It was definitely a packed weekend.
Things kicked off Friday night with a proof of concept for the professional headshot service I mentioned in my last blog post. I had brought all my camera gear to Pittsburgh but forgot my flash back in Dallas. Luckily, I packed a SmallRig LED light that I used in the past for filming in low-light locations during a docu-series I filmed. I turned it up to full brightness and had my roommate hold it up high while I took the headshot of my friend Chris McCay. I think it turned out pretty solid, maybe I’ll be taking yours later this year. Here’s how it turned out.
Saturday started with a failed attempt to catch the bus. The driver skipped our stop. So we went with plan B and called group Ubers. We headed to the Strip District, which has thrift shops, local vendors, and restaurants. My group’s Uber arrived last. We started with a stop at Primo Hoagies, then hit the shops. We walked through the outdoor vendors and then went into an underground storefront with a bunch of odd items. Some of it was junk, but they also had some really cool rings. I bought a silver one that I thought was cool…
On our way to a gift shop, we passed Pamela’s Diner. There was a line out the door, and it looked worth trying. Inside the gift shop, I picked up a pack of Pittsburgh-themed playing cards. I’ve decided I want to start collecting a deck from every city I visit. This one had colorful drawings of Pittsburgh landmarks and historical figures. These cards would definitely come in handy later…
After that, we all meet back up and took a bus across the bridge to the Federal Galley. It’s a food hall where restaurant owners rent out kitchen space before opening their own brick-and-mortar locations. If you run a food truck and want to move into a physical location but don’t have the budget yet, this is the perfect setup. The kitchens there were Sokah, Beef Graffiti, Given to Fly, and Mijo. My table went with Beef Graffiti. I ordered the Chicago Handshake burger. It was impeccable. Next, we Ubered to the Fineview neighborhood, just north of downtown. We got out at Rising Main Avenue and Howard Street, right in front of the Rising Main Steps. Depending on the source, Pittsburgh has anywhere from 400 to over 1,000 staircases. This one is one of the steepest and longest. The fact that so many of these staircases still exist says a lot about this city. They were built into Pittsburgh’s geography to connect the neighborhood before cars could get everywhere. They still do that today. They show how much the city adapts, especially when the neighborhoods have to resort to maintaining themselves when the city doesn’t due to dwindling tax revenue.
After the climb, we took a walking tour around the neighborhood, which ended at a small local music festival. The band playing had potential, but their style probably won’t reach a mainstream audience. After that, we returned to the dorms, went out to eat, and then came back to a perfect ending to the day. Playing cards, chess, and watching UFC. Playing cards using the cards I picked up earlier (told you they’d be useful). Later that night, we went out to the Bruce Hall quad and stayed out there until 2 a.m, watching UFC and playing chess on an empty campus. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the day…
Sunday started at 11 with a tour of the Cathedral of Learning’s Nationality Rooms. Each room is dedicated to a different cultural group and designed with artifacts and architecture from that country. Most of them were impressive, but the Russian room felt a little bland. My favorite was the Indian room. You could tell how much thought and detail went into it.
Afterward, we went to a vintage car show and watched 150cc cars race. The cars were fun to look at, but the racing itself was uneventful. Not much overtaking or drama. Once that was wrapped up, I headed to the Cathedral of Learning and spent the rest of the day working on our homework. In fact, I’m writing this from the Cathedral right now. The lighting in here is warm and steady. It makes the space feel calm and focused…
That was my weekend. Lots to do on the weekend in Pittsburgh.
