Tails of the City: Exploring All 90 of Pittsburgh’s Neighborhoods With Our Dog!

Allegheny Center

For a small neighborhood, Allegheny Center seems to have a lot going on with various businesses, museums, and parks.  Here’s Chewie and Erica with some bird friends outside the National Aviary. 🦅

Allegheny West

Western Ave was a cute street to explore with brick sidewalks and lots of flowers along it.

Allentown

We saw St. John Vianney Church from a distance and walked over to appreciate its beauty and character.  From what I’ve read, it looks like the church has been closed for some time which is a shame.

Arlington

Here’s one of the sidewalk staircases we walked on in this hilly neighborhood.

Arlington Heights

At the top of Arlington Ave there are large, fenced-off fields on both sides of the road.  From my understanding, this is where some torn down public housing buildings used to be.  At the moment, it almost looks like a scene out of a dystopian movie like the Hunger Games.

Banksville

This neighborhood had many cute, quiet residential streets like this one.  It’s one of the handful of neighborhoods we could envision ourselves moving to in the future.

Bedford Dwellings

We were disappointed by this “Garden of Hope” which appears to just be overgrown shrubbery surrounded by a locked fence.  👎🏻

Beechview

This neighborhood is home to Canton Ave., which is claimed to be the steepest street in the United States.  Though upon researching this fact, it appears to be second place now.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see this record-setting street at all thanks to quite a few irresponsible dog owners who were letting their dogs wander unattended in the street.  We didn’t want to take the chance that they’d be unfriendly so we instead took a photo with a much less interesting abandoned house.

On the bright side, Erica found a little park with a wobbling Dinosaur she felt the need to ride. 😂

Beltzhoover

Yes, we found this street sign funny.  Yes, we’re immature children. 🙈

Bloomfield

We stumbled upon one tree in this neighborhood which has dozens of brightly colored bird houses hanging from it.  We thought this was a great idea and that it added a really fun touch to the neighborhood.

Elsewhere in Bloomfield, we saw a stark warning sign as to the dangers of tomatoes.  Not sure what this is about, but it made for some fun conversation!

Bluff (Uptown)

We stopped at the campus of UPMC Mercy Hospital where Erica used to work.

Bon Air

This neighborhood was interesting because it was small but it had a very different, more suburban feel than the neighborhoods surrounding it.  There was a stark difference in the span of just a block.

Brighton Heights

We loved this house’s Halloween decorations, but we have no idea why a statue of a pig was included! 😂

Brookline

Perhaps our favorite spot in all of Pittsburgh…Fiori’s Pizza. 🍕

California Kirkbride

This was an interesting, well-done mural on the side of one of the buildings in California Kirkbride.  While this one isn’t included on the list, you can find some other murals scattered across the city on this map.

Carrick

With the hilly landscape of Pittsburgh, you get lots of great views from many parts of the city.  We stopped at this intersection in Carrick to appreciate this one.

Central Lawrenceville

We stopped at Geppetto Cafe in Central Lawrenceville, one of our favorite brunch spots in the city.  They have fantastic crepes and paninis!

Central North Side

The iconic and colorful Randyland. 🌈 We even saw Randy himself walking down the street.

Central Oakland

The unique but not-so-visually-appealing Litchfield Towers at the University of Pittsburgh.  Because who wouldn’t want to live in a pie-shaped dorm room?

Chartiers City

Here’s Chewie posing with a big anchor located outside White Lily Baptist Church.  Apparently the pulpit inside the church looks like the bow of a ship which is pretty neat!

Chateau

The USS Requin Submarine parked in the Ohio River outside the Carnegie Science Center.

Crafton Heights

From our brief time here, Crafton Heights seems like an underrated, residential neighborhood that’s pretty cute and quiet.

Crawford-Roberts

While a lot of the neighborhoods in this area get a bad rap, on some of the streets like this one in Crawford-Roberts you’d have no idea that you were between the Hill District and Uptown.  It’s well taken care of and very pleasant.

Downtown

PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team.  Since I’ve heard many people refer to this as part of Uptown, I was surprised to learn that it’s within Downtown’s boundaries.

Duquesne Heights

The Duquesne Incline, one of Pittsburgh two iconic inclines.

East Allegheny

The shops on E. Ohio St. are home to some quite interesting small businesses.

