Category Archives: IheartPGH in the news

IheartPGH in the New York Times

9 Years Ago in the NYTimes “Turning to T-Shirts to Spiff Up Downtrodden Cities”

Pittsburgh t-shirt

This photo is from Podcamp Pittsburgh in 2006.

One of the many things on my to do list for the blog is to revisit the idea of our very own t-shirt shop. I have long had a little shop with Spreadshirt, but I am not comfortable trying to promote t-shirts that were not actually here in Pittsburgh. I have been pondering the future of the blog, it is about to turn 12 this fall and if it is time to retire or recruit new bloggers or what should happen next (I am open to any and all ideas so them my way)!

While I was in the shower this morning I was thinking about the t-shirt shop, I know that one of the first decisions to make would be what designs to sell. I was debating if the “Pittsburghers are tasty” design would still be popular. I got out of the shower, started my day and forgot all about the t-shirt design debate.

Then I looked at the “on this day archives” and 9 years ago today, July 13, is the day that IheartPGH was featured with our friends from St. Louis, STLStyle, in a New York Times piece on t-shirts and rust belt cities.

IheartPGH in the New York Times

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that t-shirts and sharing Pittsburgh pride would land me a mention in the New York Times.

First, a brief history of relationship between t-shirts and this blog…

  • I graduated from college and moved back to Pittsburgh after having sworn I would never move back home.
  • I had a mostly boring office job (I know know that working for the largest auctioneer of dairy processing equipment, is not really boring – ask me about stainless steel food processing equipment and my visits to Dodge Nebraska, and to bring it full circle to the t-shirts my sister still wears the t-shirt I bought in Dodge, NE).
  • I went to the Warhol Museum on a rainy Sunday afternoon and decided I would teach myself how to screen print.
  • The first t-shirt I printed was an “IheartPGH” T-shirt. I still have the screens, not sure if they are useable, but I’ve kept them in case I ever need to get back into the screenprinting business.
  • I picked up a flyer for Union Printing, what you now know as Commonwealth Press and likely sent an e-mail to Dan Rugh. This was back in the day of MySpace. I think it was even before texting. I was terribly shy and I sent Dan an email. We met for a coffee at the Beehive and talked about sustainable screen printing methods.
  • In 2005 I worked on Bill Peduto’s first campaign, we had no money for t-shirts, so we used donated t-shirts, turned them inside out and printed Peduto for Pittsburgh on them at open studio night at Artist Image Resources.
  • Commonwealth Press, which was located in Dan & Shannon’s house started printing all of the IheartPGH t-shirts.
  • In 2005, again out of boredom, I started a blog. Mostly because my new friend Dave (one of the founders of Libsyn.com and now BossJock App) had volunteered everyday on Bill Peduto’s campaign and told me I needed to have an RSS feed.
  • In the Summer of 2006, I was having lunch at the Union Project Cafe with my friend Pat. I asked him if he thought I could find work as a blogger. His reply “Don’t quit your day job.” In 2006, I was a regular at the Union Project Cafe which was run by the amazing Kate Romane. Kate went on to run e2, which was even more amazing and is now the proprietor of Black Radish Catering.
  • 2006, a reader of the blog left a comment about how this company Spreadshirt was hiring for a Wizard of Web 2.0. I quit my day job and started my social media career as a Wizard of Web 2.0.

What is even more amazing to me is how much has changed over the past 9 years. Pittsburgh has gone from being an occasional mention in a story about rust belt cities to being #1 on more lists about cities than I can even keep track of.

If you are new to Pittsburgh, or even nostalgic about Pittsburgh, take a moment to read the 2009 New York Times article – Turning to T-Shirts to Spiff Up Downtrodden CitiesIt is an interesting comparison to how much has changed in the way we talk about cities (also some interesting changes in the businesses that existed and still exist today). No one would use the word “downtrodden” to describe Pittsburgh today.

STLStyle is still printing out St. Louis gear, if you find your self in St. Louis stop by and say hi to Jeff and Randy, I can assure you there are some Pittsburgh stickers on the wall at their shop. Commonwealth Press is still printing t-shirts and has recently moved to a much bigger location in the Allentown Neighborhood. The Mayor of Pittsburgh is now featured in the New York Times on a regular basis.

What is most striking to me, is the change in the language we use to describe Pittsburgh. No one would use the word “downtrodden” to describe Pittsburgh in 2017. Are there any cities that are currently described as “downtrodden”? The recent presidential election highlighted the distinct shift between the urban and non-urban areas of the country. I am curious how the way we talk about a place, impacts that place. This blog was started as a way to create a different narrative of Pittsburgh in 2006, to share the stories of the people and places that were here and thriving, even if those outside saw it otherwise.

While I never thought I would move back to Pittsburgh, I also never thought of Pittsburgh as a place I couldn’t come back to. I almost always ask people who didn’t grow up in Pittsburgh if they would ever move back home. The answer is almost always no. I think that Pittsburgh has benefited from people coming and going, leaving for a bit before they boomerang back with some new ideas about other places do things. Was Pittsburgh every really downtrodden or is that just how non-Pittsburghers saw it from the outside?

I would love to hear your thoughts on how Pittsburgh has changed over the past 9 years. I would also like to know what your favorite Pittsburgh t-shirt is and if you would buy a “Pittsburghers Are Tasty” t-shirt.

