Pittsburgh was once an industrial city; leading the country in the production of steel, iron, glass and coal mining. Unfortunately, the same products that drove the city’s development, filled the air with soot and left buildings covered with grime. Rivers were polluted and the city’s future was grim.
If you picture today’s Pittsburgh as a steel and iron industrial city; think again. Industrial days shifted to a new economy and the greening of Pittsburgh brought about a renaissance. The “new” Pittsburgh is all about medicine, technology, education and tourism. It is ranked in the “Top Five Most Livable Cities” by Places Rated Almanac. Travel & Leisure magazine describes Pittsburgh as having “a lot more beauty than people imagine.” And, Pittsburgh is a family-friendly city; the hometown of Mr. Rogers neighborhood! Pittsburgh is an appealing melting pot of ethnic diversity. It is the center of more wealth than any city in the U.S. other than New York City. It is a city that loves a good celebration, festival or parade. It is the home of one of the top medical schools in the U.S. at the University of Pittsburgh and an organ transplant centers.
Pittsburgh is the home of 84 Lumber (the largest private supplier of building materials in the U.S.), Alcoa (the world’s leading aluminum company), Allegheny Technologies, American Eagle Outfitters, Bayer Corporation, Calgon Carbon Corporation, Heinz and Melton Bank. It is the nation's busiest inland port, providing access to the extensive 9,000 miles of U.S. inland waterway system. And, over 10 million travelers come to Pittsburgh each year.
Visitors to Pittsburgh arrive at the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) served by 19 airlines with over 290 non-stop flights per day. Pittsburgh's Penn Station is the city's Amtrak station. Ground transportation includes major rental car agencies, private shuttles and limousines. The Port Authority's new West Busway also offers roundtrips between Pittsburgh International Airport and downtown. Getting around Pittsburgh is easy with the Wayfinder System, a network of over 1,500 color-coded signs divides the city into five districts and the Pittsburgh subway system, the fifth largest in the nation.
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