Bedford Dwellings - Pittsburgh, PA Area Guide

Hill District as a whole sprang up in the 1960s, when the City of Pittsburgh displaced 8,000 residents and 400 businesses in Lower Hill to build the Civic Arena. These people moved into East Liberty and Homewood-Brushton, in turn displacing the middle class families there. The Bedford Dwellings Additions were built in 1954 to complement the original 420-unit Bedford Dwellings that had by that time been standing for 14 years. Combined, the 900 units within the neighborhood made up the largest public housing unit in any Pittsburgh neighborhood. Find several museums within easy travel of the neighborhood, such as the Senator John Heinz History Center at the western border and the Clemente Museum, showcasing Roberto Clemente memorabilia, to the immediate north. The Society for Contemporary Craft can also be found just to the north, featuring regular exhibitions of contemporary craft artists, as well as classes.

One or two eateries can be found within the borders of Bedford Dwellings, including Hill City Grill and Fatty Daddy's, but most locals cross Bigelow Boulevard to the north and west to reach the thriving entertainment district along Penn and Penn Avenues. You'll find fusion food that combines Turkish and Mediterranean fare at Ephesus Pizza, opened by a family of Turkish origin with the idea of providing a unique taste experience. Try unusual pizza toppings such as the lamb shish kebab, the mangal soujouk and the feta and ricotta. Locals recommend the ratatouille pizza, topped with eggplant, red peppers, zucchini, onions and cheese. For Vietnamese cuisine and to try out the latest culinary craze from that country, flavored bubble teas, visit Vietnam's Pho, known for its flavorful but healthy dishes. Take a group of friends, and try the hot pot option, for which diners may select the meats and vegetables to add to a simmering pot of broth. Finish your meal with a bubble tea: your choice of black, green or white tea, flavored and colored using tapioca pearls. Enjoy seafood or steak for lunch or dinner at Roland's Seafood Grill & Iron Landing, a local favorite that was once little more than a truck stop for a quick bite along a trucker's journey. Choose from a hand held specialty entree such as filet mignon beef tips and jumbo lump crabcake sandwich, or try one of the house specials, which include a giant beer-battered fish sandwich and Roland's famous hot lobster roll. You'll also find the closest entertainment hub on the other side of Bigelow Boulevard. As evening falls, dance and enjoy the go-go-boys at the Real Luck Cafe, enjoy a craft beer at the BeerHive, experience a private tour and a tasting at Wigle Whiskey, try a creative cocktail at Bar Marco or settle back with live music and a pint at Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle.

You'll find a single bus station within the Bedford Dwellings neighborhood, located on Bedford Avenue at Watt Lane. The 83 bus runs from this station towards Warton Square via Oakland or to downtown via the Hill District. You'll also find an Amtrak station at the western edge of the neighborhood and, a little way past it, the Steel Plaza Station, with subway services to Library via Overbrook, South Hills Village and Shannon via Beechview. Though small in size, this neighborhood lacks most of the basic amenities you might be looking for on your daily errands, and you can expect to travel to neighboring districts to find shopping, eating and entertainment. Most locals either rely on the public transportation options or use their own cars, because, while this neighborhood may be walkable and relatively friendly to cyclists, it's easier to access what you need through a faster mode of transport. Uber does operate within this neighborhood and you'll be able to call a local taxi cab company to arrange a pickup, but your own car is almost always a good idea. You'll find reasonable amounts of on-street parking, though you'll more likely not need to stop until you're outside the borders of the neighborhood, and excellent highway access to the city and beyond its edges via Bigelow Avenue to I-279 and I-579.

At the West Penn Park on the northern border of the neighborhood, visitors enjoy a full range of facilities, including a swimming pool and play area for the kids and tennis courts, basketball courts and a ball field for exercise fans, as well as a recreation center. The nearby Frank Curto Park serves as simply a green space to relax and enjoy a picnic, while at Cliffside Parklet to the west and the Vincennes Parklet just to the south, you'll find a play area for the kids and a basketball court, while the Kennard Playground to the south also includes these amenities alongside a tennis court and ball field. To let your dog off the leash, you'll need to head to one of the city's specially designated dog exercise areas. You'll find these at the Allegheny Commons Park, the Bernard Dog Run and Frick, Olympia, Riverfront and Riverview Parks.

For the cost-conscious, Bedford Dwellings offers a haven from the high prices of the city. Coming in at almost 15 percent cheaper than the rest of Pittsburgh in terms of cost of living, this neighborhood also sits 25 percent below the national average. You can expect to pay around $760 to rent a one-bedroom apartment, while travel to the center of the city via public transport will cost you just a few dollars. A glass of beer at a local pub or restaurant will set you back around $8.50, while the price of gasoline in this neighborhood hovers around seven percent above the national average.

Cross Bigelow Boulevard to the north and you'll find a high number of shopping opportunities, most of them smaller, boutique-style stores. Stop in to the Mike Feinberg Company for party decorations and balloons or Gene Sanes Upholstery for custom furniture design. The Lotus Food Company specializes in Chinese coffees, teas, and ingredients, while In the Kitchen sells baking and cooking supplies for budding chefs, and Penn Ave Pottery offers artistic gifts and home decor. Your closest grocery store, Ann's Market, can be found on the southern border of the neighborhood, on Webster Avenue. North of the boulevard, you'll also find specialty stores such as Consumer Produce.