’s history, including pop culture, visit the Sen. H.J. Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, 1212 Smallman St., whose exhibits have included a tribute to the Eat ‘ Park restaurant chain, complete with old menus and other memorabilia. The center is located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Strip District, a marketplace of grocers, fishmongers, sausage makers and restaurants that comes alive with nightclubs after dark.



The Frick Art and Historical Center, 7227 Reynolds, offers standing art exhibits and a tour of industrialist Henry Clay Frick’s house, Clayton, which stands in tribute to the lifestyles of the rich and famous, circa early-1900s. Catch it now while you still can – its caretakers are stuck in a legal battle to move much of the Frick collection to New York.

Restaurants