House Hunters: Oakland Edition
By Allison Dantinne, Staff Columnist
November 15, 2018
There comes a time in every Pitt student’s life when even grilled-cheese day at Market doesn’t make your on-campus living experience any less dismal. You’re ready to move on to bigger and better things. You’re an adult. You want to make grilled cheese yourself, whenever you want it.
Editorial: Campus Master Plan requires strong community involvement
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 1, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The Campus Master Plan, which is projected to take 30 years to complete, is a massive undertaking that requires a continued dialogue between the University and both students and the Oakland community.
Changing seasons means more sales for Oakland businesses
By Kieran Mclean, Staff Writer
September 11, 2018
Filed under News, Top Stories
For students, autumn heralds pumpkin spice, sweaters and the mass migration back to school. For Oakland restaurants, that migration means business.
Editorial: Pitt’s new surveillance cameras: well-intentioned, but not useful
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 4, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Increased surveillance may seem like a step in the right direction — it could bolster security in Oakland where thousands of Pitt students reside and attend class. But Oakland isn’t in dire need of more security — and installing cameras will hardly combat domestic violence, which is one of the primary reasons they were implemented in the first place.
Islamic community comes together to celebrate Eid al-Fitr
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
June 20, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News, Video
As the sun rose upon Schenley Park on Friday, the park filled with hundreds ready to pray and celebrate. Children played at the petting zoo and three colorful bounce houses, and got their faces painted while parents bought food from the surrounding food trucks to celebrate Eid al-Fitr — a holiday marki...
Oakland business owners say “No More” to sexual harassment
By Sam Weber | Staff Writer
June 12, 2018
Along Oakland Avenue from Sennott Street to Forbes Avenue, local businesses and organizations came out Tuesday afternoon to celebrate a new partnership between the Southwestern PA Says No More initiative and Pittsburgh Action Against Rape. The program is called Oakland Says No More and is a campaign des...
Pitt alums aim to simplify subletting
By Remy Samuels | Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
For students searching for the perfect summer or fall apartment to sublet, scrolling through pages and pages of listings on Facebook or Craigslist can be an exhausting and difficult process. And for those looking for someone to sublet their place while they are away, their posts are often pushed to the b...
Produce at Pitt: New grocery store comes to Oakland
By Remy Samuels | Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
As Pitt transitions into the fall semester, students can finally stop mourning the loss of 7-Eleven and welcome the new grocery store that is coming to Forbes Avenue. Although Slurpees will no longer be available, fresh fruits and vegetables will soon enter the Oakland scene. Jim Earle, Pitt’s a...
Student restaurant deals should go beyond Oakland
By Delilah Bourque | Columnist
May 30, 2018
The best part of being a Pitt student is the endless dining options available around campus — and the deals that come with them. Whether it’s late-night, half-price pizzas at The Porch or Stack’d’s half-off appetizers during weeknight happy hours, you’re sure to satisfy your hungry stomach ...
Pitt alums remember Peter’s Pub
By Samuel Weber | Staff Writer
May 23, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
At Peter’s Pub in Oakland this past weekend, the generally happy atmosphere of a normal Sunday night was nowhere to be found. Bar staff and friends sat around the bar reminiscing about their time working and hanging out at the Oakland staple, which will be closing its doors after 44 years. In a F...
Peter’s Pub announces upcoming closing
By Grant Burgman | News Editor
May 16, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Peter’s Pub, a staple of the Oakland bar scene, will close its doors at the end of the month after 44 years of business. The popular bar on Oakland Avenue announced its upcoming closing on its Facebook page in a post Wednesday afternoon. “It is with heavy hearts, and tears in our eyes, that...
Wrestler Bruno Sammartino, Oakland native, dies at 82
By Hannah Schneider, Staff Writer
April 19, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Bruno Sammartino, a former professional wrestler and Oakland native, died Wednesday after battling health issues for the last two months. His wife, Carol, and two of his sons were at his side when he died peacefully. He was 82. Sammartino was born in October of 1935 and immigrated to South Oakland from Pizzo...
