Pittsburgh. Yinz better watch out or you could fall in love.

Panoramic view of downtown Pittsburgh skyline from the PNC Park, featuring the yellow Roberto Clemente Bridge and the UPMC building over the Allegheny River.

By Meghan Snatchko of GetLostPGH

Before I moved here with my family when I was 6 years old, my father told me the name of the place we would soon call home.

Pittsburgh? Sounds like the Pitts!

Back in the late 80s, you could argue that it did resemble a place that people desperately wanted to leave. Since the population peak in the 1950s, the city of Pittsburgh has lost over 55% of its population. When the Steel Mills started to close in rapid succession, young families fled to cities with more opportunity, or at least the promise of it. You could also argue that they left something they could never replace. A strange, gritty, city with a real sense of character.

A City That Reinvented Itself

It probably would have emptied out even more if it weren’t for the public institutions and civic infrastructure that endured. Carnegie, Mellon, Frick, Heinz. Men who shaped this city for good and bad, but definitely forever. They were not the only ones. Later generations of local philanthropy, through organizations like The Heinz Endowments, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Hillman Family Foundations, and the Buhl Foundation, continued to fund the arts, education, parks, research, economic development, and neighborhood projects that helped keep Pittsburgh from sliding into total despair.

Pittsburgh has always been at the forefront of innovation. In 1953, Jonas Salk announced a breakthrough on his revolutionary Polio vaccine while working at the University of Pittsburgh. Physician and Researcher Thomas Starzl also helped the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine become a global center for organ transplants. Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute was established in 1979 and has propelled Pittsburgh into the upper echelon of that industry. Self-driving cars also got an early start here on the former site of a shuttered steel mill in the Hazelwood neighborhood of the city.

Western Pennsylvania and Football

If you need another reminder that Western Pennsylvania has always punched above its weight, look at the football talent it has produced. Joe Montana came out of Ringgold. Dan Marino went to Central Catholic. Johnny Unitas grew up in Mount Washington. Mike Ditka, Darrelle Revis, and Ty Law all came out of Aliquippa, while Tony Dorsett starred at Hopewell. Jim Kelly came from East Brady, and Curtis Martin went to Allderdice. For a region that people have been counting out for decades, it has a funny habit of producing legends. Maybe there’s something in the water?

Yinzers and the City of Champions. The Ultimate Comeback Kids.

Panoramic view of the Pittsburgh skyline and the Allegheny River framed through the circular architecture of the Herr’s Island footbridge on a sunny day with fall foliage.

Exploring the City During Draft Week

Visitors coming to Pittsburgh for the 2026 Draft will find a city that blends historic neighborhoods, riverfront views, sports culture, and an unexpectedly strong food and bar scene.

If you have time between Draft events, explore neighborhoods like:

• the Strip District
• Lawrenceville
• the North Shore
• the South Side
• Mount Washington

Each offers a different view of the city.

Meghan Snatchko of GetLostPGH posing between the George Washington and Guyasuta "Point of View" statues on Mount Washington overlooking Pittsburgh.
A different perspective on the city. © Meghan Snatchko, GetLostPGH.

Meghan’s Favorite Pittsburgh Spots

Below, you’ll find a map of some of my favorite restaurants and dive bars.

If you’d like to experience the city in person, you can also book an unscripted walking tour with me through my website.

Curious about all 90 neighborhoods? Check out this article on Pittsburgh Orbit.

HERE WE GO!

Meghan’s Favorite Places

A non-exhaustive but curated Map of Restaurants, Bars and other local places to eat and/drink in the City of Pittsburgh

Planning Where to Stay?

If you’re visiting Pittsburgh for the 2026 Draft, you can also read our guide explaining the best neighborhoods to stay during Draft Week, including the Strip District, Downtown, and the North Shore.