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Around the Burgh

Your Neighborhood. Your City. Your Stories.

Hyperlocal news, block-by-block updates, and the people shaping Pittsburgh's Black neighborhoods — from Homewood to the Hill, Larimer to Lincoln-Lemington.

Hill District
Homewood
East Liberty
Larimer
Lincoln-Lemington
Hazelwood
Garfield
Wilkinsburg
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre dancers — Season of Wonder 2026–27
Season Preview · August 6, 2026
Arts & Culture

A Historic Vision: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Season of Wonder

Adam W. McKinney—PBT’s first Black artistic director—leads the company into its 2026–27 Season of Wonder, backed by a $1 million Mellon Foundation grant and five major productions ahead.

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Pittsburgh National Opera House — $1.75 million Mellon Foundation grant
Major Grant Award · July 2, 2026
Arts & Culture

Pittsburgh’s National Opera House Secures Massive $1.75 Million Mellon Foundation Grant

One of the largest single arts investments in Pittsburgh’s recent history marks a pivotal moment for the institution—expanding free tickets, new productions, and bringing opera into Pittsburgh Public Schools.

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Hill District redevelopment — Lower Hill site, Pittsburgh
PUM Forward · July 3, 2026
Hill District

All Eyes on the Hill

Hill District Redevelopment: Where Do We Stand Now? What’s been built, what’s been promised, and what happens next for Pittsburgh’s most closely watched neighborhood.

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Students at The Citizen Science Lab new Hill District facility
Science & Education · June 19, 2026
Grand Opening

New Science Hub Opens in Hill District

The Citizen Science Lab celebrated the opening of its permanent home at the historic MLK site—a milestone for free STEM education in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.

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Around the Burgh

Hidden Gems & Neighborhood Nuggets

Around the Burgh

Hidden Gems & Neighborhood Nuggets

The stories behind Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods — rotating weekly.

Did You Know?
Hill District
  • Once known as "Little Harlem" — Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong all performed here.
  • Before the Civic Arena was built, more than 8,000 residents and hundreds of Black-owned businesses were displaced.
  • Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson was born and raised here; many of his plays are set in the Hill.
  • The neighborhood was once home to more than 400 Black-owned businesses.
Neighborhood Motto

"The cultural heartbeat of Black Pittsburgh."

What You May Not Know
Homewood
  • One of the city's richest traditions of neighborhood activism and youth leadership.
  • Nationally recognized athletes, musicians, educators, and public servants trace their roots here.
  • Community gardens and urban farms are transforming vacant lots into spaces for fresh food and education.
Fun Fact

Homewood has more churches per square mile than many Pittsburgh neighborhoods, reflecting its deep faith-based community traditions.

Did You Know?
Garfield
  • One of Pittsburgh's fastest-growing arts neighborhoods.
  • The annual Penn Avenue Arts Crawl brings thousands of visitors to local galleries, studios, and businesses.
  • Former warehouses have been transformed into artist studios, performance spaces, and creative businesses.
Neighborhood Nugget
Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar
  • Among Pittsburgh's greenest neighborhoods — parks, wooded hillsides, and river views.
  • Home to one of the city's largest concentrations of Black homeowners.
Fun Fact

Many residents can see both the Allegheny River and surrounding hills from neighborhood overlooks.

Did You Know?
Wilkinsburg
  • Surrounded by Pittsburgh but an independent borough — with its own mayor and municipal government.
  • One of the region's most architecturally significant collections of Victorian homes.
  • A growing hub for entrepreneurs, artists, and community redevelopment initiatives.
Hidden Gem

Historic Penn Avenue contains buildings dating back more than 100 years.

Then & Now
East Liberty
  • Once one of Pennsylvania's busiest shopping districts outside Philadelphia.
  • Today one of Pittsburgh's fastest-changing neighborhoods — blending new development with historic architecture.
Did You Know?
North Side
  • Contains more than a dozen distinct neighborhoods.
  • Home to PNC Park, the National Aviary, and many of Pittsburgh's most visited attractions.
  • Was once the independent city of Allegheny City before being annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907.
Fun Fact
Downtown
  • Pittsburgh and its region have more than 700 bridges — earning the city its nickname, "The City of Bridges."

Know Something We Should Cover?

Pittsburgh Urban Media runs on community intelligence. If something is happening in your neighborhood — a development meeting, a community win, an injustice that needs a spotlight — we want to hear from you.

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⭐ Black Pittsburgh Firsts
George Vashon
One of the first Black college graduates in the United States.
K. Leroy Irvis
First African American Speaker of a state House of Representatives since Reconstruction.
Justin Johnson
Transformed public art into community activism.
Billy Porter
Grew up in Pittsburgh before winning a Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award.
You Probably Didn’t Know...
Pittsburgh has 90 distinct neighborhoods, each with its own identity.
Pittsburgh was the first city in the world with a commercial radio station — KDKA.
The city's iconic yellow bridges are officially called "Aztec Gold."
More public stairways exist in Pittsburgh than in any other U.S. city — over 800 sets connect neighborhoods built into the hills.

The Burgh Briefing

Neighborhood news from across Black Pittsburgh, delivered every Wednesday morning.

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