EAST LIBERTY
#3 Most Diverse Neighborhoods in Pittsburgh
#10 Best Neighborhoods for Young Professionals in Pittsburgh
In the 18th and 19th centuries, East Liberty was a remote, leafy hamlet favored by Pittsburgh’s wealthiest residents. In the first half of the 20th, it was a thriving commercial district where diverse Pittsburghers worked, shopped, and lived. Urban development decisions that were on-trend in the 1950s and 1960s destroyed the neighborhood’s commercial base and dislocated hundreds of families. Subsidized housing towers stood in for sustainable investment through the century’s end. Fast forward to the 2020s: the towers are gone, and a new, high-end commercial district has been born. This development has not been without controversy. Posh new apartment complexes continue to spring up here and in adjacent Shadyside while soaring housing costs have priced out many long-time residents.
Cultural offerings include the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a community performing arts center rooted in the uplift of people of color and LGBTQ people. The East Liberty Presbyterian Church, the landmarked Gothic cathedral that has ministered to the community for 200 years, also hosts a range of gatherings and performances by local groups, including the Bach Choir, the annual Racial Justice Summit, and the iconoclastic Quantum Theatre company.
Median Home Value
$280,119
Population
5,739
Area Feel
Old-School Urban
Must Go Places in East Liberty
Square café is a fantastic and cheerful meeting place that serves seasonal menu items with fresh local products. Margot offers specialty coffee, shareable plates, signature desserts, and cocktails. On the other side, Paris 66 is an intimate French bistro that serves everyday French cuisine. If you like happy hour with history, Kelly’s Bar is a small iconic bar that has been here since 1947 and offers hearty bar bites, ales & an extensive cocktail list in a hip hub with a patio & happy-hour specials, while Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen, is a cute little spot for fulfilling all of your Vietnamese pho, noodle, and rice dish needs.
If you are visiting the city or looking for a patio to enjoy the city, Indigo Hotel is a beautifully restored boutique hotel with a bar, patio, and a bright restaurant. Bakery Square is an open-air shopping and office development, a vibrant space to make friends and connect.