Steeler Nation - A better Pittsburgh

1. February 2009 by admin.

Super Bowl Sunday is finally here!  IT IS LIKE A HOLIDAY AROUND THESE PARTS!

Ed and I had (are having) a really lovely weekend.  We got the February issue released this week and all deliveries have been completed.  :-0  Me taking a deep breath.   The website has been updated.  Check out the changes.  We are now in the thousands of visitor per day and plan to do whatever it takes to increase that number. 

Have an idea for OTV, www.outonline.com or Pittsburgh’s Out?  Send me an e-mail at  tony@outonline.com.  I am always open to suggestions.  Let’s talk!

I know this is winter in Pittsburgh, but can we at least guess the snow fall within a few inches.  Five or six inches off is unbelievable.  It seemed as if every time I got into my car Friday, the roads were covered with snow.  I found this very frustrating to say the least.  Don’t get me wrong, I love snow, but I have had enough.  The past several winters have been very mild.  Can you blame me for getting use to that?

One kid away at college, one kid at weekend retreat and one kid hanging with his dads.   Party of three.   We were in the mood for shopping on Saturday and decided to drive to Ross Park Mall.  I had a few drop offs to make in the North Hills area and the mall was on the way.   I love Ross Park Mall.  The additions of Tiffany’s, Nordstrom’s and all the new upscale shops has given that mall an upscale feel.  The mall was crowded and the cash registers were ringing.  No sign of recession here.  Monroeville Mall on the other hand seems to have a few empty storefronts.  Perhaps not as many as Pittsburgh Mills, but the Mills seem to have many more stores and a very successful retail city. 

After “doing” the North Hills, we settled down to a nice dinner at Applebee’s on McKnight Road.  The food was OK, the service was just OK too.  But, hey–it’s SUPER BOWL weekend in the ‘Burgh.  Speaking of that, I read some reports about how the hotels are booked solid in the city this weekend from folks all around the country.  With the many parties and street closings in anticipation of a Super Bowl championship, I guess they wanted to be part of it all. 

Can you believe all the restaurant and business closings today in the metro area?  How about the 2 hour school delays for Monday morning?  Crazy, isn’t it?  One would think the big game was being played in Pittsburgh.  Isn’t it amazing that a sports team in a mid-size city market could be the number one rated sports organization in the United States, maybe even the world?  When you hear the title Steeler Nation, they are not talking about only the metro Pittsburgh region.  They are talking about the country.  There are Steeler bars in every major city and in every market.  And, many cities have several. 

Yes, indeed it’s a Steeler Nation, however nothing matters except a win today, and me winning the final score of my football poll.

It doesn’t matter if you are a fan or not.  What really matters is the national exposure Pittsburgh is receiving.  Sure, we may have shed our smoky and dirty image.  People need to see and understand why we were rated the number one city in the country and one of the best real estate markets.  Lately, it seems people are looking at Pittsburgh in a different and clearer light.   Just read the Washington Post and many other newspapers or take a look at Pittsburgh at the top of lists and polls.  Things are changing and getting better for sure, but like any other city in this country, much needs to be done.

Allegheny County needs to make it illegal to discriminate against gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people in employment and housing.  Pittsburgh has had this law on the books for years.  We, as a city need to embrace diversity and send a message to the world that we welcome everyone.

We have a lot to offer.  Much more than a Super Bowl team.  Come tomorrow, champions or not…we will still be here clinging to our hopes of a better city for all!

Keep Reading…

Tony
tony@outonline.com

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