Bloggers Be Talking Smack

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the onslaught of Luke Ravenstahl today by many bloggers. I was quite excited when I saw that the Pensblog made it into the third paragraph, not necessarily because they were the cited leaders of the influx of insults.

"Luke invented Crystal Pepsi" is one, and "Luke went to Primanti's...and ordered pizza" is another.

The PG interviewed Ms. Lupinacci, a South Side political blogger, who said in regard to the statement issued by Luke's lawyer, "The threat from the lawyer is so overboard, it actually extended the story. I wouldn't be posting on this story if they hadn't done that."

Gene Grabowski is a Pitt grad and former reporter for the AP who now works with Levick Strategic Communications. He said, "The [blogs and Tweets] are driving the story."

I think it's pretty excellent that not only did Mr. Luke incite the sarcastic Twittering and blogging, but that the Post-Gazette put this article on the front page showcasing the strength that lies in the Blog.

Pittsburgh Music Venue - Club Cafe

Pittsburgh, while it's no Austin, TX or even (gasp) Philadelphia when it comes to live music, they do have a steady stream of artists coming through the city. It's pretty easy to complain about Pittsburgh not having the type of influence over national acts that the aforementioned cities have, but Pittsburgh's main problem is perhaps the advertisement of their shows.

I have found that email newsletters do wonders. Usually I UNcheck that box about receiving email notifications when I purchase something online, but after using ticketmaster, I wanted to squeeze as much, and use as much as I could from that taxing online service. I receive an Opus One email each week that informs me of shows in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. It's a pretty comprehensive email newsletter that includes shows at the Carnegie in Homestead, Club Cafe, Mr. Smalls, and the Brillobox. Some of the listings go as far as April, allowing the receiver of the letter to plan well into the coming months. Their website provides all of the same information as the newsletter, just a few more clickables and pictures. You can sign up for the newsletter here as well as follow their Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and RSS feeds.

So in light of this brief explanation of Pittsburgh music, I will urge you to check out Jessica Lea Mayfield, who will be coming to Pittsburgh on December 12 at Club Cafe. Club Cafe is located in the South Side at 56 S 12th St, right off of East Carson St. All shows are 21+. Tickets for Ms. Mayfield are only $10, which is pretty gnarly. She plays folky "indie" rock and has made a splash on the national scene. NPR brought her in for a live set which you can listen to here. Plus, she's only 20 (19 when she recorded her breakthrough album). I'm blogging. She's putting out albums produced by the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach - a fellow Ohioan. He lends his musical hand to a few instruments on the record in addition to his production role. Philadelphia band, Dr. Dog, even lends their lead singer (Scott McMicken) for some backup harmonies.

But, jeeze. She released the album when she was 19, after a recording session of two years. So she's been going at it quite seriously and achieving some sort of national notoriety at such a young age. Kind of kicks my butt and puts a little more emphasis back on the seriousness of maintaining this blog. Keep reading, fellow lovers of Pittsburgh. Jay and I will teach you the ways to get the most out of what you have chosen to surround yourself.

About those bakeries...best cupcake?

Well, I guess I didn't do enough stumbling on Pittsburgh because I missed a poll for the best cupcake in Pittsburgh that is going on right now.

The folks over at another Pittsburgh blog, Boring Pittsburgh, are conducting the poll. And the two bakeries battling it out are the two I talked about in our last post: CoCo's in Shadyside and Dozen in Squirrel Hill. Head over there and cast your vote. Maybe we should get into the polling business over here.

That aside, the way I found about this poll was pretty interesting. Getting an RSS feed from IHeartPGH, I was directed to Pop City Media, which eventually gave me the link to the all-important cupcake poll. Crazy how connected blogs are and how information gets passed around.

Local bake shops

So I was stumbling around last night for things about Pittsburgh when I came across this video:



It got me thinking about local bakeries in Pittsburgh. I'm a huge fan of Dozen cupcakes. It's so good and, considering its location in Squirrel Hill, it's a nice place to walk to and then explore the rest of the neighborhood. There are two other Dozen locations in Downtown and Lawrenceville.

The thing that is cool about Dozen is that they don't have the same selection every day. They change it up on both a daily and seasonal basis. I mean, they always have the vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, but their specialty cupcakes change. Right now, they have "28 unique flavors and still creating more." Solid. They also make other sweets like cinnamon buns.

I know there are a lot of locally owned and operated bake shops in Pittsburgh, but I'm still looking. There's CoCo's on Ellsworth in Shadyside. There's also Oakmont Bakery along the Allegheny River in Oakmont.

Does anybody have any others out there worth checking out?

Szechuan Express: Good or bad?

During my sophomore year, I feel in love with Szechuan Express, located in Oakland on Oakland Avenue between Fifth and Forbes Avenue. I mean, feel in love. I would change up my order here and there, but it always came back to Chicken and Broccoli (#35). It was so good and I would get it at least once every two weeks.

