Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in Pennsylvania, just behind Philadelphia, with a population of about 300,000. When many people think of Pittsburgh, they tend to think of it as a city of steel mills and iron ore mines, and for a good reason: The area was once home to the world's largest steel producer.
During a period of economic and population growth, Pittsburgh became the epitome of a dirty, polluted industrial city. In the 1850s, it was known as the "Iron City," and in the 1960s, it became known as the "Steel City" because it was home to more than 300 steel-related businesses. It's also known as the "City of Bridges" because it has an astounding number of 446 bridges.
Downtown Pittsburgh still has considerable economic influence and occupies 25th place in the country in terms of jobs in an urban core. The city also has a number of community leaders who advocate economic justice and fair investment practices, as well as efforts to revitalize communities in Pennsylvania and Allegheny County. Similarly, there is the Pittsburgh Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), an initiative to ensure that all neighborhoods in downtown Pittsburgh can participate in the region's knowledge-based economy.
Pittsburgh offers a fun-filled odyssey with its museums, and travelers with children will love the family-friendly attractions such as the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, and the Andy Warhol Museum. The North Side also has many popular attractions, including a variety of restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, and more, as well as a number of museums and galleries.
In the hills, parks, and valleys of the city is an urban-industrial complex that includes Pittsburgh International Airport, the Allegheny County Convention Center, and the surrounding city of Pittsburgh. Regionally based and nationally renowned for its world-class universities, it is home to many of the country's leading colleges and universities, as well as a number of national and international companies. Some of those colleges include Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne University.
The center of the city is located at the point where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet, forming what is locally known as Downtown Point or the Golden Triangle. Pittsburgh is located at a point near the confluence of these rivers where they merged into the Ohio River.
The Golden Triangle is a triangular tract formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers that make up the Ohio River. The district was founded in the early 1980s and is the result of a group of Pittsburgh managers now run by a Cultural Trust.
Several professional sports teams are based in Pittsburgh, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Pittsburgh Penguins. In recent years, two new sports venues have opened, Heinz Field, where the Steelers play their home games, and PNC Park, home to the University of Pittsburgh football team. Both places are fun to visit and offer excellent views of downtown Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Courthouse.