HS kids in Pittsburgh
 

I'm bringing 23 high schoolers to Pgh in June. Anything we shouldn't miss? Where should we eat?

Eileen,<BR><BR>If you can provide some more information such as how long you will be here, what kind of things in general are you looking for(museums, fun, etc.), why you are bringing 23 kids here, budget, etc., I will be able to give you plenty of ideas.<BR><BR>Jeff

Here are some initial suggestions. The best thing to do is check them out on the net and then make a decision.<BR><BR>Carnegi Science Center - http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/<BR><BR>Carnegi Museum of Natural history - www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmnh/ <BR><BR>UPMC Sports Works - http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/upmc-sportsworks/sportsworks.htm<BR><BR>The Mattress Factory – mattressfactory.org <BR><BR>Phipps Conservatory - www.phipps.conservatory.org/ <BR><BR>The National Aviary - http://www.aviary.org/<BR><BR>The Andy Warhol Museum - www.warhol.org/ <BR><BR>Ride the incline - http://www.incline.cc/ <BR><BR>Pittsburgh Zoo &amp; PPG Aquarium - http://zoo.pgh.pa.us/<BR><BR>Since you are going to be here in June, I would try to get to PNC Park and see the Pirates play. It is an awesome facility and you could probably get a group rate on tickets. - http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/pit/homepage/pit_homepage.jsp<BR><BR>Places to eat could include:<BR><BR>Dave and Buster's - www.daveandbusters.com/ <BR><BR>Damon's - www.damons.com/ <BR><BR>Station Square has many dining options - www.stationsquare.com/ <BR><BR>Hope this helps. As I said earlier, if you can post more detail, I can help better.<BR>

I forgot to mention our amusement park, Kennywood Park. It has great roller coasters.<BR><BR>www.kennywood.com/ <BR><BR>Sandcastle waterpark is also near Kennywood. -www.sandcastlewaterpark.com/ <BR><BR>On another note, if you are looking for outdoor nature type stuff, I can help with that also.

Thanks Jeff. We're doing a mission trip, staying in East Liberty Sun-Thur and have Friday 9am- 8pm as our free day. I'm planning a low-cost,full-day,get-to-know Pittsburgh adventure.Oakland for Carnegie Museums in am,(Original hot dogs for lunch?), Incline then something else? in afternoon, then cheap &amp; fun that seats 26 for supper. Timing is wrong for Pirates game,dang.

It sounds like you are off to a good start with the Carnegi in Oakland in the AM(although that may not be enough time?) and the &quot;O&quot; for hot dogs at lunch. The &quot;O&quot; is right in the heart of the University of Pittsburgh &quot;action&quot; and the kids may enjoy that.<BR><BR>If you go to the incline after lunch, you may want to make the Northside your next stop. That is where the National Aviary, the Carnegi Science Center, the UPMC Sportsworks(great for teenagers), the Mattress Factory(modern art museum), the Andy Warhol museum, PNC Park, and Heinz Field are. All of these places are in close quarters and even walkable if you just want to park once and be done with it. There are also many places to eat on the Northside.<BR><BR>As far as eating at a fun place on the cheap......that's a tough one. Damon's and Dave and Busters are fun but not exactly cheap. They aren't expensive though either. Dave and Buster's is located in an entertainment complex called the Waterfront in the Homestead area of Pittsburgh. - http://www.waterfronttowncenter.com/<BR><BR>Hopefully others will jump in with additional suggestions for you. It sounds like those kids will be worn out by the end of the day!!!<BR><BR>Let me know if you have additional questions and I will be happy to try and answer them.

<BR>eileen,<BR>Glad to see you were thinking about baseball. I suppose they still have the picnic pavillions at Kennywood? <BR>

They sure do have the picnic pavilions at Kennywood. Of course you have to pay to get into the park to use them, but they are still available.

Addendum. I just read where this is a &quot;mission&quot; trip. I assume that is religious and maybe helping in the community? I commend the kids for that but couldn't they help in Cleveland or Washington, DC or Cancun? Help is needed all over. Pittsburgh?????

Drew,<BR><BR>After all the things I just listed to do in Pittsburgh, how could you say it is boring?<BR><BR>Pittsburgh is a great town with plenty to do. You just have to get off your butt and do it.<BR><BR>....and yes, I do live in Pittsburgh. However, I also travel often and there are not many mid-size cities that have all the great attractions that Pittsburgh has. I limited my response to teenage suggestions only. Adults have even more options.<BR><BR>Are you from Cleveland Drew? Because Cleveland compares in no way to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a much more vibrant town that is improving year after year. It hasn't been the stereotypical steel town for many, many years.

