Urban Hike

Charleroi, PA is a small town along the Mononaghelia River in Washington County. The community has a rich history and we will only be scraping the surface during the hike. There will be a couple of steep hills that we will be climbing, so the difficulty of the hike could be rated as medium.

Route:
The starting location is Perked Up Cafe, 530 McKean Ave, so you will be able to get a coffee/tea or a snack before we start the hike. We shove off at 10:30am, rain or shine, on the approximately 3.2 mile route.

Lunch options:
Come hungry! Support local businessses! (Detailed list coming soon)

Parking:
Please park in the large lot right off of Fifth Avenue where a business plaza is located. There will be plenty of free spaces.

Travel:
It is about a 45 minute drive from Pittsburgh. The most convienent way to get to Charleroi from Pittsburgh is to use Mon Fayette Expressway 43 (make sure to bring toll fares). For those who want to explore a new transit company, the Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority has buses that go from Pittsburgh to Charleroi. Expect the trip to last an hour and half.

Join Urban Hike this Sunday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m. for a pop-up hike in the Upper Hill and North Oakland areas.

We’ll meet at the cross section of O’Hara St./Parkman Ave./Bigelow Blvd. (Yes, the streets change name mid intersection!) It’s also the northmost corner of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and plaza, if that helps.

From our starting point, we’ll wander east through Schenley Farms Historic District and hear about Schenley High School from our favorite alumna ;). We’ll then hike north into the Upper Hill and circle back south past the VA hospital, the Fisher House and through the University of Pittsburgh’s campus. The loop is a short, but hilly, 3 miles. We are planning fewer speakers than usual, so we expect to finish in a relatively quick two(ish) hours.

Right now, the forecast for Sunday is 85°F and mostly sunny, so make sure to pack your water bottle and sunscreen. Of course, we hike rain or shine or anywhere in between. We look forward to seeing you Sunday morning!

The first Urban Hike of 2017 is Saturday, May 6 in the Allegheny Center and Deutschtown neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Meet at Arnold’s Tea at 502 East Ohio St. by 9:30 a.m. to start our hike (or 15 minutes early to grab tea or coffee at Arnold’s!)

This hike will be part of the international event called Jane’s Walk, which commemorates Jane Jacobs, the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities. The hike will feature how large parts of Allegheny Center and Deutschtown were demolished due to urban renewal and highway building. For example, the business district of the former Allegheny City (the third largest city in PA in 1899) was completely demolished in 1966 to make way for the Allegheny Center mall, office buildings, and residential high rises. East of Allegheny Center, Deutschtown / East Allegheny was cut in half by a highway. Before and after pictures will be shown at the hike.

The hike is about three miles long and should last between 2-3 hours. We have a few stops planned including City of Asylum’s Alphabet City, Alloy 26 in Nova Place, and sculptures in Deutschtown. The hike will end at Arnold’s Tea, which has sandwiches for lunch.

As always, we hike rain, shine, or cold, so be sure to bring the appropriate gear. If driving to the hike, there is 2-hour parking on East Ohio St. and 4-hour parking alongside the park on Cedar Ave. We also recommend walking, biking, taking public transportation, and carpooling!

We look forward to seeing you on May 6th!

Then join us on October 29th for the last Urban Hike of 2016!

Wilkinsburg is a small municipality (only 2.3 square miles) that was actually a part of the City of Pittsburgh for a few years until the residents voted to separate in 1871. The town’s rich history is further influenced by its strategic location along the historic Penn Lincoln highway, its remarkably high concentration of churches, and being the birthplace of both Scholastic Magazine and the first commercial radio broadcast.

This too-often passed over urban suburb of Pittsburgh has many impressive improvement efforts underway. On our walk we’ll learn about some of the great things happening in town including the local art scene, small business growth, historic preservation efforts, and much more!

We will meet at 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot next to Nancy’s East End Diner at 616 South Ave. Biking should be easy for those living in the East End. Multiple bus options are available (P1, 86, 71C/D and 61A, among others). If driving, the lot next to Nancy’s is open to the public, along with other lots available nearby. The route is relatively flat compared to other hikes and is about four miles long. We hope to have the hike finished before 1:30 p.m. and invite people to stay for lunch at Nancy’s.

See you on October 29th!

Allentown is far from the city’s newest neighborhood (it was incorporated into the City of Pittsburgh in 1872!), but it’s certainly going through a renewal. There’s a recently dedicated greenway, businesses and artwork popping up, an innovative co-working space, a portion of the city’s newest major park (Emerald View), and more! So, where do we find all this, you ask? Just head uphill from the South Side or east from Mt. Washington and you’ll be in Allentown! Meet us at the parking lot at Allen St. and Manton Way at 12:00 noon on September 24th and we’ll show you around! (Big thanks to Alla Famiglia for letting us park in their lot!)

The hike will be approximately 3 miles, but we’ll traverse many hills and some steep city steps, so this hike isn’t for the ‘faint of calves’. A significant portion of the route will be on dirt trails, some of which have roots, rocks, and overgrowth, so hiking shoes and bug spray are recommended. As always, bring whatever else you need for the weather — water bottle, hat, sunscreen, umbrella, etc. We hike rain or shine. We estimate the hike will take about 2 hours.

