Moon Pittsburgh

"Moon Pittsburgh" is a concise and descriptive compilation of facts, sights, and eateries of my #1 city, Pittsburgh, Pa.

I have family in Pittsburg, and I've literally been waiting years for a guidebook like this one. Most other Pittsburg guides seem to be written by someone who doesn't know the city very well. The information is usually very obvious - reviews of places that even most tourists already know about. But Moon Pittsburgh is different for two reasons: It covers a TON of places (bars, restaurants, clubs, stores, touristy sites etc.) that I've never even heard of, and I consider myself a Pittsburgh expert! My parents didn't even know about many of the places covered in the guide, and they've lived in Pittsburgh (Swissvale) for 14 years. Also, most of the reviews are long. Unlike the average guidebook, which usually only writes a couple sentences about a place, this Moon Pittsburgh really goes into depth. There are little factoids and bits of trivia and history hidden on pretty much every page of this book. It's also written much more like a book or magaizine article, so you get a feeling of the author's personality - and he definitely knows a LOT about Pittsburgh, which is apparently a more interesting (and more weird!!) city than I ever thought it was. This book rules. Even if you've been to Pittsburgh dozens of times before, like I have (or even if you live there!), you are gonna be finding yourself going out and looking for all these weird places in the book right after you start reading it. (Like the haunted church in Millvale!!)

I was born in Pittsburgh and have lived here all my life and let me tell you this is the only book about Pittsburgh that explains everything like a local would. All moon Books are excellent which makes this book even better. As a Pittsburgh are resident I have read many pittsburgh Guide books and this is the most informative and useful. He explains all the top sights in Pittsburgh and describes them thoroughly( some guidebooks just give you a few sentences Dan Eldridge writes at least 2 paragraphs on everything. He explains all the tourist attractions in Great detail. Then he goes on to cover all the dining establishments and what ones not to miss. He also compares the Mount Washington Restaurants which is the most premiere place to eat in Pittsburgh because all of the restaurants have a view of the skyline. He also covers arts and nightlife and describes a lot of shopping. there is also a very nice chapter on recreation in and outside of pittsburgh( my favorite is Kayak pittsburgh where you can rent a Kayak and go around downtown. He also covers hotels budget and expensive. It is actually quite enjoyable to read and one night I read it for a few hours like I would a novel. He writes a lot of interesting things about local history. there is also chapters on excursions, the background, and essentials such as gettin here and around( Pittsburgh International Airport was rated the #1 airport in the country for customer service and amenities). overall this book is excellent and will leave you knowing Pittsburgh just like any local would.

For the price, this collection of tips and locations is valuable. It is not the average travel guide that a suburban family would want when visiting the area. Don't expect to find a guide about mall and traditional shopping, and neither the usual and traditional tourism venues. What this collection does, is, collect into one volume a series of tips of urban life of the young. It is not so much a walking tour guide on architectural and urban neighborhoods, but much space is devoted to individual locations for shopping, restaurant, cafe, and places to meet people, and to my surprise, included many tidbits that few know. For example, that you can loan for free a bicycle on the Heritage Trail on the south side. It also describes organizations where to meet people, like the Hash House Harriers. I was surprised a bit by the little exposure it gave to the steps of Pittsburgh, but then, on page 48, it referred correctly the reader to another publication that is entirely dedicated to the public steps in the city of hills. Definitely my kind of style for travel, for a cheap two day tour, it mentions rental of a kayak and see the city from water level (although at $15/hr it isn't exactly cheap), this publication does well expose the current state of the city and what it has to offer. But it is very city-centric: beyond the city lines, the author does not venture much.

Once you open this guide book be prepared to read most of the darned thing. The layout, graphics, and well-written text make it a notch above most other travel guides. The sections on what to do (given little time, at a given time of the year, with certain family members) is well thought and very useful. Finally, there are many food and entertainment recommendations that are worth exploring, even if you already live in the area.