Hello from the Steel City!

[pghgal_90]

Hi there AARoads folks,

I'm a Pittsburgher who has recently become really fascinated with road signs as I have learned my way around the city. I'm in my early twenties and have a lot less driving experience than most, but it has become kind of fun, seeing as how Pittsburgh has such weird topography (and thus weird roads). With all my jobs I've had to cross two rivers and the city to get there. I've seen many signs in a short time. I also went to college in Ohio, and I really enjoyed seeing how signs differ from PA to WV to OH and back. And everywhere else.

I'm a graphic designer by profession, too, so naturally the typography of road signs and the psychology/science behind their design is really interesting. Currently I am working as a production artist at a company that got its start developing signs for the transportation industry, so it gets more interesting the longer I work there!

Happy to be here with fellow roadgeeks!

P.S. I contacted Joe/lucky_cat_1958 on eBay, as I am looking for a PA Route 51 or PA Route 28 sign to possibly put in my new apartment. if anybody knows of where I can track one down affordably, please let me know!

[US 41]

Welcome to the forum.

[Alex]

Welcome to the board!

[hotdogPi]

Hello!

[Alps]

Welcome! From a fellow sign collector... just watch eBay. Keystones do pop up on there from time to time, sometimes at reasonable rates, especially cutouts. If you don't care about a cutout, so much the cheaper (:

[empirestate]

I lived in Pittsburgh for a couple of years and I agree that it's a fascinating place geographically. I feel that navigating the roads of Pittsburgh, particularly without a map, is an outstanding form of mental exercise, like doing the Sunday Times crossword puzzle, or sight-reading an unfamiliar piece of difficult sheet music.

I assume you're already familiar with Bruce Cridlebaugh's absorbing website about the bridges and tunnels (and other geographic features, ancillarily) of Allegheny County: http://pghbridges.com/

[pghgal_90]

Thanks for all the welcomes! And no, I did not know about that site, empirestate, but it's fascinating! I did a design project on the bridges of Pittsburgh that I hope to revisit one day. Maybe this will help!

[AsphaltPlanet]

luckycat posts a fair number of shields from everywhere, but his stuff is seldom cheap.

[pghgal_90]

What I'm planning to do, since I am not a purist and it's just for decoration, is to probably buy a customizable route numbered sign from here, and add the "South" placard from this website. Since I'll be moving in pretty soon (I'm living at home and not paying rent right now), my budget is gonna be tight. Paying about $80 for a sign is probably the most I can do at this point, so I'm glad I know what to look for now!

[Alps]

What I'm planning to do, since I am not a purist and it's just for decoration, is to probably buy a customizable route numbered sign from here, and add the "South" placard from this website. Since I'll be moving in pretty soon (I'm living at home and not paying rent right now), my budget is gonna be tight. Paying about $80 for a sign is probably the most I can do at this point, so I'm glad I know what to look for now!

Oh, you can definitely get cheaper than that for a brand-new shield, I've seen $50. Keep looking around, is my advice.

[bugo]

The Fort Pitt tunnel is cool.  There are lots of cool things in Pittsburgh.  I like visiting there, but I don't think I could live there beause I couldn't handle the traffic.

[Alps]

There are lots of cool things in Pittsburgh.

Primanti Bros. Everything else is optional. (OK, well, the bridges and tunnels.) If I somehow do go to the KC meet, a Primanti stop is mandatory in both directions.

[KEVIN_224]

Greetings PGH! I myself have yet to visit Pittsburgh and that area. I have friends in Gallitzin (near Altoona) and Harvey's Lake (near Wilkes-Barre). On land, I've been as far as the Camp Hill area in Cumberland County (just west of Harrisburg).

I was also at the PIT airport once in 2009, stopped on a Southwest Airlines plane from BWI, heading to Chicago-Midway (MDW). It was the one and only time a plane I was on had to be de-iced. Of course me, being Mister Technical, knew I was in Findlay, Allegheny County but not Pittsburgh itself at the time (but did see a bit of the skyline on the approach).

