Last Trip of the Year- Hello Pittsburgh

I don't really know how to describe Pittsburgh except that it's a mish-mash of sorts. My friends were telling me that you can drive from one end to the other end of the city, and pass through alternating wealthier and ghetto neighborhoods. Unlike Columbus where one section of the city is a definite "do not go there," Pittsburgh weaves the good and bad together. But I guess that's what makes this city so unique. I visited the city over Christmas break to visit my best friend and her husband, and it was a really fun trip. Here are a few of the highlights:

The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh- not only is it GORGEOUS, it literally is a cathedral that has rooms and auditoriums for classes. Anyone who goes to Pittsburgh should definitely check this place out.

L-R: The Cathedral, inside view from the 2nd/3rd floor, view from 36th floor

This gothic-style building was built in the 1920s and is the second tallest university building in the world (42 stories).What is even more unique is that the 1st and 3rd floors have classrooms decorated according to various themes, e.g. Hungarian room, African heritage room, Armenian room, etc. You can purchase tickets to take a tour, but be warned that tickets sell out fast (I arrived for the 1:30pm tour, only to find out that tickets for the rest of the day were already sold out. Maybe it's the holidays?). No worries if you don't make it on the tour though- you can still visit the main hall and classrooms on the 3rd floor, and take the elevators to the top of the building for a breathtaking view of the city. 

*I think the tour takes you into the classrooms on the 1st floor, and gives better explanations for the decorative motifs in the rooms.

Heinz Memorial Chapel - right next to the Cathedral of Learning. Why does OSU not have similar gorgeous buildings on campus :(

I so wanted to go inside, but sadly it was closed for the holidays. Super bummed, because if the exterior is anything to go by, the interior would have been magnificent! 

Primanti Bros.: When in Rome, eat like the Romans do-- and Primanti Bros. is one such establishment in Pittsburgh.The eatery is famous for its sandwiches that come with meat, cheese, fries and coleslaw squeezed between sliced soft bread. I tried the pastrami "burger" with provolone cheese and all offered toppings, and it was an experience. Doesn't look like much but it was one gigantic monster that I stuffed into my mouth (as seen from the picture). The sandwich was delicious, but I still prefer my fries on the side, and I haven't made up my mind if I like coleslaw in my sandwich or not.

Mt. Washington: What a treat! Mt. Washington is actually a neighborhood on a hill across a river, but there is a lookout that provides a gorgeous view over the rest of the city. We were fortunate to witness the sunset, and I wish my phone was better able to capture its beauty.

Snapshots of the Mt. Washington neighborhood

Carnegie Mellon University

My best friend's husband is attending Carnegie Mellon, and I was thus fortunate to be taken on a tour of the campus and visit his office. The campus was smaller than I expected, but beautiful. Plus, it's Carnegie Mellon so expect some really cool engineering things, such as the tiny 3D printer constructed by a graduate student. Moreover, the recycle bins around campus are solar powered. That's right, solar powered, to press the recycling waste down. Kinda cool.

Others sights around the campus included the "Walking to the Sky" sculpture, the gorgeous architecture building (both on left), and the napping machine created by an alumni. We also visited the rare manuscript collection in the library where we got to see an exhibition of the many editions of "Twas' the Night Before Christmas" (including an edition printed on linen!), and a page of the Gutenberg Bible.

THE FOOD: Oh my word, the food in Pittsburgh was awesome, mostly because my friends can cook. Seriously. They made Hainanese Chicken Rice from scratch!!! Ah ah ah ah ah! I think that's what I miss most about Pittsburgh (other than my friends, of course...).
We also ate delicious food whenever we went out to each, such as at Primanti Bros., a Chinese restaurant Everyday Noodles, and a makeshift Mexican food stall, Las Palmas. We had pork belly buns, hand-made broad noodles and meaty wantons from Everyday Noodles that tasted authentic and brought me back to my mission in Taiwan *tear falling on cheek.* Las Palmas... oh my word, so cheap and SO GOOD, if you don't mind eating in your car since the tacos are sold in front of a Mexican grocery store with no sitting area.

If there's one thing I don't miss, it's the awful parking situation. You either have to pay for it, or there's just nowhere to park. My friends' apartment complex refused to provide visitor parking, so I had to park a street over in a non-permit road in front of some homes. Even then, one home-owner came out a few days later and told me to move my car, even when I told him I was leaving in 2 days. "You've parked there for what, a week? [Uh, no, only 4 days so far] Go bother someone else. Give us a break. " *Grrr* Glad he's not my neighbor. One thing to be grateful for in Columbus- parking isn't too bad, and cheaper meter parking too.

Still, despite the terrible parking situation, Pittsburgh is awesome. Wouldn't mind going back again, especially for the food! Thanks to my bestie and her husband for letting me crush their Christmas celebration :)