Gene’s Place raises the bar in #PittMadness challenge
By Amanda Reed / Contributing Editor
April 13, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Move over, Villanova — there’s a new bracket winner in town. Gene’s Place, located on Louisa Street in Oakland, won the Barstool Pitt #PittMadness bracket challenge April 11, beating out student favorites like Mario’s South Side Saloon, Garage Door Saloon, Hemingway’s Cafe and Peter’s Pub ...
Feminists march for inclusivity
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
April 6, 2018
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Marchers waving signs made out of cardboard, paper and pizza boxes drew the attention of passersby as they wove their way through Pitt’s campus and Oakland Thursday evening — chanting in support of women of all sexualities and races. One of the pizza boxes read “Injustice anywhere is a threat to...
Matisse the Cat: The purrfect neighbor
By Henry Glitz & John Hamilton
April 4, 2018
Filed under Silhouettes 2018, Top Stories
Bearing a name like Matisse might seem like an awful lot of responsibility for a lot of people — living up to such a well-cultured namesake can be a challenge. But on a stretch of Parkview Avenue in Oakland, from Oakland Square to the Boulevard of the Allies, you’d think the famous French painte...
Halal: Is it meat you’re looking for?
By Shahum Ajmal | Staff Writer
March 22, 2018
Filed under Culture, Food & Drink
When asked about my diet, I’ve stated the same phrase countless times. “Depending on my options, I'm either a vegetarian, pescatarian or meat eater,” I say. I am a 19-year-old Muslim, so when it comes to eating, the wheres and whys are a little more complicated than deciding between a sweet o...
Zaki defies genre in debut of self-titled album
By Sarah Connor, Staff Writer
March 12, 2018
Filed under Culture, Music, Top Stories
Jesse Descutner, a 2016 Pitt graduate, heard the environmental term “urban heat island” in an undergraduate urban studies class and immediately thought it would be a good name for his band. In that same class, Descutner, a guitarist, met bassist Sean O’Connor, a 2017 Pitt graduate. The two ...
Pitt students condemn catcalling
By Joanna Li | Staff Writer
February 14, 2018
Filed under Culture, Top Stories
As a 12-year-old, Sophia Marshall stepped out of the house feeling confident in the outfit she had picked out that morning. As she waited for a friend by the local high school, she heard a sharp whistle from out of the window of a passing car — her first experience with catcalling. Marshall, now a...
Oakland Restaurant Week hosts 6 days of $6 lunches
By Shahum Ajmal and Elizabeth Donnelly | For The Pitt News
January 30, 2018
Filed under Culture, Food & Drink, Top Stories
Students on a budget can ditch Market Central for the week and try out a new restaurant on Forbes or Fifth Avenue for a discounted price instead. Oakland Restaurant Week — which takes place from Monday, Jan. 29, to Saturday, Feb. 3 — is hosted and funded by the Oakland Business Improvement Di...
Q&A: Pitt alum opens Haus of Vain thrift store
By Charlie Garcia-Weger | For The Pitt News
January 25, 2018
Filed under Culture
Thrifting in Pittsburgh is an underappreciated subject. When I discuss my excitement with people about finding a really interesting or rare find while thrifting in Pittsburgh, they look at me funny — maybe because I’m from Brooklyn. I grew up in what some consider “hipster central,” where it...
Review: Salud Juicery opens in Oakland
By Elizabeth Donnelly | For The Pitt News
January 23, 2018
Filed under Culture, Food & Drink
Just blocks away from Pitt’s campus, Oakland residents now have access to a tasty and healthy alternative to frozen treats and juices. Salud Juicery recently opened its fourth location in the Pittsburgh area — tucked away at 3400 Fifth Avenue. The unadvertised soft opening Friday, Jan. 5, allow...
The Naughties focus on the fans
By Caroline Bourque and Prachi Patel | Pitt News Staff
January 19, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Culture, Music
The audience at a typical Naughties show can expect anything from bass player Jad Hilal’s usual joke segment to a patriotic onstage reading of the Constitution — backed by red, white and blue stage lights. Lead vocalist and guitar player Jesse Wehner, a Pitt senior and economics major, said th...
