History Usefulnotes / Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh International Airport (official abbreviation: PIT), located about 20 miles west of downtown in Findlay and Moon Townships,[[note]]Pittsburgh's hilly terrain meant that a suitable airport had to be built from converted farmland ''way'' outside the city[[/note]] is notable for a few reasons. First, it was founded as a military airfield during World War 2 before branching into commercial service in the early 50's. While several major US airports got started this way, PIT is one of the few that still has an active Air Force base to this day. Second, the current commercial terminal opened in 1992 with a full-blown shopping center. The [=AirMall=] (after the company that formerly operated it), was the first major shopping center located in an airport anywhere in the world. Additionally, the [=AirMall=] company and the airport authority reached an agreement that all retail chains operating within the mall had to charge the same prices as locations elsewhere. This policy remains in force today. In the wake of 9/11, PIT had cut off terminal access from non-passengers, greatly hindering the [=AirMall=] as it was popular with locals, but access was restored in 2017 during normal working hours, making it the first airport in the US to allow non-ticketed access past the TSA checkpoint since 2001. Visitors must sign up for the program at the airport's website, and must pass the same TSA security checks as ticketed passengers. Similar programs have since been introduced at Tampa International and Detroit Metro.

Pittsburgh International Airport (official abbreviation: PIT), located about 20 miles west of downtown in Findlay and Moon Townships,[[note]]Pittsburgh's hilly terrain meant that a suitable airport had to be built from converted farmland ''way'' outside the city[[/note]] is notable for a few reasons. First, it was founded as a military airfield during World War 2 before branching into commercial service in the early 50's. While several major US airports got started this way, PIT is one of the few that still has an active Air Force base to this day. Second, when the current commercial terminal opened in 1992, it included a full-blown shopping center known as "[=AirMall=]" (after the company that operates it), featuring over 100 name-brand retailers. It was the first major shopping center located in an airport anywhere in the world. Additionally, the [=AirMall=] company and the airport authority reached an agreement that all retail chains operating within the mall had to charge the same prices as locations elsewhere. This policy remains in force today. In the wake of 9/11, PIT had cut off terminal access from the non-ticketed public, greatly hindering the [=AirMall=], but access was restored in 2017 during normal working hours, making it the first airport in the US to allow general public access past the TSA checkpoint since 2001. Visitors must sign up for the program at the airport's website, and must pass the same TSA security checks as ticketed passengers. Similar programs have since been introduced at Tampa International and Detroit Metro.

Pittsburgh International Airport (official abbreviation: PIT), located about 20 miles west of downtown in Findlay and Moon Townships,[[note]]Pittsburgh's hilly terrain meant that a suitable airport had to be built from converted farmland ''way'' outside the city[[/note]] is notable for a few reasons. First, it was founded as a military airfield during World War 2 before branching into commercial service in the early 50's. While several major US airports had similar origins, PIT is one of the few that still has an active Air Force base to this day. Second, when the current commercial terminal opened in 1992, it included a full-blown shopping center known as "[=AirMall=]" (after the company that operates it), featuring over 100 name-brand retailers. It was the first major shopping center located in an airport anywhere in the world. Additionally, the [=AirMall=] company and the airport authority reached an agreement that all retail chains operating within the mall had to charge the same prices as locations elsewhere. This policy remains in force today. In the wake of 9/11, PIT had cut off terminal access from the non-ticketed public, greatly hindering the [=AirMall=], but access was restored in 2017 during normal working hours, making it the first airport in the US to allow general public access past the TSA checkpoint since 2001. Visitors must sign up for the program at the airport's website, and must pass the same TSA security checks as ticketed passengers. Similar programs have since been introduced at Tampa International and Detroit Metro.