It's the Carnegie, not Carnegi museum.

eileen IS going to Pgh<BR><BR>eileen,<BR>maybe the &quot;something else&quot;, and outside, before the incline. Then dinner at Station Square. Friday, so you would be competing with the locals for tables, but you're timing would have you eating before the locals finished happy hour. Be sure to call and arrange a discount since a group of 26 would be a bonanza to a place that doesn't handle tour buses.<BR>

there is always the Nationalality Rooms in te Cathedral of Learning on the Pitt campus...kids and adults find that very interesting and is in the same place as the Carnegie...hope you have a bus or form of transportation around PGH...also I`d call the &quot;O&quot; and tell them you have a group...it`s not too big...as w/any eating place..there is the Gateway Clipper tours of the river at Station Square..and you`d get a group discount...kids and adults love that..and the Planeterium is great too on the North Side..try Pittsburgh.com for lots of info...have a great time..

Someone picked Pittsburgh over Cancun for high school kids?? Hello? Is there an explanation?? I have got to hear this!!!

Read the original post. The students are on a MISSION trip. This is their day off from work. Lighten up everyone!<BR>

Uhhh Sue? I read then reread the original post. I must have gone over it 8 times. It does not mention anything about a mission trip.<BR><BR>I think apologies are in order.<BR><BR>I will cast my vote about the trip. I think I would have more fun in Cancun than Pittsburgh and money would go further.

Thank you Jeff and Bill! Very helpful suggestions.We are way excited about an urban experience.Thank you for your help.Help from the locals makes it much easier. Drew:We're coming from Madison Wi and in past years have gone to Smokey Mtns,Lakota Rez in South Dakota and Northern Cheyenne Rez in Wyomin on mission trips.All were amazing in different ways. I took a group to Omaha Nebraska for Habitat and had a great time on the site and in the city.On my own time in the past 5 years I've been to DC,NYC,Santa Fe,San Diego,Key West, South Beach, Monterey so it's not like I don't know.This trip filled up in 2 weeks.Kids are excited<BR>General:Please don't stereotype teenagers. They are interested in all sorts of things-mostly of course, each other but you'd be amazed at what they find interesting. And these are a variety of kids but most are involved in something, be it sports, music, art,theater, job etc.<BR>I'll step off my soapbox now!

I can remember when I was a teen and I would enjoy going to Cancun more than Pittsburgh. As an adult I would also.

Eileen, you are to be commended for the double-mitzvah you are doing-the work of your mission &amp; travelling with 23 high schoolers! Jeff has made great suggestions. The Science Center is great. The O is a great place for lunch-it has a charm of its own. High schoolers might be interested in touring U of Pitt campus which surrounds the O. You might want to contact the University for help on that. The Cathedral of Learning really is different from any other college building you will see. Final suggestion for dinner Friday night-it's not glamourous or gourmet, but kids that age love buffets - maybe a Pittsburgh poster might know of a chinese buffet restaurant. Lots of food for hungry teenagers at a relatively low price. Have fun!

You've received some excellent suggestions. I think if the weather is decent, Kennywood would be the most fun for the students. If it's raining, the suggestion of the Carnegie Science Center is a good one. They have an IMAX movie theatre and next door, associated with the museum, is the UPMC Sportsworks, which offers an interactive sports experience. One suggestion for an inexpensive meal is LuLus/Yum Wok (Asian/noodle) in Oakland on Craig Street. Food is good, portions are huge, and it's inexpensive (less than $7 per entree). Don't know if you were looking for Friday evening activities as well. The CLO is performing Miss Saigon followed by Annie in June. Best of luck in your planning.

I am a former HS teacher and also a formeer restaurant owner in Pittsburgh - I have a few suggestiopns for you:<BR><BR>Take the kids to The Strip District - very interesting place. Take them on a Saturday morning, if possible, and plan on them eating lunch from the various vendor carts. Or, take them to Primanti's - Its a place I hate but they will probably love it. It, too, is in the Strip District. Lots of reasonable shopping there also.<BR><BR>Another day, take the kids to U of Pittsburgh and to The Dirty O (the Original) for lunch - they have wonderful french fries that the kids will go absolutely nuts over. Huge portions at very reasonable prices. <BR><BR>A word of caution - Do not go to the &quot;O&quot; or to The Strip either late at night.<BR><BR>Across the river there is a brand new mall with a huge smokestack. Lots of shopping which kids love to do. Sorry I do not remember the name but everyone knows about it. Plan on taking them there in an evening for shopping, lots of movies and lots of eateries. Very safe also.<BR><BR>Take them to the new ball park, take the incline, to Mt. Washington for a view of the three rivers, Shadyside for &quot;artsy&quot; shopping $$, and perhaps to Three Rivers Park downtown.<BR><BR>In Bloomfield, there is an Italian section that might be ok - not sure about enough to keep there interest there.<BR><BR>You are welcome to e-mail me. I have a special place in my heart for HS teachers. I am retired - miss the kids.<BR><BR>

Sorry for the type o's - I hit the post button by mistake before I could correct them! <BR><BR>I obviously did not teach typing in high school.