Best of Oakland food run
By Noah Manalo | For The Pitt News
January 19, 2018
Filed under Culture, Food & Drink
When I woke up Thursday morning, I felt a little stressed. Weighed down by schoolwork I had yet to complete, and with a long band practice ahead of me that evening, I knew I needed some good food to carry me through the day. I realized the only logical option was to eat at The Pitt News readers’ fav...
Soda Club creates their own genre
By Sarah Connor, Staff Writer
January 9, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Culture, Music
Jarrett Krause opened the doors to his classroom at Beth Shalom Early Learning Center in Squirrel Hill Friday morning. His prekindergarten students drew colorful, scribbly pictures and asked him about his long, curly hair. One day later, the 2015 Pitt alumnus was tossing that same curly hair onst...
Longtime residents reminisce about old Oakland
By David Solomon | Staff Writer
January 8, 2018
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
At the corner of Bates and McKee streets sits Groceria Merante, an Italian grocery that’s been situated in the neighborhood for nearly four decades. Walk inside and Salvatore Merante, age 86, may be there to ring you up or reminisce about the Oakland he used to know — a calm family neighborhood,...
Dark, dank and diverse: students find many uses for Oakland basements
By Sarah Connor, Staff Writer
November 17, 2017
Filed under Culture, Top Stories
Mac Clark heard knocking and high-pitched talking coming from his basement about two weekends ago. Following a Halloween party he hosted at his South Oakland residence, the senior mechanical engineering major unlocked the door leading to the basement and cautiously made his way down the creaking ...
Amazon opens pickup location on Pitt’s campus
By Caroline Bourque | Assistant News Editor
October 31, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
A new Amazon pickup location opened on Pitt’s campus Tuesday. Located at 209 Oakland Ave. next to Crazy Mocha, Amazon@Pitt will allow customers to pick up or return their Amazon orders. Amazon Prime members will have free one-day pickup for millions of items and next-day arrival for orders placed be...
Pitt student found dead in Oakland homicide, police charge ex-boyfriend
By The Pitt News Staff
October 9, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Crime, News
A homicide investigation is underway after Pitt student Alina Sheykhet was found dead in her Oakland apartment Sunday morning. Pittsburgh police have obtained an arrest warrant for 21-year-old Matthew Darby — Sheykhet’s ex-boyfriend whom she filed a protection-from-abuse order against in September. His...
Pitt student’s death being investigated as a homicide
By The Pitt News Staff
October 8, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Crime, News
Pittsburgh police are investigating a homicide in Oakland after finding a deceased Pitt student Sunday morning. The Allegheny County medical examiner's office said Sunday night that the student was Alina Sheykhet, a 20-year-old woman. University spokesperson Joe Miksch confirmed she was a Pitt stud...
Oakland Employees Discuss Work After Dark
By Rose Luder | Staff Writer
September 14, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Specials
Antoon’s co-owner Mike Abraham had one thing to say about his late-night shifts as a pizza maker. “Too many drunk students,” Abraham said. Abraham, a 46-year-old from Oakland, has run the popular pizza shop with his brother for the last 20 years. Like many employees around Oakland, Abraha...
Suspects invade, rob Oakland home
By Rachel Glasser | News Editor
September 10, 2017
Filed under Crime, Top Stories
Pitt police issued a crime alert after three men robbed a home on Dawson Street early Saturday morning. The suspects — a white male, African-American male and Hispanic male — entered the house on the 3400 block of Dawson Street through a back door at approximately 3 a.m. The African-American male bran...
Editorial: Safe roads require more than just bike lanes
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
August 27, 2017
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
From the lack of parking in front of the Cathedral, a safer Bigelow Boulevard crosswalk or the freshly painted white and yellow lines — the new bike lanes are pretty hard to miss. The City of Pittsburgh opened the lanes Aug. 15 on portions of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard — a much-needed development as Oakland is the city’s second most-biked neighborhood, after Downtown. The lanes...