It was great but then around the second semester last year, I stopped going there as often. Maybe once every two months. Actually, I hadn't been there since June or July this year until I went tonight. And when I decided that I'd go with #35, I was a little bit disappointed in what I got. I still got a lot of food for a really good price (just over $5) and got it pretty fast, but the quality just wasn't the same as I remember. I don't know what it was exactly.

Maybe it was the quality of chicken or broccoli or spices/sauces they're using, but I wasn't too pleased. Granted, I still at it and it kept me full, but I'm wondering if anybody else thinks the same way. Maybe it was just the fact that I really hadn't eaten that kind of food in a long time and when I decided to tonight, I realized I didn't really like.

So, does anybody else think the same way?

Kids Bike Build-A-Thon

Really great and cool news from Free Ride Pittsburgh recently. For those of you who don't know, Free Ride is a neat little do-it-yourself bike shop in Point Breeze, kinda before you get to Wilkinsburg (it's on a small road right off Route 8). They're only open 3-4 days a week, but they allow people to essentially build (and earn) a free bike through learning how to take care of one. You learn what goes where and how to manage it so the bike lasts longer.


View Larger Map
I was going to do this about two years ago with another friend, but we because of their hours and classes we were taking, it was too difficult to find a good time. But now that we have this blog, trying a project like that would be cool and fit well here.

Anyways...what's going on with Free Ride is a Kids Bike Build-A-Thon. Here's the logistics of helping out:

Please show up during any of these times and we’ll put you to work. Although having mechanic experience helps, it is not necessary. We still need people to help clean the bikes, pump tires etc. Snacks will be provided. If you can’t make these dates, and do have mechanical skills feel free to stop in during regular Free Ride hours this week and next week to help fix these bikes. Also, if you have a truck and are willing to help transport the bikes, please contact Scott at ssssscott@gmail.com.

There are two days if you are looking to help out: Wednesday, Nov. 18, between 6 and 10 p.m and Sunday, Nov. 22, between 12 and 4 p.m.

In the past, Free Ride has teamed up with groups like the Pittsburgh Refugee Center, the Housing Authority and Tree of Hope to distribute the bikes. I'm sure they'll be doing something like that again.

Oakland Cantina

Mi Ranchito is the newest establishment to occupy that revolving door of Mexican restaurants a block away from Mad Mex. Before Ranchito, there was the BYOB La Fiesta. This new restaurant, which now features a full bar is a step up. I went there this past Monday evening to watch the Steelers MNF game against the Denver Broncos. Perhaps the glorious win may be clouding my judgment of this inviting Mexican cantina that literally translates to "My Hut," but let's hope not.

Monday nights have $3 margaritas in the classic flavor, as well as raspberry, strawberry, and even peach. They are certainly not on the same level as Mad Mex's "Big Azz" variety, but what Ranchito lacks in tequila consumption they make up in atmosphere - the owners attempt to maintain a certain authenticity to the bar with complementary chips and salsa on the bar. There is only one TV placed at the end of the long side of the bar (see picture), which made for some mildly awkward neck-straining, but not enough to seriously disrupt the Steelers mojo that flowed through the friendly patrons as freely as the tequila. There are only about four beers on tap although about twenty in bottles. Domestics are $2.50 and imports are $3.50.
If you're trying to get away from the incessantly pounding music and stumbling clientele, try Mi Ranchito for a more low-key bar stop.

Disc Jockeying from your couch

There is an eclectic mix of radio stations on the dials of Pittsburgh residents. Starting on the far left are the public and college stations, where we then move into the meat and potatoes of the frequencies: oldies, top 40, and soft rock. We top it off with a classic rock station, conservative talk, alt/rock, and some country for good measure. Finding little use for top 40, soft rock, and (especially) conservative talk, I usually don't go past 94.5 FM when I'm cruising the dial. Why? Because all the other stations don't play what I want to hear, obviously enough.

But 91.3 FM, WYEP, is attempting to give the listener a little more power over what he or she is listening to. Their program "My 15 Minutes" allows anyone with an email address and internet connection to submit three songs they would like to hear on WYEP's Morning Mix, which airs every weekday between 6-10am. Not only do they simply allow you to pick three songs, but you can include commentary and personal connections to your choices. If your set is selected, the Morning Show DJ, Cindy Howes, will email you the day before it is aired so you can dial in and revel in the sweet satisfaction of being judged by every WYEP listener. The station also suggests you leave your phone number so you can be a guest DJ for the Friday edition of the Morning Mix.

Aside from encouraging you all to achieve temporary rock stardom, I would also encourage you to consider donating and/or becoming a member of the station if you like the music they play. There are tons of incentives that follow, including special "in-studio" sessions about three times per month. These sessions bring in relevant artists to play a few songs and talk about the album and the band. The performance is free to all WYEP members and located at their studio on the SouthSide at 67 Bedford Square right off of E. Carson Street. Membership and donations are all very customizable; you can choose whatever amount you wish to donate, although higher levels afford you more gifts from the station. At $40/year, members receive a yearly periodical, Year in Review; the $240/year level allows members to have access to tickets for CD Live! Concerts before the general public. For all members, there are annual events all year boasting live music, food and drinks, and general community well-being.

