Rated as one of the top five most inhabitable cities in the USA, Pittsburgh is described as "the only city in America with an entrance." Visitors arriving at the new Pittsburgh International Airport approach the city through the Fort Pitt Tunnel, incoming in a city center shimmering with the stark beauty and glistening majesty of Downtown Pittsburgh's modern stone, glass and steel skyscrapers, surrounded on all sides by rivers and velvet, green parks. Pittsburgh presents the profile of a bustling metropolis but in a size and scale that's easy to grasp and maneuver. It is not exactly an urban planner's dream city, however.

Since the colonial days, it's been a crossroads for trade and transportation, even today maintaining its status as the nation's largest inland port. From the late 1700s, Pittsburgh was the gateway to the West through which pioneers and prospectors passed. By 1900, Pittsburgh had expanded in size by annexing the city of Allegheny (North Side), and in population by attracting immigrants from Europe and blacks from the South. Pittsburgh became known as the "Steel City" for its famous manufacturing industry, and as the "Smoky City" for the factory soot and pollution. During the American Industrial Age the city played a major role and was nicknamed the Iron City. However, having undergone two Renaissance programs and social upheaval from steel mill closings and civil rights struggles, Pittsburgh has largely shed its outdated industrial image and is gaining recognition worldwide for its advanced medical facilities, major universities, myriad cultural institutions and start-up technology companies. This popular city is recognized today for its corporate, financial and educational centers.

The hilly terrain, multitude of rivers, bridges and tunnels and winding suburban roads preclude any pretense of the traditional city grid. There are no city "blocks" here. Even downtown Pittsburgh is laid out in a triangle shape, as it sits right at the point where the Allegheny & Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio. An easy way to orient yourself is to divide Pittsburgh into four sections: the North and South Sides and the East and West Ends, with downtown positioned conveniently right in the center of it all. Downtown Pittsburgh occupies a compact 50-acre area bordered by Grant Street to the east, Penn Avenue to the north and the Boulevard of the Allies to the south. You're never more than a few blocks to your destination, and downtown is easy to walk and nicely scaled for pedestrian enjoyment — with parks and plazas spaced conveniently between office towers and retail corridors. Known as the "Golden Triangle", this compact area is conveniently scaled for pedestrian enjoyment. Wide green spaces and plazas sit between office towers and shopping corridors with the cultural contrasts of the Andrew Carnegie Complex, Pittsburgh Opera House, Pirates and Steelers team ground and the eye-opening Andy Warhol Museum, all within a few minutes walk of each other.

About 4 million people visit Pittsburgh annually, making travel a more than $2.2 billion industry that provides nearly 40,000 full-time equivalent jobs in the Pittsburgh region. Welcome to one of the country's most delightful surprises. No longer the dirty steel town of old, Pittsburgh is now a true renaissance city. A city of modern cathedrals and Old World, neighborly charms, filled with high-tech companies, friendly faces, fun and adventure. Come and take a closer look!