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Richard DeShantz opening a second täkō location
Photo courtesy of Walnut Capital. Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group is making waves at Bakery Square. The company is launching its second täkō, which means octopus in Japanese, in the East End development at 6425 Penn Ave. It’s expected to open in 2021. The 5,000-square-foot site will be larger than the company’s original location on 6th Street Downtown, but will have a similar vibe. täkō Bakery Square will boast a tequila wall, indoor and outdoor seating and counter service for quick bites.
9 great places to get wine in Pittsburgh
Photo courtesy of 23rd & Vine. Yeah, 2020 is a drag, but why whine when you can wine? Grab your mask, patronize a local shop and raise a glass to toast better days to come. Not only will you be supporting a small business, but you’ll also have a tasty beverage to help you unwind. Here are some places where you can get your vino on. Photo courtesy of R Wine Cellar.
Contemporary Craft opens in a renovated building in Upper Lawrenceville. 'More than ever, this is needed.'
The exterior of the renovated building now owned and occupied by Contemporary Craft. Photo courtesy of Contemporary Craft. As Janet Sarbaugh walked through the vacant Upper Lawrenceville building last year, she, too, was struck by its potential. Before it was vacated, the white, plain, low-slung building housed a manufacturer of trophies and plaques. Yet it wasn’t hard to imagine 5645 Butler St. reborn as the artsy headquarters of Contemporary Craft, as it is today.
Dragon’s Den rope challenge course opening in former Homestead church
Dragon's Den in Homestead. Photo courtesy of Giulia Lozza Petrucci. It’s not unusual to see an old church in Pittsburgh reborn as something else, from housing to a brewpub. But this is a first: the former St. Mary Magdalene church in Homestead is getting new life as an indoor, multilevel rope challenge course, complete with a 160-foot zip line stretching from the choir loft to the former altar. Designed for children in grades K-12, Dragon’s Den is meant to be more than a fitness course.
Plans for Shady Hill Plaza redevelopment include large apartment building and smaller Giant Eagle. Residents object
Rendering of the proposed development at the site of the Shadyside Giant Eagle. A Pittsburgh developer is planning to reinvent a strip mall and supermarket serving working families on the Shadyside/East Liberty border as an ambitious mixed-use development — and some residents and community groups are calling foul.
UPMC and Highmark part of effort to bring first of its kind homeless shelter to Downtown Pittsburgh
Rendering of the future Downtown homeless shelter courtesy of DLA+ Architecture & Interior Design. A new five-story, 45,000-square-foot homeless shelter is coming to Downtown Pittsburgh, made possible by a collaboration that includes both UPMC and Highmark. The first of its kind in Allegheny County, the low-barrier shelter for adults and their pets will offer services for those dealing with the complex issues of homelessness, including addiction, unemployment and physical and behavioral health.
The Highline opens with new public green space along the South Side riverfront
The Highline. Photo by Stephan Bontrager of Riverlife. Pittsburgh’s riverfronts — for so long an afterthought, crammed with industrial uses — have become quite a destination in recent years. The newest point of interest is on the South Side, with the quietly opened public spaces of The Highline. The Highline is McKnight Realty Partners’ redevelopment of the cluster of gigantic 19th-century brick warehouses into creative office space.
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden debuts a wondrous Garden of the Five Senses. Fun for all, including kids
Kaleidoscope in the Garden of the Five Senses. Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. It’s a feast for the senses, and there’s nothing virtual about it. For kids, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s new Garden of the Five Senses is all about digging in, smelling, listening and looking deeply at plants. “It has been in planning stages since before the Garden opened in 2015,” says Beth Exton, development director for the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in Oakdale.
Lucky Sign Spirits is now open in Millvale
Christian Kahle wears a shirt that reads “Champions make their own luck” as he makes his own bourbon. The Sharpsburg resident, and his business partner Matt Brudnok of West Deer, are playing their cards right with Lucky Sign Spirits in Millvale. Located at 215 North Ave., the 1,000-square-foot space opened on August 8. While COVID-19 restrictions prevent the Lucky Sign from offering tastings, customers can stop by Wednesday through Sunday to buy bottles of bourbon, rye and gin.
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden debuts a wondrous Garden of the Five Senses. Fun for all, including kids
Kaleidoscope in the Garden of the Five Senses. All photos courtesy of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. It’s a feast for the senses, and there’s nothing virtual about it. For kids, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s new Garden of the Five Senses is all about digging in, smelling, listening and looking deeply at plants. “It has been in the planning stages since before the Garden opened in 2015,” says Beth Exton, development director for the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in Oakdale.