Become an active member of your community and a local celebrity with 91.3 WYEP.

No blues after eating at Buffalo Blues

For the first time in a while, Luke and I (and our other roommate, Jack) all found time last night to go out and get some food. It was colder outside and without a vehicle, we made the short walk down Highland Avenue to Buffalo Blues. Luke and Jack had been their once or twice before, but this would be my first time.

Buffalo Blues, located right on Highland Avenue four or five blocks from Fifth Avenue, is known for its wings and once you walk in, you get that feeling: music playing, people drinking at the bar and even some cornhole action going on. It was good place and from whenever we first got there until we left, we all agreed that we were having a good time.

It might even be my nomination for Best Pittsburgh Restaurant, but then again it may be too premature.

We all ordered something different and split a 10-piece order of wings (Howlin' Wolf, the third spiciest wings, and Garlic Parm, which were fairly mild).

Note: if you go to Buffalo Blues on Wednesday, it's all-you-can eat wings for something like $10. This is a solid deal considering how good their wings tasted. They also have a few other specials on different days. Just check out their specials page on their website.

As for our entrees...I ordered a blackened chicken sandwich (Low Down Spicy Blues Cajun Chicken), Luke went with a burger and Jack got a wrap. All of our entrees also came with their house made hand cut chips. They were good, too, and just the right amount.

We agreed that the portions were the right amount and we felt full at the end of the meal, which is good. The prices were fairly reasonable, too, and just what you'd expect for a restaurant like this. Sandwiches ranged from $7 to $10 and full course entrees were around $14. Not too bad. Wings were also reasonable at under a buck per wing (like I said before, wing night is the way to go if you're in the mood for that).

After our trip to Buffalo Blues, it's safe to say that we'll be back.

They also have a nice beer selection for the legal out there with 30+ draft beers on tap.

As for more restaurant reviews, I think we'll have more because all three of us have Tuesday nights open and plan on doing more things like this.

Have a favorite Pittsburgh restaurant?

Then submit it to FoodBurgh for your chance to win a $25 Giant Eagle gift card.

The rules are simple and basically the Giant Eagle gave the blog four gift cards to help promote the new Giant Eagle Market District — there's on in Shadyside, Bethel Park and now in Robinson. For clarity, here's how they winners will be decided:

* Submissions must be less than 200 words.
* Entrants should list their name and neighborhood of residence
* All entries must be received by midnight on Sunday, 11/8.
* Winners will be drawn at random and notified via email.

That’s all there is to it. I’ll randomly select 4 winning entries and Giant Eagle will send a gift card to each of them.

That's why this contest is going on. It's your turn, now, to let them know which is your favorite Pittsburgh restaurant. And while you're at it, why not let us know about it, too? We'd like to check it out and give our thoughts on your favorite place.

All That Jazz (including seminars, live performances, films, etc....)

If you are struggling to fill your Jazz quota for the year, read on.

The University of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh area is in the midst of Jazz Week, lasting from November 3-7 this year. It is the 39th year for the event, hosted by local Pittsburgh celebrity, Nathan Davis. I remember that first fall semester at Pitt, waking up at an abominable 11 AM to attend my History of Jazz lecture from Nathan Davis. He was a relaxed "cat," using the term he threw out multiple times during the 50min I was in the David Lawrence lecture hall, and was a superb change of pace to the biology and chemistry lectures I was attending when I still believed my calling was in the biological sciences (ugh).

The November 7th concert will feature Benny Golson on tenor saxophone and primary celebrity. He has worked on popular movie and TV sitcoms' soundtracks (see: M*A*S*H, Mission Impossible, and the Cosby Show). The event was the "academic jazz seminar in the country to feature international artists connecting with aspiring students in a lecture format, then performing together as an ensemble," as the Pitt Chronicle notes. Tickets for students are only $8 while those less fortunate to own a student ID will have to pay out $18.

Aside from the concert, there will be films on Tuesday and Thursday of this week (Nov 3rd and 5th) at the WPU Assembly Room and Frick Fine Arts Building auditorium, respectively. Friday and Saturday will feature lectures and demonstrations at the Frick Fine Arts Building, which are all free.

BLOGFEST!!!

One of the largest blogs in support of our great City of Champyinz, Pittsburgh Bloggers, will be hosting Pittsburgh BlogFest 19 on November 20 at North Shore restaurant Finnegan's Wake. All bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, and "social media folk of all stripes (and their friends...feel free to bring some even if they don't blog!)" are welcome to attend the gathering, encouraging networking and goodwill towards the Pittsburgh blogosphere. The event will start at 5:30PM and continue to "9:30 and beyond."

