Category Archives: Outdoors

Walking in Wilmerding

If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know that I don’t like to leave the city limits (I like sidewalks and being able to get home by bus should you get a flat tire).  But I will make rare exceptions, for interesting non-strip mall activites that happen to fall outside of city limits.  Today I make an exception for Wilmerding.

This Saturday, June 8, Urban Hike heads to Wilmerding.  I participated in the last urban hike in May, and had a delighful afternoon on Neville Island, complete with a stop at Tasty Freeze (if someone knows of a Tasty Freeze with in the city of Pittsburgh, please let me know).

So I would highly recommend a trip to Wilmerding.  Not only do you get to participate in a hike, You can check out the annual George Westinghouse Days festival which happens to be the same day.  The hikes usually take 2 to 2.5 hours with lots of stops for ice cream and interesting things – when is the last time you spent 2 hours on the treadmill at the gym.

Here are the details from Urban Hike (directions are available here):

George Westinghouse did his thing in Wilmerding. George who? Wilmer what? Sorry, you’ll have to come on our hike to find out. We’ll walk in Wilmerding Saturday, June 9th beginning at noon. The hike will take about three hours. Then stick around for a while afterward to partake in the borough’s annual George Westinghouse Days festival (I’m telling you, this guy was important).

Meet us at the war memorial in the parklet surrounded by Herman Avenue, Station Street and Commerce Street. You’ll see it once you get there if you follow our directions.

Park on the street or at the George Westinghouse Museum (325 Commerce Street).

Allow plenty of time to get there! The outbound Parkway East is under construction this weekend in Squirrel Hill, so things are going to be a little crazy. Including these directions, by the way.

I ? PGH: Where do yinz drink ahtside?

DSC00765As Pitt Girl points out, the weather for the next few days is looking particularly good, almost San Diegan, so inquiring minds want to know: what’s your favorite bar in Pittsburgh for drinking al fresco? I’m personally slanted to Harris Grill, but I also like Doc’s for the deck, Palomino for the downtown-ness, and The Grandview Saloon for the view (even though it’s now The Coalhill Steakhouse or whatever). I want to know your favorite(s), so either send the electronic mail to gitaht@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

Git O’Aht! – Things To Do This Weekend

(Things to do while raising a pint in honor of Shane McGowan’s teeth …)

Friday, March 16
Exposure: Pittsburgh Featuring Rob Strovers, 8:30 p.m., Tonic, Dahntahn
stroversThe local flickr people move their shindig dahntahn this month to the friendly confines of Tonic. I went there after the opera last year (that’s right, I gots some o’ that culture) and it’s a great place to go after a show. And before a show. And depending on the show, during the show.

This would actually be one of the times you should go there for a show, as Rob Strovers, gifted and talented photographer displays selections from his vast collection of urban and industrial textures, with the odd black and white thrown in.

In a move that’s dangerously close to journalism, I sent Rob an email asking him actual questions, to find out what was going to be in the show and why he chose to got whatever route he was going…

“The urban and industrial texture thing has grown on me since first stumbling across the remnants of a partially demolished house on the south side slopes,” says Strovers. “There was this vibrant blue door, covered in moss and green slime set against a backdrop of brick, flaking paint and nature trying to reestablish itself. The more I look, the more I see and sometimes it’s an odd contrast, some vibrant splash of color and texture that stands out.”

So go, have a drink or two, check out the images. Then, have another couple drinks and look at them again, see if they’re different. If they are, you’ve had quite enough to drink and should probably take a cab.

Rockabilly Riot Friday!, 10:00 p.m., Howlers Coyote Cafe, Bloomfield
geetar
You got a cowboy hat and/or a pompadour? Use ’em tonight whilst taking in the melodious tones of The Rusty Gun Revival, The Bessemers and The Cocktail Shakers at Howlers. I predict a riot.

Me? I got the hat, the pompadour, eh, not so much. My dome is all “Night on Bald Mountain”-ish these days, a combination of Mother Nature’s cruel tricks and shaving it for a charity thing last year. A friend of mine just bought a Jeep Sahara, the convertible, and I look forward to taking a ride in it and feeling the wind in my scalp and the bugs going splat near where I think.

