People often say "Pittsburgh is the only city with a grand entrance" and it is really true. You pop out of the tunnel and see the city's great sky line on one side and the fountain on the other. If you are coming from the north on 279, you round a corner and then bam, there it is, the skyline. Additionally, you can get amazing views from up on Mt. Washington. When I have out of town visitors, they often ask about a rooftop restaurant and I say you don't need one, you just need to go to one of the ones in Mt. Washington. There is a nice variety of modern vs historic and the signature bridge color and style complements it well. One of the great things about Pittsburgh's skyline is the variety of options you have to view it. You can be ground level at Station Square or on the North Side. The best view, though, is from Mt. Washington. Definitely take the time to view it during the day, at night and in different seasons for different perspectives. read more

For mixed-sex couples who want action with me, call my Bi-Line If you want some explanations, phone me on my Why-Line If you're sad and need a shoulder, you should try my Cry-Line But if you want the best view around, try Pittsburgh's Skyline! If you get drunk in Pittsburgh, and then need a bathroom, you may have trouble finding one, hence the nickname "P*ssburgh", but what some people that don't know P***burgh very well don't know, is that this city has one of the most beautiful skylines in the world. Still one of the most beautiful skylines in the whole world. You got to see a little of it during the recent "Grudge Match" boxing movie, but it's still so unheralded and unappreciated compared to other, often inferior, skylines. Los Angeles is amazing with the mountain behind it (from a distance), whereas San Francisco and its bridges is incomparable, and Rainier as a backdrop to Seattle is incredible. Don't forget Philly, Houston, Dallas, the spectacular lakeside Chicago, and the blue tropical-scape of Miami. While New York City probably wins, I'd actually put Pittsburgh at the top of the list for the runner up spot. The best place to view the skyline (and there are many, many options) is Grandview Avenue, which is also listed and reviewed on Yelp. The viewing platforms up there are incredible. Another great view is on your way through the tunnel from the West... it's a low trajectory view, but it's breathtaking. I love heading into Pitt on the interstate from the North (I-279 I believe), and seeing it unfolding behind the gorgeous mountains. So indeed. It's one of the most incredible skylines in the country, and one which always takes my breath away and has ever since I first saw it a long time ago when I came to Pittsburgh to play a concert, so many years back, but it meant a lot to me, and the City of Pittsburgh totally changed my life for sure. I certainly think it's one of the most underrated skylines in the history of skylines. No matter what angle you see it from - especially if you're coming over a hill and then you see it - it just takes your breath away. Especially considering there is really nothing in the way of cities for hundreds of miles, in at least 80% of the directions from Pittsburgh. If you head Ohio way it's a little bit different, but still it's just amazing of here. One of the most amazing parts of the country that's for sure. If anyone ever tells you Pittsburgh isn't beautiful and spectacular, they don't know what they're talking about. Even if a lot of the guys here have an attitude, hence the nickname "Pr**ksburgh." read more

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At night, the view coming home from the airport, leaving the liberty tunnels onto the yellow bridge with all of the lights of Pittsburgh on reflecting in the three rivers is my favorite view in the world. It's the classic welcome home greeting for any Pittsburgher and I'm confident my kids will grow up with that same feeling that I know I have and my husband has and my father has and that his parents had. it just reminds you why I love this town. It's beautiful it's small enough to manage your way around and the confusing traffic that's always happening going towards the bridge is just a reminder that it is imperfect and that's OK. read more

It gives me tingles and chills each time I approach Pittsburgh and pop out of the tunnel and start to see the familiar skyline that boasts the stadiums that house the Steelers and Pirates and you see why it is called three rivers.....You see bridges, buildings, iconic things like the incline and the point. You start to imagine the people and events that are taking place in the heart of the city. It makes me yearn for chipped ham, pierogis, beer, and small talk with the various polish, Slovak, and Italian grandmas and grandpas......makes me thirsty to swill a rolling rock or iron city with some of the colorful characters that reside in this little treasure of a city and have probably resided there their entire lifetime. You can walk into so many little neighborhood bars in all the cool little suburbs and it is like time has stopped.... I have traveled through many cities and this always remains one of the most impressive skylines I have seen. There is nothing quite like a little river town....Sure it may not be the most shiny or newest but it will always be the house that built me. read more

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Thankfully this is a city of hills. There are many steep, winding roads that will let you see the picturesque skyline from across. read more