East Carnegie

Erica and Chewie in front of the Union Electric Steel plant.

East Hills

Chewie and myself at the bottom of Dornbush St., the 8th steepest street in the United States.

East Liberty

Dear Target, Chewie is waiting on a sponsorship deal!

Esplen

While abandoned houses are often eyesores, this one was particularly interesting in the way it was starting to become “reclaimed” by nature.

Fairywood

While unassuming, this was a cool “hidden” find in the Fairywood neighborhood!  From my understanding, this is part of an abandoned “ghost highway” which was started in the 1960s and never completed.

Fineview

As the name would suggest, this neighborhood provides great views of the Downtown skyline!

There was also a really great park in this neighborhood which had fitness equipment, sports courts, and lots of playground equipment, including this fun basket swing!

Friendship

Friendship had a ton of mini traffic circles which I haven’t seen many of in Pittsburgh outside of this neighborhood.

Garfield

After climbing this hill, we got a good view of the Cathedral of Learning off in the distance!

Glen Hazel

Erica and Chewie stopped for a break in the gazebo outside this apartment complex.

Greenfield

Chewie paid a visit to his veterinarian in Greenfield.  He must’ve been pleasantly surprised when he didn’t even have to go inside! 😂

Hays

While there are a few residential streets, this neighborhood is mostly woods so we went for a little hike on one of the trails.

Hazelwood

I’m no real estate expert, but this is a neighborhood I could see really gaining some popularity in the future, with Second Ave being home to an assortment of little restaurants and shops.

Highland Park

We explored the actual park of Highland Park, walking around the reservoir and on a few of the trails.

Here’s a photo from Babbling Brook Trail which made for a quick, serene hike.

Homewood North

Erica and Chewie on Frankstown Ave. which marks the boundary between Homewood North and Homewood South.

Homewood South

St. Charles Lwanga church was impressive with beautiful, intricate architecture.

Homewood West

Another one of the eye-catching murals in Pittsburgh we enjoyed.  This one is outside of “The Shop” which is a unique collection of creative businesses like a barber shop, a makeup studio, and a resident artist.

Knoxville

This photo is technically cheating, because it wasn’t taken in Knoxville, but it shows a nice aerial view of this neighborhood from right where it borders Bon Air.

Larimer

Erica and Chewie outside the African Healing Garden on Meadow St.  While it was too cold to see it “in action,” it looks to be one of the more nicely cared for community gardens we’ve come across around the city.

Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar

This sign couldn’t be referring to fluffy Goldendoodles, could it? 😂

Lincoln Place

One of the more unique features of this neighborhood was the parking areas in front of many of the houses.  Not quite a driveway and not quite street parking, these “coves” allow some off-street parallel parking for residents.  The drawback is that they make walking your dog harder since you have to walk more in the street than on the side of the road.

Lower Lawrenceville

Erica and I typically associate “Lawrenceville” with Central Lawrenceville, so we hadn’t explored this neighborhood before.  There were just as many cute shops and restaurants here as Central Lawrenceville, but with seemingly less crowds.  We found a nice little garden to take a rest in with some animal murals.

Manchester

Manchester was interesting because it had quite a few England themed road names.  Here is Erica and Chewie with the Manchester sign on Columbus Ave.

Marshall-Shadeland

Chewie and I in front of Pittsburgh Paramedic Station 10 on Shadeland Ave.

Middle Hill

The Hill District definitely lived up to its name.  I swear we walked uphill both ways!

Morningside

A nice view from the corner of Morningside Ave. and Baker St.  This neighborhood had a lot of dog walkers out and about—and that’s always a good thing!

Mount Oliver

Chewie and I casually posing with some scattered, large tires.  I’m hoping some football team uses these to workout, otherwise I’m stumped why they’re outside an elementary school. 😂

Mount Washington

This neighborhood is home to the most famous view of the downtown skyline from the Grandview Overlook.  Just as importantly, it’s home to Grandview Bakery which is a must-visit for us whenever we’re here!

New Homestead

There were some HUGE houses in this neighborhood.  Sorry for being creepy if this is your home…but also…invite us over for dinner sometime!

North Oakland

Everybody’s favorite building…the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning. 🙌🏻

North Shore

Thomas and Chewie in front of PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.

