About Pittsburgh
One of the benefits of being a student at Chatham is our location in the City of Pittsburgh. There's a reason why Pittsburgh was named "Most Livable City in the U.S." by The Economist in 2009, and why President Barack Obama chose it to host the 2009 G-20 Summit. Pittsburgh is being recognized more and more for its vibrancy, beauty, lifestyle and contributions to the world.
Our city offers all the excitement of a metropolis - an eclectic music scene, dozens of museums and galleries, professional sports teams, great restaurants and shopping, plenty of bookstores and coffee shops, and a thriving cultural community. It's a bustling hub of business with six Fortune 500 companies, more than 300 foreign-owned firms, two of the largest banks in America, a health system ranked in the nation's top ten, and the busiest inland port in America.
Pittsburgh is also a model for sustainability. The city has more LEED-certified buildings than most American cities - in fact, we're in the top ten. We have the world's first green convention center and green athletic arena, while Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has become one of the world's most energy efficient and sustainable conservatories. Chatham, too, is playing its part in Pittsburgh's sustainable evolution. Our facilities at Chatham Eastside were completed to LEED Silver standards, while our new Eden Hall Campus and the School for Sustainability and the Environment will move beyond LEED to become the country's first "living" campus.
The culture of Pittsburgh is unlike many cities you might visit. People are friendly and down to earth. Ask someone for directions, and they might simply offer to drive you to your destination. Because the city is compact, our traffic is manageable, and our urban crime rate is among the lowest in the nation. As for green space, Pittsburgh offers more acres of park per capita - and more trees per square mile - than any other major U.S. city.
University City
One of the benefits of studying at Chatham is our membership in the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education, a consortium including Chatham, Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, Community College of Allegheny County, Duquesne University, La Roche College, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Point Park University, Robert Morris University, and the University of Pittsburgh.
All Chatham students may cross-register with any other PCHE institution for one course each semester. There's no additional tuition charge and full credit and grade are transferred to Chatham. It's an incredible way for Pittsburgh college students to broaden their education while getting to know students from other schools. And two of the largest PCHE schools - Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh - are in walking distance of Chatham.
Chatham & Nearby Neighborhoods
Pittsburgh’s varied neighborhoods are among the City’s most distinctive features. Chatham is located in and near some of Pittsburgh’s most eclectic neighborhoods.
Chatham's historic Woodland Road location is located in the colorful and lively neighborhood of Shadyside, where you can walk just a few blocks to Walnut Street and explore trendy boutiques, eclectic eateries and some of the best coffee shops in the city. A few blocks further and you'll discover Ellsworth Avenue, with funky art galleries and popular neighborhood restaurants.
Shadyside also borders East Liberty and the new “Eastside” district with funky eateries and shops. Already home to places like Whole Foods and Trader Joes, East Liberty will include a new Target store in June 2011.
On the opposite side of campus is the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill with a large residential population and a thriving business district along Forbes and Murray avenues. Squirrel Hill includes over 1,100 acres of public parkland with recreational amenities from playgrounds to golf to lawn bowling. What’s great about these neighborhoods is that each is within walking distance.
We're also a short walk from Oakland, the home of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh as well as one of Pittsburgh's most beautiful open spaces, Schenley Park. You'll also find the Carnegie Museum of Art, with its world-class collections and exhibits, and Carnegie Museum of Natural History, housing the most dinosaur bones of any museum in the world.
Chatham offers a free shuttle service to both CMU and Pitt, opening your world to other students, campuses and activities. We also give you the opportunity to explore even further. Thanks to an agreement with the Port Authority of Allegheny County, you can ride any bus, light rail or incline by just showing your Chatham ID. You could explore the Cultural District, with its galleries, plays, operas, symphony and dance performances. Or you and your friends could catch a movie at the Waterfront or South Side Works. You could even ride the bus downtown for your summer internship.
Get Outdoors
There's always something to do outside throughout the year. Pittsburgh has one of the largest rail-to-trail systems in the U.S., including one that links downtown with Washington, D.C. There are new bicycle paths through the neighborhoods. Our famous three rivers provide endless opportunities for boating, fishing, kayaking and canoeing. In the winter, you can ice skate in Schenley Park or even downtown, under the crystal-like towers of PPG Place.
Some things to do while in Pittsburgh include:
- Carnegie Museums
- Duquesne Incline
- Heinz History Center
- Narrated Boat Tour
- Oakland
- Phipps Conservatory
- Pittsburgh Museums ( Andy Warhol Museum, Mattress Factory, Randyland, etc)
- Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
- Pittsburgh Trails
- Sports Events (Steelers football, Penguins Ice hockey, Pirates baseball)
- Squirrel Hill
- Station Square
- Three Rivers Arts Festival
- Zoo and Aquarium
Weather
Pittsburgh has four separate and distinct seasons. Please be sure to bring clothes for warm and cold weather or be ready to purchase them in Pittsburgh. You may see the average temperatures at weather.com
Helpful Links
Pittsburgh, like Chatham, is a dynamic place. Want to see more? Then visit these links:
- Pittsburgh: Imagine What You Can Do Here
http://www.imaginepittsburgh.com/LivingHere.asp - Convention and Visitors Bureau
http://www.visitpittsburgh.com - Student Guide to Pittsburgh
https://www.hotcoursesabroad.com/study-in-usa/destination-guides/the-ultimate-student-guide-to-pittsburgh/
Please contact, Kate Emory at k.emory@chatham.edu or 412-365-1388 with questions.