Most Critical Issues Facing Local Colleges?
Editor’s note: Higher education is one of this region’s key economic sectors — half of the “Eds and Meds.” We asked the leaders of Western Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities to answer this question: What is the most critical issue facing the future of your institution, and how are you addressing it? The presidents of the 17 …
Exploring the Pittsburgh Glass Center
Long before Pittsburgh was known as the Steel City, it had another name: America’s Glass City. The glass industry developed in 1797 with the opening of Revolutionary War officers General James O’Hara and Major Isaac Craig’s Pittsburgh Glass Works, followed by financier Albert Gallatin’s New Geneva Glass Works. With plenty of coal, high-silica sand and …
Mussel Therapy on Dunkard Creek
For most of us, our only connection to mussels comes at the beginning of a seafood feast, their lacquer-black shells piled above buttery broth, teamed with garlic toast and a chilled pinot grigio. But to a cadre of scientists and volunteers, freshwater mussels offer hope of a different beginning, the first step toward restored health …
Quantum’s “Radio Island” is a Testament to the Remarkable Legacy of Karla Boos
In the spirit of educational guru Stephen Covey, I’m going to begin with the end and state that I don’t know how the play “radio island” concludes. Certainly, I have an idea, or perhaps an interpretation would be the better word, but I’m not really sure, and this is . . . fantastic. In a …
Gentlemen’s Quarters
Let’s start with the 32 sconces and 11 chandeliers in what amounts to six rooms. But they are six glorious rooms, filled with beautiful objects, elegant seating, a great sense of color and layers of character and charm. There’s also something Sherlock Holmesian about the residence, in that it’s inhabited by two interesting men with …
The Fall 2026 issue:
What Does America Mean to Me?
On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we asked a group of leading Pittsburghers to consider and answer that question. We thank them for giving their thoughts on this important occasion. MARK WIEDMAN, PRESIDENT, PNC America represents the promise that where you start doesn’t have to define where …
What’s Ahead in the Second Half for Markets?
Editor’s note: We asked a group of leading Pittsburgh-area wealth managers to give their answers to this question: “So far, 2026 has been treacherous for investors. What do you expect for the second half and where do you see opportunity?” DAMIAN MCINTYRE, FEDERATED HERMES Investor outlook in 2026 has been shaken repeatedly by conflicts and …
Glasco’s Biography Examines August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Origins and Voice
In 1918–19 in Zurich, Switzerland, English painter Frank Budgen found himself often drinking wine while enjoying long talks about writing with James Joyce, author of the controversial novel Ulysses. It was during one of those discussions that the self-exiled Irish writer shared his vision on getting the detailed setting of that masterpiece right: “I want …
Pittsburgh Tomorrow
With Pittsburgh Tomorrow turning two years old, a citizen might ask: What is it and what is it doing? I publish this magazine, and I also started Pittsburgh Tomorrow, working with a great team to improve this region’s future. Pittsburgh Tomorrow is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) non-profit funded by Pittsburgh citizens — wealthy people and working …
Mystery and Reverie
“Do not (repeat: DO NOT) attempt to cross the creek during periods of high water. This is a significant waterway and the current can be very strong.” So said the Guide to the Quehanna Trail tucked in my backpack. But exactly how high was “high water”? Yes, it was spring, but it hadn’t rained for …
A Wintry Forest Trail Walk in Lawrence County
About an hour’s drive north of Pittsburgh in Lawrence County, Plain Grove Fens Natural Area is a wonderful place to visit. It’s just a few miles from the Slippery Rock exit off I-79, and once you’re there, you’re greeted with a 400-acre preserve featuring a hiking trail, hardwood forest, vernal pools and woodland stream. The …
20 Years of Interviews
Editor’s note: Since late 2005, we have interviewed many of the most interesting and noteworthy people in our “city-state of Pittsburgh” as my old editor and friend John Craig used to call this area. The number of interviews that have appeared in this magazine reaches well into the hundreds (writer Jeff Sewald alone has interviewed …
No One Claps For The Critic
“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” — Lincoln, First Inaugural Address (1861) I have always felt that the sentence most essential to democracy — and to free expression — is the 1906 quote, often attributed to Voltaire, but …
What’s Ahead in the Second Half for Markets?
Editor’s note: We asked a group of leading Pittsburgh-area wealth managers to give their answers to this question: “So far, 2026 has been treacherous for investors. What do you expect for the second half and where do you see opportunity?” DAMIAN MCINTYRE, FEDERATED HERMES Investor outlook in 2026 has been shaken repeatedly by conflicts and …
What Does America Mean to Me?
On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we asked a group of leading Pittsburghers to consider and answer that question. We thank them for giving their thoughts on this important occasion. MARK WIEDMAN, PRESIDENT, PNC America represents the promise that where you start doesn’t have to define where …
The Future of Pittsburgh History
As the nation marks its 250th anniversary this year, the importance of understanding our shared past has never been clearer. Here in Pittsburgh, that moment of reflection is taking shape in a tangible way, as the Senator John Heinz History Center is set to embark on a major expansion that reflects the organization’s remarkable evolution …
A Crowning Achievement
It’s hard to escape Pittsburgh. Everywhere I go it’s always there, in one way or another. The Statue of Liberty is no exception. At the behest of my 7-year-old grandson, Henry, we booked a visit to climb to her crown. Since the bookings must be made six months in advance, due to her popularity, and …
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