The event is also in support of Pittsburgh Bloggers, which turns five years old this November. Pittsburgh Bloggers itself is a great grouping source for Pittsburgh blogs. It is free to submit your blog to inclusion on the site, following the submitted blog fulfills the requirements. There are seriously hundreds of blogs listed on Pittsburgh Bloggers ranging from tea enthusiasts to Pens fanatics to high school sports devotee to those wishing to get their thoughts down on the public forum. There is no need for a Pittsburgh connection other than the author to reside in southwestern PA, so hurry up and submit your blog, which will be posted under the "new blogs" section.

Mayor Luke: More bike racks for business

I've really enjoyed reading and following BikePGH over the past couple months. A lot of great stuff comes out of their website and blog - and they do a lot for the cyclists in this city.


And apparently Mayor Luke is also helping out. Maybe it's because he enjoys biking around Pittsburgh, or maybe because he's just looking for votes. Say what you want about the way Luke is running this city, and he doesn't have my vote this upcoming election, but he has been doing a lot for the biking community.

Today, BikePGH posted that the mayor is going to continue his biker-friendly ways. It started with a new bike rack in front of Enrico Biscotti Co in the Strip District and 199 more will be placed in front of businesses throughout Pittsburgh.

You can thank BikePGH, with the help of donations from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and William Benter Foundation, for 100 racks. The city matched and will also donate 100 racks.

Scott Bricker, executive director at BikePGH, said

"Bike racks are one of the most important indicators of a bike-friendly city. They do more than provide support and security to bicycles; they act as a visual cue that bicycles are a welcome mode of transportation in our city."

If you're happy with what BikePGH is doing, you should head over to their membership page and become a member. Right now, through October 31, every membership donation will be matched by BikePGH. That means even more bike racks, bike lanes and biking fun.

After a little more research...

It turns out that the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank isn't the only group that is (was) holding a Match Day. Today is (was) a much bigger Pittsburgh Foundation Match Day. Apparently Match Day was such a big success the the Foundation has already maxed out their $300,000 match donations to every organization except for one.

So, if you're a little upset about the closings and problems facing the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh, the Foundation will still match your donation to help the libraries. Just head over to the Match Day website, register and donate. Simple as that.

Pittsburgh Community Food Bank: Donation Match Day

Some good news coming out of FoodBurgh.

The Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is holding a one-day only donation drive, Match Day, where they will match all donations (up to $300,000). This is a really nice idea and hopefully you spare a few dollars to help those who need it in Pittsburgh. With Thanksgiving roughly a month away, give thanks and give back to the Pittsburgh community.

If you visit the Match Day website, you may end up seeing this:

Due to the enormous demand to participate in Match Day, our site is temporarily at capacity.

It looks like Match Day is already a huge success. If you want to donate, just try again later.

But once you're inside, FoodBurgh has listed 4 simple steps to make your donation:
1. Create an account on the PittsburghGives site.
2. Search or browse for a charity you want to support
3. Look over the efficiency/volume data provided by the site
4. Click donate now and submit your contribution.

And if you're interested in taking your donation even farther, why not try to volunteer? The Food Bank says it needs thousands of volunteers each year and you can do more than just stock food. You can "work special events, sort food at our warehouse, harvest vegetables at a farm, serve on a committee, or help out at any of our 380 agencies – food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters." If you're interested in volunteering, and I'm sure they'd take somebody even for a day, visit the Food Bank's "Get Involved" section on their website.

Finding a bar in Shadyside: Doc's Place and Shady Grove

On Friday night, a few friends and I decided that we wanted to go out for the Penguins game, which the Pens won in a dramatic come-from-behind game, and wanted to try something new. Because a lot of my friends live in Oakland, we tend to watch games there, but Friday was just people living in Shadyside, so we looked to change it up.

First stop, Doc's Place on Walnut Street. We got there about 10 minutes into the first period and we left after the first intermission. Needless to say, it wasn't what we were looking for. A lot of the people there seemed very uptight and nobody, except for the four of us, was watching the Pens game. On top of that, there was no specials so after we split a $10.25 pitcher of Miller Lite, we were out of there. Checking their menu, you can see that they do have specials during happy hour. But what even then, it's not that great. We're still college kids and we're looking for deals.

After our brief stop at Doc's Place, we hopped down a block to Shady Grove. I think this was my third time here, but first time looking to have a drink or two. Five minutes in, we all agreed that we should've just gone here from the beginning. The place was a lot busier, which we wanted to watch the game, than Doc's Place and a lot of people were there for the game. We were able to even get a booth right in front of the TV for the final 2 periods. For Friday night, they had some good deals, too. We all got the $4 Jack Daniels mixed drinks and were happy with the amount and price - they were also pretty strong. We hung out there until the end of the game, before we left and made our separate ways.

Overall, we were all pleased with what Shady Grove had to offer and we'll be back there. Doc's Place? Maybe not.

Mmmm...Sushi

If you're like me, then you like Sushi. I'm pretty sure Luke enjoys it, too.