Pittsburgh International Airport (official abbreviation: PIT), located about 20 miles west of downtown in Findlay and Moon Townships,[[note]]Pittsburgh's hilly terrain meant that a suitable airport had to be built from converted farmland ''way'' outside the city[[/note]] is notable for a few reasons. It was founded as a military airfield during World War 2 before branching into commercial service in the early 50's. While several major US airports had similar origins, PIT is one of the few that still has an active Air Force base to this day. When the current commercial terminal opened in 1992, it included a full-blown shopping center known as "[=AirMall=]" (after the company that operates it), featuring over 100 name-brand retailers. It was the first major shopping center located in an airport anywhere in the world. Additionally, the [=AirMall=] company and the airport authority reached an agreement that all retail chains that operated within the airport had to charge the same prices as locations outside the airport. This policy remains in force today. In the wake of 9/11, PIT had cut off terminal access from the non-ticketed public, greatly hindering the mall, but access was restored in 2017 during normal working hours, making it the first airport in the US to allow general public access past the TSA checkpoint since 2001. Visitors must sign up for the program at the airport's website, and must pass the same TSA security checks as ticketed passengers. Similar programs were later introduced at Tampa International and Detroit Metro.

Pittsburgh International Airport (official abbreviation: PIT), located about 20 miles west of downtown in Findlay and Moon Townships, is notable for a few reasons. When the current terminal opened in 1992, it included a full-blown shopping center known as "[=AirMall=]" (after the company that operates it), featuring over 100 name-brand retailers. It was the first major shopping center located in an airport anywhere in the world. Additionally, the [=AirMall=] company and the airport authority reached an agreement that all retail chains that operated within the airport had to charge the same prices as locations outside the airport. This policy remains in force today. It was also the first airport in the world to offer email fare alerts. In arguably an even more notable event, in 2017 PIT restored full terminal access to the non-ticketed public (though only during normal working hours on all days of the week), making it the first US commercial airport to allow general public access past the TSA checkpoint since 9/11. Visitors must sign up for the program at the airport's website, and must pass the same TSA security checks as ticketed passengers. (Similar program were later introduced at Tampa International and Detroit Metro.)

Pittsburgh International Airport (official abbreviation: PIT), located about 20 miles west of downtown in Findlay and Moon Townships, is notable for a few reasons. When the current terminal opened in 1992, it included a full-blown shopping center known as "[=AirMall=]" (after the company that operates it), featuring over 100 name-brand retailers. It was the first major shopping center located in an airport anywhere in the world. Additionally, the [=AirMall=] company and the airport authority reached an agreement that all retail chains that operated within the airport had to charge the same prices as locations outside the airport. This policy remains in force today. It was also the first airport in the world to offer email fare alerts. In arguably an even more notable event, in 2017 PIT restored full terminal access to the non-ticketed public (though only during normal working hours on all days of the week), making it the first US commercial airport to allow general public access past the TSA checkpoint since 9/11. Visitors must sign up for the program at the airport's website, and must pass the same TSA security checks as ticketed passengers. (A similar program was later introduced at Tampa International, and is set to be trialed at Detroit Metro during the 2019 holiday season.)

* [[Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood Fred Rogers]] - Born in Latrobe and spent most of his working life in Pittsburgh; perhaps the world's--or at least America's--most beloved yinzer (his soft accent is characteristic of middle-class Pittsburgh people of his generation).

* {{Neologism}}s[=/=]SeparatedByACommonLanguage: Pittsburghese -- In the Burgh, yinz redd up your room with the sweeper cuz it needs cleaned, buy pop and p'rogies [[note]]ahem, that's "pirohi" in these parts[[/note]] and chipped ham with a buggy at Jye Neegle [[note]]Giant Eagle, the local grocery chain[[/note]], eat hoagies and dippy eggs, bind things with gumbands, grab your bookbag and tossel cap before riding a friend somewhere, and ignerrant jagoffs neb in your business n'at cuz you say "whenever" whenever most people say "when." Watch out for the jagger bushes and be careful on the slippy roads, or you might fall in a crick!

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Or rather, an "H" on the end, one of the few "burg"'s in the United States to do so: Pittsburg'''h'''. It's a complicated story [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_Pittsburgh you can read about on Wikipedia]].

