pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is a mid-sized American city, with a population just under 400,000. The city is still struggling with a transitioning economy, from the days of the steel industry, to a post industrial economy. Many people have a lot of complaints about Pittsburgh. True, it does not have the vibrant art, theatre, or music scenes as New York, Los Angeles, or San Fransisco, but it is also a much smaller city. The city has a lot of history and culture, you just have to look for it. The downtown area is full of theatres, restaurants, and art galleries. Neighborhoods such as the South Side, Lawrenceville, Oakland, Squirrel Hill, and Shadyside can be filled with things to do. Oakland, the home of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, is full of great independent coffeeshops, record stores, and ethnic dining. It is also the neighborhood of the Carnegie Museums, definitely worth checking out. The job market is not great, especially for less common professions, but there are things available if you know where to look. Some Pittsburghers are not highly educated, or cultured. But that's just a few. And despite that, they are all friendly, (usually) happy people. If you want a huge, totally urban, modernized city ... Pittsburgh is probably not for you. But everyone should give it a chance. There are a lot of great things here, you just have to look a little harder to find them. Ultimately, anything in life is only as good or as bad as you want it to be.