The official blog of Downtown Pittsburgh. Read up on what's new, what's happening, and what stories are being told in the neighborhood.
The Downtown Blog
The official blog of Downtown Pittsburgh. Read up on what's new, what's happening, and what stories are being told in the neighborhood.
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7 Hidden Gems in Downtown
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Pittsburgh is known for many things: great sports teams, amazing food, and astounding arts and performances, but did you know there’s a theater dedicated just to magic, local artist shops, and a Penn Brewery satellite taproom in Downtown? Head to these seven hidden gems that are making the city shine.
Starting over on the North Side is City of Asylum.
Creating a community for writers and providing sanctuary to endangered literary
writers, City of Asylum supports displaced artists to write without having their
voices silenced. They also work to transform run-down homes into creative safe
havens that are utilized to house exiled writers, and host readings and
performances. Check out their upcoming events.
40 W North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 / Open Tuesday-Sunday / cityofasylum.org
After crossing the Andy Warhol Bridge, love,
Pittsburgh, a local shop dedicated to supporting artists from the
Pittsburgh area, is right on Liberty Avenue in the heart of the Cultural
District, near the Harris Theater. love, Pittsburgh’s mission is to connect
makers to shoppers, by serving the local community as well as the thousands of
visitors who travel to the city each year. Stop in for locally made gifts from
some of the Pittsburgh’s best artists.
A few blocks down, located at 811 Liberty, on the
same block Houdini performed while he was in Pittsburgh, is Liberty Magic.
Liberty Magic invites everyone to witness the art of sleight of hand and
prestidigitation. With less than 70 seats, Liberty Magic offers an intimate,
one-of-a-kind experience that is easy to access and hard to forget. Currently
performing: Mark Toland in MIND READER
Further down, is the Arcade Comedy
Theater, Downtown Pittsburgh’s destination for all things comedy. As
Pittsburgh’s only non-profit comedy theater, the Arcade Comedy Theater features
around six shows every weekend, comedy classes, family shows, and special
events.
943 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 / At least six shows every weekend / arcadecomedytheater.com
Located on Smithfield Street is PG&H,
a new retail showroom featuring a rotating inventory of high quality, beautiful
home goods, produced by regional makers. The idea of PG&H is for shoppers,
designers, architects, and restauranteurs to step into one space where they can
see products that range from furniture, dishware, textiles, wall coverings, and
more. Plus, PG&H features a coffee bar serving Redhawk’s caffeinated
goodness every day.
536 Smithfield St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 / Open Daily / shoppgandh.com
Moop is a
Downtown-based manufacturer of bags, totes, clutches, and other canvas goods.
Committed to small-batch manufacturing, their bags have been featured in design
blogs, local media outlets, and can often be seen in use by everyone from
bankers to creatives. Check out their retail manufacturing space on First
Avenue, where you can check out the bags in person, along with a curated
collection of other goods.
After checking out Moop, head across the street to the new Penn Brewery First Ave Taproom. Tucked away at 432 First Avenue, on the ground floor of the First Ave Lofts, this hidden gem offers tons of rotating draft beers for customers to choose from. As the first brewery taproom in Downtown, Penn Brewery is a great new addition to the Downtown restaurant scene. Stop in for lunch or dinner, with takeout options to complement their menu that brings their Northside location’s tasty goods to the convenience of their intimate Downtown space. Plus, don’t miss out on upcoming special events, like the Penn U Brew Night School/Flight School, teaching you everything you wanted to know about the brewing process.
432 First Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 / Open Monday – Saturday / www.pennbrew.com
