Pittsburgh is one of my favourite American cities. I met a couple from Pittsburgh while traveling and we have become friends visiting back and forth over the years.

In many people's minds Pittsburgh is the epitome of rust belt industrial America however the steel mills are all closed and the city has morphed into a successfully diversified financial, high tech and biomedical centre of innovation and excellence. Pittsburgh is a jewel that sits in a valley at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela RIvers where they form the Ohio River. The people are hard working and friendly descendants of Irish, German, Polish, Russian, Italian and many other lines of immigrants who settled to work the mills.

There are many distinct neighbourhoods in the city that are worth exploring. The Southside (or "sawside" in Pittsburghese) is centred on Carson St. and boasts numerous hipster shops, entertainment venues and restaurants. The strip district is a market district that also has many restaurants including DeLuca's which is a must for breakfast. The Hill district was the traditional black neighbourhoods during the days of segregation and apparently was the inspiration for the TV police drama Hill St. Blues. "Dahntahn" is well apppointed with architecturally unique skyscrapers.

Pittsburgh gave the world the artist Andy Warhol, the playwright August Wilson, the jazz pianist Errol Garner, the actor Michael Keaton, the football great Joe Namath and many other noteworthy people.

Pittsburgh supports the arts with a world class opera company, a symphony orchestra and numerous theatres.It also loves its sports teams including the football Steelers, the baseball Pirates and the hockey Penguins.

A trip to Pittsburgh would be a pleasant surprise to anybody who has never visited before.