Lindsay has been writing about Pittsburgh since 2005. She likes pretzels from the Pretzel Shop on Carson St., used book stores, her rollerblades and she hopes to learn to skateboard someday soon.
The Pretzel Hug Pillow is the huggable pillow form of my feelings for The Pretzel Shop, which is quite possibly one of my most favorite places in Pittsburgh for snacks. Since snacks are quite possibly my most favorite meal, that makes the Pretzel Shop my favorite food establishment in the City of Pittsburgh. The Pretzel Shop opened in 1927 and has been serving soft pretzels ever since.
Even better, this pillow is made right here in Pittsburgh by the artist duo Otto Finn. The pillow case is $45 or you can get the case with the pillow insert for $60.
Some consider this a formal affair. 2014 Dirty Dozen.
Update 10/24/19: The 2019 Dirty Dozen will be held on October 26, 2019. Read more about the race and where to watch here.
Just a quick reminder that the annual Dirty Dozen bike race is Saturday, November 28, 2015. Cyclists pedal around the city and tackle 13 of the steepest hills. It is an exciting race to watch.
If you go, please be very careful and stay out of the way of cyclists and support vehicles. It is best to go to a hill way ahead of the pack, park out of the way and wait. I wouldn’t plan on trying to drive to all of the hills. Pick one to start and then skip the next few and head to another hill.
Thanksgiving Day Greetings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Three years ago, on Thanksgiving eve, I was asked via a Facebook post from a friend to volunteer to serve food at a free Thanksgiving dinner. I had no idea when I walked into the kitchen, that I was walking into much more than a dinner.
One of the many things I have learned from writing this blog, is the importance of meeting and talking with your fellow neighbors. While I am thankful that this blog, (the Facebook page, Twitter & Instagram accounts, and many local MeetUp groups) have made it possible to share more Pittsburgh stories, I am most proud of the ways that IheartPGH has used all things social media to bring Pittsburghers together in person. The annual Albright Community Thanksgiving Dinner has become one of my favorite ways to bring Pittsburghers together. Here is the post I wrote after last years Thanksgiving Eve dinner:
There are so many amazing people in this city that are Pittsburghers. Sometimes I am lucky enough to get to spend some a few moments with those people. Tonight, I helped a friend clean up from the community dinner that has been organized at the Albright United Methodist Church since the 1970s. The volunteers were led by a man that is 75 and has worked at Ritters for over 40 years. Earlier this year, he left Ritters and now works at Dennys. Today he cooked 9 turkeys and all of the fixings. Tomorrow he will feed 35 people at his house, then go to work at Dennys at 5pm. I have helped with the clean up for this dinner for the past 4 years and never had the chance to hear this story. I’ll gladly wash the pots and pans, and mop the floor any night of the week if I get to spend time with Pittsburghers like this.
On top of that, another kind Pittsburgher saw my post on Reddit about volunteering a the dinner and showed up to volunteer with out having heard of me or my blog. He had taken a quiz on Facebook and learned that today was his 10,000th day alive. To celebrate that, he spent the evening helping a few strangers.
That is just a little slice of Pittsburgh for you.
The Albright Community Thanksgiving-Eve dinner is more than making sure everyone has some turkey and stuffing to eat on Thanksgiving day (many folks take home an extra meal in a to-go box), but it is an opportunity for people, neighbors, from all over this city come and sit at the table together for food and conversation.
If you have been following IheartPGH over the past few months, you know there have been many posts about the future of the Albright Church Building, while I care very much about that conversation, I think it is most important that the focus of the next week be on making sure that everyone in Bloomfield, Shadyside or any other corner of this county has a warm Thanksgiving meal and some neighbors to talk with at dinner.
Help Make the 41st Annual Albright Community Thanksgiving Dinner a Success!
1. Plan to attend the Thanksgiving Eve Dinner! This is a free meal and all are welcome to attend if you need food, fellowship or just an excuse to meet your neighbors please plan to attend the meal. You can RSVP on Facebook Event here.
Albright Thanksgiving Eve Dinner
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
5:30-8pm
First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall
5401 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 – Next to the Wendy’s
2. Spread the word! Please invite your friends, neighbors, community groups and anyone else in Pittsburgh who needs some food & fellowship to attend
4. Donate! You can support the Albright Community Thanksgiving Eve Dinner by making a financial contribution to Friends of Albright. Friends of Albright’s fiscal sponsor is New Sun Rising and all donations are made to the group through New Sun Rising here.
