Schenley Plaza is one of Pittsburgh's hidden gems and feels like stepping into the Queen of Hearts' garden from Alice in Wonderland. The beautifully landscaped gardens, colorful flowers, and manicured green spaces create a whimsical atmosphere right in the heart of Oakland. The plaza offers something for everyone, with multiple food vendors, a charming merry-go-round, and an outdoor venue that regularly hosts concerts and community events. Alot of the vendors are not open until later in the day (( I frequently come while my son is at appts in Oakland, so I have not tried by yet)). Whether you're looking for a relaxing place to enjoy lunch, spend time with family, or simply take in the scenery, Schenley Plaza is a vibrant gathering space that combines natural beauty, entertainment, and great food in one unforgettable location. read more

It's a beautiful thing: take a parking lot and return it to being a beautiful green space. There are food kiosks and a restaurant, a wonderful pavilion, then beautiful grass and landscaping to relax or play. I have attended dances in the pavilion and concerts on the lawn, all of it exciting. During the winter they often have artsy lighting. Parking can be tight, so arrive early. read more

Schenley Plaza - Sweaty Already - Street Vendors Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Schenley Plaza is a small park that is located in the Oakland neighborhood and is part of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Schenley Plaza has an open grassy field for games and events, lots of benches, some restaurants, a tent, flowers and other plants, and a carousel in warmer weather. In previous years, I visited this plaza during food festivals that attracted many people. Most recently, I visited on a non-event day during cold weather, so few people were here then. Both times, I felt happy with the space and amenities. According to the park's calendar, upcoming events at Schenley Plaza include fitness classes, kids' activities, birdwatching, movies, etcetera. read more

Schenley Plaza - Restaurants and seating - Street Vendors Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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The reasons for your visit are the least important. You may just stop in for a break in your day. or to take a few pictures, or for a meal or snack. You leave feeling good. There are few places set in a concrete landscape that offer a break from the world. This is one of them. A nice manicured lawn space, easy navigated pathways and convenient food options all come together in a strictly urban setting. I will admit to only trying the food once, but that wasn't by choice. Being just a short distance from the Carnegie Museum, I stop in when I'm in the area. I tried the lo mein once from the Asian stand and I really enjoyed it. I would have gotten it again, but the prices have gone up beyond my reasonable expectations. I have wanted to try both the ice cream and shawarma from 2 of the other kiosks, but they seem to always be closed when I'm there. I'm respectful of hand written signs that indicate a short break, but saying 5 minutes and not being reopened in 15 makes me question things. Still, there are a lot of things to do there. I will admit that what I do best these days is people watch. I'm in a power chair and can't participate in the same activities I did when I was younger. There are a lot of options for games and activities there. There is mini golf, some kind of ping pong or pickleball, and other things, and most seem to be free to use and enjoy. Unlike other places I've visited, there aren't an abundance of people asking for handouts or police patrolling the area. It is as though there is an unspoken respect for the park and keeping it clean. The carousel is fun to watch and although small, people seem to really enjoy every aspect of it. Kids are thrilled to ride it and people seem to like just looking at the beautiful carved animals. It is easy to get lost in the activity and spend more time there than you intended. This is a great space to just decompress. I never leave there without a smile on my face, no matter if my visit is a short few minutes or a full hour. Check it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed. read more

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What's not to love? Food vendors, a carousel and we just recently realized there's ping pong just out for people to play. read more

Schenley Plaza - An Oakland stroll with 3 cool dudes. - Street Vendors Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Schenley Plaza is a super plaza, green space, and food option. There is a covered tent with seating, open to all. There is green space with grass to sit, throw frisbee. There is a beautiful pollinator perenial garden in full bloom right now in mid July (it even includes butterfly milkweed, host plant to Monarch caterpillars) with bench seating. And, there are several restaurants -- some with walk-up ordering and outdoor seating, and The Porch with indoor/outdoor seating. read more

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Schenley Plaza is a great place to meet up with friends and have lunch or just hang out after a long summer walk or summer activities on the lawn. We often host events at the plaza for an organization that we volunteer with. It's such a fantastic central location. Can't forget about WYEP concerts on the lawn. If it's a super hot day, viewing from under the plaza is the way to go. read more

