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Smallman Street in Pittsburgh's Strip District, lined by the old produce terminal and warehouses, with St. Stanislaus Kostka Church's twin towers at the end

Visit Pittsburgh · Neighborhoods

Which Pittsburgh neighborhood is yours?

Pittsburgh is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own main street. Answer four questions and twelve of them re-rank for your trip, with drive times from the airport.

Take the quiz

Photo: Perry Quan from Oakville, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Short answer

For a game or a first visit, stay Downtown or on the North Shore: both are walkable to the stadiums and linked by the free T. For a campus visit or museums, Oakland (the 28X airport bus stops there). For food, the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield or Squirrel Hill. For a night out, East Carson Street on the South Side. For the view, Mount Washington.

City of neighborhoods

Getting around, by the numbers

12Neighborhoods in the chooser, each described from VisitPittsburgh's guides.
27Minutes from PIT to the North Shore, the quickest of the twelve with no traffic.
3Of them on the 28X airport bus line: Downtown, Oakland and Shadyside.
68Public staircases on the South Side Slopes.

Interactive

Four questions. Your neighborhood.

Neighborhood chooser
What brings you to Pittsburgh?
Will you have a car?
Pick a vibe
Who's coming?

Downtown Pittsburgh's skyline across the river on a clear day, with the UPMC sign atop the U.S. Steel Tower at center

Downtown

The Golden Triangle: a big arts district along Penn and Liberty Avenues, PPG Paints Arena on its edge, and free T rides to the North Shore. VisitPittsburgh calls it the city's fastest-growing neighborhood.

29 min from PITOn the 28X airport bus
Smallman Street in Pittsburgh's Strip District, lined by the old produce terminal and warehouses, with St. Stanislaus Kostka Church's twin towers at the end

Strip District

About half a square mile of ethnic grocers and produce, meat and fish markets, right next to Downtown.

31 min from PIT
PNC Park's ballfield and stands, with the yellow Roberto Clemente Bridge and downtown Pittsburgh beyond the outfield

North Shore

The sports hub: Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park, museums, and a walk or free T ride from Downtown.

27 min from PIT

Mexican War Streets

Central Northside: brightly painted homes on cobblestone streets, with museums close by.

32 min from PIT

Lawrenceville

An artsy, walkable hub with big arts events and shopping along Butler Street.

34 min from PIT

Bloomfield

Pittsburgh's Little Italy, with Italian markets and old neon signs.

36 min from PIT
The Gothic Revival Cathedral of Learning tower at the University of Pittsburgh against a clear blue sky

Oakland

The college neighborhood around Pitt, home to the Carnegie Museums, Phipps Conservatory and Schenley Park.

35 min from PITOn the 28X airport bus

Shadyside

Upscale East End neighborhood mixing boutiques with national stores across three business districts: Ellsworth Avenue, Walnut Street and South Highland Avenue.

38 min from PITOn the 28X airport bus

Squirrel Hill

International food on Forbes and Murray Avenues, in a walkable neighborhood bordered by Schenley and Frick parks.

36 min from PIT

East Liberty

A rebounded East End neighborhood, home to the Bakery Square tech hub in a former Nabisco factory.

39 min from PIT

South Side

East Carson Street is a National Historic District of Victorian blocks. The Slopes above it climb 68 public staircases.

32 min from PIT
A red Duquesne Incline car climbing Mount Washington above the Point, with downtown Pittsburgh and the yellow Fort Duquesne Bridge in morning light

Mount Washington

Skyline views from Grandview Avenue, reached by the Duquesne and Monongahela inclines.

31 min from PIT

Descriptions paraphrase VisitPittsburgh's neighborhood guides, checked October 19, 2026. Drive times are OSRM no-traffic estimates from PIT. The match weights are our own judgment, so treat the ranking as a starting point.

One of Pittsburgh's yellow Three Sisters bridges crossing the Allegheny River toward downtown on a blue-sky day

Without a car

The bus from the airport and the free T.

The 28X Airport Flyer runs between the airport terminal and Downtown and Oakland, every 30 to 40 minutes from about 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. The fare is $2.75 (exact cash, ConnectCard or mobile ticket).

The T light rail is free between its six Downtown and North Shore stations: First Avenue, Steel Plaza, Wood Street, Gateway, North Shore and Allegheny.

Airport to downtown options

Photo: Pexels

Plan around your base

Then fill the days.

The Point State Park fountain shooting a tall column of water at the tip of downtown Pittsburgh, with wooded Mount Washington across the river
Itinerary48 hours in PittsburghA two-day plan by part of town.
A red Duquesne Incline car climbing Mount Washington above the Point, with downtown Pittsburgh and the yellow Fort Duquesne Bridge in morning light
Mount WashingtonWhich incline?Fares, hours and sunset times.
The Gothic Revival Cathedral of Learning tower at the University of Pittsburgh against a clear blue sky
OaklandPitt and CMU visitsPlan both campuses from the airport.
PNC Park's ballfield and stands, with the yellow Roberto Clemente Bridge and downtown Pittsburgh beyond the outfield
North ShoreGame dayPirates, Steelers or Penguins.

Questions

What is the best neighborhood to stay in when visiting Pittsburgh?
It depends on the trip. Downtown and the North Shore put you closest to the stadiums, the arena and the free T. Oakland is the base for Pitt and CMU and the Carnegie Museums. The Strip District and Lawrenceville suit food lovers, and the South Side's East Carson Street suits a night out. Take the quiz to rank them for your trip.
Which Pittsburgh neighborhoods can I reach from the airport without a car?
The 28X Airport Flyer runs between the airport terminal and Downtown and Oakland, every 30 to 40 minutes from about 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. The fare is $2.75 (exact cash, ConnectCard or mobile ticket). The 28X route also serves Shadyside.
How far is the Strip District from the airport?
18.3 miles, about 31 min with no traffic, by OSRM road routing.
What is Pittsburgh's Little Italy?
Bloomfield, known for Italian markets and old neon signs. Little Italy Days fills Liberty Avenue each August (August 13 to 16 in 2026).

Keep planning

Sources

  1. VisitPittsburgh: Downtown
  2. VisitPittsburgh: Strip District
  3. VisitPittsburgh: North Shore
  4. VisitPittsburgh: Mexican War Streets
  5. VisitPittsburgh: Lawrenceville
  6. VisitPittsburgh: Bloomfield
  7. VisitPittsburgh: Oakland
  8. VisitPittsburgh: Shadyside
  9. VisitPittsburgh: Squirrel Hill
  10. VisitPittsburgh: East Liberty
  11. VisitPittsburgh: South Side
  12. VisitPittsburgh: Mount Washington
  13. Little Italy Days (2026 dates)
  14. Pittsburgh Regional Transit: Airport service (28X), accessed October 19, 2026
  15. Pittsburgh Regional Transit: Riding the T (Free Fare Zone), accessed October 19, 2026
  16. OSRM road routing (OpenStreetMap data), drive distances computed October 19, 2026