Retro Oakland: Learning about our university’s leaders
By Lexi Kennell / Culture Editor
August 27, 2017
Filed under Culture
Although Pitt students today have grown accustomed to a chancellor who takes selfies with each upcoming class and tweets regularly, past leaders of Pitt had different approaches to interacting with students. There have been 18 Pitt chancellors — and each one impacted the University as we know it t...
Staff picks: cheap eats in Oakland
By TPN Staff
August 21, 2017
Filed under Culture, Food & Drink
With Red Oak Cafe’s closure, Pitt students could go hungry come fall. But here at The Pitt News, we won’t let that happen. There are plenty of restaurants in Oakland to choose from — you just need to find the right spots. We’ve enlisted some editors and writers from The Pitt News to compile some o...
Red Oak Cafe closing within the week
By Janine Faust and John Hamilton / Pitt News Staff
August 1, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Red Oak Cafe is closing on Aug. 4, according to Ray McNevin, a manager and chef at the Oakland restaurant. McNevin said new owners from Virginia are taking over on the 8th. They will rename and redo the restaurant, he said. Remembering Red Oak The breakfast and lunch cafe is popular, in part, for its vegan and ve...
Oakland’s businesses adapt to fewer students in summer
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
July 18, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
The warm summer sun beat down this week as business owners across Oakland opened their doors for a day mostly like any other day. The only difference was a conspicuous lack of their main customers — students. Mid-July is undeniably a relatively quiet time of the year in Oakland. With just a few summer...
GALLERY: WYEP Summer Music Festival 2017
By Maria Heines
June 27, 2017
Filed under Culture, Music, Visual
...
Oakland locals weigh in on bus rapid transit
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
June 20, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Community members and local activists gathered Monday night to talk about new bus stops, or as city employee Justin Miller called them — “upgraded transit experiences.” The replicas of the Bus Rapid Transit system’s proposed new stops sat on the side of the room as Miller, an employee of Pittsb...
Beta Bites, Peter’s Pub receive consumer alerts
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
June 20, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Oakland restaurant Beta Bites received a consumer alert Tuesday, joining Peter’s Pub as the second local restaurant to receive the designation from the health department in June. Oakland eatery Beta Bites received a consumer alert from the county health department Tuesday. The restaurant, which...
Interactive crime map May 30 – June 6
By The Pitt News Staff
June 7, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017 3:22 p.m. 3900 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police issued a citation to a non-affiliated person for disorderly conduct and violating a city ordinance. Wednesday, May 31, 2017 4:01 a.m. 200 Chesterfield Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police arrest...
Bus ways and bike lanes: Navigating Pittsburgh without a car
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
May 29, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, City, News, Uncategorized
Madeline Rigatti’s black boots press forcefully on the steel pedals of her orange Salsa Vaya, propelling the 25-year-old up a short, steep hill by her house. “I used to hate that hill,” Rigatti, who started commuting by bike in college 5 years ago, said. Weather permitting, Rigatti comm...
GALLERY: Retro Oakland: taking a look at Oakland’s past
By The Pitt News Staff
May 29, 2017
Filed under Archives, Culture, Specials / Newstudentguide2016, Uncategorized, Visual
From the Great Fire of 1845 that destroyed all of Pitt’s buildings to the demolition of Forbes Field to the 2017 removal of asbestos in the Hillman Library, Pitt has had a tumultuous past. And as Pitt students, it’s important we know about the university we attend — to know that our school used to...
Digital Plaza hosts Pitt musicians
By Matt Maielli / Contributing Editor
May 16, 2017
Bathed in a reddish, pre-sunset glow, the Forbes Digital Plaza attracts a crowd of passers-by investigating the dream pop tunes that can be heard around the corner. It’s an image that feels both distinctly Oakland and refreshing. Recently, local musicians have utilized the plaza for live concerts. The Jazz Im...