Schenley Plaza - Street Vendors Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

If I die and go to heaven, I hope it's an eternity spent at Schenley Plaza. I love Pittsburgh and have lived here my whole life, hecks I was born 5 minutes from SP at Magee, and of this old rusty steel town, this is my favorite place. It is a dream here all year. You're surrounded by happy people, rich culture, beautiful scenery, delicious and diverse food options, and your choice of recreational activities. Schenley Plaza sits in the eye of Oakland, immediately surrounded by the Carnegie Complex (music hall, museum, library), Frick Fine Arts Building, Hillman Library, and overshadowed by the Cathedral of Learning. Immediately within the plaza itself, you can lay on the grass, read a book, write a yelp review (meta), enjoy a good meal from Conflict Kitchen or The Porch, or enjoy a desert from Waffallonia. Within a short walk you can see the Love Locks bridge, Phipps Conservatory, Heinz Chapel, CMU, Schenley Park, lots of shops and restaurants, and the Pitt main campus. In the summer there are fun free concerts and activities you can go to, or do what I like to do: not much and just hang out here in the sun. Also a great place to take a date. PS: Old Pittsburghers will remember when this place was a parking lot... obvi a much better use of space now. read more

Schenley Plaza - Giant beach ball sighting - Street Vendors Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Oh, Schenley Plaza. I have lots of good memories of you from over the years! If you're ever in Oakland, chances are really high that you've at least passed by, if not walked right through, Schenley Plaza. When one speaks of "The Plaza" they're referring to all of the beautiful, open space between the Carnegie and Hillman libraries. This space includes beautiful benches surrounded by flowers in the summer, a lawn, the PNC Carousel, multiple food kiosks (including one for the Conflict Kitchen, a personal favorite!), a small restaurant (The Porch), and a covered performance space with tables that offers a great setting for listening to speeches or local musicians. I've seen a lot of great shows performed in this space over the years! Now, covered or not, this is still basically an open i.e. outdoor venue, so the only drawback is that when it's raining or it's cold - so, what, most of the year in Pittsburgh? - it's not that comfortable to sit under the plaza cover, let alone out on the lawn. And when the weather is nice, if it's not the middle of summer yet, I can more or less promise that you'll run into difficulties finding an open seat since this is in a part of the city with a massive student population. Still, the drawbacks are worth dealing with, because the plaza's a really peaceful place - kind of surprising when you remember that you're right next to a busy street. There's also wifi in the plaza, though it's not great or reliable in my experience. This doesn't bother me now since usually when I'm stopping by I want to see a show or enjoy some food, anyway, but man, I always hated the wifi here as a student trying to read my e-mail between classes...so that's something to keep in mind if you plan on stopping here and want to use your laptop. In short, despite a few flaws the Plaza's a really nice place to grab a bite to eat and chill during a day out in Oakland - just keep in mind that when the students are in town, this is more or less their place to hangout, so the kiosk lines will be long and chairs and lawn space will be pretty limited. Oh, and if you ever see me here - and it happens a lot - say hello! read more

What a fun area for people of all ages and interests! I love the large green lawn and how many people take advantage of it for picnics, lounging and sunbathing. Bordering that area is a row of take out restaurants. Even the pickiest eater will be satisfied because options range from Japanese to waffles to gyros and all are tasty. I like that there is a large covered seating area in addition to the row of tables lining the restaurant area. Perfect for families, a great place for a date and an all around fun place to spend an afternoon. read more

The Schenley Plaza is a beautifully placed piece of land between Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the University of Pitt. The grassy lawn offers you the feeling of being able to decompress in the big city of Pittsburgh, and the little shops and food kiosks offer you a tasty snack. It looks like from the other reviews that there is a farmers market that I'd love to see. I'll be back again soon enough. read more

Schenley Plaza - Street Vendors Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

So much fun. I have always enjoyed the sights, tastes, and events available here! We love the museums, gardens, and food available here - all the while in close proximity to an open field of grass and great study space! read more