My sushi travels have been somewhat limited, so I'm always open to going to a new place if anybody has one. But because of where I go to school and where I live off campus, I have two suggestions if you're looking for some sushi.

As a student at Pitt, the place to go for sushi in Oakland is at Sushi Boat. It's located on Oakland Avenue between Forbes and Fifth Avenue. It looks like a small place, and it is, but they have upstairs seating for dine-in or you can just get your food to go. Now, sushi isn't cheap but Sushi Boat's is reasonably priced, especially considering there isn't any other sushi place in Oakland. A roll is typically around $5, but they have a couple combo deals where you get about two rolls for about $6. I found this menu online but I don't think it's updated and it doesn't list the combo sushi deals, so take it for what it is. Still, Sushi Boat is the go-to place for sushi in Oakland.

I'm pretty sure that the first thing I did after moving into Shadyside last August was find a sushi place. Some afternoon after we had moved in, Luke and I were craving some sushi and a quick Google search brought us to Sushi Too. It's located right on Walnut Street, just before Aiken Avenue. Like many things outside the college area of Oakland, the price of sushi at Sushi Too is a little bit pricier. But also like many things outside the college area of Oakland, the quality is better. And that's what you get at Sushi Too. The sushi does taste better and you can find deals there, too. If you are going for lunch, be sure to do their lunch special. You get two rolls, soup and salad for $7.5. Now that's a deal too hard to pass up.

But while I do enjoy sushi, my experience is somewhat limited to only two areas. If you have a good suggestion for Luke and I to check out, let us know.

Pumpkins!!!

Kards Unlimited will be holding a Pumpking Carving Contest on October 24th from 2pm-7pm. They are offering pumpkins if you don't BYOP, although they ask to pre-gut the pumpkin before coming. They'll take a picture of your art and post it on their blog where the readers can then vote. Winner receives a $50 gift card to the store, which is a pretty excellent place BTW.
The store is located at 5522 Walnut Street in the heart of Shadyside. They have books, posters, cards, stationery, toys, trinkets, fancy pens, edible body chocolate, tee-shirts - the list goes on. But their inventory is different than a Borders or Barnes & Noble in that it is narrowed to a "hipper" demographic, bordering on risque, yet all in good fun. Basically, the store is "cool."
The carving event is free, as are the Halloween-inspired drinks and snacks.

Another Big Win for Pitt

The University of Pittsburgh is gaining notoriety as a first-class institution as it is ranked no. 2 in the survey "Saviors of Our Cities: A Survey of Best College and University Civic Partnerships". The survey came from the president of Westfield State College in Massachusetts. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Dr. Dobelle is the former president of the New England Board of Higher Education, who announced the list in Philadelphia at a meeting of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.

Also on the list is the University Of Pennsylvania, coming in at a modest no. 1, tied with USC. CMU drops in at no. 19. Pittsburgh's East End is basically an expanded college town. We got Pitt, CMU, Chatham, Carlow, all basically on Fifth Avenue, and then if you keep going down Fifth, you run into Duquesne, not to mention the community colleges. What Pittsburgh needs now is a way to keep these kids here after they receive their diplomas, which brings me to basic intention of this blog: show yinz why Pittsburgh is a great place to live!

Hail to Pitt(sburgh)!

Qdoba bar: Oakland's gem

You might not believe it, but the best bar in Oakland isn't that well known at all.

Qdoba bar, which is just above the restaurant on the first floor, is now one of my go-to bars when I'm looking for a night out. And their happy hour is one of the best out there. It's not too big (nothing like Hemmingway's or Peters Pub) but it's not a small dive bar. They have two decent sized TVs and they keep the bar clean. You can even get a burrito if you're in the mood.

The last two times I've been there have been two of my best bar experiences. Both times have started out with intentions of just going for happy hour, but have turned into 5 or 6 hour stays and having a good time with friends and the bartenders, who are all very friendly.

The music is great, mainly because you can put whatever you want on if you talk to the bartenders. And they're really great about putting a game - like the Penguins game last Thursday - if you're looking for something specific to watch. They even put on Always Sunny in Philadelphia after the Pens game. How's that for a bar experience?

As for crowd size, it never really gets too crazy. I have yet to go there during a Saturday night, but Thursday and Friday nights aren't bad. In fact, there was one Friday night when it was just me and two of my friends at the bar for an hour or so. That's something I like, especially when you think about happy hour/half price at Mad Mex or Hemmingway's and how crowded it gets there.

Happy hour specials are good. I wish I had the list on me, but they have a lot of good mixed drink specials like $1.50 well drinks and $3.50 long island iced teas — and they put a good amount of alcohol in those drinks. They also have a daily special after happy hour, which is usually just one of the happy hour drink specials extended all night.

So if you're in Oakland - or if you're just thinking about going out - and looking to change up your bar experience, think about stopping by Qdoba bar.

You won't be disappointed.

Bad news for libraries

Maybe you can't count on going to the library after all.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is going to shutdown five branches as a way of reducing a $1.2 million deficit.

