lianeaurora

Driving to Pittsburgh with my 19 year old son for mainly tax free shopping.
What are the best shopping places to hit? I heard Lawrenceville is trendy and shady something or maybe it was squirrel hill are good? Like to stay somewhere close to downtown but doesn't have to be downtown just easy access to it. Also, what is the area for good restaurants or patio type places? Any good record stores selling vinyl's? Is there an anthropology store in the city? What activities should we do? Oh and for me what is the best yarn store in town? Thanks!

tomfuller

Where are you coming from that the that the prices/taxes are higher than PA? Delaware has no sales tax which is why people from SE PA go there to buy appliances etc.

capxxx

tomfuller is right -- it's not even ``mostly'' tax free. But if you're going anyway ...

Shadyside, especially Walnut street, is good for trendy shops. You will find restaurants with patios on Walnut street. There are also good restaurants (though I don't recall patios) on Carson street, Southside.

As for anthropology stores .... maybe the gift shop at the Carnegie museum in Oakland? (Not sure what you mean here.)

Go to Craig street (Wicked Disks) for Vinyl.

Activities with a 19yo son: take the Incline up to the top of Mt Washington and enjoy the view, then a meal on Carson street. Go to a Pirates game. Visit the Carnegie muesums. Saturday morning in the strip district (not what it sounds like -- its the wholesale district, with neato emporiums and shops, street food).

Yarn store, sorry don't know.

lianeaurora

Wow thank you for the great advice. We're coming from Toronto sales tax is 13%!!! so everything is cheaper down in PA. Anthropologie(I think I spelled it wrong) for me is a women's clothing store.... sort of a pier one meets urban outfitter's type place. What about the Andy Warhol museum is that any good to go to? Maybe the gift shop to purchase some cool post cards to frame?
Any suggestions for hotels near Walnut street? If not are there lots to park in? I'll have to hit the usual Costco, TJ's, Marshall's and Target but are there any neat Grocery stores to try? Thank you for "Wicked Disks" we like looking for picture disc's, ep's and alternative stuff when we're somewhere different.

tuscanlifeedit

Andy Warhol Museum is excellent. Yes, on framable cheap art.

There is an Anthropologie in the south suburbs, at the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon.

No hotels on Walnut, but nearby at Shadyside Hospital there is at least one large hotel. And there are public parking lots off Walnut in Shadyside.

There is also public parking in Squirrel Hill.

Lawrenceville is by far the "hippest" of these places, with lots of patio dining (Pusadee's Garden is very good Thai) and loads of cool shops. Very much the in place these days.

I guess the nearest hotels would be in the Strip or around the Convention Center, but I'm guessing that the hotel at Shadyside Hospital probably has the most likely free parking and most central position. I'm sorry but I can't remember the name right now.

Groceries stores: the usual suspects: Whole Foods in East Liberty/Shadyside, Trader Joes around the circle in the "Bakery" area. South, near Anthropologie, there is a Trader Joe's and a Fresh Market.

Really fun for food shopping in the Strip, with a big Penzey's, Italian markets, Greek, coffee shops, and a bit of a fun scene.

capxxx

Anthropologie, lol -- you had me puzzled for sure. Google tells me there is one just east of Shadyside.

I don't know of any hotels near Walnut St, nor anywhere in Shadyside. There are some parking lots, yes.

You could stay in Oakland, which the U. Pitt area between Shadyside and downtown, with plenty of restaurants to walk to -- we've liked the Hilton Garden Inn and there are others in the area. That's where the Craig street record store is. Craig street has a bunch of good ethnic restaurants.

Or you could stay downtown. There is a Sheraton (and I think a Holiday Inn) next to Station Square -- an upscale shopping mall in an old train station. That's where the incline up the mountain is. If your son is into sports there is a store in in Station Square with stuff relating to all the Pgh teams (Penguins, Steelers, Pirates).

For neat groceries you should definitely check out the strip district. That's where the trains deliver goods for the city, and there is a several-block area of shops with all kinds of interesting stuff. A huge store filled with paper goods and party supplies. Wholeys (pronounced wooly's) fish market. A cheese emporium. A big store of full of kitchenware. Primanti brothers for sandwiches.

Actually, if you are interested in strange food you should check out Baldingers in Zelienople PA, about 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh. More candy than you have ever seen in your life, and all kinds of strange and exotic imported things. I haven't been there for years, but the internet says it is still there.

I've heard the Andy Warhol museum is great but haven't been there myself.

I would guess the big stores like Costco and Target are more likely to be found in the suburbs, not in the city proper.

Have fun!

lianeaurora

Excellent thank you so much for the suggestions! Wow we definitely will be going to all those area's. Lawrenceville, the strip, the incline, Craig street, Bakery area, Baldingers, A.W. museum and that kitchenware store sounds neat too. My son is more into college football so maybe a shirt from U of Pitt since our name has "Pit" in it lol I will have to ask him...maybe Penguin stuff too.
Ok now I just have to pick a hotel...oh and find my funky yarn shop ha ha

longhorn55

I definitely recommend the Andy Warhol museum. If you are there on a Friday evening, admission is half-price from 5pm to 10pm. (That's when we went.)
http://www.warhol.org/visit/hoursadmission/

As for hotels, I am mostly familiar with those in/near Oakland as one of our children attended Pitt. We liked the Residence Inn Pittsburgh University/Medical Center which is located in a quiet, residential area within walking distance of the University of Pittsburgh campus. For more affordable rates (and free parking, which is always a bonus), we've stayed at the Quality Inn University Center.

The University of Pittsburg University Store is located on campus at 4000 Fifth Avenue and will have a huge selection of Pitt clothing for your son.

Finally, if either you or your son has an interest in art, architecture, or foreign cultures, I would highly recommend visiting the Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning on the Pitt campus. (Guided as self-guided tours are available.) If you don't have time for that, at least walk into the main floor of the Cathedral of Learning--it's amazing.
http://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/

lianeaurora

Maybe I'll check out the Quality inn since parking is free. The Nationality rooms look interesting too, we'll try to get there also.
Any little towns we should hit on the way out of the city? We're going to Grove City for the outlets but what about Hershey for the chocolate? Is it worth it?

tomfuller

The vast majority of Hershey chocolate is made in Mexico.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...tion+locations
The amusement park is still nice, but I don't buy their chocolate anymore.
If you're going back by way of Erie, check out Presque Isle State Park.

tuscanlifeedit

The hotel I was thinking of is the Courtyard Pittsburgh Shadyside. If you wanted something nicer, there are about 5 boutique hotels in Shadyside proper.

Bakery Square is the "proper name" for the area where the East End Trader Joe's is located.

I wouldn't necessarily detour to Hershey.

Don't miss the Strip. The Heinz History Center is also there. Street vendors sell every sort of sports gear and Pitt stuff is available, but it's true, the store on campus has everything.

longhorn55

At Hershey, there is a free ride that takes you through a simulated factory--there are no tours of the actual factory. It's kind of a cheesy version of a Disney ride and your 19-year-old son probably wouldn't be caught dead on it. (I'm sure my son wouldn't at that age.) There's also a huge store where you can buy Hershey products, but most of it is the same stuff you find in the supermarket and the prices are no bargains. (The one thing I have bought there are extra large chocolate bars that they will personalize in chocolate--as "thank yous" for kid who walks the dog, etc.) Then, there are a lot of other attractions you pay for.

If Hershey is on your way, then you could stop for short visit, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

lianeaurora

Ha ha you're right my son wouldn't be caught dead on the ride. Yup, I think we'll pass on the Hershey place. Thanks again.