A place we love: Oakland’s Family Grocer

By Jasmine Turner

Groceria Merante has been an Oakland landmark for more than 30 years. Established in 1979, the store is now run by first-generation Italian-American sisters Julie and Filomena Merante. Today, you’ll find students, young professionals and Italian families frequenting the Groceria– look for it at the intersection of Bates Street and McKee Place.

Groceria Merante is small, but packed from wall to wall with domestic, imported, and homemade goods. A handwritten sign posted on a shelf asks, “Feeling crowded? More food per square inch than Foodland!” The back section of the store, shown above, is a deli counter. Merante’s deli sandwiches are quality, but be warned—the full-length $10 hoagie comes on an entire loaf of Italian bread!

Not sure what to do with that little jar of squid rings on the shelf? If you can’t glean any inspiration from the handwritten recipes tacked up around the store, ask one of the employees milling around the groceria for recipe suggestions. From tips on thinning heavy cream to pasta sauce add-ins, there’s no shortage of kitchen expertise.

The Cultural District: the art student’s playground

photo by Sierra Starks

 

By Sierra Starks

Naturally, it all began with Heinz.

In the late 1970s, H.J. “Jack” Heinz II had an extraordinary vision: to transform a then downtrodden Downtown Pittsburgh into a world-class destination for arts and entertainment.

To carry out his vision for the city’s cultural oasis, Heinz established the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in 1984 to serve as the driving catalyst behind the creation and ongoing development of the downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District.

the Cultural District

Almost three decades and more than 1,000,000 sq. feet of art-affiliated property later, the Cultural District is a premier showcase of the rich and vibrant culture that is Pittsburgh. Through public and private partnerships, the Trust continues to transform this section of downtown Pittsburgh from what was once an abandoned area to a lively 14-block urban art neighborhood filled with theaters, art galleries, restaurants, hotels and an increasing number of downtown living options. Pittsburgh is now more than just “Steel City;” it competes with other arts and entertainment destinations on both a national and international scale.

Take, for example, the array of art schools in the downtown area: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), and Point Park University, among others.

Point Park is a small, private, accredited, liberal arts university in downtown Pittsburgh whose Conservatory of Performing Arts is nationally ranked as one of the top programs of its kind. It is run and overseen by a world-renowned faculty including instructors, directors, producers, writers and choreographers. It is also the birthplace for the nation’s rising talent.

Point Park grad turned professional actress Ashley Archambeau got her first real taste of the Cultural District during her junior year in the performing arts program. She and a group of friends produced a novice gallery performance piece titled “Generation I” performed at the Wood Street Galleries on Penn Avenue. The piece was a reflection of the generation’s reaction to the war in Iraq.

Archambeau, who served as director, called the performance “interactive art” and noted that the audience was extremely receptive to their efforts.

Wood Street Galleries is the gem of the Gallery Crawl, which happens three times a year in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

The professionals at Point Park had encouraged her to look for opportunities in which to showcase her work. She had often passed the Wood Street Galleries on walks through downtown, where she often searched for inspiration.“The Cultural District contains so much for people who are in school for the arts,” Archambeau said, explaining that the majority of the inspiration for her pieces then came from gallery spaces, artists’ pallets, and essentially, whoever’s work was relevant in the Cultural District at the time.

She was a pioneer, who disregarded that she was the youngest person, by decades’ count, in the audience of the theatrical performances. The Cultural Trust may comprise of individuals of advanced years, but Jack Heinz II had more in mind than just the established in his vision for the Cultural District.

And apparently, so did Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and Pittsburgh Hill District native August Wilson.

According to Sheila Mckenna, chairwoman of the theater department at Point Park University, Pittsburgh has always had a variety of arts performances to attend. But in recent years, its efforts have been lining up more and more with those of individuals like Heinz and Wilson. “The Trust has increased the number of venues, broadened the scope of national and international guest artists and companies, and improved the appearance, safety and accessibility of their footprint in the downtown area.”