Helm on the Allegheny will bring 219 apartments to the Strip District with co-living and affordable units
Helm on the Allegheny. Rendering courtesy of Oxford Development. With all the development going on in the Strip District right now, it’s hard to stand out. The 219-unit Helm on the Allegheny, which just broke ground on Wednesday, might be easy to spot. “The building almost looks like a ship, like a cruise liner coming out of the Allegheny,” says Brandon Guy of SteelStreet Capital Partners, which is working on Helm with Oxford Development.
The Coop Chicken & Waffles opens in the North Side on Friday
Photo courtesy of The Coop Chicken & Waffles. Nicki Cardilli and Justin Fitzgerald have been cooped up for too long. After years in the making, the couple is finally ready to open their restaurant at 401 East Ohio St. on the North Side. The Coop Chicken & Waffles, the brick-and-mortar version of their popular food truck, debuts on Friday for takeout. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
How the COVID Field Response Team is keeping restaurants in check while Safe Service PGH asks them to take the pledge
Allegheny County Health Department’s new COVID Field Response Team (COVID-FRT) is on duty, having stopped at 68 food establishments throughout the region in its first two days. The 10-member task force, which makes daily rounds, was created to ensure that businesses comply with state and county health orders.
More than a million COVID-19 test kits are getting prepped and shipped from Berlin Packaging in Pittsburgh; now hiring
Photo courtesy of Berlin Packaging. When a client told Dan Waters at Berlin Packaging of the need for space to ready its COVID-19 test kits for shipment, he offered up a portion of Berlin’s warehouse in Clinton, near Pittsburgh International Airport. Now Berlin, a Chicago-based packaging supplier with 900 manufacturing partners around the globe, is building a temporary workforce to help with the test kits project.
Allegheny County is permitting indoor dining starting today at 5 p.m.
Pizza at Sarafino's. Photo courtesy of Joe Caliguire. It’s back. At least for now and at 25% capacity. Dr. Debra Bogen issued the new order this morning stating that indoor dining is now allowed in Allegheny County at the same capacity allowed by the state, 25%, which was announced by Gov. Wolf on Wednesday. Indoor and outdoor seating for sit-down and dine-in service at bars, restaurants and private events will be closed to patrons by 11 p.m., according to the order.
750 Pittsburghers will participate in the first COVID-19 vaccine trial through UPMC and Pitt
Dr. Sharon Riddler and Dr. Judy Martin. The Moderna vaccine — which just announced a successful phase one trial and is one of the furthest along so far in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine — is coming to Pittsburgh.
Black AF edition celebrates Pittsburgh's Black community
While protestors marched through the streets, eight artists made their voices heard with spray paint and brushes. The sentiment, however, was the same: Black Lives Matter. Spirit Walls: Black AF Edition brought local, Black talent together last weekend to create an inspiring piece on the side of Spirit at 51st Street in Lawrenceville. Co-organizer Jerome “Chu” Charles and artist Atiya Jones work on the Spirit Walls: Black AF Edition mural on Saturday. Photo by Kristy Locklin.
Homestead Masonic Hall Lofts brings historic 103-year-old building back to life
Homestead Masonic Hall Lofts. Photo courtesy of Q Development. Separated by train tracks from The Waterfront shopping center, the neighborhood of Homestead has languished for a long time, but slowly, steadily, things are starting to happen. One example is the restoration of the Masonic Hall at 338 E. 9th Avenue, by Q Development, into 20 market-rate apartments called the Homestead Masonic Hall Lofts.
West Penn Hospital submits 10-year master plan, adding ambulatory care center and increasing staff
Rendering courtesy of West Penn Hospital. West Penn Hospital has big ideas for the coming decade. Over the next 10 years, the Bloomfield hospital expects moderate growth, says an institutional master plan submitted to the city’s Planning Commission. Among other proposed building projects, West Penn would build an ambulatory care center and a new garage, enabling it to increase inpatient beds from 360 to 600.
McCaffery purchases land adjacent to the Terminal project, which is seeking local businesses
Terminal building on the right. Rendering courtesy of McCaffery Interests. With the massive, five-block Terminal redevelopment in the Strip District on its way to completion this fall, the same developer has plucked a nearby piece of land for future development. Chicago-based McCaffery Interests has acquired a 3.5-acre site adjacent to the former produce terminal from Rugby Realty, a New Jersey-based developer that had planned the $80 million Brickworks office development on the spot.
