Pittsburgh: America’s Renaissance City

“If Pittsburgh were situated somewhere in the heart of Europe, tourists would eagerly journey hundreds of miles out of their way to visit it.”
— Brendan Gill, The New Yorker

Travel Holiday called Pittsburgh “America’s Renaissance City.” Once the industrial hub for production of steel, iron and glass, Pittsburgh is now a center for technology, robotics, medicine and tourism. The city is known for its vibrant cultural scene, its architecture and its neighborhood charm, as well as many new developments. Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center is first in the nation designed to meet “green” or environmental certification requirements. If you haven’t seen Pittsburgh lately, you haven’t seen Pittsburgh.

The Greening of Pittsburgh

Once known for clouds of heavy black smoke that hung over its skyline, Pittsburgh began years ago addressing the problem of environmental pollution caused by heavy industry. Today, Pittsburgh’s famous three rivers are clean, the skies are canopies of blue and the city’s environmental companies now export their high technology solutions for protecting and restoring the environment to an international market. Pittsburgh’s newest environmentally friendly gem will be its convention center. The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is the first in the United States to incorporate high-performance green features such as natural daylight, natural ventilation, use of recycled and nontoxic building materials and efficient systems for water use. The Pittsburgh region has the highest concentration of certified “green” buildings in the country.

Cultural Mecca Pittsburgh is a cultural center with world-class music, opera, dance, theater and visual arts. From the classical elegance of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre to the world-renowned Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to the cutting-edge exhibits at the Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh’s arts scene is as adventurous and thriving as that of New York. Visual art lovers can explore extensive collections at Carnegie Museum of Art and The Frick Art & Historical Center. Fans of contemporary art can enjoy the work of the Pittsburgh native and Pop art prince found at The Andy Warhol Museum. Nearby, the Mattress Factory exhibits installation artwork by artists from all over the world.

Architecture From Henry Hobson Richardson’s majestic Allegheny County Courthouse, to the marvelous stone work and stained glass on the city’s 19th-century office buildings and churches, to PPG Place, the soaring gothic tower of glass designed by world-renowned architect Philip Johnson, Pittsburgh boasts works of architectural genius at every turn. Outside the city, visitors can enjoy Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpieces Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, located 1.5 hours away in the lush woodlands of the Laurel Highlands.