Restoration in Pittsburgh is booming

East Liberty has been going through some changes lately. Although the area used to once be very rundown, it is now an up-and-coming location for investors. Revamping the neighborhood can be beneficial in many ways.

The city of Pittsburgh holds a lot of historical significance, through its cultural history and unique architecture. Many old, beautiful and historic landmarks that were once rotting away are now being remodeled and saved.

A great example of this is the new Ace Hotel, in the former YMCA building. Much of the old architecture from 100+ year-old original building is preserved. If you go there today, the lobby currently has an awesome café and lounge area for dining and relaxing- even if you aren’t staying there overnight.

You can even see the same gym that was once used for recreation when it was still a running YMCA facility, which is now used as a fun, quirky venue for many different types events.

Here’s what it looks like now:

The old YMCA building was abandoned and rotting away for many years. This is what it looked like before they started redoing the inside:

(Photo taken in 2013 by Jeremy Marshall)

Can you believe the nice modern hotel rooms used to look like this? Preserving some of the original buildings in the East Liberty area is an awesome move for the many investors recently moving in. It keeps much of the unique and authentic character that communities’ culture once had.

If you like jazz music, here’s another interesting historic landmark in the Hill District neighborhood formerly known as the Crawford Grill.

Although this building still stands vacant, some of the preservation being done in other areas brings hope for many other struggling neighborhoods with huge cultural significance in the Pittsburgh area, too.