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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is 250!
When I booked a trip to Pittsburgh to visit a friend in the winter of 2008, I was incredibly excited to finally visit a city that has been on my to-go list of destinations. I wanted to check out the Andy Warhol Museum, spend an afternoon in Point State Park to see the merging of three major rivers (the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela) and visit the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University.
Of course, like any good travel writer and vacationer, I starter researching my journey before I left and I realized that 2008 marked the "Burgh’s" 250th Anniversary. Suddenly a city that already seemed to have a good number of museums and sites was exploding with promotions, festivals and cultural activities to commemorate its birthday.
But, the best thing about Pittsburgh's birthday bash is that the city is giving away presents in the form of completed projects, better museums and grand openings. The changes going on for Pittsburgh's quarter-of-a-millennium anniversary did not just last for one year, but instead, Pittsburgh will be new and improved for years to come. There are grandiose "Signature Projects" that will make the city more refined and beautified, and also smaller projects done internally by various attractions throughout greater Pittsburgh. All of which make a fun and family-friendly city all the more enticing.
Signature Projects
The Allegheny Passage
Bicycle enthusiasts and nature lovers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, DC will be thrilled to know that in February 2009 the final segments of the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage were laid down. Upon completion, the path connects with the C&O Canal Towpath thus creating a 334.5-mile-long pedestrian roadway connecting the nation's capital to Pittsburgh, the Gateway to the West. Now that the "Gap" is closed, locals and travelers alike re able to walk, run, bike and rollerblade their way up and down one of the most accessible trails in the world. According to the Allegheny Trail Alliance, the pathway will lead families through the "backbone" of America, passing through cities and towns of all different sizes and histories.
Point State Park Restoration
Native Pittsburghers think of Point State Park as the "front door" of the city and no one wants a doorway in need of repair. Although currently a beautiful 36-acre state park and National Historic Landmark, Point State Park is in desperate need of a makeover, especially with the population of downtown Pittsburgh exploding, adding on an additional 3,200 people in the last year alone. Thus in celebration of 250 years and in hopes of providing residents and visitors with a green and lively outside get-a-way, the city has begun a $4.5 million transform. It will include: restoring electrical and plumbing conditions, adding new lights and waterfront outlooks, providing a great lawn for lazy afternoon and evening concerts, and even renovating the fountain in the promenade at the narrowest tip of the park. All renovations are expected to be completed by late 2010.
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