Urban Hike

• South Side Community Council
• Fox Way murals
• South Side Park: Goat Fest event page and the City of Pittsburgh’s master plan
• Emerald Art Glass house
• Ascend
• Brew House Artist Lofts
• PWSA’s stormwater run off and green infrastructure plans for 21st street

Our next hike is in the works now. Stay tuned for more details!

photo credit: Jamie Martines

Spring is here and the warmer weather is taking us to the South Side for the first Urban Hike of 2019. Join us this Saturday, May 4 at 10:00 a.m. The route will lead us through the two major parks on the South Side and take us to some hidden gems along the way.

We will meet outside Big Dog Coffee. Please come early (9:45 a.m.) if you want to take advantage of Big Dog’s coffee and other refreshments.

The route is a little less than 5 miles and of course steps will be included. Because of that, the hike could be labeled as intermediate, with some muddy areas possible. It will be held rain or shine, so please come prepared.

Consider taking public transportation, biking, or carpooling to the hike (or walking if you are a South Side resident). Public parking is available in the garages at the nearby South Side Works.

See you on Saturday!

Due to the horrific tragedy that occurred this morning in Squirrel Hill, we are cancelling the Chatham University and Surroundings Urban Hike. The hike route was planned to take us near the Tree of Life synagogue, which is still an active crime scene. Our deepest sympathies go out to the victims and their families, the Jewish community, and the City of Pittsburgh.

Castle Shannon and its history are a microcosm of Southwestern PA—settled in the 1700s, rolling hills that used to be farms, railroad and trolley lines, a creek, coal mines, churches, city steps, long-standing family businesses, and even some Pittsburgh celebrities. (Dennis Miller grew up here and Andy Warhol is buried in a cemetery that borders Castle Shannon.) All that in just 1.6 square miles!

Despite Castle Shannon being small, you’re going to get a workout on this Urban Hike—we’ll walk over 4 miles and cover plenty of those previously mentioned rolling hills. We’ll also add distance by crossing into Bethel Park to visit Warhol’s grave.

As always, we walk rain or shine (or intense heat), so come prepared for whatever the weather may hold.

Date: Sunday, September 16
Time: 2:00*–5:00 p.m.
Starting point: Shannon Sweet Stop – 3776 Willow Ave., Castle Shannon, PA

Before the hike, grab a cone at the Shannon Sweet Stop! *The welcome talk will begin at 2:00 p.m., so arrive early to purchase your ice cream before the walk. And stay late for a cold one or early dinner at nearby Mindful Brewing Company.

See you in Castle Shannon this Sunday!

Sunday Aug 19 at 9:30am | Corner of Parkfield and Brownsville, Carrick Shopping Center on Brownsville (2134 Brownsville Rd)

This time we are going to Carrick! We are excited to check out this neighborhood for the first time.

This 3.5 mile hike will have some ups and downs and then ups again since this is a pretty hilly place. Be prepared for steep climbs and a few places without sidewalks. Come if you are ready for a work out–this one isn’t stroller friendly. There may be some overgrowth so bring bug spray too.

As always, we walk rain or shine (or intense heat), so come prepared for whatever the weather may hold.

Meet at the Carrick Shopping Center on Brownsville (2134 Brownsville Rd) near the intersection of Parksfield and Brownsville. There is a Dunkin Donuts if you’d like to come early to grab a coffee and metered on-street parking on Brownsville (not enforced on Sundays).
We will be ending at the Nepali Asian Restaurant in the Carrick Shopping Center for lunch.

If you missed Canonsburg’s famous 4th of July parade on Wednesday, join us Saturday at 10:00 a.m. as we create our own (tubas optional)! We’ll share some stories from the town’s long past, take a walk past their historic pool, and visit some unique businesses (yes, Sarris Candies is one of them.:)

This hike will be a little over 4 miles and will include some hills and a dirt trail, so it may not be stroller-friendly. Since we’ll be entering a couple of buildings, we recommend you leave your dog at home for this hike.

As always, we walk rain or shine (or intense heat), so come prepared for whatever the weather may hold.

Meet by the Perry Cuomo statue in front of the Canonsburg Municipal Building (68 E. Pike Street). There is a large, metered parking lot across the street from our starting point. It is free on weekends.

The last stop on the hike will be Sarris Candies. We invite you to join us for sundaes, but you can also head straight back to your vehicles or continue one block past them for a meal at Rusty Gold Brewing.

There’s a lot more to Mt. Washington than inclines and overlooks! Join us on Saturday, May 5th to explore Chatham Village, Duquesne Heights, Emerald View Park, and much more! As the first weekend in May is Jane’s Walk, we’ll highlight Jane Jacob’s views on Chatham Village, a unique, urban cooperative built in the 1930s.

This hike will be just under four miles and will include some steps and dirt trails, so it’s not stroller-friendly. Chatham Village also does not permit dogs, so we recommend you leave them at home so that you can enjoy the full hike.

As always, we walk rain or shine, so come prepared for whatever the weather may hold. There is free on-street parking near the start of the route.

Meet outside Café Cravings Gourmet Coffee Shop at 10:00 a.m. or come early for breakfast or coffee. They are a small operation, so be sure to leave plenty of time for food prep in case we hit them with a big group all at once.

If you have time after the hike, join us for refreshments at Bigham Tavern.

Join Urban Hike this Sunday, Sept. 24, as we explore the other side of the South Side! We’ll hike from river’s edge to the base of the slopes, and all the way down to Station Square. Along the way, we’ll visit historic buildings and learn about future developments. And, although we’ll be hiking the South Side Flats, we’ve still found a way to fit in some steps!

This hike will be 4 miles and, besides the steps, fairly flat. As always, we walk rain or shine, so come prepared for whatever the weather may hold. Parking in the South Side is free on Sundays, but public transportation, biking, and carpooling are always recommended.

Meet outside Beehive Coffeehouse at 10:00 a.m. or come early for breakfast or coffee at this South Side institution.

Photo credit: Ally Ruggieri / 90.5 WESA

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!