If we’re talking footprints, it goes without saying that the newest of the venues in the Culture District, the August Wilson Centre for African American Culture, has certainly made its mark.

Named after the famous writer, the August Wilson Centre for African American Culture dubs itself as “a place like no other for experiencing theater, dance, music, history, film, literature, visual art, interactive education and spectacular entertainment, all under one roof.”

It has also become a haven for the younger crowd: performing arts students, fine art fanatics, art-appreciative aficionados, and the like.

Kaylin Horgan, a member of the August Wilson Dance Ensemble, credits this appeal to the actual artistry of the Center.

“A lot of our talent [at the August Wilson Center] is up-and-coming,” she said, using the symphony as a contrast.

Horgan, who is both a CAPA and Point Park graduate, admits that the Cultural District was never much of a hot topic while she was in high school or college. But she, like Archambeau and a select few, looked for inspiration in a resource that was literally next door.

Be it music, dance, gallery exhibits, films, experimental theatre, opera, tours, etc., “The opportunities are there,” Horgan said. “It’s something that’s worthwhile to look into.”

Students enjoy the Gallery Crawl, held at the Wood Street Galleries in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Essentially, it’s about longevity. The timelessness of art and culture signify the value and importance of the Cultural District. Whether you want to be an actor/actress, ballerina, painter, sculptor, curator, or you’re just into the art for art’s sake thing, there’s a whole playground downtown for the travelling.It may have begun with Heinz, but its life lies with you.

Museums N’at

Inside the Rivers of Steel Museum
GIF Credit: Steven Baleno

By Steven Baleno

There are only so many times you can visit the Silver Clouds at the Andy Warhol Museum, the laser show set to Freddie Mercury songs at the Science Center, or the dinosaur exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History before you start desiring a change of scenery. I know, I know, you probably think I’m crazy, but after you’ve seen the Tyrannosaurus rex three, four or maybe nine times, the initial wonder starts to wear off.

If you find yourself in my shoes, or if you just want to brag to your friends about some cool new places they probably have never been to yet, don’t worry, there are plenty of other museums in the city just waiting for you to come by and have a good time.

Rivers of Steel Museum: Extending the city’s history beyond its walls

Over a century before the Waterfront became the go-to dining destination for the ’Burgh, the area served as the center for steel mills and workers’ rights.

Does the Pinkerton Strike jog any memories from your high school history class?

No? Well, the Rivers of Steel Museum, right on the main stretch of Homestead, offers exhibits that will give you a refresher course on Homestead’s vital part in shaping the Steel City. Operating out of the historic Bost Building, known for its role in the 1892 strike, this museum offers a look at the history of the Homestead Works, but also showcases steel factory pieces from private collectors.

It’s the glimpse into the lives of the sweat-and-blood workers that literally made this city.

Once you’ve brushed up on your history, make sure to stop by the Pump House, site of the bloody battle between the laborers and Pinkerton agents during the strike, located down in the Waterfront.  And if you manage to stop by on a Sunday, you may even run into one of Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Markets for a little bit of music and home cooked goodness to go with your foray into Pittsburgh’s past.

Toonseum: Proving your parents wrong about cartoons since 2007

A zoetrope spins in one of Toonseum's galleries
GIF Credit: Steven Baleno

Many might not think of cartoons as culturally significant, but here’s the thing: the Toonseum is located in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District for a reason.

The museum, which recently wrapped up an exhibit giving a look into the black animated characters that appeared in the wake of the Civil Rights movement, is now showcasing works by Will Eisner, the graphic-novel godfather, who’s known for capturing the transformation of New York City’s landscape and soul pre- and post-Depression. If you’re looking for something thought provoking, don’t miss this collection.

But what’s coming up after Eisner’s works leave in May? Keep an eye out for a gallery of artwork from the comic strip “Pearls Before Swine” and an exhibition focusing on the Care Bears for the young at heart. And don’t miss the museum’s numerous lectures, most recently welcoming Playboy cartoonist Doug Sneyd.

