Boujee in the ‘Burgh

First of all let me introduce you to my friend, Tom. We met through our mutual friends, Sean and Alesha. Since their wedding a couple of years back, we kept in touch and had been trying to meet up since, but had been unsuccessful at planning it out. Tom is the definition of class. He knows all about designer brands, nice cars, and all the finer things in life. He is the kind of man who dresses up, and shows up.. Basically like a less dangerous, Italian version of James Bond (haha).. So when he mentioned a boujee weekend in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I was all in. I knew he would show me the finer parts of the city.

Since Tom is a Pittsburgh local, I decided to yet again put away my usual planning tendencies, and let him show me around. I did no researching before the trip. Sometimes it’s best to just go with the flow and have a non-touristy tour of a city.

The weekend was aimed at class, and getting my usual two star Priceline Express Deal hotel wasn’t really going to cut it. Thankfully Pittsburgh has a lot of beautiful luxury hotels to choose from. Opened in 1916, the Omni William Penn provides a mixture of history and class. Anyone can walk into the lobby and into the shops of the lower part of the hotel, and take in the gorgeous interior. It’s worth it just to take a look.

Located right beside of the Omni is Hotel Monaco, which is where I ended up staying. I’m a big fan of the Kimpton Hotels. They always have a sophisticated art deco/ modern/ classic lux design, and make for a comfortable stay. I was especially fond of this one due to the cool rooftop bar, and the restaurant downstairs that offered a great brunch menu (+ mimosas & bloody marys). An added bonus is the free wine hour that all Kimpton hotels offer. I usually end up missing them when I stay, but they’re still a unique part of this particular hotel chain.

Picture of Biergarten, the hotel’s cool rooftop bar:

The Commoner, inside the Monaco, where we grabbed brunch:

Before going to Pittsburgh, I really had no idea what to expect of the city. I drove this time up through West Virginia, and for the 6 hour drive I became accustomed to the country scenery. Upon entering Pittsburgh, I drove through the Fort Pitt Tunnel. When entering the city, you come upon a bridge where you can see the river and the skyline. The view basically screams, “Hello! Welcome to the city! Look at how beautiful I am!” haha I wish I’d had my phone ready, because it’s a stunning welcome. I wasn’t aware Pittsburgh was a city that has 3 rivers, nor did I know it had 446 bridges.. yes, 446! It made for a very pretty view. One of my favorite things we did was walk across one of the bridges by foot to reach the other side of the river, and see the art, stadiums, and the bars that line the river. Very picturesque city view from here!

Also, thank you, KT’s Boutique, for the perfect dress to explore the city in! 🙂

Wardrobe from KT’s Boutique in Kingsport, TNFrom crossing from downtown to North Shore, you can see the athletic areas. Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Heinz Field, and PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Between these fields are multiple bars and restaurants. You can also see the fountain at Point State Park across the way from here, which marks the point where the two rivers meet. It has a reflecting pool and LED lighting.

Another favorite of mine was Mt. Washington. There are two short inclines from Pittsburgh to the top of Mt. Washington. We took the Monongahela Incline, which is an inexpensive and nice little ride. When arriving at the top, you can walk along the strip and look at the pretty houses that line the street, and take in the best view of the city. There are multiple platforms along the strip for some photo ops. I would highly suggest going to Mt. Washington at night so you can see the city lit up with all its lights. Just look at that view!

Post-Mt. Washington, we wanted to partake in some nightlife. Buckhead, an upscale party bar in Station Square, was perfect for this. This scene was a mixture of all ages. The bar was large, the music was awesome, and provided a great time!

We ate, and ate, and ate on this trip. lol But seriously… This is a great town for food. I didn’t touch anything that was bad. We had a little bit of everything.. italian, mexican, and german.. Market Square downtown that is full of restaurants (also vendors and music during the day). One of my favorite meals was at Pizzaiolo Primo here. I had shrimp linguine with olive oil, while Tom enjoyed a pizza.

I find the naming of the areas of town to be pretty straightforward. The cultural district has an artsy vibe. There’s the Andy Warhol Museum that you can check out, art galleries, and theaters. This is probably a great way to spend a rainy day. We ate at an eclectic taco restaurant here called Condado.. You can customize your taco any way you dream of here basically. Plus, they have margaritas of every flavor…

PPG aka “the castle building” was beautiful to me. Pittsburgh is one of those cities that has various architecture– old and new buildings, but each building is unique in its own way. The castle building was a little unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and it was fun to watch kids enjoy the fountain at the base of it.

Here’s some other snaps of the city & its buildings:For my last day, we made it over to the Southside to check out Tom’s new neighborhood. I loved the feel of it.. along the water with everyone running and biking. It’s basically like a little town of its own inside the city- with its own shops, restaurants, apartments, and even a marina. The german restaurant here has live German music (cute little man with an accordian, and great food as well.. though I didn’t get any pictures.