On June 12, 2006, my family and I were on vacation at North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a popular beach destination for many Pittsburghers. As it was an overcast day, my daughter and I decided to do some shopping at Scarborough Faire Shopping Village. Near lunchtime as we meandered along the boardwalk that connected the boutiques, my daughter’s cell phone rang. While she answered it, I
Read the Full Article →
When you think of cities where opera singers may reside, places like Paris, Milan, or New York may come to mind, but another alumna of the Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artist Program has decided to call Pittsburgh home. “The weather in Pittsburgh, and I are still trying to get along, but I love it here,” said Laurel Semerdjian, a mezzo-soprano, who will be playing the part
Read the Full Article →
If you’ve lived or spent anytime in Pittsburgh, you know the name Westinghouse. In addition to the corporation bearing his name, he has many other namesakes: the George Westinghouse Memorial Bridge in East Pittsburgh, that carries Route 30 over the Turtle Creek Valley; Westinghouse High School, a Pittsburgh Public School located in Homewood; the Westinghouse Memorial in Schenley Park; Westinghouse Park in Point Breeze; and
Read the Full Article →
Puppetry and puppet making is one of the oldest art forms; it is believed to have originated 4,000 years ago. Pittsburgh has had a love affair with puppets. The Lovelace Marionette Theater, founded by Puppeteer Margo Lovelace, opened in 1964 and became the longest-running professional puppet theater in the country. The theater closed in 1985. Mr. Rogers and his cast of puppets from the Neighborhood
Read the Full Article →
Before there were hard-partying Hollywood hellions and trash-talking sports stars, there was Mike Fink, the larger-than-life legend from Pittsburgh. The fact that this common worker has entered American folklore and is still known centuries later attests to his out-sized reputation. Born Miche Phinck around 1780 to French Canadian parents near Fort Pitt, Phinck anglicized his name to Mike Fink and spent his youth honing his
Read the Full Article →
Excellence has a way of asserting itself. That is the case with Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery. Located at 213 North Avenue in Millvale, the eponymous bakery was established in 1992, by French native Jean-Marc Chatellier. Before the age of social media, most people discovered this out-of-the-world bakery by word-of-mouth, one customer touting the treats to friends or family. Gazing at the goodies in the glass
Read the Full Article →
“Pittsburgh just felt like home,” said Danielle Pastin, opera soprano. Ms. Pastin has lived a nomadic life and performed all across the country including at the famed Metropolitan Opera, but she developed an affinity for Pittsburgh. “My father was a Navy band leader, and we moved around probably every two years. But my parents were born here, and my grandparents lived in McKees Rocks. We
Read the Full Article →
Some members of our community are seeking more local food sources. Others are looking for a new experience. Rent The Chicken is a turnkey service that allows all size institutions, including schools and senior care facilities, to allow hosting backyard hens for fresh eggs without a long-term commitment. The Rental Packages include 2-4 egg-laying hens, their portable chicken coop, feed for the five to six
Read the Full Article →
While some may argue that Frank Lloyd Wright is the architect most associated with Pittsburgh because of his design of the celebrated Fallingwater and others may cite Daniel Burnham because of the numerous buildings he designed for Pittsburgh, none would argue that Henry Hornbostel was the architect who not only created masterpieces in Pittsburgh but did it with unsurpassed style. Hornbostel was born in 1867
Read the Full Article →
“Every business needs a support team,” said Gail Bayer, owner of Innovative Bookkeeping. Since 1989, Gail has been an integral team member for many entrepreneurs and businesses in the Pittsburgh area, providing bookkeeping services and training bookkeepers in QuickBooks accounting software. “I started bookkeeping for my parent’s real estate business when my children were born. My mother had a crib, and she played with the
Read the Full Article →