Pittsburgh concert venues and music promoters band together to survive pandemic
Mr. Small's Theatre in Millvale. Photo courtesy of Mr. Small's. The late, beloved rapper Mac Miller got started at the late, beloved Shadow Lounge in East Liberty. In fact, just about every musician you love got their start playing small venues in their hometown, before touring a similar network of venues around the country. “Live music plays a vital role in a city’s identity, offering a sense of pride and belonging to people,” says Leigh Yock, co-owner of Spirit in Lawrenceville.
New online monitoring dashboard lets you track COVID-19 trends and crunch numbers by county in PA
Courtesy of the PA Department of Health. Now there’s a new online tool to stay better informed about COVID-19 cases on a week-to-week basis, from new cases to hospitalizations and more, county by county in Pennsylvania. The COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard — available here — allows you to crunch the numbers in various ways, from the incident rates per 100,000 population to the difference in the average number of patients on ventilators.
A warehouse in the Strip District will house Pro Bike + Run with a fitness center, brewpub and cafe
Rendering of 2400 Smallman St. courtesy of Pfaffmann + Associates. A vacant warehouse in the heart of the Strip District will be transformed into a unique recreation and event complex with a bicycle shop, fitness center, brewpub and café. The two-story building at 2400 Smallman St. is owned by Chuck Hammel of Pitt Ohio, who bought it last June from J & N Sunseri Produce for $1.6 million. It’s located next to Wigle Whiskey, the Otto Milk Condominiums and the 3 Crossings development.
Kyle Holbrook completes the largest mural in Pittsburgh, the Liberation Wall, which chronicles black history
Kyle Holbrook, artist and creator of Liberation Wall, in Homewood. Photo by Tracy Certo. It’s called the Liberation Wall. Kyle Holbrook started the mural in 2017 as a chronicle of Black history. He will complete it by Wednesday, three years later, now that he has added George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, recent victims of police brutality and racial violence.
The Peach Truck rolls into Pittsburgh in June and two more dates this summer
Photo courtesy of The Peach Truck. The world is far from peachy keen right now, but Stephen and Jessica Rose are trying to make it better. The Nashville couple runs The Peach Truck, a roving business that delivers the famous Georgia fruit to more than 400 locations in 11 states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania. For the fourth summer in a row, the truck will make stops in Pittsburgh –this year on June 28, July 19 and Aug. 4 in multiple locations.
Obsidian Nail Studio attracts a cult following after overcoming the odds
Photo courtesy of Obsidian Nail Studio. Professional nail artist Stephanie Campbell scratched and clawed her way to success, so to speak. In 2016, the 28-year-old was diagnosed with Chiari malformation, a condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal causing debilitating migraines and hand numbness. She had surgery to remove part of her skull and spine. Doctors recommended a career change, but she clung to her dream.
Former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter and his wife are transforming an entire church campus into a center for children and adults with special needs
Image courtesy of Jasmine Nyree Campus. When their daughter Jasmine Nyree was born with severe autism, Joey and Christy Porter struggled to find resources to help them care for her. So, the former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and his wife took it upon themselves and tackled the situation head-on. In 2003, they opened the Jasmine Nyree Day Center in Bakersfield, Calif., for children ages 5 to 12 years old with special needs.
Construction starting this summer on 51-unit apartment building in Uptown
1707 Fifth Avenue. Rendering courtesy of Indovina Associates Architects. After decades of neglect, momentum has shifted in the relatively small Uptown neighborhood between Downtown and Oakland. A new $10 million, 51-unit apartment building is coming to 1707 Fifth Avenue, currently one of the neighborhood’s many surface parking lots. The 55,000-square-foot building is being developed by McAllister Equities, the same group currently constructing two eight-unit apartments in the neighborhood.
Port Authority gets $99.95M for Bus Rapid Transit linking Downtown and Oakland
Port Authority of Allegheny County has secured a $99.95 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to connect Downtown to Oakland through rapid transit electric buses. The agency met Monday with federal officials for the first time since President Donald Trump announced the grant on Twitter last week. Port Authority announced the $225 million Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, system in 2017 to connect major city hubs with electric buses in dedicated lanes.