* {{Neologism}}s[=/=]SeparatedByACommonLanguage: Pittsburghese -- In the Burgh, yinz redd up your room, buy pop and p'rogies [[note]]ahem, that's "pirohi" in these parts[[/note]] at Jye Neegle [[note]]Giant Eagle, the local grocery chain[[/note]], eat hoagies, bind things with gumbands, and jagoffs neb in your business n'at cuz you say "whenever" whenever most people say "when."

* ''Series/QueerAsFolk'':

* The TV movie version of ''Series/TheStand'', the local [[http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=armstrong+tunnel+pittsburgh&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Armstrong+Tunnel,+Pittsburgh,+Allegheny,+Pennsylvania+15219&gl=us&ei=woGwTNWyI8T7lwey6ajlDw&sqi=2&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA&ll=40.437532,-79.991809&spn=0.001739,0.005284&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=40.43788,-79.992108&panoid=8Y86SP1mktbfWWWgLv2evQ&cbp=12,153.58,,0,-1.58 Armstrong Tunnel]] (which goes under Duquesne University and empties out onto the 10th Street Bridge), stands in for the Lincoln Tunnel in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity.

* ''Series/QueerAsFolk'' - But really shot in Toronto

* George Westinghouse

Pittsburgh (pronounced ''PITTS-burg'')[[note]]Since it was founded by Scottish native John Forbes, he may well have intended the pronunciation to be "Pittsburra", but it got Americanized.[[/note]] is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}} (behind UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}), the economic and cultural hub of Western Pennsylvania, and the largest city in the UsefulNotes/{{Appalachia}} region. It is located at the point where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers combine to form the Ohio River, and has more bridges than any other city in the world (even beating UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} by three). It was originally named after UsefulNotes/WilliamPittTheElder, later Prime Minister of the UK, for his role in the UsefulNotes/SevenYearsWar. It is the only city in the United States that was allowed by the Postal Service to end in "burgh" throughout the 20th century; see the entry under PleaseSelectNewCityName for details.[[note]]Plattsburgh, New York had its H restored in 1951 after historical documentation convinced the Postal Service that Plattsburgh was the proper original spelling.[[/note]]

* Chuck Cooper - First African-American drafted into the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]] (yes, there was a time when the NBA was all-white), where he played for the Boston Celtics.

The combination of rivers and Appalachian hills leads to countless [[SceneryPorn natural vistas of the region.]] Many people would pay to see the kind of view that the average Pittsburgher gets from the [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight parking lot of their grocery store]] or on their daily commutes. Downtown is built at the bottom of a steep mountain valley, with neighborhoods rising uphill from the center. This has three major effects: First, Pittsburgh has an extensive system of public elevators--and two funiculars!--to get people between neighborhoods that are very close on the map but have several-dozen-foot drops between them in elevation. Second, many houses in Pittsburgh neighborhoods are at least at eye level with if not ''above'' the tops of the highest skyscrapers in Downtown. That's right, many an ordinary yinzer can look out his front porch and pretend to be looking right at the CEO of U.S. Steel. Third, as much of the terrain is too rugged to build on, many urban and suburban areas are interrupted by acres of woodland. Seeing deer stroll through your driveway is a common sight, regardless of whether you live in the city limits or on a farm the next county over.

The combination of rivers and Appalachian hills leads to countless [[SceneryPorn natural vistas of the region.]] Many people would pay to see the kind of view that the average Pittsburgher gets from the [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight parking lot of their grocery store]] or on their daily commutes. As much of the terrain is too rugged to build on, many urban and suburban areas are interrupted by acres of woodland. Seeing deer stroll through your driveway is a common sight, regardless of whether you live in the city limits or on a farm the next county over.

The city is home of KDKA, the oldest commercial radio station in the nation and one of the few exceptions to the "W*** east of the Mississippi, K*** west of the Mississippi" rule. Regionally, Pittsburgh is difficult to classify, as the city draws influences from the Midwest, the East Coast, and Appalachia, as opposed to the solidly East Coast Philly. Given the vast countryside ("Pennsyltucky") between them, they're culturally worlds apart. It is also known as Steel City, due to being a booming (and polluted) mill town for much of its history. Most of the steel industry has left, which put the city in an [[DyingTown economic slump]] for several decades. This tends to be the only thing most outsiders know about Pittsburgh.

