A metropolis where most residents own multiple disastrous & gold jerseys , Pittsburgh is defined by its obsessive nature . We ’re a friendly bunch , but when we have it off ( or detest ) something , we put 100 % into it and will lief tear into you if you differ , even if it ’s respectfully . Whether it ’s support chipped gammon like it ’s the last meal our nanna ever serve us , or proclaiming our love for Donnie Iris ( a great American rock star " bang " for his involvement with great hits like " Ah ! Leah ! " and " sexual love Is Like a Rock " ) , Pittsburgh is militant in its regional pridefulness , and we wo n’t pause to severalise you why you ’re wrong about all the bad thing you ’ve heard about living here : " The air calibre isn’tthatbad ! That ’s not smog , it ’s just sunless today ! " Here are 11 more thing that you ’ll find us standing by until the sulphurous end :
Self-driving cars
By now , you ’ve in all likelihood get wind aboutUber ’s newfangled technologythat ’s taking Pittsburgh by tempest . Uber ’s first fleet of self-reliant vehicles recently run into the streets and , with two human drivers up front and ready to take the wheel at a import ’s posting , they ’re now carry unforced participants all over the metropolis . While a small percentage of us are ecstatic at this technological furtherance , which could dramatically affect Pittsburgh ’s want of public passage and increase route safety , it seems most folks are readying their torch and pitchforks at the idea of being driven around by " automaton cars . " You ’ll be severely - pressed to find a local that does n’t have a very unattackable opinion on the matter .
Comparing ourselves to other cities
Even though Pittsburghers are a sniffy bunch , we on a regular basis seek validation by comparing our own city to others . " We ’re like New York City but friendlier ! " " We ’re like San Francisco with less hills ! " But we ’re a base enough city to nod accordingly when outsiders proclaim we ’re " like a dirtier version of Portland , " or like " Brooklyn with less culture . " Pittsburgh is that friend you had in high school that made everybody laugh by always place themselves down .
Ketchup
Unlike other metropolis that are obsessed with celebrities and musicians from their hometown , Pittsburgh is far more proud of it ’s Steel City - based Heinz ketchup company . If you use anything other than Heinz ketchup , you may as well be throwing your fries in the deoxyephedrine . Just for perspective , Christina Aguilera , Michael Keaton , and Jeff Goldblum are all from the great Pittsburgh area , but dissing one of them wo n’t cause a heated argument during brunch . But there is one renown we ’d throw down for …
Mister Rogers
This American gem was born in Latrobe , Pennsylvania , and has been a quintessential part of every Pittsburgher ’s childhood since 1968 . That Cardigan Welsh corgi - wearing son of a hitman has a more extra place in the heart of Western Pennsylvania than anywhere else . Go ahead and say what your lack about Andrew Carnegie , but do n’t mess up with Pittsburgh ’s on - screen grandpa .
Cookie tables
" Cookie table " is potential the first phrase you ’ll hear when your friends and family discover you ’re suffer married or take any kind of event that requires you to flow the great unwashed . This regional wedding tradition complot images of tables stack sky - high with cookies but , in reality , is just a table covered in plates of semi - dry flour platter that your mom spent about 15 time of day making so your guests could fill up on them before dinner .
Buffalo chicken dip
If you ’re not from here , there ’s a good chance you do n’t even know what this is . But if you find yourself at a potluck ( another matter Pittsburghers seem to be obsessed with ) , you ’ll likely find multiple Crock - Pots and foil pans of this local delicacy being go through . What ’s not to love about a horny muckle of ointment cheeseflower , wimp , flank sauce , blue high mallow , and Monterey Jack ?
Complaining about everything that is a constant in Pittsburgh and in no way a surprise
Fact : Pittsburgh has terrible traffic . Fact : Our public transit is also awful . Fact : The weather here is unpredictable and , once again , terrible . Fact : We all know these things but still complain about them as if all of those pothole on Liberty Ave as if by magic appeared yesterday .
Mediocre pizza
Let ’s be honest with ourselves : Pittsburgh does not have the most world - shattering pizza in the world . Most outsiders would describe our pizza pie offerings as " beneficial , " " decent , " or maybe even " just OK . " Despite this realness , most Pittsburghers are very outspoken about which pizza pie places are the best and which ones should be close down immediately . One of the most rife exercise is Beto ’s Pizza , a South Hills innovation that has been set shredded ( and unmelted ) cheese on top of its slices ( well , square ) for more than 60 years . You either swear by this unorthodox approach to pizza pie or line up it true - up disgusting . There is no in - between .
Fish fries (and anything else that can be submerged in oil)
No lean of Pittsburgh obsessions would be complete without a nod to our constant need for deep-fried everything : pierogies , wings , Gallic Roger Fry , and , of line , Pisces . When the Lenten season get , it does n’t weigh if you ’re Catholic or not : You will inevitably find yourself at a fish fry . There ’s even ahandy mapto help you site the nearest fish fry with search criteria include " homemade pierogies " in case the lack of these hot little potato pocket would be a deal breaker ( because , obviously , it would be ) .
How damn livable this city is
It ’s seriously all we can talk about . Our rent is gimcrack , jobs in the tech and aesculapian fields are copious , and it seems like every vicinity is some version of " up - and - come in . " The best part about this fussy fixation is that Pittsburghers are even infatuated with the less - great things , like the graffiti and collapsing building , which we ’ve dear named urban decay .
Also, hockey
Sports had to come up eventually . Although football is what most hoi polloi relate with Pittsburgh , hockey is where the true obsession lies . For Pittsburgh , field hockey is religion , full of sainted figures that you worship despite their sometimes confutative behavior . You fight with your family about it , and you do your damnedest to recruit others to love it as much as you do .
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Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins|Pittsburgh Penguins
Flickr/Foo Conner
Flickr/Mike Mozart
Fotos International/Contributor/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Flickr/alanagkelly
Beto’s Pizza
Shepard Fairey mural, Downtown Pittsburgh|Flickr/Devon Christopher Adams