[pghgal_90]

I was also at the PIT airport once in 2009, stopped on a Southwest Airlines plane from BWI, heading to Chicago-Midway (MDW). It was the one and only time a plane I was on had to be de-iced. Of course me, being Mister Technical, knew I was in Findlay, Allegheny County but not Pittsburgh itself at the time (but did see a bit of the skyline on the approach).

It was quite funny trying to explain to my friend who flew to PIT from Boston why her GPS on her phone wasn't saying Pittsburgh whatsoever. She called me frantically, wondering why it kept saying, "Coraopolis, PA," or worse, "Moon!" There are reasons I love this sign.

[KEVIN_224]

Looking at Findlay on Google Maps, it looks like the airport straddles the Findlay/Moon town line (township boundary?):

http://goo.gl/maps/7xdS1

Is that Business Loop I-376 on the north and east side of the airport? Again, I really don't know that area.

[pghgal_90]

Looking at Findlay on Google Maps, it looks like the airport straddles the Findlay/Moon town line (township boundary?):

http://goo.gl/maps/7xdS1

Is that Business Loop I-376 on the north and east side of the airport? Again, I really don't know that area.

I'm not up that way often, obviously except to go to the airport, but yes, the Moon Business Loop of I-376 is right alongside the airport.

[Zeffy]

Welcome to the board! I haven't been to Pittsburgh personally yet (only Philadelphia), but it's on my list of cities I want to visit. Unfortunately, it's a bit out of my way (living in central New Jersey), but I'm still hoping that either this year or next year I'll be able to trek into Pittsburgh.

[Alps]

It was quite funny trying to explain to my friend who flew to PIT from Boston why her GPS on her phone wasn't saying Pittsburgh whatsoever. She called me frantically, wondering why it kept saying, "Coraopolis, PA," or worse, "Moon!"

That is legitimately hilarious. If I had a friend calling me saying, "MY PHONE SAYS I'M ON THE MOON NOW??", I would so play along with it.

[agentsteel53]

P.S. I contacted Joe/lucky_cat_1958 on eBay, as I am looking for a PA Route 51 or PA Route 28 sign to possibly put in my new apartment. if anybody knows of where I can track one down affordably, please let me know!

Joe.  or me.  whichever.  I've got a few PA cutouts, including a white Turnpike, if you want.

[rickmastfan67]

Welcome to the boards from a fellow Pittsburgher.

[Alps]

P.S. I contacted Joe/lucky_cat_1958 on eBay, as I am looking for a PA Route 51 or PA Route 28 sign to possibly put in my new apartment. if anybody knows of where I can track one down affordably, please let me know!

Joe.  or me.  whichever.  I've got a few PA cutouts, including a white Turnpike, if you want.

"affordably"

[JoePCool14]

Welcome to AARoads! 

[Pete from Boston]

I lived in Pittsburgh for a couple of years and I agree that it's a fascinating place geographically. I feel that navigating the roads of Pittsburgh, particularly without a map, is an outstanding form of mental exercise, like doing the Sunday Times crossword puzzle, or sight-reading an unfamiliar piece of difficult sheet music.

I assume you're already familiar with Bruce Cridlebaugh's absorbing website about the bridges and tunnels (and other geographic features, ancillarily) of Allegheny County: http://pghbridges.com/

First of all, I forgot about Bruce Criddlebaugh's site, which I remember looking up on a Pittsburgh  library computer in 2001 to follow up my sightings, on my first pleasure trip there.

Second, "navigating the roads of Pittsburgh, particularly without a map, is an outstanding form of mental exercise, like doing the Sunday Times crossword puzzle" is an excellent way of putting it, and is a big part of what keeps periodically pulling me back there.  It's a geographical amusement park.

[pghgal_90]

Definitely agree about the crossword puzzle. My dad, who is a traveling salesman, of all people, has no sense of direction. He can tell you where any tiny town in Nowheresville, PA, WV, or NY is, but if I ask him what direction we're facing or what side of one of the three rivers we're on, he can't answer it. I don't get it. 

[Alps]

Any of you Steel City folks (just adding onto the latest thread n'at) up for dinner at Primanti Bros? Sunday, March 16, on my way home from the St. Louis meet, figure sometime around 6-6:30. I can blab about the meet for a half hour or so.