6 fun businesses to help you celebrate special occasions during the pandemic
Photo courtesy of funk | BALLOON Being at home during the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t mean you have to put your partying on hold. From birthday parades and backyard weddings to singing telegrams and Zoom family reunions, there are still ways (and reasons) to celebrate while you practice social distancing. These local businesses will help make it memorable. Photo courtesy of funk|BALLOON.
$75 million Arsenal development bringing 343 more apartments to Lawrenceville
Phase 2 of Arsenal 201. Rendering courtesy of Milhaus. Will Lawrenceville stay hot as a residential market, despite the coronavirus-related financial troubles impacting the economy? One big project is moving forward. Financing is in place for Indianapolis-based Milhaus to add 343 units to its Arsenal 201 development. The first 243 apartments are 100% leased.
Your guide to Pittsburgh area farmers’ markets
Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership website. Visiting local farmers’ markets is a summertime tradition for Pittsburghers, but COVID-19 and Allegheny County Health Department guidelines are changing how these open-air bazaars operate. Key elements of the experience, including on-site dining, live entertainment and large crowds, are now major no-nos.
Braddock's historic Ohringer Building will feature 37 affordable-rate artist residences
The Ohringer Building in Braddock. The Ohringer Building could tell the history of Braddock. Once an eight-story furniture store, a beacon of commerce along the bustling Braddock Avenue business corridor, the long-vacant building will reopen late this summer after a $10 million renovation. The residential project includes 37 affordable-rate artist residences including studios and one-bedroom units. “The community has spoken and I’ve taken their convictions to heart,” says developer Gregg Kander.
Meet Teddy (aka Tedina), the huge stuffed bear that has become a sensation in this Pittsburgh neighborhood
The huge teddy bear dresses up in different costumes daily to the delight of neighbors and passersby. All photos courtesy of Caddy Durkin Harper. One day it appears as Teddy dressed for golf with clubs and a tee flag. The next day it’s Tedina dressed in a gown and holding flowers. Another day it’s relaxing, reading the paper and enjoying a cup of coffee.
How Pittsburgh businesses are coping, and getting creative, during the pandemic
The new normal. Lora Sigesmund, co-owner of PerLora Furniture, and her dog Marly work from home during the COVID-19 shutdown. Photo courtesy of Lora Sigesmund. Life was sweet for Nina Midgley before the COVID-19 outbreak. She spent the last six years making chocolate and other assorted treats at her store in Bridgeville’s Collier Town Square. Then on March 17, due to the coronavirus, she was ordered to close My Favorite Sweet Shoppe.
How Pittsburgh glass artist Gillian Preston is making the most of coronavirus downtime
Gillian Preston of Broken Plates at Handmade Arcade in December 2019. Photo by TH Carlisle. Glass artist Gillian Preston has a vision for her creative business, and she’s not letting the coronavirus quarantine get in the way. Like all small business owners, Preston is feeling the impact. If things were normal, art lovers around the country would be browsing in museum gift shops and places like the Pittsburgh Glass Center, where they’d discover Preston’s striking, handmade jewelry.
Local publications form Pittsburgh Media Partnership to report on big topics with impact
When Pittsburgh’s two Jewish burial societies struggled with how to stay safe from the coronavirus, the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle told the heartbreaking story of one man’s decision to stop carrying out the purification rituals that are central to his religion. “I feel horrible about it,” Jonathan Schachter, president of the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh, told the newspaper. “I feel like I’m letting the community down.
Local animal groups and businesses helping pet owners through the pandemic
Rue, pictured here, was adopted recently by Alanna Haefner of Downtown Pittsburgh. Sit. Stay home. Good human. As we adhere to sheltering in place, many of us are hunkered down with our beloved pets wondering, where would we be without them? If there are any winners in this coronavirus crisis, it’s our pets. Many local animal welfare organizations and businesses throughout Pittsburgh are helping them — and us –through the pandemic.
Pittsburgh aims to extend the trail in the Strip to eventually reach the Highland Park Bridge.
The trail now ends at 24th St. in the Strip District as shown here. Photo by TH Carlisle Pittsburgh is taking a big step in its attempt to extend the trail from the Point through the Strip District, Lawrenceville and beyond. This week, City Council introduced a resolution authorizing the application for a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, to help buy a CSX Transportation rail line between 24th and 33rd streets.
Strip District grocers are open for business. And there are no lines
Photo courtesy of Strip District Neighbors. The bustling, shoulder-to-shoulder weekend crowds along Penn Avenue are now gone, replaced by an eerie emptiness as the world hunkers down in quarantine. The Strip District, however, is still open for business. As shoppers pour into Giant Eagle and other major chains around town — forcing many of them to limit the number of shoppers at one time — the city’s small, locally-owned grocers have room to spare and stocked shelves.