Quick Hit for Friday:
Green Drinks at the Warhol, mingle with environmentalists. Previously mentioned by Lindsay…

Saturday, March 17

snakes

(Brilliant mood music? You get that from Buck O Nine… Go visit their page.)

Look, I mean, you can sort of stand waving your arms about and hit a good time tonight…. Find some drunks, follow them. (At a discreet distance, of course.) Prepare for bloody knuckles as a very real possibility by the end of the night, but what the hell…

The Parade , 10:00 in the blessed a.m., Dahntahn
JoeNow, you don’t have to be there right at the start, but it’s a good idea, if only to stake out the prime drinking spots. There should be all the usual accoutrements of a good parade including marching bands, veterans, shriners, and fire trucks. All well and good, but you can also pretty much count on some hoons around, so best to avoid them as you don’t want to be dealing with bruises this early. Save that for later.

You should be able to stop into just about any bar and have a giggle and a Guinness, but if it’s still open, I’d suggest the Royal Oak on Wood street and First post-parade.

The Drinking At Night , All Evening, All Over
There are tons of good Irish bars to go a-drinking, and the Non-Irish ones are gonna be rowdy too. Of course, you can hit Claddagh’s or Molly Branigan’s if you’re feeling kinda corporate, Piper’s if you don’t ask for a “Car Bomb” (trust me on that one), Murphy’s Tap Room if you don’t mind riding out to Regent Square, Mullaney’s Harp And Fiddle if you don’t mind being at Absolute St. Patrick’s Day Ground Zero, or Finnegan’s Wake if you don’t mind paying for parking on the North Side.

The PG’s got a great St. Patrick’s Day section of events, so go there and check it for all the green details.

And now for something completely different, A Public Service Announcement:
We here at Git Aht love to drink almost as much as, say, Pitt Girl at a Ravenstahl stump speech, but we love to drink and pass out sleep where we actually do our drinking. (This explains the odd sort of coating on our outerwear that smells of stale beer and South Side. At least, we dearly hope that’s what explains it.) If you the bar owners frown upon you grabbing some rack time on their floor, then I’d say grab a cab. I’m not recommending any of these hacks in particular, I’m just sayin’… Take a cab if you need to.

– Eagle Cab: 412-765-1555
– Checker Cab: 412-381-5600
– Yellow Cab: 412-665-8100
– Peoples Cab: 412-681-3131
Sunday, March 18
Sleep it the hell off. Get up, eat something salty, get some carbs. Drink lots of water. Hate yourself and your drinking companions. Take a nap.

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Because Knowing Where To Go (and drink) Is Half The Battle
(Further Suggested Reading)
knowing_half – Pittsburgh City Paper
– Pittsburgh Post Gazette
– Craigs List
– This Is Happening

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Got an event planned? Would you like a whole flock* of yinzers with disposable income to show up? Let Git Aht know by sending the electronic mail to gitaht@gmail.com.

(* Note: “Flock� being, y’know.. very loosely-defined…)

Botanical Garden Bodaciousness

My usual response to growing things is a greedy, “nice garden, what’s edible?,” but I recently visited Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens new exhibit, which recreates a tropical forest environment in Thailand, and loved it.

For one thing, when the weather is maxing out at below freezing outside, it’s wonderful to walk into a tropical environment, where they have to keep the fans on and you get to take your coat off. Even better, because Phipps has focused on environmentally friendly building (oxide fuel cells, energy blankets, thermal massing and root zone heating for those of you in the know) there’s no need to feel guilty about wandering about in mid-70s weather in the middle of winter.

Best of all — the good folks at Phipps invited Buddhist monks to bless this Thai tropical forest so that it could be spirit-friendly, as well as eco-friendly.

Ellen James of Phipps explained, “Anytime there is new construction in Thailand, spirits who lived in the trees and the land have been distrubed and need to be welcomed back to the structure. The blessing was conducted by Buddhist monks but the ceremony has its roots in animism. There are two spirit houses in the tropical forest where the spirits can now live. In Thailand spirit houses are everywhere in front of small huts to large corporate headquarters. People leave offerings like flowers, rain water, cigarettes, and fanta soda.

