Strip District a weekend haven for sidewalk shoppers

Bright dresses on outdoor racks fluttered in the breeze as a vendor yelled to a passerby that he… Bright dresses on outdoor racks fluttered in the breeze as a vendor yelled to a passerby that he has the “best baklava ever.”

The Strip District is often bustling on Saturdays, with people looking to buy trinkets or groceries, restaurants tend to fill up quickly as hungry families pack together to eat breakfast.

The Strip District encompasses a one-half square mile area northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh. The Strip is at its best during the day and on weekends — two neighborhood breakfast staples, DeLuca’s and P&G’s Pamela’s Diner, are always closed by three in the afternoon. Many shops are closed by five.

In the Strip District, don’t look for any big-box stores. From year-round black and gold merchandise (the defining staple of Pittsburgh fashion) to fresh fish, the Strip District is a concentration of Pittsburgh’s quirky, fun and local shops, with colorful painted signs, some brand-new, others fading into history. The Strip District is visceral — it is a neighborhood that needs to be seen, smelled, heard and tasted.

Jenny Fay owns Loom Exquisite Textiles, a store that carries fabric samples, buttons and ribbons from all over the country. Loom is located on Penn Avenue, between 21st and 22nd Street.

“This place is great when freshmen move in,” Fay said. “The moms come in and pick up stuff to make pillowcases or curtains.”

Fay has owned the store for more than two years, as she opened it in 2010 to sell her collections.

“I’m a chronic shopper, and my collection outgrew my house,” Fay said. She frequents art shows to buy fabrics that are popular among her customers.

Looms is known for themed fabric. Fay showed shelves of assorted fabric adorned with patterns of Dr. Seuss characters, the Three Stooges, the Beatles, pin-up women and men, books and pens.

“We had guys come in from a frat once to get material for a toga party,” Fay said. “We sent them away with beer fabric and pretzel fabric. It was a hit — they sent us pictures and everything.”

Other vendors come to sell handcrafted jewelry or food on the sidewalk.

Tom Donaldson has come to the neighborhood for about five years to sell his wife’s handmade jewelry — necklaces, earrings, rings and other jewelry made out of clay. Donaldson sets up the jewelry stand every Saturday during the spring and summer.

“My wife never had any classes in making jewelry,” Donaldson said. “She learned to do everything from YouTube videos.”

The neighborhood has an interesting night life, too. The Strip District is home to Altar Bar, a music venue that was converted from a church. Although it doesn’t have as many as the South Side, the Strip District does have its share of bars scattered every few blocks.

For 20 years, Mullaney’s Harp and Fiddle has been a place for music and food lovers to come together and enjoy Irish culture. Located on the corner of Penn Avenue and 24th Street, the Irish pub is home to different music events.

“Professional groups come to perform here every week,” general manager David Regan said.

Every Tuesday night, professional Irish dancers perform at the pub, and on Wednesday nights, different groups play acoustic music. Musicians bring life to the pub on Friday and Saturday nights, as well, with traditional Irish music.

Mullaney’s has a varied menu with many food and drink options from across the Atlantic.

“We have several Irish specialties as well as American cuisine,” Regan said, listing fish and chips and shepherd’s pie as popular orders among customers.

Regan mentioned that the pub has received more local customers due to a lot of residential development in the Strip District.

“People are actually living here now, so we get a lot more locals,” he said. “We have a lot of regulars.”

But the Strip District is not an Irish neighborhood, and ethnic food comes in all colors.

Cha Robbins cleaned a grill outside of the Sam Bok Asian Specialty Store at the corner of Penn Avenue and 18th Street on a quiet Tuesday afternoon in May. Looking out at the view from the front door, one could see two stores selling black and gold merchandise, another Asian grocery store and an Italian food store.

The specialty store offered four food items for sale outside, only one of which cost more than $5. Robbins said she doesn’t work weekends, but was still able to give perspective on the neighborhood.

“Why the Strip District? It’s a market. It’s where everybody goes,” she said.