Staying on campus during the summer is totally different than being here during the actual school year. It is true what people say — “Pitt summers just hit different.” I stayed on campus last summer and had the best time. Even though not a lot of my friends were on campus, I still made the best of it while taking my summer classes. Throughout the summer, I visited a few nearby museums, went on nature walks and tried out some of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh.

A few of the museums I visited were The Andy Warhol Museum, Mattress Factory and Randyland. All three museums are located in East Allegheny, so if you have the time and are feeling adventurous, you could visit them all on the same day!

The Andy Warhol Museum is on Sandusky Street and consists of art collections, films and videos made by Andy Warhol. Tickets for this museum are normally $25 but discounted to $13 for students. Depending on the day you decide to visit, they may have an exhibition or an event which is also really fun to look at and experience.

The Mattress Factory is on Sampsonia Way and has many types of alternative art through forms of installations, videos and performance art. Tickets for the Mattress Factory are normally $20 but are $15 for students.

Randyland is located on Arch Street almost right next to the Mattress Factory, which is very convenient. Most of the attractions for Randyland are outdoor so it would be nice to visit during the summer and not when it is cold outside. This art museum is also free, making it very budget-friendly, and consists of colorful art using plastic animals, yard sale finds and discarded construction material all in Randy Gilson’s own home.

This past summer, my friends and I really wanted to take advantage of the warm weather to walk around Schenley Park a lot since it’s too cold in the winter. My one friend that lives in Pittsburgh brought her dog to campus a lot, so it was a really fun activity for us to take him on a walk. Schenley Park also has a public pool, which isn’t likely the most sanitary, but could be fun to go to with your friends. And the track around the park is approximately 2.3 miles long, which is great for a summer workout!

I was also able to go to a few restaurants over the summer that I did not have time to go to during the actual school year. A few places I went to were Noodlehead, Tako Torta, Con Alma and Senyai Thai Kitchen. All of these restaurants are close to one another and are located in Shadyside/East Liberty. Noodlehead is a cash-only restaurant that has amazing Thai food featuring street-market noodles. It’s best to go right when they open because they do not take reservations and are pretty busy.

Tako Torta is a restaurant I have wanted to try since my first year at Pitt, and I am so glad that I finally had the chance to go. Located in Bakery Square, they are known for their fresh Mexican-style street food.

Con Alma is another great Mexican food place and has two locations, one in Shadyside and another in Downtown Pittsburgh. I was able to go to the Shadyside location, which had an amazing jazz bar with live music and amazing food. Their atmosphere was very cozy, which I really liked as well.

Senyai Thai Kitchen is a great Thai place with really cool architecture which was originally designed by Carnegie Mellon students! The ambiance is really cool and relaxed which I really enjoyed, and their Thai food has been my favorite by far.

There are so many activities to do in Pittsburgh and even more options during the summer. Spending the summer here has been my favorite experience, and I cannot wait to do it again this year. Hopefully, if you are staying on campus this summer, you get the chance to check out the cool museums that you may not have time for during the school year and get to try the amazing food as well!

Shriya writes about a few places to go to and try in Pittsburgh during the summer. Talk to them at [email protected].