With three rotating galleries, there’s always something worth checking out at the Toonseum and always something to learn.

The Bible Lands Museum: Where archaeology and theology make strange, fascinating bedfellows

The beauty of Pittsburgh lies in the fact that you’ll find a surprise in any neighborhood if you’re willing to look for it.

Lucky for you, I’ve already done the legwork to find one of East Liberty’s most unusual surprises, located at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary off of North Highland Avenue, which collects archaeological finds from the Near East.

Now, don’t let the word “Bible” in the name fool you, because even though the museum focuses on artifacts in and around historic cities with roots in Biblical narratives like Judah and Jericho, you’ll find it refreshing that the exhibits serve to contextualize the everyday life of the people featured in Hebrew and New Testament texts, rather than feeling like a religious polemic. In fact, one of the most interesting exhibits focuses on the archaeological expeditions led by some of the museums’ archaeologists from the early 20th century, giving a rare look into the history of the science over the past 90 years.

Additional exhibits include ones on burial practices, pottery, and early writing systems in the Middle East, even one on the discovery of a Hebrew alphabet dating from tenth century BCE.

If you’re into the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Ancient Egyptian exhibit (and let’s be honest, who isn’t?), but you’re looking for something new, this is the place for you, especially since there is no admission charge (donations are encouraged) and it is open to the public during the academic year.

Museums N’at by Steven Baleno is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Bike the Burgh

Photo: OTB Bicycle Cafe

By Karin Baker

It’s a common problem among city residents: You move to the busy land of bright lights to escape a boring life of late-night Eat n’ Park runs and hanging out at Wal-mart. Inevitably, the newness of your fast-paced living situation wears away, and you find yourself sitting in your apartment watching reruns of Family Guy. You can’t help but utter: “There’s nothing to do here.”

I too found myself in your position. I had exhausted every museum, every coffee shop, every local bar. I was out of options.  Until the day I bought my bike.

Commonly thought to be a pastime that dies out when you hit 16 and can finally drive a car, biking is a quickly growing hobby among city dwellers. Pittsburgh, with its excessive rivers and steep hills, was previously considered relatively unbikeable. Through the efforts of local organizations like Bike PGH, the biking scene in Pittsburgh has developed exponentially. Now, the city is rampant with trails throughout every district of Pittsburgh, and continues to develop.

With the recent news that additional bike lanes will be installed in the Shadyside, Bloomfield, and Oakland districts of Pittsburgh, the ease of navigating in the somewhat narrow streets will become a much less daunting task.

If road biking isn’t your thing, don’t think that you can’t get the fun of a mountain bike in the city.  Frick Park is located on Forbes Avenue, just a short 61 bus ride outbound.  The park includes trails that weave through the forest, and easily makes you forget about the existence of a city just four miles back.  With every Port Authority Bus equipped with bike racks, the transportation of a bike is easier than ever.

Pittsburgh’s bike culture has stretched much further than trails and safe riding lanes.  OTB – Over the Bar Café – is a local Southside hangout that is any biker’s dream bar.  While their main objective is to get those bikers fueled and tipsy, OTB holds bike rides throughout the year, most recently riding with Pedal Pittsburgh – an initiative begun by the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh in 1994.  PSA: Never Drink and Bike! But their “Blissfully Bicyclist Bisque” (AKA: Roasted Pablano and Corn Bisque) recently won the Best Vegetarian Soup in the Southside.  Bisquing and biking is acceptable.

Tucked away in the Northside of Pittsburgh is Bicycle Heaven, both literally and figuratively for a bike enthusiast.  The bike museum, named above, is home to over 90,000 bicycles and bicycle parts that have been developed over the years.  From the Boneshaker (below), to a vintage cruiser, Bicycle Heaven is an ethereal site to be seen.