The city i home of KDKA, the oldest commercial radio station in the nation and one of the few exceptions to the "W*** east of the Mississippi, K*** west of the Mississippi" rule. Regionally, Pittsburgh is difficult to classify, as the city draws influences from the Midwest, the East Coast, and Appalachia, as opposed to the solidly East Coast Philly. Given the vast countryside ("Pennsyltucky") between them, they're culturally worlds apart. It is also known as Steel City, due to being a booming (and polluted) mill town for much of its history. Most of the steel industry has left, which put the city in an [[DyingTown economic slump]] for several decades. This tends to be the only thing most outsiders know about Pittsburgh.

Home of KDKA, the oldest commercial radio station in the nation and one of the few exceptions to the "W*** east of the Mississippi, K*** west of the Mississippi" rule. Pittsburgh is more of a Midwestern city unlike the solidly East Coast Philly; given the vast countryside ("Pennsyltucky") between them, they're culturally worlds apart. It is also known as Steel City, due to being a booming (and polluted) mill town for much of its history. Most of the steel industry has left, which put the city in an [[DyingTown economic slump]] for several decades. This tends to be the only thing most outsiders know about Pittsburgh.

[[caption-width-right:350:It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood.]]

* ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' (Fred Rogers was born in Latrobe and lived most of his life in Pittsburgh. The show was produced by the local PBS affilate: WQED. They've even got an (admittedly odd-looking) statue of him on the North Shore. Yes, [[Literal Metaphor this is Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.]])

[[caption-width-right:350:[[It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood.]]

* ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' (Fred Rogers was born in Latrobe and lived most of his life in Pittsburgh. The show was produced by the local PBS affilate: WQED. They've even got an (admittedly odd-looking) statue of him on the North Shore.)

* David [=McCullough=] — historian who won the Pulitzer Prize for a biography of UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman, which a film was based on. He also narrated ''Series/TheAmericanExperience'' on PBS for many years. And he's also got a bridge named after him.

* ''Film/InspectorGadget'': The 1999 live-action film featured Pittsburgh landmarks prominently under the vague guise of "Riverton" (which was implied to be in Ohio). (The second film was filmed in Australia, though.) Because for all of the movie's faults, PPG Place ''is'' Dr. Claw's castle.

** Liberty Avenue is an average downtown street in real life and not Pittsburgh's {{Gayborhood}}, which the city lacks (gay-owned bars and business are scattered amongst downtown and the city's trendier neighborhoods). This may be due to the fact that Pegasus, once Pittsburgh's most popular gay club, used to be located on Liberty and the annual Pride festival is held there.

* {{Gayborhood}}: As mentioned earlier, this is averted. GLBT residents and related businesses are decentralized and scattered throughout the city. However, the real Liberty Avenue, in addition to hosting a couple gay bars and the annual Pride, also has a reputation for transgender prostitutes.

[[https://www.anthrocon.org/ Anthrocon]], one of the largest furry conventions in the world, moved to Pittsburgh in 2006 and takes over downtown annually. The city has embraced the con, not the least because of the [[MoneyDearBoy considerable revenue]] (in the millions) it brings to the city over the weekend it's held. The affection is reciprocated; when downtown cafe Fernando's was threatened with closure, the furry community donated over $20,000 to keep the doors open.

* ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968'', ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978'', and ''Film/LandOfTheDead''. Creator/GeorgeARomero went to college in Pittsburgh and did a lot of early work there, including a segment of ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' in which Mr. Rogers gets a tonsillectomy. This experience inspired Romero to get into the horror genre.
** ''Film/{{Creepshow}}'', also by Romero, was partly filmed on Carnegie-Mellon University campus, a fact pointed out by most of the tour guides along with that the cricket population stems almost entirely from descendants of a spilled cage during the filming.