A Weekend Around Pittsburgh by Bus | Student Perspectives

A Pitt student's guide to seeing the best of the city by bus

As a student at the University of Pittsburgh, you learn very quickly the best way to get around the vast city. While you may have a car with you at school (and if you do, I am envious), Pittsburgh is a tricky place to drive around, and parking is not always abundant. While walking to all the different boroughs might sound good to the avid step-counter, you may notice fairly quickly that it is definitely not your best move for getting around.

Pictured |
Photo Credit: @kayceeorwigphotography on Instagram
Photo Credit: @designjlpd on Insta

Taking the Pittsburgh city buses is the best way to really get around the city as a student, and if you are lucky to be a student of Pitt like me, the school provides students with a free bus pass. And even luckier, I am going to share with you all the buses to take to have an amazing weekend around the steel city!

Friday Night at The Waterfront

So, it’s a Friday night and you’re looking for a cool place to walk around, shop and get away from your dorm in Oakland. I would recommend taking the 57 bus for a straight shot to get to The Waterfront! I love it for a ton of reasons - there is an AMC so you can catch the newest movies, and an amazing Hibachi place called Yokoso Japanese Steak House. Hibachi is a plan on its own, in my book!

Photo Credit: Christina Shields

There is an Ulta if you miss shopping in person, a Barnes and Noble if you love to read like me, and a Costco so you can bring some groceries back home with you! With a bus schedule that takes you right there, this is such a fun place to hang out after you have finished class for the week.

Saturdays are made for Shadyside

The first thing I want to do when I wake up on a Saturday is head to Shadyside, specifically Café Moulin on Walnut Street for the best breakfast food in the area (except for Pamela’s of course, but you can get there with just a few steps from your dorm)!

Brunch at Cafe Moulin

To get over to Walnut Street, you would look out for busses 71 D or B, and then there is just a quick walk to Walnut after you hop off the bus. After you have had your fill of French pastries, you can explore the street more and discover some of my favorite spots, like Kards Unlimited or Apricot Lane Boutique, both of which are really cute small businesses.

There is a lot to uncover in Shadyside, and you might find your entire day overtaken with admiring the cool houses and shopping at the incredibly great small businesses.

Squirrel Hill Sundays

Finally, it is Sunday! For Sunday, I am going to recommend something more relaxed. I would head over to Squirrel Hill at around 2. You can catch the 61 D or C to get over there in about 15 minutes.

There are a lot of really fun things to do in Squirrel Hill, like go thrifting at Avalon Exchange or catching a movie at the small theater The Manor. There are excellent Asian cuisines as well, especially Tan Lac Vien Bistro which has my favorite pho in the city.

The Manor Theatre in Squirrel Hill. Photo Credit: Walnut Capital

Bus over to Squirrel Hill for some good deals on fall clothes, some amazing Vietnamese food, and support a small movie theater for a peaceful, enjoyable Sunday afternoon. When it’s finally time to head back to your dorm and finish any homework you may have left, just hop back on the 61 D or C going in the opposite direction, and you will be back in time for market dinner!

There is so much to explore in Pittsburgh, and the university supports the students tremendously by providing us with bus passes through our student cards. If you take advantage of all that the city has to offer, you are surely going to have an eventful and exciting semester!

Apps and Helpful Links for Students

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Avery M.

Author

Avery M.

Student, University of Pittsburgh

Avery Moore is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh studying finance and creative writing. She is originally from New Jersey, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching TV, and exploring the different cities she resides in.

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