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T H E S T R I P
It's one of Pittsburgh's most memorable urban experiences: the Strip
on a Saturday morning, stuffed with shoppers speaking every language, strolling
musicians, and vendors shouting the traditional Strip vendor's cry ("WEEEEE
got 'em!"). Every city should have a Strip, but only Pittsburgh has the
original.
If you've never been to the Strip, nothing will prepare you for the
sights, sounds, and smells. It's part old-world bazaar, part yuppie playground,
part trendy youth hangout, and part wholesale district. More than anywhere
else, it's the place where anyone who loves food can be found on a Saturday
morning. If it's edible, you can buy it here.
Although street vendors are relatively uncommon in other Pittsburgh neighborhoods,
they flourish in the Strip. In particular, the Strip is the cheapest and
best place to buy fresh flowers.
Italian markets cater both to the large Italian population and to the even
larger yuppie population. The old-world atmosphere is especially strong
on Saturday mornings, when the crowds from the suburbs descend on the Strip
and expect to be entertained as well as fed.
There are always half a dozen Asian markets in the Strip, though the names
and locations of some of them change frequently.
Smallman Street widens into a broad plaza lined on one side by the blocks-long
Pennsylvania Railroad produce exchange building. Here the day begins in
the small hours of the morning, and by 6 a.m. most of the business is done.
The Strip has also become a mecca for nightlife. But the grandfather of
all all-night establishments is the Primanti Brothers' sandwich shop and
bar, just off Smallman Street. Primanti's sandwiches are famous for having
everything, including the French fries and cole slaw, stuck between two
slices of bread.
The part of the Strip that isn't devoted to food is mostly warehouses and
old industrial buildings. The Armstrong Cork Factory, a masterpiece of
industrial architecture, may soon be renovated for apartments.
Copyright 2000 by Christopher Bailey.
