Liberty Ave, Strip district

Liberty avenue may be one of the most famous streets in the city, because of the television show Queer as Folk, however, that was Toronto and this is Pittsburgh. Liberty starts downtown and is, as described in the tv show, one of the largest hubs of the city’s gay nightclub scene. However, the neighborhood is much grittier and “real” than it is on tv. There are some beautiful conversion lofts on this part of the street that are convenient to these bars, art galleries, a great arthouse cinema, Point State Park and all of the downtown commercial and business districts. This part, however, is also very urban, noisy and less safe than other parts of the city (although by no means unsafe). If you like city living, this is a real urban experience. Moving out of downtown, Liberty passes through the Strip District, which is an open-air market and nightclub district. Although the Strip is one of the most popular neighborhoods for locals and tourists alike, Liberty basically passes by it and becomes a major artery in this area. I am not aware of any residences along it, but it does conveniently connect those living and working downtown with the Lawrenceville and Bloomfield neighborhoods. In these two neighborhoods, Liberty really shines. Lawrenceville was a working-class area that was mainly Polish and Italian, however, it is becoming part of a gentrified design zone with beautiful row houses, fixer-uppers and a wide variety of restaurants, bars and design shops. Most of the action there is not on Liberty, but I would recommend the Church Brew Works, a microbrewery in a converted church. In Bloomfield, Pittsburgh’s little Italy, Liberty becomes a dense commercial district with lots to do and see. Throughout its length, it is busy, so it is better, in my opinion, to live off of it than directly on it. However, Liberty offers something for everyone.