For the Love of Travel Guidebooks – Offline Guides to Pittsburgh and Beyond

Obviously we love blogs, and we like Pittsburgh, and we believe blogs can be a pretty good way to learn about a city.  But in this post we take a look at a non digital form of local information – the travel guide book.   Travel books are like blogs, but probably better because someone has taken the time to pick out the best bits of information and compile them into a handy little book that can be used in corners of the earth (or corners of Pittsburgh) that have no cell phone or internet reception (and yes there are still parts of this city that are off the cell phone grid).  We particularly like ones that have a lot of local information from local people.  First up a guidebook to Pittsburgh and then a look a some of our favorite guidebooks to other cities.

If you are a Pittsburgher and currently live here – this might not be so exciting for you.  But if you are new to town, or coming here for a visit – this is hopefully good news.  The 2nd Edition of Moon Pittsburgh, a travel guidebook has just been published.   And we are honored to report that IheartPGH is included in this book as a local blog.  The author of Moon Pittsburgh is Dan Eldridge, who does not currently live in Pittsburgh.  He did live here and was a writer for the Pittsburgh City Paper.  The first edition of Moon Pittsburgh was nominated for a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award.

Moon Pittsburgh, 2nd Ed. Powell’s Link | Amazon Link

Good guidebooks can be hard to find here are two that I have found helpful.  Thanks to the Access Las Vegas guidebook I have been to the first pawn shop in Las Vegas.  The Access Las Vegas book also led me to one of the most amazing off the strip dining establishments Carluccio’s Tivoli Gardens at the Liberache Museum.  This place was frozen in time and also held Liberace‘s mirrored piano in the bar area.

For starters, the restaurant was designed and built by Liberace. That fact alone should put the place on the “Vegas locations that need to be preserved” list.

“Liberace bought the shopping complex in the late 1970s,” Hosier said. “First he put the museum in, then in 1983 the restaurant.”

Back then, it was called “Liberace’s Tivoli Gardens, he liked the word Tivoli because backwards it spells,” I-lov-iT”

I know the Liberache museum closed last year (more on the closing from NYTimes here) and it looks like Carluccios has closed this location but reopened in another location.  This is especially sad for Pittsburghers because both the Liberache Museum and Carluccios were located just down the street from Noreen’s Lounge.  Noreen’s is a Steelers bar with an authentic Pittsburgh feel and connection.  I think owner is the niece of the late Pittsburgh mayor Bob O’Connor. I have been to Noreen’s – this place is Pittsburgh – not just because it is painted black and gold but it was just like walking into a bar in Pittsburgh.

And another amazing travel book to check out if you find yourself in Hawaii is Hawaii The Big Island Revealed by Andrew Doughty (Powell’s Link | Amazon Link
).  I read this entire book cover to cover.  Not only was it very well researched but it was incredibly interesting with lots of history and we would have never found What’s Shakin’ and the best smoothie ever .  A good friend of IheartPGH has lived Hawaii for years and this book had plenty of places she had not explored yet as well.

What's Shakin'

What's Shakin' on Urbanspoon

Are there any guidebooks that made your trip a success? Any that should be avoided?

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3 Neighborhoods and 3 Blogs – IheartPGH talks Pittsburgh Neighborhoods with AOL's Rented Spaces Blog

rentedspacesLast week we had the opportunity to suggest some Pittsburgh neighborhoods and blogs for a post on AOL’s Rented Spaces about top housing markets in Pittsburgh and Louisville.

AOL’s Rented Spaces – “Insiders’ Tips on Top Housing Markets” – March 5, 2010 by Katie McCaskey Continue reading

IheartPGH in the News – Trib PM – Pitt Girl's Back!

IheartPGH was quoted in the Trib PM about PittGirls return to the Pittsburgh scene. We were just one of many local bloggers who are happy to read more from JanePitt.

Pitt Girl’s Back – but just to go Bowl-ing, January 28, 2009

Reports of her demise have been greatly exaggerated.

PittGirl, the anonymous author of the popular Burgh Blog, fully returned to the fray of blogging this week, posting guest entries about the Pittsburgh Steelers on the Web site HaveAGoodSandwich.org.

But, she stressed, the one-week guest-blogging gig is no return from the dead. Since PittGirl ended The Burgh Blog two months ago over concerns about her anonymity, she said she has written for OMGPittsburgh.com and posted comments on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.

“I’m enjoying my little ‘guest-blogger’ stint and have other sites offering me to guest-blog for them,” said PittGirl, aka Jane Pitt, in an e-mail exchange with the Tribune-Review. “This way, I get an occasional outlet that doesn’t endanger my job, and it allows me to bring traffic to other worthy ‘Burgh sites that might not have the audience they deserve.”

Her return was greeted warmly.

“I think it’s great,” said Lindsay Patross, 29, the blogger behind IheartPGH.com. “I’m happy to have her back, to see what she has to say about the Steelers going to the Super Bowl.”

“I never thought she’d come back. I’m so surprised,” said Matt Hogue, 24, of Elliott, the author of Pittsburgh Hoagie. “I guess she just couldn’t stay away. She must have been missing the attention. But we welcome her back if she wants to come back.”

MacYapper blogger John McIntire joked that PittGirl’s continued appearances after a pseudo-retirement leaves her among interesting company.

“It’s like Sinatra or The Who — if you say you’re leaving, get off the stage,” said McIntire, 51, of the North Side. “I’m just jealous because she’s the blessed blogger. … She’s like the Myron Cope of bloggers. Everybody loves her.”

And what are PittGirl’s thoughts on Sunday’s big game?

“Prediction: Steelers will win, not due to Benny (Roethlisberger)’s stellar play or (Hines) Ward hauling in pass after pass, but more due to some amazing turnover/gadget play. Something unexpected,” she wrote. “Final score 20-13.”

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