Twenty minutes by bus from Downtown

Here’s a little history about Carnegie . . .

With its traditional Main Street and half dozen residential neighborhoods, Carnegie is a story of survival and reinventing itself. Incorporated in 1894, Carnegie was formed when two smaller boroughs, Mansfield and Chartiers merged. The new borough was named after Andrew Carnegie who funded the creation of Carnegie High School and the Andrew Carnegie Free Music Hall and Library. The early history of Carnegie Borough echoes in its street names like Mansfield, Chartiers, Cubbage, Bell, Sarah, and Doolittle.

In its heyday in the 1950’s Carnegie was known as “Little Pittsburgh” because of its strong industrial base. Fourteen train tracks ran through Carnegie on the way west to Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Louisville. It was an ethnic melting pot.  There used to be twenty different ethnic churches in the downtown area. Spectacular ones still remaining are St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church next door to the Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Catholic Church, both with onion domes and very impressive interiors.

The Carnegie Music Hall and Public Library with its recently restored Civil War Room (the Captain Thomas Espy Post #153) are also excellent attractions.  Today, restaurants like Papa J’s and Main Street Deli join Baby Faces and others to feed you while your eyes feast on the historic architecture from the 1890-1930’s.

Some Car Free options . . .

Several events highlight the charms of Carnegie and encourage using alternative transportation to get to and from. Easily accessible via the busway, Carnegie is just a twenty minute commute from Downtown Pittsburgh.

Choose from buses G1, 31D, 31E, 33D, 33E, 36C, or 38C

This was the bike route taken to Carnegie for the World Pinball Championships this past weekend. If you are going to bike, BikePGH highly recommends riding with a group of people. It’s a nice hilly ride. More people give you more road presence!

Have some fun . . .

• August 20 – 7:00 – 10:00am – Car Free Fridays Sign up at the Carnegie Station at the West Busway And Fifth Avenue Place.  Discount vouchers and raffle entry for all participants. Breakfast for bicyclists. Sign up online if you can’t make it to the morning events.

• August 20 – 6:00 – 7:00pm – Carnegie Bike Tours hosted by Carnegie Borough. Choose between a mellow guided ride that will highlight many of the charming aspects of Carnegie Borough or a more advanced self-guided route that will be available for more advanced cyclists. It will include the rolling hills of Carnegie Borough.

Both tours will start at the Carnegie Station of the West Busway and route maps will be provided.

Golden Triangle Bike Rental will have bikes and helmets available to rent for $10 for those who sign up in advance.

Sign up by contacting Whitney Brady at wbrady(at)carnegieborough(dot)com.

• Car Free Carnegie Happy Hour immediately following bike tours. Paddys’ Pour House , 215 East Main Street, Carnegie.

Special thanks to Karen Cahill from the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation for providing some of the background information about Carnegie.

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