Leandra Mira speaks for Pittsburgh's youth on the need to declare an Earth Day climate emergency
Photo of Leandra Mira by Jared Wickerham for the Pittsburgh City Paper. by Leandra Mira Leandra Mira, 18, was inspired by Greta Thunberg to join Fridays for Future PGH in protest of climate issues. She began staging a quiet protest on the steps of the City-County Building last May. She was a fixture there, often joined by a cadre of fans and fellow activists including moms with kids, students and environmentalists, until the Covid-19 crisis hit.
Pittsburgh-based VetNOW partners with global company to provide telehealth service for vets nationwide
Photo courtesy of VetNOW. If you’re worried about your pet’s health but not sure it’s worth a trip to the vet during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, try telehealth. VetNOW, a Pittsburgh-based virtual care company providing veterinary telemedicine services, is partnering with the global company Elanco Animal Health to provide veterinarians with access to their platform so they can maintain their service to animals and owners, including specialist consultations.
UPMC and Pitt are leading a global effort to fast-track coronavirus therapies. “This is an unprecedented pandemic and we need an unprecedented response.”
As COVID-19 rips into communities worldwide, in our own community Pitt and UPMC are accelerating the normally slow, methodical process of clinical trials to unforeseen speeds, using a “learning while doing” approach. A new clinical trial developed by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine launches today at UPMC.
Heinz Endowments awards $2.3 million 'initial wave' in emergency grants
Photo courtesy of The Heinz Endowments. The Heinz Endowments has awarded over $2.3 million in an initial wave of emergency grants to help meet urgent need in the Pittsburgh community as nonprofit organizations and local government agencies struggle to address unprecedented hardship in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why are 100 Pittsburgh superstars serenading us? Watch this new video to find out.
Screen shot courtesy of Vault Recording Studio. Counting the song off with the clicks of his Iron City beer can, Pittsburgh Dad (aka Curt Wootton) joins nearly 100 other superstars to serenade us all with one simple, yet very important, message: Stay Home. Stay Safe.
How Pittsburgh companies are pivoting to face the coronavirus crisis
Wigle Whiskey and hand sanitizer. Photo courtesy of Wigle Whiskey. In the past few weeks, Meredith Meyer Grelli of Wigle Whiskey has found herself besieged with thousands of requests for hand sanitizer, coming from all angles. So Wigle Whiskey, the much-awarded Strip District-based distiller, is now making hand sanitizer, exclusively for Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Safety.
What will happen to Randyland as Randy plans to step down?
For the last decade, Randy Gilson has been creator, curator, gardener and host at one of Pittsburgh’s most colorful and iconic houses: Randyland. And on a recent hot summer afternoon, visitors from as far as Argentina and New Zealand came to check out the folk art paradise on the corner of Arch and Jacksonia Streets on the North Side. A typical day brings in 200 to 300 visitors—and Gilson is there to greet them. Photo by Lauri Grotstein.
Where to shop for local chocolate and Easter treats in Pittsburgh
Photo courtesy of Sarris Candies. After a few weeks in quarantine, it’s easy to lose track of time. Newsflash: Easter Sunday’s fast approaching, even if it seems like April 12 is a lifetime from now. Here are some ways you can celebrate the holiday in quarantine. Kraynak’s Easter Bunny Lane For decades, Hermitage’s “store for all seasons” has delighted shoppers with its extravagant holiday displays. Visiting the 300-foot Easter Bunny Lane is a spring tradition for many Pittsburgh-area residents.
Pitt and UPMC scientists have created a potential coronavirus vaccine
As the coronavirus pandemic tears through the world, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC have been racing to develop a potential coronavirus vaccine. They developed what they’re calling a dissolvable microneedle array. It goes on like a band-aid, doesn’t require refrigeration and is more easily mass-produced than other vaccines.
On Saturday night, hundreds of folks in Aspinwall held a porch toast
Carrie Benson, who organized the porch toast, with her husband, Jonathan. by Sarah Tuthill, an Aspinwall resident Aspinwall, a quaint sidewalk community tucked along the Allegheny River, was tightly knit before the coronavirus hit the Pittsburgh region. It’s the type of community where people gather at the coffee shop or local pub, organize block parties, hold street concerts and love a good parade. In other words, a very Pittsburgh kind of place.
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