Northview Heights

This neighborhood was mostly comprised of one big housing complex.  Here is Chewie and Erica surprised with a photo in front of the Northview Heights Estates community.

Oakwood

Chewie and Erica at Oakwood Park where they converted an old stone reservoir into tennis courts.  Shortly after this photo, Chewie found spilled chili under the snow and his entire mouth was stained red…ew. 🤮

Overbrook

This is another one of the more residential neighborhoods we really felt at home in.  Between the friendly people and the cozy houses, what more could you ask for?

Perry North

Chewie and I in front of Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park.

Perry South

In this neighborhood we stumbled upon some giant signs that looked like baseball cards.  This ended up being an educational exhibit about the Negro Leagues.  What a cool idea and something that many other people would probably be interested in visiting if the knew about it!

Point Breeze

This is Penham Pl, one of the nice, tree-lined streets we liked in this neighborhood.

Point Breeze North

Here’s Chewie walking around Westinghouse Park in this neighborhood.

Polish Hill

Thomas and Chewie at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.  This intricate, old building matches the older, more historic feel of this neighborhood.

Regent Square

Chewie and I posing with an interesting, concrete turtle statue next to the Environmental Charter School.  I’m not sure why it’s there…maybe it’s the school mascot? 🐢

Ridgemont

This was a memorable walk for all the wrong reasons.  Chewie pooped three separate times and accidentally stepped in it once.  Not a particularly fond memory. 🙈

Shadyside

One of our favorite neighborhoods to visit—mostly when we need our grilled cheese fix at The Yard!

Sheraden

Whoever’s wall that is should probably get that looked at. 😳

South Oakland

Erica and Chewie outside of UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital.  This was one of the locations Erica had her clinical experiences at during her time at Pitt.

South Shore

Admiring the downtown city skyline view from Station Square.

South Side Flats

The Color Park in South Side was something we didn’t realize existed until recently.  It’s kind of like a “controlled chaos” of graffiti which is an interesting idea!

South Side Slopes

Erica and Chewie at the Arlington Spray Park.  Since we were here during the winter, we had no idea it was a water park and spent an embarrassingly long amount of time figuring out how children use the “playground equipment.” 🤦🏼‍♀️

Spring Garden

World War I and II Memorial at Catalano Parklet.

Spring Hill-City View

We walked around the area close to Spring Hill Elementary.  They must have had some problem with unruly dog owners in the past, because there is an excessive amount of “No Dogs” signs here.

Squirrel Hill North

The “Walking to The Sky” sculpture at the Carnegie Mellon University campus.  Who’s real and who’s a statue? 🤔

Squirrel Hill South

Myself and Chewie in front of all the shops and restaurants on Murray Ave.

St. Clair

This was a church we found which had a distinctly different feel from all the older, elaborate ones we saw.  Can you tell by the smiles on our faces that this was the final neighborhood we completed on this year-long adventure? 😀

Stanton Heights

A nice view from the top of the big staircase that leads up to Stanton Heights from Morningside.

Strip District

There was a setup for photo ops in the touristy Strip District, so we took advantage of it!  While we were here we stumbled across a Peace Love & Mini Donuts location and got both human and doggy doughnuts!

Summer Hill

The Harry Potter nerds in us appreciated the intersection of Sirius St. and Regulus St.

Swisshelm Park

Who wouldn’t want to live on Love St?

Terrace Village

We walked right on the border of this neighborhood where it goes through the University of Pittsburgh’s campus.  Here’s Erica and Chewie in front of the Petersen Events Center, home of the Pitt Panthers basketball team.

Troy Hill

Heinz Lofts, which is the present-day usage of the historic H. J. Heinz Company industrial complex.

Upper Hill

The Robert E. Williams Memorial Park featured a completely empty reservoir.  At least it had a bit of a view from the top of the hill.

Upper Lawrenceville

This part of Lawrenceville seems more residential with slightly less restaurants and businesses.  One house along our walk had nice fence decorations that we appreciated.

West End

Chewie is ready to audition for the Pittsburgh Musical Theater!

West Oakland

Chewie with me at Lothrop Hall, the dorm I lived in during my freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh.

Westwood

Westwood featured suburban-style houses in an urban setting which made for a lovely residential neighborhood.

Windgap

Out of all the houses we saw throughout our journey, this quirky, colorful property on Windgap Ave might be the most unique!