Pittsburgh will forever hold a special place in my heart — it's where I went to school, lived for four years, and where I found my love and passion for art history.
The city skyline just visible through the buildings of the Strip
But between work, most recently the pandemic, and just the general craziness of life, I haven't been back in four years. So when I had the chance to visit this Summer, I took the chance to explore the city again. And thankfully my typical early morning routine meant I was up well before the rest of the group, so I walked around The Strip District while the sun came up.
A particularly great way to start any day before the world wakes up: the city is quiet except for a few joggers and dog walkers, buildings are just beginning to be hit with the warm morning sun, flowers are being loaded into vans for special events, and bakery doors are propped open, ushering out the scent of butter, coffee, and freshly baked bread into the street. And you get to enjoy it practically all by yourself, so soak it in.
If like me, you have a place that's special to you — I wholeheartedly recommend taking time to explore it again. Cities change, access to places you couldn't get to before open up, and new experiences and restaurants pop up that didn't exist before!