The five branches affected are:
Lawrenceville
Beechview
West End
Hazelwood
Knoxville and Carrick (merging)

But there is some bittersweet news with this announcement as the closing of the Lawrenceville library, which opened in 1898 and is the system's oldest library, will come on the heels of the opening of the renovated East Liberty library in 2010.

The Pittsburgh Comet has some interesting commentary on the closings

Lots to nitpick. The system was designed for a city twice the population of Pittsburgh today -- the city has remained exactly the same size however. Utilizing the library system will become much more difficult than at any point in its past, especially considering public transit has only worsened.

Also, did we only just discover this $1.2 million projected budget deficit? Has the board also been "doing its homework" in going after grants and stimulus dollars? Green libraries, anyone? I don't understand the need for self-described drastic quickness.

I would have to agree, here, mainly because I find it hard to believe that the higher-ups in Pittsburgh's libraries could not have foreseen a deficit because of the recent troubles in the economy.

Now, granted a city the size of Pittsburgh may have a library or two more than they can handle, but is it really necessary to close and/or merge this many branches?

The Carnegie Libraries will also cut 30 people from their staff and reduce operating hours by 28 percent starting next year. And to no surprise, fees and fines will increase to help tackle the deficit.

Wanna hot dog?

Regent Square is the East End's hidden gem of boutique goodness. Located in the southeast quadrant, it has set itself up as a border-town, offering a wide range of attractions. Frick Park is right around the corner and is a fantastic option for those weary of the urban noise and looking for a quiet walk in the woods. But if you're hungry, check out D's Six Pax & Dogz, located at 1118 S. Braddock Avenue.

As their name suggests, D's is known for their hot dog(z) and beer selection. They claim to have at least 1000 different beers, which are available in three ways; sit down and order a beer on tap (the selection changes day to day), enter the cold beer cave and choose between hundreds of different bottled beers, or go to the warm beer cave in the back where the decision-making becomes even more difficult. For those afraid of a commitment to just one beer, D's offers the mix-n-match option, which allows you to choose six different beers for your own custom six pack. Using a little math...and supposing there are 1000 different beers...the possible six pack combinations result in...using factorials...(1000!)/(6!(1000-6)!)...which is...well...a lot. D's doesn't short on hot dog options either; Chicago-style, veggie-style, bacon cheddar-style, corndog-style. And they're good.

While you're there, check out the mural on the wall. D's thing must be numbers. Quantity. The mural has hundreds of famous people drinking beer, eating hot dogz, or just enjoying their time at D's. From Franco Harris to Bob Dylan to Darth Vader to Bill Clinton to Santa Claus, they seem to have included just about anyone worth inclusion.

Go to D's, get some (1000s) beer, a dog, and walk along S. Braddock to explore the Regent Square goodness.

ps. The Regent Square side of Frick Park has clay tennis courts, if you're looking to host an amateur French Open. How cool is that?

Good news for bikers

The weather might be getting colder, but BikePGH has pictures of the newly installed bike lanes in Squirrel Hill:

Forbes Avenue, one of the major roads in the City, received bicycle-friendly treatments from Margaret Morrison (just east of CMU) to Murdoch, with the plan to continue the markings to the new soon-to-be bike lanes through Frick Park and on up to S. Braddock Ave. The 2.3 mile stretch, when complete, will be a combination of bike lanes (whenever the street is wide enough) and shared lane markings, or “sharrows,” when the road narrows, or is a steep downhill.

This is a good step towards respect between motorists and bicyclists. Hopefully the city plans to do this in other neighborhoods, including Downtown. For now, though, it looks like the city is planning on making Squirrel Hill more biker friendly.

At least there's the library

It looks like the days are numbered for the Barnes & Noble in Squirrel Hill. The company announced today that they'll be shutting down the Murray Avenue store at the end of this year.

I've been to the B&N a few times but have never really bought anything there. It was smaller and nice atmosphere that reminded you more of a local ma and pa bookstore - with two floors. Who knows what will go into that space. Maybe another bookstore.

On the bright side, the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill should be just fine.

Feed your audiophile obsession

Located in the heart of Squirrel Hill, one of Pittsburgh's largest neighborhoods, is Jerry's Records. Walk up the Murray Avenue entrance, turn left, and walk into the main warehouse where thousands and thousands of vinyl is cataloged for easy finding. It's huge. No, it's massive. No, it's:



But why buy vinyl? Not only is it argued that the sound quality of the analog system trumps digital, there is an additional aesthetic of personalization that is inherent in the polyvinyl chloride - every record is different. Perhaps your copy of Paul McCartney's Ram has the previous owner's initial on the inside jacket, or your Harvest Moon was given to you by that uncle who used to tour with the Dead and now is retired living in Vermont, or maybe your copy of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan has a nice hazelnut hued stain in the shape of Dylan's Wayfarers when someone spilled their coffee decades ago...ok maybe that last one is a stretch, but the fact remains; you can't pass a digital file down from generation to generation with the same effect.

