Dialect
Anyone living in Pittsburgh should be familiar with the Pittsburgh dialect referred to as Pittsburghese. Examples of this is downtown pronounced as “Dahntahn”, Giant Eagle pronounced as Giant Iggle, the south side of the Monongahela River called the “Sahside”, the sound at the stadium when the Steelers win a game is referred to as the “Blast Furnace” and the Steelers are pronounced as “Da Stillers” Books are available on the dialect and it would be a good idea picking up such a book at the library and familiarizing yourself.
Transportation
There are several ways of moving in and around Pittsburgh. There are Port Authority Transit buses also known as PAT buses, and the Port Authority also has what is known as Light Rail or “T”. The “T” runs on both the railroad tracks and also on roads. The “T” runs on several routes, namely, South Hills to Downtown, Liberty-Overbrook to Downtown, and Allentown to Downtown. The fare of a typical bus ride is $1.75 and if you want to change buses at another location then it is $0.50 extra for what is known as a "Transfer". If you prefer traveling around by car then there are a series of highways commonly referred to as the “Parkway”. The Parkway North is known as Interstate 279, and Parkway West that is known as Interstate 376.
For more information about bus schedules please visit the Port Authority website at www.ridegold.com
Information for Drivers
Information on driving rules typical to Pittsburgh would be helpful. For example, "Pittsburgh Left" when a traffic light turns green, the first car in each lane is allowed to turn left in front of the oncoming traffic. This is not a written law, but it is done in Pittsburgh, though as not prevalent as it used to be.
In Pittsburgh before the winter one must “winterize” their car. Winterize means getting the car ready for driving safely during the snow. Some things that are done in order to “winterize” one’s car are: putting snow tires on, putting antifreeze washer fluid, getting brakes checked and much more.
Food
Pittsburgh offers a wide variety of cuisines that people can try out. There is everything from the traditional Hamburgers and French Fries to Escargots and Squid. There are several eating places that include fast-food joints like McDonalds or Wendy's, expensive restaurants such as Café Euro or Fish Market. Besides the popular Chinese cuisine, you can find Italian, Indian, Mexican Thai, Cambodian and many others. If mom doesn't like to cook for dinner, then there is always an option of ordering pizza, and Pittsburgh has everything from the well-known Pizza Hut to single pizza shops.
For Information about food please visit the Restaurants Guide at http://www.wpxi.com/restaurants/index.html
Places Of Interest
Pittsburgh is home to the four Carnegie Museums, namely, Carnegie Science Center, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Museum of Art, and Andy Warhol Museum. These museums are spread out throughout downtown Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. Pittsburgh is also famous because it is the only city in the country where two rivers meet at a point to form a third river. The Gateway Clipper Fleet located in Station Square offers a tour of the rivers. Mount Washington facing downtown Pittsburgh hosts two inclines, namely, the Monongahela Incline and the Duquesne Incline, both are owned and operated by the Port Authority. Mount Washington is a nice place to visit on a summer evening if you want to get a nice view of downtown Pittsburgh. Other places of interest include the Pittsburgh Zoo and the PPG Aquarium. Pittsburgh is famous for its amusement parks Kennywood and Sandcastle. These parks are open every day only in summer i.e. from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
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