Going Home to Pittsburgh

I'm certain that every big city in America has a "Steelers bar," which is to say a place where Steelers fans can meet up and root for the Black and Gold.  While the team has had enough success and stars to attract fans from all over, many of these bar attendees are transplants from Pittsburgh.  So the fact that there are former Pittsburgheans throughout the US is good for the Steelers but bad for Pittsburgh, an indicator that the city once had many more people in it who have now left for other places, largely for economic reasons.

Ah, but as with Philadelphia and with other older northeastern cities, the post-industrial transition in Pittsburgh has largely run its course.  And, with a world-class knowledge sector, Pittsburgh has remade itself in ways that are beginning to draw young'uns back.  According to a recent article in Atlantic Cities, Pittsburgh is getting younger, and a lot of it is hometowners coming home.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Pittsburgh.  I have an aunt who lives there, and in fact when I flew out with my dad to go to Penn my freshman year, I actually flew into Pittsburgh first before we drove out to Philly.  It's a beautiful city with two of the nicest sports stadiums around (PNC Park and Heinz Field), excellent waterfront space, and a nice architectural mix of old and new.  I am always glad when I have the opportunity to visit.  And, I'm glad to hear that the next time I do visit, I'll be seeing more and more young guns coming home and making a life there.