A record has three dimensions: sound, sight, and time, which give vinyl a warm and crackly spot in your memory. Smell - the fourth dimension! Try and take a whiff of your iTunes library. Anything?

Jerry's Records offers almost anything one can think of: soul, R&B, rock, jazz, spoken word, rockabilly, reggae, roots folk, alternative noise, halloween soundtracks, records with pretty girls on the cover. There is a large rack in the front of the store that holds the most popular choices - Zeppelin, Floyd, Beatles, Nugent, Presley, etc., making it easy for the newcomer to round-out their collection.

Oakland: The aftermath of G20

Take a deep breath. Exhale.

Ok. G20 happened.

As the smoke (literally) clears from Pittsburgh's education neighborhood, Oakland, people - and by people, I pretty much mean students - have to look back at what happened to their campus (read: home).

Whether you were part of the action, following Twitter updates or just catching news and blog posts whenever you could get the chance, you know that something bad happened in Oakland. And the students are pissed.

About 150 arrests took place in Oakland between Thursday and Saturday - some protesters, but a lot of students.

Students we're trapped in their dorms and trapped out of their dorms, they were told they would be expelled if they stepped outside and told they would be arrested if they didn't disperse from their student union. It was a difficult - and scary - time for students who were just on their campus to catch a glimpse of a history.

Reports will continue to flow in over the next days and weeks that will determine what really happened. Did Pitt police try to stop riot police from entering the Cathedral of Learning? Was excessive force used on innocent student bystanders? Why were students trapped in stairwells with the presence of tear gas in the air? Why were students who were trying to disperse shot in their backside instead of their frontside, like would be expected if they were resisting police?

And one of the biggest ones out there is how did protesters manage to do $50,000 in damage with riot police outnumbering protesters and students nearly 2 to 1?

There's a lot of unanswered questions right now. And a good place for a lot of these questions can seen at 2 Political Junkies, a Pittsburgh politics blog.

For now, students who were arrested unfairly can only hope that their records are cleared and they don't have to deal with University judicial board reviews, which could and should happen. People who were not here, even alum of Pitt, can say what they want about students who didn't listen to police, but how far does a student have to go before they have dispersed? Students were gassed and arrested outside of their dorm rooms.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has a lot of questions to deal with. But when asked about how he can show the students at Pitt that the city still loves them, he only responded by saying "We still love you" - it was enough to get some eerie laughter from the crowd.

If you don't figure something out soon, Luke, don't expect the students to love you back.

Here comes the G-20

If you're looking to get around town over the next couple of days, you might want to double-check your bus schedule before you leave. And giving yourself plenty of time doesn't hurt.

That's because the G-20 Summit will be taking place tomorrow and Thursday in Downtown. Because of the threat of protests and other unexpected events, the Port Authority is suggesting anybody — namely students — to prepare themselves for the upcoming delays.

For one of my journalism classes, Newspaper 2, I wrote a story about the problems off-campus students will face during the G-20. I got to talk to Jim Ritchie, who is the Port Authority's media spokesman. He gave me some typical information, like I said above about leaving earlier, but he also let me know about different things that the Port Authority is doing to help people prepare for public transportation during the G-20.

Here is a nice rundown of ways to keep up-to-date on what's happening with the bus schedules these next couple days. Ritchie suggested that students stay cautious because one bad or unexpected protest could lead to even more delays.

— Visit the Port Authority's official G-20 Summit page
— Follow the Port Authority's twitter account
— Sign up for the Port Authority's e-mail list

Ritchie stressed that things could a little crazy during the Summit, but everything should be back to normal by Saturday morning.

And, hey, it never hurts to take a walk or ride your bike into town. The weather looks like the weather won't be too bad.

Dog: Man's Best Friend

With the exponential rise in popularity of I Can Has Cheezburger, I feel that there has been a rapid decline in the popularity of the Dog: Man's Best Friend. To spark some more deserved respect, I call you to visit your nearby East End Park. You have many options: Mellon Park, Frick Park, Schenley Park.

I've found that dog-watching is not only a valuable and rewarding experience, but the East End offers superb opportunities for the dog-watcher.



Mellon Park, which is currently under construction, is a great introduction to the variety of dogs. Not only does it have the old favorites (Labs, Golden Retrievers, Beagles), but Shadyside's and Point Breeze's demographic is able to provide a more eclectic group of canines. Dalamatians are fetching tennis balls, Great Danes are elegantly oberserving, and the small toy poodles and pugs are getting to know each other in intimate detail.

More often than not, you'll see these dogs sans-leash. For those deathly afraid of pets, perhaps this is not your bag. And for those still touting the cat, buy a leash and join the party.

$5 Pizza in Shadyside? Go to Oakland for that, Jay...

