Settled in 1717, Pittsburgh is the county seat of Allegheny County, in southwestern Pennsylvania and the second largest city in the state. Pittsburgh is known as "The Steel City" because of its rich history as a bustling steel manufacturing center, once producing half of the steel in the country. The local economy is now based on healthcare, medicine, education, technology (including robotics), and financial services.
Pittsburgh has about 89 neighborhoods in these areas: the Golden Triangle, a Downtown area between the three rivers, which contains many high rise apartment buildings and condominiums; the hilly North Side, with architecturally interesting 19th century homes; the popular nightlife and desirable South Side and South Hills area; the East End, which includes the upscale neighborhoods of Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, Bloomfield (Pittsburgh's Little Italy), Oakland, popular with university students, and artsy Lawrenceville; and the West End, which includes Mt. Washington, with its fantastic view of the Downtown Pittsburgh skyline and residential neighborhoods such as Sheraden and Elliott.
Pittsburgh is chock full of attractions and places of interest, including the many theatres and art establishments in the downtown Cultural District, Strip District, Heinz Field, PNC Baseball Park, Carnegie Science Center, National Aviary, Andy Warhol Museum, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Penn Brewery, Allegheny Observatory, Benedum Center, Pittsburgh Zoo, PPG Aquarium, Frick Art and Historical Center, Carnegie Museum of Art, and Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
The sports teams loved by the residents are the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, MLB Pittsburgh Pirates, NHL Pittsburgh Penguins, and the University of Pittsburgh Panthers.
The city boasts many prestigious colleges and research universities such as Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Also in the city are Carlow University, Chatham University, Point Park University, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and the Community College of Allegheny County.
