Your Pittsburgh CME conference.

Pittsburgh after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Pittsburgh time. Pick one outing close to where you are staying: a ride on the Duquesne Incline, a walk around Point State Park, or a visit to Phipps Conservatory in Oakland. Allow time for getting between neighborhoods, and look at the forecast before you plan anything outdoors.

Travel, lodging and admission are separate arrangements. The conference itself runs on your phone or laptop, and the city is only the setting you chose.

Where the three rivers meet

Point State Park covers 36 acres at the tip of the Golden Triangle, located at the confluence of three rivers. Visit Pittsburgh says it has a fountain, lawns and riverwalk trails, and the park’s own page lists hiking and walking, and the Fort Pitt Block House there is described as the oldest surviving structure in the city. The state’s park page says it works with the Heinz History Center to interpret the history of the Forks of the Ohio.

Downtown is also home to the Cultural District along Penn and Liberty Avenues, with Heinz Hall, the Benedum Center and the Byham Theater, which host Broadway tours, symphony, ballet, comedy and film. Check the theater calendars if you want an evening show.

Inclines and the view from Mount Washington

Two inclines link the top of Mount Washington with the city below, and Grandview Avenue runs along the ridge with views of the skyline. The Duquesne Incline opened on May 20, 1877, and was rescued and restored by local residents in 1963. The lower station is at 1197 West Carson Street and the upper station at 1220 Grandview Avenue.

Its original wooden cars still run, and the upper station holds a museum of Pittsburgh history and information on inclines around the world, and visitors can see inside to watch the machinery run. The observation deck is wheelchair accessible. The Monongahela Incline is the other. Emerald View is a wooded park in the same area, and the page for Mount Washington also mentions a statue called Point of View.

Museums, gardens and Schenley Park in Oakland

Oakland is described as a college hub, with the Cathedral of Learning in the middle of Pitt’s campus and several museums. The Carnegie Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History are both at 4400 Forbes Avenue, and the tourism board says they share a historic building and that the natural history collection includes dinosaur fossils and gems. The Cathedral of Learning has Nationality Rooms that show different heritages. The Kamin Science Center is at One Allegheny Avenue and The Andy Warhol Museum at 117 Sandusky Street. Check each museum’s opening days against your 2:00 PM finish.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is in Schenley Park, at One Schenley Park. It spans 15 acres with a 14-room glasshouse and 23 distinct gardens, and has welcomed visitors since 1893. The page says tickets for its holiday show must be reserved in advance, so check its ticket page first.

The Strip District and other neighborhoods

The Strip District is a market area with ethnic grocers, produce stands, meat and fish markets and sidewalk vendors, along with diners and coffee stops. Shadyside has parks, local stores and coffee shops, and is described as an escape that does not feel far from the city. Squirrel Hill North is home to Carnegie Mellon and Chatham universities, and Squirrel Hill South is sandwiched between Schenley and Frick parks.

On the North Shore you will find a sports-focused area, museums and bars for cocktails and craft beer, and the South Side splits into the Flats, a nightlife strip along East Carson Street, and the more residential Slopes. Lawrenceville is described as a trendy area of restaurants, breweries, event spaces and colorful homes. Choose one neighborhood for an evening rather than several.

When to visit Pittsburgh

Visit Pittsburgh, citing NOAA averages, describes cold winters, summer highs in the 80s Fahrenheit, and spring and fall highs that move between the 50s and 70s. January is the coldest month and July the hottest. The city averages 44 inches of snow a year, and June has the highest average rainfall at 3.4 inches. The tourism board points to skating and sledding in January and February, flowers and river walks in spring, water sports in summer, and festivals and crisp air in fall.

Getting to Pittsburgh and your study setting

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is the arrival point shown in this guide, at 1000 Airport Boulevard. Its website lists rideshare and public transportation options for ground travel. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.