Pittsburgh/Falling Water
Oct 10th, 2012, 05:46 AM
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Pittsburgh/Falling Water
We are a couple in our 50's from Buffalo NY and will be visiting the Pittsburgh PA area this coming weekend (Oct. 12-14). We will be touring the Frank Lloyd Wright Falling Water house on Friday at 4:30 and from there will be staying in Pittsburgh on Friday and Saturday nights. Is the Ohiopyle State Park near Falling Water worth exploring? Any suggestions for a late lunch near Falling Water on Friday? Our hotel (thru Priceline) is the Marriott City Center. I know it's a little off the beaten path. I am looking for suggestions on restaurants and what to do in Pittsburgh on Saturday and Sunday morning. We won't have much time and would like to get a "feel" for the City. We like exploring neighborhoods and don't mind doing alot of walking. We enjoy steak/seafood/pasta and our dinner budget would be $20-35 per person (entree). Also, any suggestions for our route from Buffalo? The most direct route is through Pittsburgh but an alternate route that is a little longer but is probably more scenic is Route 219 to PA 66. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Oct 10th, 2012, 06:42 AM
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We just drove thru Ohioyle but so enjoyed the view, it is a beautiful park. In Pittsburgh we took the Incline to the top of Mt Washington and had dinner there overlooking the rivers and the city. Lovely view! I don't remember the name of the restaurant but there are quite a few to chose from: http://incline.pghfree.net/restaurants.htm
If you like art, the Andy Warhol Museum downtown was a treat to meander thru.
If you like art, the Andy Warhol Museum downtown was a treat to meander thru.
Oct 10th, 2012, 06:48 AM
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Are you familiar with Kentuc Knob? Another Frank Lloyd Wright home 7 miles from FallingWater: http://www.kentuckknob.com/
Oct 10th, 2012, 10:27 AM
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Kathy... we just did two drives down through 219 and the colors after Boston to Ellicottville are PEAK...amazing ride... if you can spare the time, consider a stroll through Ellicottville village for the fun shops and maybe lunch...
we lunched at John Harvards Brew House at the TamarackClub in the Holiday Valley Resort... good food and the view is the ski resort and golf course...
After that, head south to Pittsburgh...(watch out for Steelersfan, she may be on the road down there)
we lunched at John Harvards Brew House at the TamarackClub in the Holiday Valley Resort... good food and the view is the ski resort and golf course...
After that, head south to Pittsburgh...(watch out for Steelersfan, she may be on the road down there)
Oct 10th, 2012, 10:29 AM
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There is white water rafting at Ohiopyle, not sure if it's too cold already to do that. When we visited Falling Water, we stayed at Seven Springs Ski Resort, http://www.7springs.com/, which would have a nice lunch. There is another resort, Nemacolin, where you could also have a nice lunch. IIRC, we ate lunch near a Revolutionary War battlesite, down the road from Kentuck Knob. Perhaps Summit Inn was the name? There were also a few places in the city part of Ohiopyle where you can rustle up a picnic lunch.
Highly recommend this area, hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.
Highly recommend this area, hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.
Oct 10th, 2012, 11:05 AM
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Yes, Kentuck Knob is also a good visit, KathyK. Have you made reservations? Both places can get very busy. I visited with a group and we stayed and ate in Nemacolin resort-so I can't help with other restos.
Enjoy and please do a TR about your visit.
Enjoy and please do a TR about your visit.
Oct 10th, 2012, 12:52 PM
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I did make reservations for the 2 hour tour for Falling Water. We will see if we have time to visit Kentuc Knob also. We may do the park instead. We probably won't have time for all 3.
Oct 10th, 2012, 01:00 PM
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If you are touring Fallingwater, you probably have an interest in architecture and history. That's why I would especially recommend a visit to the Cathedral of Learning on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh and a tour of the Nationality Rooms. The audio tour (which is offered on the weekends when school is in session) is excellent and you can pick-and-choose the rooms you want to see if your time is limited. (I've seen them 3 times and I think all of the rooms are great.)
The Oakland neighborhood, where Pitt is located, is an interesting area with some great museums too.
http://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/
The Oakland neighborhood, where Pitt is located, is an interesting area with some great museums too.
http://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/
Oct 10th, 2012, 02:06 PM
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We did this trip a few years ago and loved it! Falling Waters was the highlight of our trip. In Pittsburgh the area around the college is great and we really enjoyed the art museum and the little cafes that were everywhere. We stayed right downtown in the Hilton - we loved it. We also attended "Wicked" which was a really nice production. We were so impressed with Pittsburgh that we did a return trip a year later to attend a football game. It really is a great city! I hope you have a wonderful trip.
Oct 10th, 2012, 06:36 PM
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Thanks for all the replies so far. Still looking for some suggestions for restaurants in Pittsburgh and areas to explore. I have done some research on line but would still like to hear from some people who live in Pittsburgh or who have visited the City. Wicked is a great suggestion but I have seen it 3 times already. Loved it.
Oct 16th, 2012, 11:06 AM
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Sorry I missed your post, and it's now past your trip. I was in Erie and NYState that weekend, enjoying the colors there, we've not quite "peaked" yet in PGH.
So where did you explore on Saturday? Strip District (just past the Convention Center) is fun on Saturdays for sure.
Hope you come back here to share what you did and where!
Sorry I had to read yet another snarky remark from my little stalker, but it's his M.O., poor thing.
So where did you explore on Saturday? Strip District (just past the Convention Center) is fun on Saturdays for sure.
