Yesterday we participated in Project Pop-up: which brought a mix of retailers into Market Square at lunch time to let people know what fashion is available here. The project got me thinking, there’s a lot happening here.
Our events are getting better. I can’t remember much more happening here than the regatta for a lot of years. This year, we had a crew organize a huge crowd for the Three Rivers Arts Festival by bringing in the hipster-approved band, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. We have a 40 ft rubber duck that’s setting sail for the first time in the U.S. arriving on our rivers this week for the Festival of Firsts. The Point’s fountain is back on. The Pirates are in the playoffs. And all of these things, are great reasons to party. Our cultural scene has always been happening, but it seems more than ever it’s being organized instead of staying under the radar and everyone has access to what makes Pittsburgh so cool.
Our food is getting better. Ten years ago, it wasn’t easy to find Thai. In the former food era, our only claim to fame was fries on a sandwich. While yes, we still love Primanti Brothers, there’s a lot more on the menu for Pittsburghers these days. Chef Kevin Sousa made the city realize that we could handle experimental, that actually, we wanted the crazy flavor mixes and ingredients that New Yorkers experience. The New York Post just blogged a pretty solid list of places to check out (if you haven’t already). Click to read it.
Fashion is starting to have a scene. I’ve heard people say that Pittsburgh catches on to things ten years later. With Google and CMU here, I don’t really buy that. I think they may have been talking about fashion, which to some extent, yes. It’s taken the city and its inhabitants a long time to realize that fashion is an important industry. There were always people who loved it here, but it’s like lately we’ve finally figured out how to find each other, how to get other people interested and organize. Pop City just did an article about four new women-owned shops in Lawrenceville. You can read it here. The more shops and local businesses we have, the more we can spread the word that Pittsburgh is stylish and has a lot to offer.