Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania wasn’t always the classically cultural mecca that can be seen today. Circa pre-1980’s,downtown Pittsburgh was considered to be an ‘undesirable’ location, and was definitely not an attractive source for tourism.
New Beginnings
Enter the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. In 1985, during the G20 Pittsburgh Summit, it was decided to build the David Lawrence Convention Center. Since the emphasis of the Summit is to work towards economic recovery through urban revitalization; (with a focus on building a dynamic world class Art and Entertainment environment to create international buzz) they had their work cut out for them.
The construction of the David Lawrence Convention Center generated so much excitement and anticipation, that the building was being used even before construction had finished. Since the completion of the Center, the Cultural District has seen 2 million visitors annually; subsequently generating an estimated $303 million in economic impact.
Unlike other major cities, the way the cultural district was developed in Pittsburgh allowed for more flexible growth artistically, as it is not spatially limited to a single convention center. Instead, the cultural district includes a whopping total of 14 city blocks; comprised of multiple theatres, art galleries, public art projects, urban parks and beautiful riverfront park (the slideshow at the bottom of this page features many of these attractions as well).
Exciting Opportunities for Entertainment
Due to the massive space available, several of these venues house many popular entertainment attractions. For example, the award winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra whom was recently nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award for “Best Orchestral Performance” perform a wide variety of musical compositions; anywhere from performing Beethoven with just their company, to performing “Holiday Pop” with other well known artists in the genre [PittsburghSymphony.org].
Also popular within the district, The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre which hosts a pair of soloists who recently received recognition from Pointe Magazine for being in the Top Ten Standout Artists for 2014. The duo will also be co-starring in the company’s upcoming production of the traditional holiday classic: “The Nutcracker.”
If modern art is a better fit to your tastes, there are often touring exhibitions that make their way through the district as well. Most recently, the district had the pleasure of hosting Icelandic artist Finnbogi Petursson, who is known for “…electronic works that fuse sound, sculpture, architecture, drawings and moving components,” according to HigherAtlas.org.
If none of the above particularly suits your interests, you need not worry! According to the Doubletree’s Website “…over 1,500 shows [are] performed annually. Pittsburgh’s theaters host a bustling scene every night of the week” [Doubletree by Hilton]. With such a wide variety of performances hosted within the district, everyone has a chance to find something they’ll truly enjoy.
Sate Your Appetite
With such a plethora of activities available, naturally you’ll need something to eat in order to fuel your continued adventure. Again, variety is the spice of life here, so you’ll be able to find dining that fits your taste as well as your budget.
Today, this historically rich district has something that everyone can appreciate. As further detailed by the DoubleTree by Hilton’s Website on the subject matter: the culture has expanded to meet the needs of the highly sophisticated foodie, the entertainment-seeking theater-lover, the energetic outdoor enthusiast, as well as the tasteful art lover. Be sure to refer to the link above to find out more about each of these categories and how the district can really cater to a wide variety of tastes.
Well, my travel plans have been made. So what are you waiting for?
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