Hope you come back here to share what you did and where!
Sorry I had to read yet another snarky remark from my little stalker, but it's his M.O., poor thing.
Oct 16th, 2012, 02:36 PM
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I'm back to report on our weekend in Pittsburgh. I didn't do too much planning and made some restaurant mistakes but overall it was a great weekend. Pittsburgh is a great city, it's what my hometown (Buffalo) wants to be.
We started out Friday afternoon with a hike around Ohiopyle State Park. The colors weren't at peak but the trees were colorful enough that it was a pretty walk. We had lunch at Firefly Grill, which was basic food, inexpensive and fine for what we were looking for. From there we went for a two hour indepth tour at Falling Water. I highly recommend the two hour tour over the one hour tour. The guide was very informative with lots of historical information on the property, the architect (Frank Lloyd Wright)and the family (the Kaufmann's from the department store) that lived there. We got there about 45 minutes before the start of the tour and walked around the grounds and visited the gift shop.
We arrived in Pittsburgh around 8:00 p.m. and stayed at the Marrriott City Center which I booked on Priceline for $130 a night. We headed to the Southside and had dinner at Fathead's (burgers were good) and then stopped in a few other bars before heading back to the hotel.
Saturday we headed to the Strip District which I would also highly recommend. We had breakfast at Pamela's which has locations all over the city. There was a line but it moved fast and our service was very fast. The food was very good. From there we walked most of Penn Ave. and stopped in lots of shops and food markets. Wholey's is a great fish and meat market and there was also a great Italian market. If I lived in Pittsburgh this would be a weekly trip for me. The street is full of street performers, food vendors and farmers with local produce.
From there we walked downtown and stopped on the way to see the elegant grand lobby of the Omni William Penn Hotel. We continued on to Point State Park. There isn't much there but it was a nice spot to sit by the water. We then walked across the bridge to the football stadium where Pitt was playing Louisville. We stopped in for a drink at the Tilted Kilt and had a drink with lots of Pitt fans who weren't at the game.
We took a break and went back to the hotel and then took the incline up Mount Washington and had dinner at Bella Vista. I think I was confusing it with Isabela which I had read good things about. The service was subpar, my butternut squash ravioli was good and my husband did not enjoy his veal at all. The view of the City at night was fantastic.
The next morning we had a few hours before heading out and drove through University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. We then walked around two city neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill and Shadyside where we had breakfast at Cappy's. It took 35 minutes after we ordered for our average food to arrive.
The hotel was not in the most ideal location but it wasn't all that bad. They offer a shuttle with very friendly and helpful drivers. Sometimes the shuttle isn't available when you want it, but we were able to use it a few times. All the rooms in the hotel are renovated and there is a bar/restaurant on site.
I know that we missed some museums and the Cathedral of Learning but the weather was beautiful and we had a great time exploring and just walking around the city. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.
We started out Friday afternoon with a hike around Ohiopyle State Park. The colors weren't at peak but the trees were colorful enough that it was a pretty walk. We had lunch at Firefly Grill, which was basic food, inexpensive and fine for what we were looking for. From there we went for a two hour indepth tour at Falling Water. I highly recommend the two hour tour over the one hour tour. The guide was very informative with lots of historical information on the property, the architect (Frank Lloyd Wright)and the family (the Kaufmann's from the department store) that lived there. We got there about 45 minutes before the start of the tour and walked around the grounds and visited the gift shop.
We arrived in Pittsburgh around 8:00 p.m. and stayed at the Marrriott City Center which I booked on Priceline for $130 a night. We headed to the Southside and had dinner at Fathead's (burgers were good) and then stopped in a few other bars before heading back to the hotel.
Saturday we headed to the Strip District which I would also highly recommend. We had breakfast at Pamela's which has locations all over the city. There was a line but it moved fast and our service was very fast. The food was very good. From there we walked most of Penn Ave. and stopped in lots of shops and food markets. Wholey's is a great fish and meat market and there was also a great Italian market. If I lived in Pittsburgh this would be a weekly trip for me. The street is full of street performers, food vendors and farmers with local produce.
From there we walked downtown and stopped on the way to see the elegant grand lobby of the Omni William Penn Hotel. We continued on to Point State Park. There isn't much there but it was a nice spot to sit by the water. We then walked across the bridge to the football stadium where Pitt was playing Louisville. We stopped in for a drink at the Tilted Kilt and had a drink with lots of Pitt fans who weren't at the game.
We took a break and went back to the hotel and then took the incline up Mount Washington and had dinner at Bella Vista. I think I was confusing it with Isabela which I had read good things about. The service was subpar, my butternut squash ravioli was good and my husband did not enjoy his veal at all. The view of the City at night was fantastic.
The next morning we had a few hours before heading out and drove through University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. We then walked around two city neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill and Shadyside where we had breakfast at Cappy's. It took 35 minutes after we ordered for our average food to arrive.
The hotel was not in the most ideal location but it wasn't all that bad. They offer a shuttle with very friendly and helpful drivers. Sometimes the shuttle isn't available when you want it, but we were able to use it a few times. All the rooms in the hotel are renovated and there is a bar/restaurant on site.
I know that we missed some museums and the Cathedral of Learning but the weather was beautiful and we had a great time exploring and just walking around the city. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.
Jan 28th, 2013, 08:26 AM
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Thanks for the TR! Glad you had a good time. What was your "take" on FLR's stubborn adherence to "his way or the highway"? Our guide told us that Wright actually removed the owners' personal photos because they didn't fit with his design esthetic!