Interactive crime map April 7-April 14
By The Pitt News Staff
April 17, 2017
April 8 1:44 a.m. Semple Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Pitt police arrested a non-affiliated person on a warrant. 2:59 a.m. 1400 Inverness Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Pitt police assisted city police with a burglary involving a student. Police arrested and referred one student for judicial action. 5:29 p.m. Fifth and Meyran avenues, ...
Point-Counterpoint: Bootleggers represents the classic bar
By Amber Montgomery | Opinions Editor
April 14, 2017
No alcohol-themed edition of The Pitt News would be complete without an argument for the best bar in Oakland. This year, we’re bringing you two takes on the controversial issue. Read and enjoy as two of our editors square off on their opinions for the best place to grab a drink in our beloved Oaklan...
Point-Counterpoint: A good time guaranteed at Gene’s Place
By Stephen Caruso | Contributing Editor
April 14, 2017
No alcohol-themed edition of The Pitt News would be complete without an argument for the best bar in Oakland. This year, we’re bringing you two takes on the controversial issue. Read and enjoy as two of our editors square off on their opinions for the best place to grab a drink in our beloved Oaklan...
Regardless of the law, consider graffiti as legitimate art
By Elise Lavallee | Columnist
April 6, 2017
In America, graffiti is often a staple of disadvantaged communities, associated with crime and poverty, and generally unwanted. But in some places, where the culture and atmosphere differs, graffiti is a welcome aspect of the community. In a small neighborhood of Toronto, known as Kensington Mar...
Interactive crime map: March 23 – March 30
By The Pitt News Staff
April 2, 2017
Filed under Crime, News, Top Stories
March 23 12:10 p.m. Ruskin Hall 120 Ruskin Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Pitt police cited two students for marijuana/disorderly conduct. 11:43 a.m. Music Building 4337 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Pitt police responded to a report of a criminal mischief. An investigation is pending. March 24...
@NihilistOakland finds meaning in Oakland life
By Annabelle Hanflig / Staff Writer
February 25, 2016
Forbes Digital Plaza is every bit as mysterious as it is flashy. The square’s meagerly lit screens, oddly placed Top 40 hits coming from nowhere and seemingly defunct, blank screens — despite opening last November — is a target for pointing fingers as a waste of money. The absurdity of the situat...
Vinyl meets vegan at Amazing Books & Records
By Rio Maropis / Staff Writer
January 20, 2016
Filed under Culture, Food & Drink, Music
Oakland’s newest commodity won’t be the first in the neighborhood to house books and records under the same roof — but it will be the first to add a vegan cafe. It’s a quiet, rainy day, with an indie rock vinyl spinning on the record player in one of the corners — it’s audible, gentle an...
Language aloud in library: Carnegie Library offers free language lessons
By Rio Maropis / Staff Writer
December 9, 2015
Filed under Art, Culture, Puzzles
Every first and third Tuesday of the month, Oakland’s Carnegie Library encourages its visitors to get chatty. That’s when the Japanese Conversation Club meets, in the library’s large print room. Nearly 20 participants sit at three separate tables. It’s obvious that attendees are familiar wit...
Sweet dreams: Love Yogurt not just dessert
By Chang Zuo / Staff Writer
November 30, 2015
Filed under Food & Drink
Winter’s coming, but frozen yogurt is already here. Love Yogurt opened at the corner of Atwood and Sennott streets two weeks before Thanksgiving, becoming the third froyo shop in Oakland, but the first to also serve crepes and Asian-styled beverages and desserts. It’s a cozy, beautifully decorate...
Editorial: City makes landlords accountable, renters more powerful
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 18, 2015
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
In the housing market of South Oakland, basic supply and demand theory is somewhat in flux. Landlords are supplying a limited product, rentable houses and apartments, to a consistent and high demand, Pitt students. Of Pitt’s 19,000 undergraduate students, 57 percent live off campus, according to U....
