Pittsburgh

After Kentuck Knob I continued on to Pittsburgh. I had enogh time left on Monday to go up Mt. Washington via the Monogahela Incline. Glad I did: Amazing view of Pittsburgh. Plenty of time left to enjoy it during daylight, late enough to wait for sunset and darkness.


I did not know much about Pittsburgh, and I was really surprised how nice a city it is. Beautiful old buildings with marble lobbies. The main dissapointment was the PPG complex from Philip Johnson. I did not know that it is a Philip Johnson building, I thought it was done by the same Architect as Excalibur in Las Vegas.


Technology came in really handy in Pittsburgh:
1) GPS: I never before took some many wrong turns in such a short period, despite GPS, but GPS got me back on track again and again...
2) iPhone: I found a good walking tour of Pittsburgh online and followed it on the iPhone. The only slight problem was that 3G needs more battery, and I had to walk faster by the end of the day so I don't run out of power .... :-)


Besides a nice walk through downtown Pittsburgh I visited the Andy Warhol Museum and the Heinz History Museum (local history)


I told the guy at checkout: "It's my first time in Pittsburgh, and I'm surprised how nice it is ..." "Yea," he said "It's pretty nice now, but it was not alway so. 50 years ago we had to turn on the light during the day because of all the smoke from the steel factories ..."

Walk along Mt.Washington with observation platforms

"The point" where the 3 rivers meet (Ohio, Allegheny, Monogahela)

Andy Warhol Museum

View from Andy Warhol Bridge to PNC Park

Heinz History Center

Old Train Station, now Condos

One of the few 'leftovers' from old downtown Pittsburgh

William Penn Hotel Exterior and Lobby

Kaufman Department Store, now Macy's - Owner of Falling Water

PPG plaza and tower

Mellon Center: built in the 60s; first retractable roof; will soon be demolished