History of the Albright Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Forty years ago, one of the boy scouts who attended Albright planned a free Thanksgiving meal for his Eagle Scout Project. Ever since, the congregation of Albright United Methodist Church has continued to serve a free Thanksgiving meal. Starting in 2014, Albright began holding the annual Thanksgiving dinner in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist Church, which is located just around the corner from Albright.
Here is a 2012 article from the Trib about the Albright Thanksgiving Dinner:
Do you love old buildings? Want to learn more about historic preservation in Pittsburgh? This Monday, November 16, The City of Pittsburgh, Department of City Planning is hosting a one day conference on historic planning at Point Park University.
Preserving the Past by Planning for the Future
When: Monday, November 16, 2015
Where: Point Park University | Lawrence Hall | 212 Wood Street, 3rd Floor Ballroom
Cost: The conference is free to attend, but you MUST RSVP by emailing sarah.quinn@pittsburghpa.gov
Agenda:
8:00 – 8:30 Event Registration
8:30 – 8:45 Welcome
8:45–9:00 Point Park University & Historic Preservation
9:00–10:00 Historic Preservation: Part of the DNA of Pittsburgh // DonovanRypkema,PlaceEconomics
A presentation on historic preservation’s impacts on the economy of Pittsburgh which will include information on historic preservation tax credits, real estate values, job creation, and housing affordability. There will also be information presented on quality of life indicators.
10:00–10:30 Break
10:30–11:15 Finding-out What We Have, Architectural Inventories and Neighborhood Preservation // Angelique Bamberg, Clio Consulting; Sarah Quinn, City of Pittsburgh
This presentation will focus on defining an architectural inventory and understanding its importance. Results of two recent surveys supported by the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission will be presented.
11:15–12:00 National Register Nominations, Discussion & Overview of Recent Projects // Bill Callahan, the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission
This session will provide a synopsis of National Register nominations as well as upcoming projects. Topic will include what a National Register Listing is and what it is not, as well as the public process included in the nomination process.
12:00–1:00 Lunch (Off-Site)
1:00–2:00 Pittsburgh Conservation District Study, Would Conservation Districts be Useful in Pittsburgh? // Nore Winter, Winter & Co.
This talk will include what conservation district and how they are different than what we have now. Additionally, there will be a discussion of developing a community driven process and how managing a conservation district program can be implemented.
2:00 – 2:45 City of Pittsburgh Historic Preservation Guidelines // Nore Winter, Winter & Co.
This session will provide information on the historic preservation guidelines that were developed for this document. Mr. Winter will also discuss the intended audience for the guidelines and what each of the City-designated historic districts can do to move forward with updating their guidelines.
2:45 – 3:30 Historic Preservation Topic Panel // Selected Members of Pittsburgh’s Historic Preservation Community
More Pittsburgh historic preservation resources:
Follow the Department of City Planning on Twitter @PlanPGH
A quick post of a call for volunteers to help build a Kaboom playground in Brighton Heights this Saturday. Join the Brighton Heights Citizens Federation to build a playground on the campus of the Pittsburgh Morrow Middle School.
They need at least 200 volunteers to make this a success! Donate a few hours of your Saturday to help make this playground happen.
When: Saturday, November 7, 8am-3pm
Where: Brighton Heights Community Playground at Morrow Elementary School, 3530 Fleming Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
What’s Provided: Breakfast, lunch and plenty of water will be provided. Gloves and other safety materials will be provided for the projects that need them.
What to Wear: The playground build will happen rain or shine. Please come dressed for the weather in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty or a bit of paint/stain on. Closed-toe shoes are required; sneakers or work boots that you don’t mind getting dirty are advisable.
The Pretzel Hug Pillow is the huggable pillow form of my feelings for The Pretzel Shop, which is quite possibly one of my most favorite places in Pittsburgh for snacks. Since snacks are quite possibly my most favorite meal, that makes the Pretzel Shop my favorite food establishment in the City of Pittsburgh. The Pretzel Shop opened in 1927 and has been serving soft pretzels ever since.
Do you love old buildings? Want to learn more about historic preservation in Pittsburgh? This Monday, November 16, The City of Pittsburgh, Department of City Planning is hosting a one day conference on historic planning at Point Park University.
