LOCAL INFORMATION

City of Pittsburgh | University of Pittsburgh | School of Information Sciences | Fun in Pittsburgh

The City of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is located in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in southwestern Pennsylvania where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River.

Once synonymous with heavy industry, Pittsburgh now enjoys an economy driven by advanced technologies, health care, education, and corporate services. Consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the United States, Pittsburgh is recognized for its natural beauty. An ethnically rich and diverse city, Pittsburgh has retained the charm of its eighty-eight neighborhoods and is a great place to visit.

Check out photos of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh

Founded in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh was one of the first institutions of higher education in the nation. The University of Pittsburgh is an independent, state-related, nonsectarian, co-educational institution offering a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The University of Pittsburgh, with nearly 35,000 students, exemplifies an urban university on the move.

The University offers graduate programs in 13 professional schools and 33 departments within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In recognition of the strength of its graduate programs, the University was elected in 1974 to the Association of American Universities, an organization of the top 58 graduate and research institutions in North America.

The School of Information Sciences

As part of the University of Pittsburgh, the School of Information Sciences (SIS) has an international reputation for excellence, a strong commitment to teaching, and has continued its leading roles of educating and promoting excellence in the professions. It is the largest and most diversified school of its kind and is ranked among the top schools in North America. The MLIS Program in the Department of Library and Information Science was ranked 3rd in 1999 by the US News and World Report Guide to Graduate Schools. More than 700 students attend SIS and are enrolled in one of six degree programs at the undergraduate or graduate levels.

Fun in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh in the Summer offers many opportunities for you (and your family, if you bring them) to have fun.

You can walk to:

The Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning

The Carnegie Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History (Be sure to say "hello" to Dippy the dinosaur), and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Phipps Conservatory

Free movies in Schenley Park

Outdoor cafes, coffee houses, interesting shops, and the University of Pittsburgh Book Store

Just a short car or bus ride away are:

Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center

The Andy Warhol Museum, the Mattress Factory, and the Children's Museum on the North Side

The Carnegie Science Center with its Omnimax Theater and submarine tours

Pirates baseball at PNC Park

The theater district (downtown): Benedum Center, Byham Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Downtown shopping at Kaufmann's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lazarus, and Lord & Taylor

Be sure to:

See the baby elephant at the Pittsburgh Zoo and the birds at the National Aviary

Ride the incline and have dinner looking down on the three rivers and the Golden Triangle or see them from the decks of a majestic riverboat

Ride the Steel Phantom roller coaster at historic Kennywood Park or the water slides at Sandcastle

Enjoy concerts outdoors at Post-Gazette Pavilion or downtown at the Civic Light Opera and the Broadway Series

Just an hour away are the Laurel Highlands, where you can:

Tour Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, two of Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces

Whitewater raft, kayak, and bicycle at Ohiopyle

Scout at the Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp

Spelunk in the Laurel Caverns