When I first moved to Pittsburgh, the Strip District was my instant favorite neighborhood. I immediately became a regular shopper there enjoying all of its eateries and ethnic stores. However, I never expected that in a few short years this awesome place would continue to grow and evolve into an even better destination.
Coming soon, there are 3 new ways I can't wait to enjoy the Strip.
1. Pittsburgh Public Market - Before I moved to Pittsburgh three years ago, I'd never seen a traditional market house. Then I visited Cleveland (Ohio), Frankfurt (Germany), and most recently Harrisburg. Wow. Market houses are awesome. According to the Strip District web site, the Pittsburgh Public Market will be opening in Spring 2010. They are currently accepting applications for this Thursday to Sunday gig.
2. Strip District Flea Market - A Sunday flea market in the Strip is coming starting April 18. How cool is that. Pittsburgh likes to think of itself as being the Paris of Appalachia. One of my favorite parts of Paris are the wide variety of antique/flea markets. This Strip District Flea Market will bring us one step closer. Hopefully, we'll see a "Mining Sunday" from andreadisaster in honor of this event.
3. Development of the land behind the produce terminal. I was utterly amazed the day I kept riding on my bike from the Point downtown and ended up at a gravel parking lot behind the produce terminal. More signage and a nicer entrance-way connecting the riverfront trail to the actual shops of the Strip District will help everybody have that epiphany.
It's really no surprise that the Strip District is becoming one of the most happening places to live in the city with brand-new options like The Cork Factory, Otto Milk Condos, and 31st Street Lofts.
What's next? I'd like a once-a-week late-night at the Strip where regular 9-5 working folks can do some shopping and mingle without the Saturday crush. What would you like to see? Maybe it'll happen.
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3 comments:
We've just got to hope that all that awesomeness isn't destroyed by the people who think that the Strip isn't a great place - some of whom have the means and desire to see the wholesalers removed from the equation.
Keep this in mind - if the wholesalers go why would they keep their retail locations there? i.e. folks like Penn-Mac.
If they go where are they going to end up? Cranberry? Most likely. The wholesale buyers want a one stop shop if they can't get it here in Pgh (the Strip) they'll go to Cleveland.
If they do go what will happen to the freshness and cost of food served at restaurants all across the city who get their food from the Strip?
They'll get it less often and pay more for it. So it will be less fresh, cost more (which will be passed to along to the customers), and will cause more pollution.
Everyone wants to see the property behind the produce terminal developed but why would we want to see the wholesalers kicked out?
Write to the people who are trying to do this - the mayor, the URA, and State Sen. Ferlo who is trying to push them out.
Totally, whatever the strip district might lack it certainly beats living in a suburb and driving an hour a day to get to work.
Also I believe some ideas involving improved transit in that corridor were floating around about the Strip-Lawrenceville river redevelopment. I still can't help but think, especially after it was explicitly mentioned somewhere, that streetcars are due for a return in the burgh.
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