South Side Pittsburgh, PA

Content & Photos by Zachary Shapiro

Pittsburgh's South Side

Potted Plants on the South Side of Pittsburgh

Plant Life on Pittsburgh's South Side

Southside Pittsburgh – Check out Pittsburgh's most active and exciting neighborhoods. Experience over 20 blocks of Pittsburgh's finest dining, shops, entertainment, and even tattoo parlors. With lovely homes scattered through the Southside Flats and Southside Slopes, look no further for a comfortable home located in a hustling n’bustling historical neighborhood of the Burgh.

Southside can be described in one word: "Life". The Southside of Pittsburgh is home to some of the richest cultures in an active, yet historical, neighborhood. Gavin Robb, president of the Chamber of Commerce stated Southside as “Too Successful”. It is truly the heart and Soul of the city outside of downtown. Despite Pittsburgh's Southside not being one of the biggest neighborhoods, it is packed to the gills with anything and everything one could desire within walking distance. With its convent location to downtown, endless activity, affordable yet nice housing, and easy incline access to Mt. Washington, home of the finest view of Pittsburgh, its easy to see why so many are attracted to the Southside. But enough with being vague, lets get to know Southside even better and truly see all it has to offer.

Burial Site of John Ormsby at Trinity Churchyard in downtown Pittsburgh

Historically, Pittsburgh's Southside was once known as South Pittsburgh Borough, located on the Monongahela River (don’t ask how to pronounce it), and there wasn’t much to it other than the name. It had many railroads that passed through, some warehouses, and A hotel. Things changed in 1763 when The Crown gave John Ormsby a strip of land during the French & Indian War. The land was inherited by Dr. Franklin Bedford and his family, and then again passed to Dr. Bedford’s son, Nathaniel, whom actually planned on turning the Southside into an urban epicenter. He named many of the streets after his family and friends, resulting in streets such as Jane, Sara, and Wharton. The growth of Southside was so enormous, it was eventually annexed to Pittsburgh in 1872. The main bridge constructed was named the Birmingham Bridge. This led Pittsburgh's Southside to become a large industrial center with many immigrant and European working industries.

Pittsburgh Grand Concourse at Station Square, Southside

Through time, different companies moved to the Southside of Pittsburgh and where extremely successful in renovating and growing their businesses. History and Landmarks Foundation were solely responsible for the growth and creation of Station Square. Station Square sits right underneath Mt. Washington and is home to the incline to take you up the 400 ft. track at 30.5 degrees to Mount Washington's Grand View. Station Square is home to some of Pittsburgh’s most astounding restaurants. Margarita Mama’s is always a good time. Barroom serves ice-cold beers for the humid days. If you are starving to death, Buca Di Beppo is located here and will serve enough food to feed a small army. Don’t forget to look at the funny photos in the men’s room! Additionally, there is a Hard Rock Café for live music and an upbeat environment, as well as Buckhead Saloon. However, the Gem of Station Square is Pittsburgh's Grand Concourse. It is everything the names implies; in Pittsburgh, quite grand, and brings a concourse of locals. Reserve a table ahead of time and don't look too hard at the tab and you will have a fantastic time.

Mario's Southside Saloon Pittsburgh

Now that Station Square is taken care of, lets talk about the other millions of hot spots located throughout Southside. If you are looking for things to do in the Southside, East Carson Street is quite an experience and would take sometime to fully explore, and there’s always Southside Works too. Lets see what is good about both!

The best way to explore new areas is via food, or in East Carson case, Bars. In 1950, East Carson Street was stated by Ripley’s Believe it or Not to have the most bars per square mile. May I remind you East Carson Stretches for 3 miles just to put things in perspective of how much there is. It’s almost overwhelming how much East Carson Street alone has to offer. So how does one go about seeing all there is of East Carson? I strongly recommend one starts with the basics! Mario’s Southside Saloon is simply top notch. Watch some sports, enjoy the dirt-cheap happy hour deals, and let the vibe of the 33-year-old classic lighten your day. Or head to Piper’s Pub for endless Football. No, not American Football. European! The one with the feet! Piper’s Pub is known to have endless quantities of soccer playing on its TV and offers a warm and rich environment to create, or end, some friendship with other soccer enthusiasts.

The Hofbrauhaus on Pittsburgh's South Side

After the basics, get adventurous. Journey down East Carson to the Hofbrauhaus! Get ready for some fantastic Veal and Schnitzel. And there are many choices in one-liter beers to help loosen one up. And don’t worry, you wont be the only one dancing around the restaurant and singing. Where to next? Grab a movie from the Southside Cinema. Monday Nights are $6 movies and sneaking candy in isn’t that difficult, very much worth it. Or, if you’re feeling the nightlife, try some of the many dance clubs and lounges. Tiki Lounge and Diesel should be your first stop, followed by Lava Lounge, Z Lounge, and Blues Café for local live music. And it would be a shame to go to Southside and not visit Fatheads for enormous sandwiches. And the Pub Chip Shop has a fried Mars bar you have to try at least once. Whether you have more is up to how brave you are!

Homes in Pittsburgh's South Side Flats

Clearly, Southside has earned its ranking as a fanatic and fun neighborhood. We didn’t even go over the plethora of shops (American Eagle headquarters is located in Southside). However, a neighborhood write would be incomplete without talking about the homes. The vibe of Southside is a funky and historical. Many buildings have not been changed on the outside and are considered Historical landmarks. Most of the homes are quaint and having a lawn (or off-street parking for that matter) is not an easy thing to come by. However, the affordable price and variety of nightlife and shops in the Southside attracts many young professionals and graduate students to call this neighborhood "home". A bit behind the Southside Flats are the Southside Slopes. They have their own fire trucks to better navigate the streets. The Southside Slopes is one of the only neighborhoods with actual stairs in place of sidewalks due to the extreme slope of the terrain. Again, this attracts a younger crowd anyone and everyone can find appropriate living in Pittsburgh's South Side.