<BR>eileen is planning a Friday 9AM to 8PM <BR>&quot;get-to-know Pittsburgh adventure&quot;, and &quot;way excited about an uban experience&quot;.<BR><BR>Rachel's idea of contacting Pitt sounds like a great idea. Urban and educational considering the strength of medical science there.<BR><BR>The Gateway Clipper also was an excellent idea for a Pittsburgh urban experience on the three rivers. <BR><BR>I haven't lived in Pgh since 1979, so I am not familiar with the attractions on the north side (or souside for that matter). I am hoping that there would be a boat that they could take from the northside over to see Station Square to get to the incline.<BR>

Bill's comments about boats reminded me that Pittsburgh now has Ducky tours!! (Like the ones in Boston)<BR>From their website: (http://www.justduckytours.com/) &quot;We'll take you on a fun-filled trip through Pittsburgh in a vintage World War II amphibious vehicle, able to drive from land into water. The tour is fun for all ages and provides a history lesson as well as a ride of your life. By the way... quacking and having fun IS required! On the trip you will see highlights of Pittsburgh's cultural and historical sites. We showcase downtown Pittsburgh like no other! On the way, you'll learn facts that some Pittsburghers don't even know!

Just Ducky tours in another excellent idea.

Unless you plan on going to Cedar Point amusement park, you're wasting your time in northeastern OH (Cleveland). Someone said Rock Hall, which is very overrated. Admission is high and the feeling, &quot;is this all there is for what I paid&quot;, Lake Erie???, what, to jump in? and the new owner has decimated the baseball team so Jacobs Field just isn't worth it. Cleveland hypes the Flats area, but you'll probably get shot in a parking lot on the East Bank side, or worse yet, have a few too many and fall in the river and drown. Shopping is non-existent in the downtown area as the main street is all boarded up store fronts. Cleveland is a disappointing destination!

One more idea: they have free outdoor movies in the evenings on Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. Its a great, safe setting (adjacent to the Carnegie-Mellon campus) and the cost is ideal: FREE! <BR><BR>Check out: http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/html/cinema_in_the_park_and_cinema_.html<BR><BR>

Eileen:<BR><BR>Go to Kennywood, period. Skip everything else. You can easily spend the whole day at Kennywood it's so fun. Plenty of park food there, especially the french fries with loads of cheese on it. Yum.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Another vote for eating at the &quot;o&quot;. Permani brothers is also a good one - fries and slaw right on the sandwich. Kennywood is also fun. I can't remember the name of the art museum, but its pretty good for a city the size the the 'burgh. I am not from the area, but condier it a second home since I went to school an hour north of there, and have many friends in the area. The people there are very real, down to earth, and super friendly. Every time I visit I am taken aback by how friendly people are there. <BR><BR>Enjoy, and have some O fries for me.

I've never been to Pittsburgh, but this is so interesting. Congratulations on helping these kids do some &quot;mission&quot; work.<BR>I am sorry for the people who tell you to go to Cleveland or Cancun instead. Who knows why Pittsburgh, and that's not important. Maybe they are coming from 25 miles away? Maybe it is a sister city, or has a common bond with their high school.<BR>If someone said they were going to Turkey to do some missionary work would you all tell them they are crazy and should go to Paris instead? I don't think pleasure and fun is what this trip is about, but eileen is trying to add some fun into it. Lighten up you people.

Thanks everyone! Is this a reasonable agenda for a day:9am Carnegie Museums,then Nationality Rooms at Pitt, Original hot Dogs(and fries!) for lunch, then downtown and/or the Strip for shopping, dinner at Primati Bros, then trip up the Incline for the view. We're going to Cedar Point on our way home. <BR>

Eileen:<BR><BR>After the museums and nationality rooms and the O, I'd say skip the Strip (too spread out) and stay around Downtown for shopping. You may want to take a walk to Point State Park and visit the Fort Pitt blockhouse and a small museum which are both within the Park. Then eat at Primanti's or another good place to eat, which isn't that far away from Point State Park, is Max and Erma's on Stanwix Street. It's a nice finger food place. All the know is that the fajita are wonderful at this place. I think going to Mt. Washington after this would be too much in one day. A

going to Mt Wash is sooo easy.<BR>Ddepending upon where you are staying you could make it your last stop. Ddowntown Pitt is best viewed at night!<BR><BR>Travel is easy from downtown--Take the T over to Station Square and then walk over to the Duquense Incline--has a great wealth of information. Not sure about the Monongahela (sp?) Incline building having all the historical pictures or articles or viewing platform like the Duquesne one.<BR><BR>WE always take out of town guests there and they love it! The pictures of downtown Pittsburgh in the early 1900's are amazing. IT is my #1 to DO in Pittsburgh!<BR>