Help!!!!!! What can I expect in Pittsburg

Hi I may be planning a trip to Pittsburgh and I am so confused if this will be a nice place. My daughter has a disability and she met another girl with the same disability who lives in Michigan we live in New Jersey, anyway they want to meet and they came up with Pittsburgh and I have to be honest I%26#39;m not exactly a city girl. My biggest fear is that we would get there and be repulsed by the appearance and if it is a dirty city that will put me over the top. I%26#39;m not sure if this will be a good experience. Can anyone please give me some idea what to expect or does anyone know of any other places that may be in between the two states that is quaint and beautiful?????

Help!!!!!! What can I expect in Pittsburg

I love PIttsburgh (and I don%26#39;t live there)! It%26#39;s not a small town, but it%26#39;s not a huge city either. And it%26#39;s certainly not a dirty city.

What are the ages of the girls? What do they like to do? I think that would be what should be the driving force behind where they decided to meet. Pittsburgh has a lot of great museums which would interest people of all ages (e.g. my kids and I love the Carnegie Science Musuem). It also has an excellent zoo, a large park, and other interesting attractions such as the inclines (funiculars).

Check out www.visitpa.com and then click on ';PA Regions'; and ';Pittsburgh and Countryside'; for lots of good suggestions for things to see and do in Pittsburgh.

Help!!!!!! What can I expect in Pittsburg

You couldn%26#39;t have picked a more beautiful city! The ';dirt'; disappeared many years ago (and unfortunately so did the steel mills). The view of Pittsburgh as you come through the Fort Pitt Tunnel is spectacular. If you%26#39;re driving from NJ you won%26#39;t get that view, but there is so much to enjoy for young and old alike. That%26#39;s why Pittsburgh was ';again'; ranked as the #1 place to live in the U.S. The zoo is really nice--also the Carnegie Science Center on the North Shore (across the river from downtown) has so much for kids to enjoy. UPMC Sports Works is right across the street, and it%26#39;s also a great place for kids. Phipps Conservatory has a special Fall flower show going on with a wonderful glass exhibit. The inclines on Mt. Washington are a special treat for visitors. If you%26#39;re taking the Turnpike, Monroeville (Exit 57) would be a good, safe place to stay (east of the city) with a number of hotel/motel options, lots of restaurants, shopping, etc. If you%26#39;re flying from NJ, there are a number of hotels between the airport and the city. Have fun!

We made our first visit to Pittsburgh last month, and had a great time. It%26#39;s a manageable size, with lots of separate, interesting districts and neighborhoods. It%26#39;s not dirty at all. Best of all, the people are SO NICE!

Station Square is a fun area, with shops and restaurants. It%26#39;s the starting point for ';Duck Boat'; tours, which travel city streets and then drive right into the river! We enjoyed the John Heinz History Center, the glass exhibit at Phipps Conservatory, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, which is in the university district, a great place for people watching. So is The Strip, with cool shops and restaurants. Our hotel (Courtyard Downtown) offered a shuttle to many places of interest; that was a big help. We did a lot in three days, but there%26#39;s so much more to see, we%26#39;re definitely planning to go back.

Another good website is http://www.visitpittsburgh.com/

Having said all that, it could be a lot less fun in cold and/or rainy weather. It really does depend on the girls%26#39; ages and interests, and also how much walking you want to do.

An alternative, in a beautiful setting and much less urban, might be Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV. It%26#39;s about 60 miles southwest of Wheeling. Gets pretty good ratings here on TripAdvisor. The lodge is nice, with an indoor pool. There%26#39;s a small zoo, an environmental center, a mansion museum, and a glass collection. They have a wonderful Festival of Lights that runs two months starting in early November.