Why you should be excited to be in Pittsburgh

Coming from the city of Philadelphia to the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), I wasn’t sure if I would ever find something particularly worthwhile here. I was just underwhelmed that Pittsburgh was a notch less metropolitan (a quality I loved) than Philly.

Fortunately, Pitt offered quite a few really unique things that makes the experience easy to miss.

The multifaceted Cathedral of learning

You know, no other place on campus, or perhaps the entire city,  can offer both the world and aura of magic in the same place better than the Cathedral of Learning ( “Cathy”). It was built in 1921 with Late Gothic style architecture and is one of the most most tallest educational buildings in the Western Hemisphere; walking inside you’d be shocked that the interior looks nearly like Hogwarts.

This area almost makes studying magical. What’s more, Cathy is also chock full of “Nationality” rooms that are so beautifully designed to represent features of different ethnic groups and countries.

Gaining awareness and a satisfied appetite through Conflict Kitchen

Want a mix of politics and good take-out? Conflict Kitchen, based in Pitt campus,  offers just that. This window-serve joint offers limited time cuisine from select countries in the world that are in conflict with the U.S. You may hate the food offered for the time being or love it or feel meh but it never fails to make people aware of other countries and how they fare.

The staff are knowledgeable about the themed countries so you can always strike up a conversation (if there isn’t a long line of course ).  In a way, it creatively brings to students’ awareness issues across the world that may be easily forgotten or unknown.

Washington’s point view of the entire city

Just a ride up from an incline and you will get a perfect view of the city. Mt. Washington is actually a neighborhood in Pittsburgh.  Around July fourth, many people go there to get the best view of firework shows. I

You have free access to the Andy Warhol Museum

Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol. Andy. Warhol. If you’re the kind of person who’s been a fanatic of Andy Warhol, Pittsburgh is the place to go.  On top of the fact that Warhol, a Pittsburgh native, went to Pitt’s neighboring university, Carnegie Mellon,  my university offers free admission to his museum.

Seeing his artwork is nothing short of amazing. In a weird way, being around the areas he may have walked gives me a sense of hope that maybe one my own name can be big.

The expansive Schenley Park where you can do everything

You can literally kill at least seven birds with one stone here. You can play tennis, hike, skate, run, golf, bike, get fresh air, and more at this park. Heading over to Schenley Park on weekends honestly the most relaxing and fun activity to do at Pitt. Pittsburgh actually has several large parks – each with its own set activities that people can do, so there is always plentiful places to go.

Pulled pork fanaticism

For those who come from Philly to Pitt,  you might be eating pulled pork for the first time ever. It’s not to say that you can’t find pulled pork in my home city but rather that pulled pork is just one of the traditional features of Pittsburgh and it’s pretty good.

The eccentric Mattress Factory

This museum is an even bigger step up in quirkiness than the Andy Warhol museum and makes for a guaranteed interesting visit. The works presented are an inventive twist on the mundane items of life. Going through the exhibits you feel like you’re in a bizzare “other” world. It’s a fun museum that is kind of a mind challenge to figure out the meaning of the artwork.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Guess what, right next door to Pitt campus are dinosaurs. The dead ones, of course. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, is dubbed as the perfect attraction for paleotourists. The museum makes for an exciting study break that takes you back in time. One of the best things  about this museum is also the silliest – there is a life-sized statue of a Diplodocus sauropod that we call “Dippy”. The statue is always adorned with a scarf that is changed frequently throughout the year.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

This place is just a 5 minute walk from campus. This place has both indoor and outdoor collections and walking through each collection during the summer is nothing short of majestical. A personal favorite  is the Tropical Forest of Congo. It has plants found across the continent of Africa.

The greenery and the sound of flowing water from the artificial waterfall really gives the impression of navigating through a jungle.

Celebrities use our campus for scenes in movies

Pittsburgh is the place for many movies sets, and Pitt campus has been the site for scenes in a few movie sets including The Dark Knight Rises, Concussion,  and The Silence of the Lambs.

During my junior year,  Concussion was being shot on my campus. Parked by a curb were two huge trailers and a crowd of people eager to see the main star Will Smith. He came out and gave a polite as he made his way to the set.

Getting to meet celebrities

This isn’t unique but Pitt really works to  bring in concerts, guest appearances, and other cool experiences to the school. I was excited to found out the my childhood favorite, Chiddy Bang, was going to perform a concert at Pitt and managed to have a good conversation with him. Other notable visits that I really enjoyed were Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco, and a prominent sociologist Howard French.

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Whether it’s heading out to a massive parks to get fresh air, eating delicacies from corners of the world that you would never normally eat, or just seizing the opportunity to meet someone important, Pitt allows you to experience a lot. My years so far spent here have been nothing short of eventful.