Summer Road Trip: Philly to Pittsburgh

This year seems to be the summer for (responsible) road trips. I know a few people have started flying again but we're still too nervous to spend time on a plane with all of the new COVID-19 cases popping up around the country. We have a tentative road trip planned later this summer to New England but last summer, when the world looked quite different, we took a road trip to Cleveland, Ohio for our friends wedding. We've never been to Pittsburgh before and since it's on the way to Cleveland we decided to stop there for two nights to check out the city and ended up having a great time!

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

Piccolo Forno | We loved this little Tuscan Italian restaurant located in the adorable neighborhood of Lawrenceville. I went with the tagliatelle con ragu di agnello, braised lamb with olives on spinach tagliatelle topped with orange zest and grated caciocavallo and it was easily my favorite meal during the entire weekend. 

The Church Brew Works | A church that has been converted into a brewery, this was definitely a fun stop for a night cap before heading back to our airbnb for the night. The church was built in 1902 and was used as so until 1993. The brewpub opened three years later, in 1996. 

The Summit | This trendy cocktail bar is located in Mt. Washington. The menu is really interesting, from bruleed brie to avocado deviled eggs to dumpling spring rolls - everything sounded delicious.

 

SATISFY YOUR SWEET TOOTH AT...

Grandview Bakery | I went in with the intent of getting one of their infamous lemon bars but they were sadly sold out for the day. I ended up getting a few salted caramel chocolate chip cookies for the weekend and we really enjoyed them! 

Difiore's Ice Cream Delight  | A quaint ice cream shop located in Mt. Washington. We stopped here after dinner during our first night in Pittsburgh for soft serve. 

MUSEUMS AND ART

Mattress Factory Museum | This museum is a quirky contemporary art museum and what they describe as an, "experimental lab" which features installations by artists in residency. Once you arrive you'll be given a map, the museum itself is held in 3 different buildings. 

Randyland | Folk artist Randy Gilson's landmark building is definitely worth checking out. You definitely won't miss this brightly painted building with its colorful murals when you're looking for it. 

The Andy Warhol Museum | This was admittedly one of the things I was looking forward to the most during our trip and it didn't disappoint! Each floor was dedicated to a different decade of Warhol's work so it was interesting to see how his art changed over time. There were also one or two floors dedicated to work by similar artists as well. 

THE PERFECT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR SHOPPING 

Lawrenceville | This neighborhood is lined with so many fun shops. There were stylish boutiques, thrift stores, record shops, stationary stores and so much more. This definitely seemed like a trendier, younger neighborhood and it was one of our favorites! 

GRAB COFFEE AT...

Espresso a Mano | This brick-walled cozy cafe was a favorite during our weekend in Pittsburgh. It was the perfect spot to get my iced oat milk latte fix. Plus, this cozy cafe had wall lining the walls which is always appreciated in coffee shops. 

Arriviste Coffee Bar | We stopped here as we were leaving Pittsburg and I'm so happy we did! They had so many unique coffee brews. I went with the espresso that had notes of stewed stone fruits and red wine for my oat milk latte. SO good. 

SIGHTSEEING AND MORE

Duquesne Incline | The Duquesne Incline originally opened in 1877 and was then restored in 1963 and is still used today! This century-old wooden cable car is worth the view. It's only a few dollars to ride and it gives you an incredible view of the city skyline as you go up.

Walking Around Mt. Washington | After riding the Duquesne Incline we walked to Mt. Washington for dinner and dessert and was shocked by how great the view of the city is from this neighborhood! There are definitely a lot of steep hills so be prepared for a bit of a workout haha. 

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens | One of my favorite stops during our trip! The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are massive and it's definitely worth the $20 ticket to get in. There are different rooms that you walk through from a dessert room with plenty of cacti to a live butterfly room.  

Pittsburgh was such an interesting city. I didn't expect that we would have to drive as much as we did since Philly is such a walkable city but the neighborhoods are definitely much more spread out in Pittsburgh! Each neighborhood really had its own personality though and I loved getting to explore a few of them while we were there. I think Lawrenceville and Oakland were my favorites! Pittsburgh is also close to Fallingwater and Ohiopyle State Park which is definitely worth checking out as well. With Pittsburgh only being 4 hours away I'm sure we'll be back again another time to do a little more exploring!