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Our skyline has to be one of the most beautiful skylines in the country. It's a mixture of concrete, steel, glass, limestone, aluminum and lights. The tallest building is the US Steel tower which is the building that has UPMC's name in screaming white letters. It's 64 stories and 841 feet tall. Originally, US Steel wanted to build the tallest building in the world when their new headquarters was being designed, but due to costs and decline in the steel industry, it was scaled back. It's built with a steel invented by US Steel called Cor-ten, the outer skeleton is actually rust, and as the building ages that rust becomes harder, stronger and darker, and non-corrosive. The university of Pittsburgh Medical Center is the largest tenant and had their logo put on top of the building in 2008. The second tallest building is the 54 story, 750 foot tall BNY-Mellon center. Originally built to be the home of Dravo, before the building was even completed Dravo moved their headquarters to Tennessee and Mellon Bank bought it and was headquartered there. Mellon merged with the Bank of New York and the headquarters moved to Manhattan. BNY-Mellon center is the local headquarters for that company and 3200 people are employed here for that company. In 1985 the city went through a huge building boom, such buildings as 5th Avenue Place, Federated Investors, and what is now the Westin Convention Center Hotel were changing the Skyline. But, the crown jewel was the forty story, 660 foot tall PPG Place. It's actually 5 buildings, 1 PPG place is the tallest building, 2 PPG place is fourteen stores and buildings 3 through 5 are all five stories. A mixed use building, it's home to shops, restaurants, and office space. It's the home of PPG Industries, formerly the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. Founded in 1883, at one time PPG out produced all the glass manufacturers in the United States by a 2-1 margin. Over a million square feet of glass cover those five buildings. The HJ Heinz corporation is a major tenant at PPG Place. The decorative spires that adorn the roofs of all five buildings were inspired by Parliament's spires in England. When looking at the Skyline from Mt Washington along the river fronts edge you'll see a row of smaller, older buildings called First Side. Many of these buildings were built after the 1845 great fire, which destroyed much of the area today known as downtown. First side is a reminder of how downtown looked in the late 1800's. There has been a great debate about the corporations in the city putting their names and logos on the buildings. recently, UPMC, Highmark, PNC Bank, First Niagara, Reed-Smith, BNY-Mellon, K&L Gates, and Citizens Bank have added to the "sky-graffiti" of the skyline. Some people love it, saying it give Pittsburgh that big town feel, while other say it distracts from the beauty of the architecture. It's an ongoing debate. The skyline will be changing by 2014 when the new 40 story PNC bank international headquarters will be built. PNC promises it will be the "greenest" building in the world. The Grant Building was Pittsburgh's first skyscraper, completed in 1930, it's 485 feet tall, with 37 stories. This iconic building is known for the beacon on top. At night, the beacon comes to life blinking the word "Pittsburgh" in morse code. Other iconic buildings in downtown are the art deco Gulf Tower and Koppers Building. Each building has unique lighting. For many years the Gulf Tower with it's pyramid shaped top would light up at night in either orange or blue, (the corporate colors of Gulf Oil) orange meaning fare weather, blue meant fowl weather. It's 44 stories and 585 feet tall, and was completed in 1932. The Koppers building has 34 stories and is 475 feet tall. It's chateauesque style roof makes this building one of a kind. These two buildings along with the Grant Building were the tallest building in the city until 1969 when the US Steel tower was completed. Yes, we have a unique skyline, one that is a mixture of old and new, glass and steel, at one time the two top industries in the city. What a beautiful city we have. The most livable in America! read more

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As skylines go, Pittsburgh's is very good. Here's why it's so good: - There are plenty of tall buildings. You don't need mega-skyscrapers to have a great skyline; - Many streets meet at a 45-degree angle, so your skyline provides different angles of view, some you get some great, oblique views. - There is some great architecture in the mix! - Most of the key buildings have good stories behind them. read more

The Pittsburgh Skyline - that iconic view of downtown (mostly photographed from Mt. Washington) was once a hallmark of Pittsburgh, something at which was naturally beautiful to look now suffers from a scorching case of corporate herpes. I noticed this because today (Aug 17), Bing.com's homepage was a very old late evening photograph of downtown from Grandview Ave, complete with a full moon hovering slightly above and to the left of the USS Tower. For those of you who don't know: Corporate Herpes is a condition caused by a city whoring out its skyline to the corporate dicks located within the city. Corporations leave their mark forever to be seen on the skyline in the form of logos or names. They scream out "Yeah, I hit that!" While everyone else is thinking, "I DON'T CARE". So thanks to Highmark, UPMC, Reed Smith and other ambulance chasers, BNY Mellon and all others for overcompensating. read more

Who doesn't love out skyline?! This city is incredibly beautiful, and I feel dumb for underestimating it prior to moving here. I can even get a nice view of it from my job on the North Side. read more

Pittsburgh Skyline - Local Flavor Near Me

Amazing looking city. Pain in the ass to drive in with all the zig zag streets but from afar its dope! Lots of gritty, old buildings with a touch of modern here and there. Now, just gotta do something about all the Stiller fans... read more

I recently was told by a visiting assist I interviewed that "Pittsburgh had a soul you can see". How amazing is that? From the North Shore, PNC Park or Mt. Washington, the view never disappoints. You can walk from one side of the city to another in 20 mimes and see why Hollywood had made so many movies here recently. read more