Tag Archives: Schenley Plaza

Meds, Eds, Startups – A Few Reasons to Celebrate Oakland on April 12

This Friday, April 12, 2013 – you are invited to celebrate the neighborhood of Oakland.  The Oakland Task Force  has organized Oakland Forever.  Okland Forever is a mega event at Schenley Plaza and includes the food tour A Taste of Oakland.  More details on the event are belwo.

While I know many of you are thinking I’ve lost my mind – Oakland is a crowded place where you sit in traffic and try to avoid hitting the many college students and doctors who are criss-crossing Forbes and Fifth Ave 24 hours a day.  Well, sometimes that is the case, but I think we need to look past the traffic and dig a little deeper into what Oakland means to Pittsburgh and the revitalization of this city.

Oakland, Meds, Eds and Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has emerged from the decline of industrial economy fairly well compared to most of the other rust belt cities.  Much of Pittsburgh’s success has been attributed to Meds and Eds – and Oakland is the heart of both medicine and education here in Pittsburgh.  While I know there are many strong feelings about UPMC’s relationship with the city, which has been good and bad, for the purpose of this post, lets just focus on the impact that medicine in general has had on Oakland and Pittsburgh.

Here are a few articles about Eds, Meds and Pittsburgh

What’s Next for Pittsburgh – Startups

I’d like to make the argument that the next renaissance for Pittsburgh is going to come from the startup community.  Over the past 12-18 months there has been an incredible wave of activity in the Pittsburgh entrepreneurship scene.  This past weekend – hundreds of people attended the 3rd Startup Weekend Pittsburgh – where teams worked to build a company in just 48 hours.  One of the interesting things to note about Startup Weekend is that it is one of handful of events that is successful in getting students out of oakland and collaborating with other Pittsburghers who aren’t necessarily students.

With Oakland home to both Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, the neighborhood is really best positioned to be the birthplace of the future businesses that drive Pittsburgh’s economy.

Real Estate in Oakland is at a premium and mostly occupied by universities.  Much of Pittsburgh’s startup activity has been pushed to neighborhoods, like the Southside and East Liberty, which are close but  that aren’t as convient  for students to get to and from Oakland.  (Keep an eye on StartUptown – which is an impressive co-working space that is slightly more convient to the Oakland Schools.  With Uptown being right in the middle of Pitt, CMU and Duquesne – hopefully this will continue to grow as a startup friendly neighborhood).

There has been some efforts to do more to connect current students to the entrepreneurship community – much credit goes to Spencer Whitman who attended college in Pittsburgh and is now starting a company here.  Spencer has been organizing Entreburgh a monthly lunch at The Porch to make it easier and convient for students to interact with others in Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurship community.  You can learn more about Entreburgh here on Facebook and sign up to attend one of their monthly lunches.

The more mixing (and collaborating) between the university community in Oakland and the rest of Pittsburgh – the better off both communities will be.

Thinking of Oakland as More than Just Students

If you haven’t spent much time in Oakland, you are missing out.  I would argue it is one of the best places for lunch on any given weekday.  There is something about college nieghborhoods that creates a place where delicious food is abundant and affordable.  Vera Cruz, a little mexican place on Forbes, is still on of my favorite go to spots for a burrito. More Vera Cruz details available on Veracruz on Urbanspoon

Not only is Oakland home to major universities  but it is also a livable neighborhood with affordable housing within walking distance of parks, libraries, and museums.

A great introduction to the neighborhood is Oakland Forever this friday at Schenley Plaza.

Oakland Forever Details

This Weekend in Pittsburgh: Holiday Lights, Beardfest, Sloth Day and 2 New Restaurants

Here is our weekly round up of events we share on WDVE – Friday Mornings at 6:45 am.

Light Up Night 2007

Light Up Night 2007 Image by michaelrighi via Flickr

Light Up Night(s) 2011

  • Bridge Party
    • Friday on the Roberto Clemente Bridge
    • Johnny Angel and The Halos, No Bad Juju, Fireworks Celebration
  • Rink at PPG Opens
  • 2nd Annual Horse-Drawn Carriage Prade
    • Saturday @ 6pm
    • 100 Carriages
  • Charity Event with Moscow Mule
  • Friday, November 18, 2011 8pm
  • Future Tenant Gallery
  • “A celebration of the art of facial hair” to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer in honor of Moovember