Budding communi-tea in Oakland
By Chang Zao / Staff Writer
November 2, 2015
Filed under Culture, Food & Drink
Roll it, bowl it and bubble it. The week before Halloween, Fuku Tea, located on the corner of Oakland and Forbes Avenues, hung its “soft opening” sign in the window and unveiled the bubbling magic brewing inside. If you’re a seasoned foodie in the Oakland area, then you’ll recognize Fuku Tea ...
Patties Stack’d high
By Eric Acosta / for The Pitt News
September 21, 2015
Filed under Culture, Food & Drink
Heads up Five Guys, your reign as the face of Oakland’s hamburger scene is coming to an end. Three days ago, Pittsburgh’s own Stack’d moved into the corner of Forbes Avenue and Oakland Avenue, expanding from its original Shadyside operation into the hole Joe Mama’s and Olio Trattoria’s le...
Get inked: a rundown of Pittsburgh’s tattoo options
By Kat Prosachik / Staff Writer
November 17, 2014
Years ago, tattoos signaled nonconformity and originality. Body art, now a very mainstream trend, is considered socially acceptable by most, especially the millennial generation.The first evidence of tattoos were in depictions of ancient Polynesian cultures and on the statues around Easter Island. The m...
Street safety concerns shake campus
By Cristina Holtzer / News Editor
September 29, 2014
Fear and concern flared up around campus and on social media after a message warning of criminal activity circulated among students. On Sept. 28, the president, secretary and other board members of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity emailed the following message out to members warning students about...
Two Oakland houses destroyed in fire
By Cristina Holtzer and Danielle Fox / The Pitt News Staff
September 21, 2014
Filed under Campus, City, News
After a fire in the early morning hours on Friday left four Pitt students without homes, the University has intervened. At 2 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, Pitt police responded with city police and the Pittsburgh Fire Department to the 911 call from Orpwood Street. The fire, which destroyed 3702 and 3704 Or...
Oakland house shows offer cheaper, more intimate live music
By Shawn Cooke and Lucy Clabby / A&E Staff
September 17, 2014
Forty kids, bobbing their heads together in a narrow North Oakland basement — it might sound like the awkward early hours of a college house party, but there isn’t any Avicii or “Turn Down For What” blaring over the speakers. Instead, Onward Progress, an experimental post-hardcore band from Cra...
Plant to Plate an urban garden ‘oasis’ for Oakland, Pittsburgh
By Stephanie Roman / Staff Writer
July 15, 2014
Filed under Culture, Specials / Summerguide2014
Eleanora Kaloyeropoulou crouched by the wooden planter box picking beets and kale. While this sounds like a scene from a rural or suburban landscape, she harvests these vegetables from a lot on Oakland Avenue. Kaloyeropoulou, a Pitt junior majoring in Africana studies and history, is co-president of the student organization Plant to Plate,...
Oakland Restaurant Week offers cheap trials of fast and fresh eats
By Dan Willis / For The Pitt News
June 3, 2014
Filed under Archives
When talking about Pitt’s nearby campus eateries, two words come up again and again: fast and fresh. Oakland is no place for a sit-down restaurant. Profit here comes from midnight snacks and hurried, between-class lunches. But that doesn’t mean students have lowered their standards for the food.As local, o...
Craig Street’s Ava Lounge brings nightlife back to Oakland
By Sam Bojarski / Staff Writer
April 9, 2014
Filed under Archives
The dining room at the Ava Lounge is small and intimate. A lone poet mutters his cryptic verse into a microphone in the corner of the room, which is full of old Ava Lounge faithfuls, as well as artists. People at the long, expansive bar turn their bodies toward the sound, one hand on their drinks. Mos...
Portrait of the artist as a mentor
By LaKesha Silver / MLK Project Staff
August 18, 2013
Filed under Archives
Olga Brindar was the artist chosen to design the Semple Street murals.
A community effort
By LaKesha Silver / MLK Project Staff
August 18, 2013
Filed under Archives
Local youth participated in a five-week program to create murals depicting themes selected by the Oakland community.
TPN Online Housing Guide
By Find a place to live with the help of The Pitt News
August 16, 2013
Filed under Archives
http://www.universitystudenthousing.com/pitt