"It's the kind of place that has a reputation for being above Oakland, you could say. It's a neighborhood where a lot of upperclassmen and graduate students live. It's great. It's quieter than Oakland and has a lot of nice restaurants, shops and houses," says Pitt senior, Jay Huerbin. You just defeated your argument. Shadyside doesn't have the drunk-pizza niche of Oakland. Oakland has far more foot traffic than Shadyside, so by virtue of the five-dollar-pizza, an inherently spur decision, it just wouldn't work.

Village Pizza is Shadyside's designated "cheap" pizza, which just opened a new location only a few blocks down Walnut, moving from Ivy St. to South Aiken, unveiling a redesigned and upgraded bar. The pizza is a bit more expensive than Antoon's and Sorrento's, but the quality is increased at a rate that outpaces the increase in price.

Let's not ruin Shadyside's reputation that is "above Oakland."

But let's forget these harsh feelings, for our argument illustrates why the East End is spectacular - you can go to Oakland and get a cheap $5 'za, or you can catch a ten-minute bus to Shadyside for some higher quality 'za. The same situation is present if you're looking to crawl among the bars. Oakland has Bootleggers and Shadyside has the Shady Grove. Each neighborhood holds its own slice of the East End pizza pie; one with simple pepperonis, the other with roasted red peppers marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette (simply an analogy, not an actual representation of pizza toppings).

Where's the $5 pizza?

So...we live in Shadyside. It's the kind of place that has a reputation for being above Oakland, you could say. It's a neighborhood where a lot of upperclassmen and graduate students live. It's great. It's quieter than Oakland and has a lot of nice restaurants, shops and houses.

But there is a problem. Where's the cheap $5 pizza (read: Antoons, Sorrentos)?

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to be out of Oakland and living in Shadyside. It's a nice get away from all the activity that way. But every once in a while I get that craving for a cheap, large $5 pizza. It's such a good deal. And even if we are upperclassmen living in Shadyside, we're still students and would like to have a place like that.

I feel like having a cheap pizza place like that, although somewhat tacky, would be a good addition to the neighborhood. I'm sure it'd make a ton of money, too. After all, there are still a lot of bars in Shadyside that are really busy on Friday and Saturday nights.

Welcome to the 'Burgh

There used to be this saying on a screen at the Pittsburgh airport. It went a little something like this:

A person once said you can't have all good things in one place. That person must never have been to Pittsburgh.

You could say that it's hard for me to fully grasp this saying considering I have spent my entire life in Pittsburgh's suburbs, but now live in Shadyside. But don't you think that itself says something about this city? And how there are plenty of reasons why I would love to graduate from Pitt in the spring of 2010 and continue living in America's Most Livable City.

There's something special about Pittsburgh and I, along with my roommate, hope to share our experiences about what's great in this city. We'll be traveling down Walnut Street in Shadyside, up Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill and hopping between Fifth and Forbes Avenue in Oakland. We'll be all over Pittsburgh's East End and the city itself telling not only our stories, but the stories we hear from others, to show why we enjoy living here.

It can be difficult for a 20-something year old, about to graduate and not know what he wants to do with his life. I'm an English Writing major, with a concentration in journalism, and would like to pursue a career in that field after graduation. I believe my job as sports at editor at the University of Pittsburgh's student newspaper, The Pitt News, has prepared for life after college. As the saying goes, it's not about what you know but who you know.

It's a changing world out there. And as somebody in the field of journalism, I know first hand. I'm excited to see how things like Facebook, Blogger, Twitter and every other form of social networking affect the newspaper industry. It can be scary at times, but I'm ready for it.

And that's what I hope this blog can accomplish. To connect people from all over. Start small and then expand. To create a network of people who can all come together at one place.

How much does a polar bear weigh?

Just enough to break the ice.

Hey! My name is Lukas, and together with my roommate Jay, I will be documenting the ins and outs of Pittsburgh most happening quadrant: the East End.

I make the first cut into the confectionery cake of Pittsburgh sitting outside of Crazy Mocha on Ellsworth Ave.; the other main business drag other than Walnut Street. How can I blog? Free wi-fi. Isn't Shadyside cool? All along Ellsworth and Walnut, anyone is allowed to sit down, flip open their sticker-adorned white laptop (thank you, Walnut St. Apple Store), and start surfing (or blogging).

But this is just one tiny morsel of the East End that makes it such a draw to our technology driven youth. We will attempt to illuminate as many of these mainstay attractions - restaurants, bars, wi-fi, boutiques, record shops - as well as the new and exciting activities - concerts, gallery openings, restaurant promotions - as possible.

Being two college students who grew up only twenty minutes north of all this action in the sprawling (boring) North Hills (suburbs), we have begun to recently learn of the wealth of opportunity for pleasure all located within minutes of each other. Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Bloomfield, Point Breeze, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, Garfield, etc. are all quick drives away. No car? Big whoop! Buy a bike and sacrifice those gas dollars for some physical activity and you'll have no trouble getting to where you need to be.

So grab your slice of the East End with us as we explore all the flavors of the East End and its surrounding area.