Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania is the county seat of Allegheny County. It is
the second most populous city in Pennsylvania, behind Phildelphia, and 68th largest city in the
U.S.. The Pittsburgh metropolitan area is the anchor of Western Pennsylvania;
its population of 2.35 million is the largest in both the Ohio Valley and
Appalachia and, the second largest in Pennsylvania, and the 27th
largest in the U.S.. The city’s population, as of 2021 is 301,286.
Pittsburgh is located in southwest Pennsylvania at the confluence of
the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River, which combine to form
the Ohio River. Pittsburgh is known both as "the Steel
City" for its more than 300 steel-related businesses and as the
"City of Bridges" for its 446 bridges. The city
features 30 skyscrapers, two inclined railways, a pre-revolutionary
fortification and Point State Park at the confluence of the rivers. The
city developed as a vital link of the Atlantic coast and Midwest, as the mineral-rich Allegheny Mountains led
to the region being contested by the French and British and empires, Virginians,Whiskey Rebels, and Civil War raiders.
Aside from steel, Pittsburgh has led in the manufacturing of
other important materials—aluminum and glass—and in the petroleum industry.
Additionally, it is a leader in computing, electronics, and the automotive
industry.] For part of the 20th century, Pittsburgh
was behind only New York City and Chicago in corporate headquarters employment;
it had the most U.S. stockholders per capita. Deindustrialization in
the 1970s and 1980s laid off area blue collar workers as steel and
other heavy industries declined, and thousands of downtown white collar
workers also lost jobs when several Pittsburgh-based companies moved
out. The population dropped from a peak of 675,000 in 1950 to 370,000 in
1990. However, this rich industrial history left the area with renowned museiums, medical centers parks, research cents and diverse
cultural district.
After 1990, Pittsburgh transformed into a hub for the health
care, education, and technology industries. Pittsburgh is home to large
medical providers, including the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC),
and 68 colleges and universities, including research and development leaders Carnegie
Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Google, Apple,
Inc., Bosch, Facebook, Uber, Nokia, Autodesk, Amazon, Microsoft, Argo and IBM are
among 1,600 technology firms generating $20.7 billion in annual Pittsburgh
payrolls.
Federal money has supported the research agenda. The area has
served as the federal agency headquarters for cyber defense, software
engineering, robotics, energy research and the nuclear navy. The
nation’s fifth-largest bank, eight Fortune 500 companies, and
six of the top 300 U.S. law firms make their global headquarters in the area,
while RAND Corporation (RAND), BNY Mellon, Nova, FedEx, Bayer,
and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have
regional bases that helped Pittsburgh become the sixth-best area for U.S. job
growth.
In 2015, Pittsburgh was listed among the "eleven most
livable cities in the world". The Econimist’s Global Liveability
Ranking placed Pittsburgh as the most or second-most livable city in the
United States in 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2018 and the third most
livable city in the U.S. in 2021. The region is a hub for Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design and energy extraction.
Pittsburgh is a unique place, with plenty to offer
visitors and residents alike. A city built on innovation, Pittsburgh continues
to push the envelope with major contributions in technology, education,
medicine and beyond. In fact, in 2021, WalletHub named Greater Pittsburgh its
sixth-best metro area for STEM professionals.
But, more than Pittsburgh’s industries have changed –
the skyline has been completely transformed, too! Riverfronts are
thoughtfully developed, utilized for recreation now more than ever. Businesses
look to the environment as an asset, not a challenge. And, best of all,
"green" has replaced "smoky" for good.
Pittsburgh is a vibrant, mid-sized city that has the
feel of a small town. Its approachability can be seen on the faces of its
energetic, hard-working and proud people.
Bike, walk or rollerblade miles of riverfront trails and
soak in fantastic urban views. Wrapped in rivers, intertwined with trails and
packed with parks, it is a green and outdoor city in close contact with its
surrounding countryside. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens opened its
Center for Sustainable Landscapes, one of the world’s first certified living
buildings, a model of sustainability for architects, scientists, planners and
anyone interested in living greener.
In the eyes of many of its visitors, Pittsburgh offers a
surprising and unexpected experience, with natural beauty, unique terrain and
diverse offerings at every turn. Pittsburgh’s history and blue-collar
image makes the city and its inhabitants approachable and unpretentious.
