Recs for a Family Moving to Pittsburgh

[JenniferJJ]

Hello

A friend of mine is moving to Pittsburgh – Squirrel Hill area across from the Jewish Community Center. She’ll be moving there in late June with her DH and four kids (aged 3, 6, 8 & 10) for her DH to do his surgical fellowship. Any advice on things for a family to do – parks, festivals, non-professional league sports teams (since they’re cheaper), libraries, museums kids would like, summer activities for kids (since they’re moving in June), etc.

Also, are there any schools of choice around the area? My friend is not 100% satisfied with the school, but the home will be very close to her DH’s work and they will be there for only two years anyway.

Also, churches…they currently attend a conservative, evangelical church that has a mix of contemporary and traditional music. The exact denomination is not the most important thing.



TIA

[VictoriaL]

I had a friend who lived in apartments across from the JCC and I loved to visit her (envied her terribly). When we would visit in the evening, there would be tons of kids playing outside in a little park-like area in the complex. Very safe. And the Squirrel Hill area is nicely located, shops within walking distance, incredible museums, library, and conservatory a short bus ride away, and a delightfully diverse mixture of culture and races. Great restaurants. Can you tell that I enjoy this area??? :)

There are summer kids classes at the Carnegie museum, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and Carnegie-Mellon University and probably many others that I don't know about. Schenley Park is gorgeous, with picnic areas and tennis courts and outdoor movies on summer Sunday evenings, and it's very close too.

For the foodies, Whole Foods, TJ's, and a very good local organic co-op are all located within a 15-minute drive.

I do not know about churches, but there are no lack of them in that area. Practically all denominations. And schools, the same. This should be easy information to locate, though.

One thing about Pittsburgh, people are friendly. Darn friendly. Once they move here, they will have plenty of people giving them advice. And, heck, it was just named America's Most Livable City by Rand-McNally. It could have better winter weather, though. ;)

[JenniferJJ]

Thanks Victoria.

Bumping up for the weekday crowd.

[punkin]

I used to live in Shadyside, the neighborhood adjacent to Squirrel Hill, so am very familiar with the area.

As VictoriaL posted, the Carnegie Museums & Libraries are great for kids, especially the Science Center and Natural History Museum.

http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/

The Pittsburgh Children's Museum is fantastic, and your friend's kids are at just the right ages to enjoy it.

http://www.pittsburghkids.org/

She'll also be within walking distance to Frick Park, a large urban park like Schenley Park, which has play equipment areas and many trails, including a dog run.

I also would suggest Pirates tickets - the cost is rather low (unlike Steelers tickets) and the view of the city from the stadium is amazing.

[MusicMom]

I love to visit Pittsburgh- my college roommate lives there.

The Carnegie Science Center is great! They have a cool railroad exhibit and the IMAX theater has a rounded ceiling for projecting a more surround picture. There is also a virtual sports place next door that is a lot of fun.

Pittsburgh also has a very nice zoo. I don't think it is too expensive, but it is a beautiful habitat.

There are lots of small parks around and a few state parks for day trips.

My roommate used to go to a large Presbyterian church near Frick Park before she moved to Plum. I remember the people I met were pretty friendly.

[sfarler]

I'd recommend the Just Ducky Tours for your friend and her family. We (four adults) went last summer and had a ball. But there were lots of kids on our tour also. And the tours are very informative also.

http://www.justduckytours.com/