After the hike, we invite you to join us for a much-deserved brunch at Breakfast at Shelly’s. They’d appreciate a heads up on how many will be coming, so please let us know in the comments or via Facebook if you plan to stay for brunch. Thanks!

We look forward to seeing you in Allentown!

For this hike we are going to be in Bloomfield! You may be familiar with Pittsburgh’s “Little Italy”, but there are some hidden gems in this tightly packed neighborhood that even locals might be surprised to find! We’ll hike down below the Bloomfield bridge, up along Penn Ave, and everywhere in between.

Hikers, meet us a block up from the Saturday Market at Bloomfield Development Corporation’s office (BDC) by 9:15 a.m. We’re starting a little earlier than our other hikes this season to avoid some of the summer heat as well as leave some time to visit the Saturday Market afterwards. Parking at the public garage next to BDC’s office or along Friendship Park is encouraged over Liberty Ave since the meters allow longer parking.

The hike is a little under 4 miles. Though Bloomfield is mostly flat, we will be going down the hill towards the busway and up steps. Be prepared for the summer heat and bring water and possibly a hat. We will hike rain or shine.

See you bright and early at 9:15 a.m. on August 6th!

New Kensington and Arnold are anything but new (the first settlements appeared in the 1700s), but if they’re new to you, then you’re in for a treat because these neighboring towns are packed with surprises!

We don’t want to give too much away in advance, but in case you need a hook we’ll divulge a little. This hike features everything you’d expect in a Pittsburgh community (river views, picturesque aging industrial buildings, and at least one good hill). It also has church built with materials salvaged from Pittsburgh’s “Millionaire’s Row” and a beautiful former Alcoa research lab with aluminum details that is actively being converted into its next use (we’ll get the scoop from the owner on the hike). And that’s not all… but we want to save some surprises for the hike!

As always, come prepared for a true hike. Bring a water bottle, comfortable walking shoes, and whatever the day’s weather requires — we hike rain or shine! The route will be 4.25 miles and mostly, but not entirely, flat.

We’ll begin at Coleman’s Catering, a new local business where — if you arrive early — you can grab a drink, a snack, or even eggs & sausage in case you need some energy for the hike. On-street parking is not enforced, nor is the parking lot on the 1000 block of Barnes Street just nearby.

And speaking of food, we encourage you to join us for a beer and bite after the hike at the highly-recommended House of 1000 Beers.

New Kensington is an easy drive out Route 28 and a hop across the Allegheny River. Click on this Google Maps link to Coleman’s Catering to create your own directions.

The hike starts at 10:00 a.m. and we expect it’ll last around 2.5 hours. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, June 18th!

Come learn about these great neighborhoods filled with history! New and historic buildings will be highlighted on the hike. We’ll see before and after images of the neighborhoods and learn about both old and recent housing developments along the way. We’ll also roll by Bicycle Heaven! The hike is about 3 miles long and it should last between 2-3 hours. Bring water and snacks, if you wish. The hike will end near the Western Avenue business district with multiple points available for lunch.

This hike is part of an international event called Jane’s Walk, which commemorates Jane Jacobs, the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities. The hike will feature how Manchester and Chateau were once a connected neighborhood that was severed by highway expansions. The thriving Beaver Street business district was completely demolished to make way for the Route 65 highway.

Photo credit: Robert Strovers/Artistic Pursuits

As always, we hike rain, shine, or cold, so be sure to bring the appropriate gear. This hike will be mostly flat, with a set of steps near the West End Bridge as the one exception.

Please consider taking public transportation to the hike. The starting location is a short walk from the Allegheny T Station that provides free service from Downtown. If driving, please be advised to parking restrictions on the streets and in parking lots.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, May 7th at 10:00 a.m.!

Starting location: Meet at the small parklet just to the west of the intersection of Allegheny and North Avenue.

Join Urban Hike on Sunday to enjoy a fall urban hike in a town surrounded by leafy green (and, hopefully, red, orange, and yellow) hills – Springdale, PA! Of course, we’ll visit the Rachel Carson Homestead and Glen’s Custard, but we’ll also stop at a few lesser known places too, like the PPG plant.

This hike will be a bit shorter than usual (3.3 miles, a little under 2 hours if you don’t stay for lunch) so yinz can get home for the Steelers game! If you’re not in a hurry, stick around and grab some pumpkin pie custard at Glen’s or some pumpkin beer and a warm bowl of soup at Ladle’s.

As always, we hike rain, shine, or cold, so be sure to bring the appropriate gear. This hike will be entirely on sidewalk (no city steps or dirt trails), so if you can handle pushing uphill it will be stroller-friendly.

Although we’re meeting at Glen’s, please do not park in their lot. There is on-street parking on Porter Street (the side street next to Glen’s) above and below Pittsburgh Street and in the neighborhood nearby.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Hike recap:
Sunday, October 18
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Park on Porter or another nearby street by Glen’s Custard (just not in Glen’s lot!)

Our next hike will be on Sunday, October 18 in Springdale! We’re finalizing speaker plans, but expect to start hiking somewhere between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. We’ll send out the final details as soon as they are set!