Schenley Plaza is home to many fun activities spring through fall. If you live, work, or go to school in Oakland, Squirrel Hill, or Shadyside, you are missing out if you have not been here yet. Schenley Plaza has plenty of grass, benches, fountains, food options, and a nice tent. The library and museums are also located directly next to the Plaza. Home to The Porch and Conflict Kitchen, you can get some really unique lunches here. There are tables to eat at in the Tent and in the sun as well. You could also come and ride the PNC Carousel on a school or work break. There is also a fantastic free yoga in the park here in the summers, which bumps the Plaza up to five stars for me. If I was here in the summers, I would go to all of the classes. I make sure to attend the May and September classes, though, because the teachers here are top-notch. The classes are very aerobic, and there are enough teachers to help you with poses. It's better than most studios in Pittsburgh! They also have Tai Chi and some other summer-y things. As a student, I have ended up at many gatherings in the Tent, and it is a nice space. There are also frequently concerts and other large scale events in the Plaza. Take a look online, and keep a lookout for the awesome free events here! read more

I can't believe I've never reviewed Schenley Plaza! I used to live in Oakland and would spend countless hours at either the library, the park it here at the plaza. Its a great meeting place for friends since there are a few places to dine, even dessert. Tables can be found under the tent or out in the sun. In the summer the plaza is like a huge backyard full of people. People playing Frisbee, kids running around, people tanning. Aw, I miss living in Oakland. Can't believe I'm saying that. read more

When it finally warms up at the end of April, Pitt students struggle to stay inside and study when Schenley Plaza's green grass, chairs, and tables are calling. A perfect space for families, pet owners, frisbee throwers, hoola-hoopers, book readers, sun bathers, and, couples young and old, to spend some time in the sun. The plaza has a carousel, shaded seating and various dining options available. Enjoy the view of the Cathedral of Learning as you soak up the sun in Schenley Plaza. read more

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Schenley Plaza is a well placed green space on Pitt's campus. It's surrounded by Carnegie Library Main, the Cathedral of Learning, William Pitt Union, and Hillman Library. I've visited for WYEP summer concerts, a meal at The Porch, line dancing with Roland Ford/CitiParks, and just to walk around. It's a fun space to visit. There's a carousel, and food spots. You can hang out in the grass or under the big tent. Great place for lunch. Plenty of tables and chairs. I remember when this area used to be a parking lot. Turning it into green space was a wise decision . read more

A relaxing place to chill out and eat. Lots of fun events are here too. On a nice summer of spring day it's always a nice place to go.

Schenley plaza is just a beautiful, relaxing area in the hustle and bustle of Oakland. It's gorgeous. There's a flower garden with some seating- perfect for a beautiful spring, summer and even fall day to read or just kick back. The grassy area is pretty decent in size. Lots of People lay out in the summer there or read and picnic. In the winter, they have a lot of lights in that area as well. The merry go round is very pretty, although I've never gone on it or taken any of my cousins to do so- something I will put on my list of to dos. One of my favorite parts of schenley plaza is of course- the food vendors around it! Conflict kitchen is in the plaza- which is one of my all time favorite places to eat, there's an Asian restaurant, a stand that sells crepes and smoothies and there's also the restaurant Porch. There's tons of seating- either out in the sun or under a large tent, which helps on those overcast days or incredibly hot days when you still want to eat outdoors. I love taking a break from all of the craziness of Oakland and kicking back in Schenley Plaza :). read more

A favorite spot in the university area. Many food and sweets vendors, the Porch restaurant, the carousel.... A green beach covered with sunbathers. Quartets and other musical genius groups in the summers. This is a pleasant spot read more

The wi-fi could be better, but I'm not expecting too much since it's a public space. The food options are plentiful (but a little overpriced for the quality, portion, and it being takeout, the available seating is decent (although the chairs can get uncomfortable), and the people watching is the best part. It's a chill place to walk around, sit around, lay around, roll around, etc. read more

This is one of the few places that define Pittsburgh summers to me. Cool places to get some grub, a carousel for the kids to enjoy, and a beautiful patch of green grass for many college coeds to lay and study/not study in the sun. While I may feel a bit out of my league compared to the chiseled frat guys throwing a football around and girls tanning in bakinis, I can still enjoy myself and have a good time with some slightly older peeps. I can't wait until summer gets here! read more

Really cool place to hang out after work. There are a few places to grab food and the vibe is great!