News Around the Neighborhood
PHLF: Downtown Walking Tour of Fourth Avenue Historic District
Saturday, July 15
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
$20.00 per person
This tour is limited to 20 participants. Tickets will not be available after 11:30 pm on July 14.
Click here to purchase a ticket
In 1889, Mary Schenley donated 300 acres of land to the City of Pittsburgh to create the park that bears her name. By the turn of the 20th century, the construction of other amenities transformed Oakland into Pittsburgh’s original cultural district.
This tour focuses on the section of Oakland that includes Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, and the main branch of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, which drew people from around the growing industrial city for respite, enlightenment, and aesthetic pleasure.
Stops at additional sites around these landmark institutions will reveal not only how the neighborhood has continued to evolve, but also the mix of features that still attracts people to Pittsburgh’s original home of culture.
Indie Pop Meets Afro-Soul with Blick Bassy
Blick Bassy
Thursday, July 27
7:00 pm
This concert presents Cameroonian artist Blick Bassy as he tours with his latest album, Mádibá. In it, Blick has chosen to address the environment, with particular focus on the theme of water. The album brings together twelve songs in the form of fables, in which his high and angelic voice dominates, carried by delicate guitar, synthesizer melodies, and sober brass arrangements. At the confluence of several living sources, navigating between Africa and the West, Blick Bassy’s music – for which he mainly uses Bassa, its mother tongue – is distinguished by its mix as much as by its density. The tracks on Mádibá testify to a contemporary and poetic Africanity at the crossroads of soul, folk, and electro. As a whole, the album radiates with intense emotion, which pairs beautifully in this program with Blick’s vibrant performance style.
Construction Kicks Off in the Commons
Dear Neighbor,
We’re thrilled to announce that the next phase of the North Promenade rehabilitation in historic Allegheny Commons begins next Monday, June 19!
The reconstruction of the North Promenade will stretch from Federal Street toward the George Washington Monument, building on the progress from the first phase completed in 2021 and the award-winning restoration of the historic Patricia Rooney Memorial Fountain, a focal point of Allegheny Commons Park. New park lighting, pathways, and benches will be installed, as well as a pedestrian friendly crossing at Arch Street.
This project is made possible in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority, funding from the City of Pittsburgh Parks Tax Trust Fund, and thanks to our generous supporters.
It’s an honor to have this opportunity to enhance a treasured part of one of Pittsburgh’s most remarkable communities. Please click here to learn more about this unique project and how you can support the Parks Conservancy’s ongoing work in Allegheny Commons.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
P.S. Stay tuned for project updates in the coming months and a grand reopening community celebration of this section of the North Promenade later this year!
Celebrate Dad with the Perfect Parks Gift
This Father’s Day, celebrate a dad, father figure, or special loved one with something special that can keep your parks green and growing for the next generation.
Nicholas, it’s not too late to plant a legacy and send a customized eCard today!
Your thoughtful gesture in his honor will be planted and cared for by Parks Conservancy staff as part of our ongoing restoration of Pittsburgh’s urban forest.
Construction Continues in Allegheny Commons Park
On Wednesday, May 24, we celebrated the next phase of construction in historic Allegheny Commons Park. The improvements to Pittsburgh’s oldest public park will include pathway resurfacing, canopy tree plantings, bench installations, lighting to illuminate the North Promenade and an overall enhancement to the pedestrian experience. This investment directly reflects the Northside neighborhood’s unique needs and the upgrades residents wanted to see in their community park.
Construction is slated to begin on June 19 and will continue throughout the summer. Stay tuned for project updates or click here to learn more!
Special thanks to the following individuals for contributing to this extraordinary ceremony: Parks Conservancy President and CEO Catherine Qureshi, Senator Wayne Fontana, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak, Councilman Bobby Wilson, Christine Waller of Duquesne Light Company and Diana Bucco of The Buhl Foundation.
You’re Invited! | North Promenade Project Groundbreaking Ceremony
Join us at the North Promenade Rehabilitation Project Groundbreaking Ceremony
Dear Neighbor,
We’re thrilled to announce that the next phase of the North Promenade rehabilitation in historic Allegheny Commons Park will begin soon!
In honor of the latest park project, you’re invited to a special groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, beginning at 11:00 a.m near the corner of Federal Street and North Avenue.
The event will feature remarks from state, city, and local dignitaries, a ceremonial project kick-off, and light refreshments.
The reconstruction of the North Promenade will stretch from Federal Street toward the George Washington Monument, building on the progress from the first phase completed in 2021 and the award-winning restoration of the historic Patricia Rooney Memorial Fountain, a focal point of Allegheny Commons Park. New park lighting, pathways, and benches will be installed, as well as a pedestrian friendly crossing at Arch Street.
This project is made possible in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority, funding from the City of Pittsburgh Parks Tax Trust Fund, and thanks to our generous supporters.
It’s an honor to have this opportunity to enhance a treasured part of one of Pittsburgh’s most remarkable communities. Please click here to learn more about this unique project and how you can support the Parks Conservancy’s ongoing work in Allegheny Commons.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
P.S. Stay tuned for project updates in the coming months and a grand reopening community celebration of this section of the North Promenade later this year!
2023 Tour & Tasting
City Capital Budget Meetings
We are encouraging neighbors to register and attend their preferred session at this link: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/2024-city-pittsburgh-budgets .
- Virtual: Saturday, May 13 at 1 PM : https://bit.ly/VirtualPGHBudget
- North: Thursday, May 18 at 6 PM : Manchester Citizens Corporation, 1319 Allegheny Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15233
- West: Thursday, June 1 at 6 PM : Sheraden Senior Center, 720 Sherwood Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15204
- East: Wednesday, June 7 at 6 PM : Homewood Senior Center, 7321 Frankstown Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Mayor’s Office’s Neighborhood Services with questions. You can reach us by phone at 412-255-2626 and one of our 311 team members will transfer you. Or, you can respond to this email.
We appreciate all you do for our city.
Sincerely,
Lindsey Aquino-Robles (She/Her)
Community Liaison
Office of The Mayor
Cell: 412-463-5551
lindsey.robles@pittsburghpa.gov
414 Grant St. #512
Pittsburgh PA 15219
Housing & Planning Meeting on Tuesday
The Birds are Back!
World Migratory Bird Day Returns on Saturday, May 13
Join us for a day of bird-loving fun at the Frick Environmental Center!
World Migratory Bird Day is May 13, and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is hosting a day filled with bird-centric programming with various community partners. The global event highlights the importance of water for migratory birds this year and hopes to educate the public about bird conservation. Learn about the importance of these magnificent creatures with our educators at the Frick Environmental Center. The morning is jam-packed with birding sessions, story hikes, accessible birding, virtual reality play testing, scavenger hunts, and bird feeder crafts.
The main event goes from 8:00 am to noon, but we will offer an additional 7:00 am “Early Birding” session for you early birds.