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.