When someone asks me to meet for lunch, a few restaurant names come quickly to mind. Until recently, the Walnut Grill restaurants have not been on that short list. Don’t get me wrong, I like all three of the Walnut Grill restaurants that surround Pittsburgh, and if someone suggested we meet there, I would certainly show up. But I don’t think I’ve ever considered it
Read the Full Article →The Rotunda at The Pennsylvanian on downtown Pittsburgh’s Liberty Avenue is so magnificent. It’s difficult to imagine that such a beautiful landmark was nearly demolished. A Beautiful Gateway Pittsburgh was the original “Gateway to the West” long before St. Louis claimed the title. Our rivers made us the embarkation point for those heading to the unsettled land west of the area. With the advent of
Read the Full Article →If you grew up in Pittsburgh during the 1960s and early 70s, you probably watched Paul Shannon’s Adventure Time and remember him introducing cartoons by taking his “magic sword” and saying the phrase, “Down goes the curtain and back up again for Beanie and Cecil” or some other cartoon. However, there is another famous curtain in Pittsburgh, and when it went down, it stayed down
Read the Full Article →Allegheny Center, East & West All of these neighborhoods on Pittsburgh’s North Side take their names from Allegheny City, the independent municipality that was annexed by the city of Pittsburgh in 1907. Allentown This southern neighborhood of the city was named for Joseph Allen, an Englishman who purchased the land there in 1827. It became part of Pittsburgh in 1872. Arlington, Arlington Heights No one
Read the Full Article →Rachel Carson is regarded as the galvanizer of the environmental movement. Early Years Rachel Carson was born on May 27, 1907, to Robert and Marie Carson, in Springdale, Pennsylvania. The youngest of their three children, she was raised on the family farm where she observed and fell in love with nature. She attended Springdale High until she was a junior and then graduated from nearby
Read the Full Article →“Characteristically, community colleges have had the adaptability and flexibility to respond to their regions’ needs,” said Dr. Quinton B. Bullock, President, Community College of Allegheny County, who has been at the helm of CCAC since 2014. “We have embraced a partnership with business and industry to identify and develop programs to train our students for the future workforce. I have charged our Vice President of
Read the Full Article →Tucked in the corner of the McKnight-Siebert Shopping Center, Aladdin’s Eatery is the perfect oasis for those looking to enjoy Mediterranean fare. And on the Wednesday evening that I found myself dining in, I was fully satisfied and filled with the delectable food on their menu. For an appetizer, my dinner mate and I chose to explore two of their offerings- so as to taste
Read the Full Article →“Cambria” is the Latinized term for the what the people of ancient Wales called their country Cymru. Cambria County shares that name perhaps because, like Wales, it has abundant coal. There are many other towns and communities in the county with interesting names. Here is a sampling: Carrolltown This community was named in honor of the United States’ first Roman Catholic Bishop, John Carroll, who
Read the Full Article →“How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The corny answer to this old joke was always, “Practice, Practice, Practice.” This rings true for the legendary Pittsburgh drummer, Roger Humphries. But being born into a musical family doesn’t hurt either. Early Years Humphries was born on January 30, 1944, the youngest of 10 children and was raised on Pittsburgh’s North Side. His uncles Frank and Hildred
Read the Full Article →In 1963, Pennsylvania passed the Community College Act, enabling regions throughout the state to create institutes of higher education. It came in response to the increasing number of high school graduates who wanted to continue their education. CCAC Opens With Two Campuses As a result, Community College of Allegheny County opened in 1966 with two locations: Boyce Campus in Monroeville and Allegheny Campus on the
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