Git Aht! – Things To Do This Weekend

(Things to do while detoxing your body of the Tryptophan…)

Friday, November 24
Good Friday Wine Tasting, 5:30 p.m., The Warhol, North Shore Side
warhol_wine_bottle It’s the last Friday of them month and that means wine and cheese at the Warhol. It’s a delightfully tasteful and refined way to start your weekend, although, let’s be honest – our weekend started Wednesday night, and then kinda paused for turkey and a nap yesterday, and will now kick back in. Sample four wines provided by Big Burrito, and mix it up with cheeses, fruits, nuts, and other assorted trappings of a wine tasting. Reservations are ok, but walk-ins are also welcome.

I’m not really big on wine tastings (as the people at a wine and cheese party I went to last night can attest. I was all like “Yo, where’s the American individually-wrapped processed cheesefood slices? Where’s the Velveeta? Where’s that 5 pound block of government cheese they gave us when I was a kid?”), but I do know what I like. I like wine that gets me toasty. That’s good wine. Beyond that, I’m a philistine.

Reel Big Fish, 7:00 p.m.,Mr. Smalls Funhahse, Milvale
lightupnightThe “Third Wave Ska Band” makes a stop at Mr. Smalls for an all ages show tonight. They were recently dropped by their label, which for most bands is a bad thing, but they were hoping for it for a long time, working to get out of it, get back to what they want to do, which involves starting off tunes with a trombone version of the Imperial Death March from Star Wars. They’re known for awesome covers at their live shows, including a fantastic version of A-Ha’s “Take on me” which was featured in the movie “BASEketball”. Like to hear it? Here it is:

Soulcialism, 10:00 p.m., The White Eagle, Sahsside
soulcialismAnother monthly (mostly) event, Soulcialism powers up the turntables and loads them full of the best in sixties and seventies Northern Soul music tonight at the White Eagle. Cheap drinks, great music, and lots of dancing make for a great event. No cover makes it even better. Work off the stuffing with dancing, and see if that cute girl wants to teach you the mashed potato or the bony marony.Saturday, November 25
Celebrate The Season Parade, 9:00 a.m., Dahntahn

bbjones
No, the other one.

Macy’s picks up the Kaufmann’s tradition and throws a party to get you to shop at their store out of the goodness of their hearts and to “Celebrate The Season”. I’m assuming this means the holidays and not deer season, but I’ve ben wrong before, so, y’know. Wear orange just in case.

A bunch of people I’ve never heard of will be there, but so will Jim Kelly, East Brady’s pride and joy, and Mayor Luke too. Don’t forget to drink if he mentions “moving forward“, even if it’s just to get the parade moving, um, forward. Still counts.

Motorpsychos, 8:00 p.m., RPMs, Bridgeville
RPMs dahn Bridgeville is a bit of a haul, but this is probably worth it based on band name alone. Buning Earth and The Cosmosonics are there too. Burning Earth are the headliners, I think, but c’mon. Motorpsychos. So, all right, maybe that’s not your cup of tea, so…

Don Aliquo and Mark Perna, 8:30, Gypsy Cafe, Sahsside
Don plays woodwinds, Mark plays keyboards and together they solve crimes while getting into one zany situation after another! It’s the “Reed And Ivory” show!

Actually, no, I think they’re just going to play jazz in a really cool setting, the Gypsy Cafe, an intimate place down at the corner of Bingham and 14th. But it would be cool if they solved crimes too. Admit it. It would.

Sunday, November 26
Dvorak’s “New World Symphony”, 2:30 p.m., Heinz Hall, Dahntahn
page_bowDvorak’s Symphony No. 9, to be precise, but hey, who am I to quibble with pop culture? This is his most popular work, influenced by his trips to America in the late 1800s, and he based it largely on Native American music and African American spirituals, at least according to wikipedia where I just looked it up. I remember playing this in high school orchestra, I think. I always hoped that one day I’d show up to orchestra practice and the director would hand out the sheet music to “Kashmir” by Zeppelin, but it never happened. Would’ve been way cool though, if a bit repetitive, but then again, what’s Bolero, fer chrissakes?

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Got an event planned? Would you like a whole flock of yinzers with disposable income to show up? Let Git Aht know by sending the electronic mail to gitaht@gmail.com.