  • Saturday, November 19, 2011 is International Sloth Day
  • Pittsburgh Aviary
  • Sloth activities for the whole family
  • Saturday, November 19  from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm @ Animal Friends
  • Bring your pet to Animal Friends for photos with Santa and receive three – 4” X 6” prints for just $10 that will be mailed to your home. Advance registration is not required.
  • Cats and bunnies must be in carriers and dogs on a leash. People- and pet-friendly animals only (Sorry – looks like you can’t bring your sloth for a photo with Santa).
  • sad that you missed last week’s polish fest – have no fear!
  • Saturday, November 19, 2011 – join Venture Outdoors for a 4 mile  hike
  • followed by a polish feast at Harrison Hills park
  • Saturday, November 19, 2011
  • 5-8pm @ Bakery Square
  • Local chef’s will teach you how to prepare your holiday favorites
  • Purchase tickets online for $10 here ($12 at the door – cash only)
  • Saturday, November 19, 2011
  • 5:30-8:30pm @ Saddle Ridge in Station Square
  • Sponsored by Pittsburgh Rugby Club
  • The Rugby Club will be collecting non perishable food items for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank
New Restaurants that Opened this Week!
  • Verde on Penn Ave
  • The Porch on Forbes Ave in Schenley Plaza – right in the heart of Oakland

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From Earth Day to Easter Eggs – A Weekend of Spring Festivals

A collection of traditional pysanky from Volyn...

Image via Wikipedia

It is shaping up to be a super spring weekend in Pittsburgh.  We know that Friday is a hockey night in this town – but here are some things to keep you busy until game #3.  You can listen to IheartPGH chat live with Jim and Randy on WDVE 102.5 FM most Friday mornings at 6:45 am.

The Tech Fair

  • CMU now calls this Spring Carnival – but I have always refered to this as the tech fair
  • April 14-16 @ Carnegie Mellon University
  • Amazing carnival games, student buggy races and live music
  • Check out the live webcams of the event here – http://webcam.springcarnival.org/

Pittsburgh Comicon

  • calling all comic book lovers – this is the convention for you
  • Friday-Sunday @ the Monroeville Convention Center

Handmade Arcade

  • The biggest baddest craft show in town has a new location at the Convention Center downtown
  • Saturday, April 16 11am-7pm
  • Handmade Arcade attracts vendors from all over the country

photo from Pgh Parks

  • Activities and workshops for the whole family
  • Saturday, April 16, 2011 11:30-4pm @ Frick Park environmental center on Beechwood Blvd
  • Also – check out the Panther Hollow Clean Up – hundreds of volunteers will meet at Schenley Plaza on Saturday to tackle panther hollow.  Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

45th Annual Pysanky and Traditional Food Bazaar

  • St. Peter & St. Paul Ukranian Othrodox Church in Carnegie
  • Over 1,000 Pysanky (Ukraininan Easter Eggs) for sale!
  • Traditional foods – YES that includes pyrohi!
  • Sunday, April 17, 2011 11am-4pm

Steelcity Showdown – criterium bicycle race through the city of Pittsburgh

  • Sunday, April 27, 2011 8am-2pm
  • Cyclists compete on a closed .8 mile loop from downtown to PNC park
  • For non-cyclists – there is a tailgate!
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Sept. 17 – Happy Park(ing) Day Pittsburgh!

Parking Day picture from Sq.  Hill
Image by IheartPGH via Flickr

I have been stuck at home all week – fighting off what I hope will be the first and only cold of the fall season.  I have been catching up on bad tv and blog reading and one of the events that has been receiving much attention in the blogosphere and beyond – it was actually a friend who I saw on the bus last week that first reminded me about Park(ing) Day.

Park(ing) Day is an annual event that is celebrate here in Pittsburgh and other cities around the globe (New York, London, Brisbane, Los Angeles) – where parking spaces are turned into mini parks for the day. Park(ing) day is a chance to see some creative ideas around parks and to think about how we use our public spaces.

Just a few years ago – Oakland had a large, what I thought at the time was – lovely and convenient parking lot right next to the library, museum and the Cathedral of Learning.  But the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy had bigger ideas and the big parking lot has been replaced with Schenley Plaza – which is much more lovely than a parking lot.  It is great to see the plaza and the tent filled with people enjoying the space on sunny afternoons.  Schenley Plaza is just one example of how we can start to re-imagine our public spaces.  Continue reading

History, Mystery, Horses Trading, Festivals and Free Ice Cream – Radio Round Up – July 16, 2010

Second Court House, (courthouse) Grant's Hill,...
Image via Wikipedia

Here is the list of things we talked abbout on WDVE this morning. You can hear our weekend picks most Friday mornings at 6:45 on 102.5FM

Public Record- new arts collaboration based on  Pittsburgh crime reports from the 19th Century

  • new living art project based on crime reports from 19th Century Pittsburgh
  • Listen to local artists retell the stories on the spot where they occurred by cell phone or iphone app
  • Launches at the Gallery Crawl on Fri. July 16 @ 937 Liberty Ave Gallery

Whiskey Rebellion Weekend

  • Woodville Plantation, Bridgeville PA – you can revisit Western PA as it was in the late 1700s
  • Sat. July 17, 3pm – 1.5 mile walk from Bower Hill to Whiskey Point
  • Sun. July 18, Noon-5 – Whiskey Rebellion Day

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