The Pitts - Fun Facts

WOW! I can't believe it has already been eight months since I moved to The Pitts. It has been an incredible journey so far, and I am looking forward to starting the next chapter here in the next week. Where has the time gone??

While I have devoted this blog to blurbs and anecdotes about my personal growth while living in Pittsburgh, every once in awhile I really have to "Pitts-it-up" (spice it up, but Pittsburgh style). I mean, if I didn't write about Pittsburgh and my blog was titled "The Pitts", I'm pretty sure the entire city would show up outside of my apartment building wielding torches and pitchforks, calling me out for a brawl in Market Square.

If you couldn't tell before - I can be a wee bit dramatic, but only when humor can be found in my ranting (for the most part).

So I'm dedicating today to the lovely city of Pittsburgh. As with any city, you can spend hours pouring over travel guides, websites and tips from friends to get a sense for the area, but until you go out and experience for yourself, you're just accepting someone else's interpretation as fact. Lame. Super lame. 

Here are seven of my fun facts about The Pitts that i have discovered thus far...

1. "Stillers"are, in fact, not individuals who work in a distillery, or who stand still all day. It's a Pittsburgher's way of staying "Steelers". Same goes for "buggy". No, not the cute little English baby carriage that came to my mind, rather another word for "grocery cart". Madness.

2. I heart Charlie Batch. There is something so noble about accepting your role as a back-up, and then truly reveling in your opportunity to step into the spotlight. I also loved his man-tears when he defeated the Ravens.

3. Robinson Town Centre has everything. End of story.

4. Traffic in Pittsburgh fluctuates dramatically in ten-minute windows. If I leave ten minutes early for work, the roads are empty and I cruise on through. If I leave ten minutes late, my commute is extended by about 30 minutes on average. In this instance, procrastination does not pay.

5. Pittsburgh is about five hours from several key destinations for me - Five hours from PG (for now), five hours from the newly-transported LS, five hours from my grandma's. Not too shabby.

6. Pittsburgh. Loves. Beer. It seems like every new restaurant I try out has an extensive list of craft beers that I can barely pronounce, let alone know what they are.

and #7 (which is more of a plea than a fun fact)...

7. The Ft. Pitt Tunnel desperately needs to be expanded to three lanes in either direction. I know it is virtually impossible, but please drive through it and tell me you feel differently.

So there you have it - a small sampling of the things I have learned about the great city of Pittsburgh since my arrival a whopping 8 months ago. I'm still adjusting, but I am appreciating my new surroundings more and more every day. 

Share a fun fact about where you live!

SJ