A guide to Pittsburgh: Check out what Squirrel Hill has to offer
Squirrel Hill is lovingly known as “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
It’s the area of Pittsburgh where television icon Fred Rogers not only lived, but nurtured.
“There is a cohesiveness of the neighborhood,” said Helen Wilson, vice president of the Squirrel Hill Historical Society. “There is a network of support. People care here.”
Encompassing nearly four square miles and more than 26,000 residents, Squirrel Hill is the largest of the 90 neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Wilson said.
Its rich Jewish foundation includes several synagogues and kosher dining establishments.
The first inhabitants of Squirrel Hill were Native Americans, according to the historical society. They used the hill as a hunting ground. Squirrels were numerous. The Native Americans are said to have given the name “Squirrel Hill” to the hill.
“When I look at the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, I see so many layers,” Wilson said. “There is so much diversity here. It is such a vibrant area. It’s such a cool neighborhood.”
Gone are Eat’n Park, Pamela’s the Squirrel Hill Theater, Forward Lanes, Heads Together, Rosenblum’s, Silberberg’s, Waldorf’s, Rosen Drug, Poli’s … the list goes on.
Most people are familiar with Squirrel Hill’s Murray Avenue, Forbes Avenue and Shady Avenue. It also includes part of Frick Park and Schenley Park, where one of the Pittsburgh’s oldest dwellings is located – the Neill Log House.
Uncover Squirrel Hill, an organization that helps area businesses network, hosts an annual Wine Walk in May around Mother’s Day, as well as several Night Markets throughout the year.
“Whenever we have an event, it is highly attended because the people in this neighborhood embrace what we are doing,” said Robyn Crawley, Uncover Squirrel Hill membership and event coordinator. “There are so many wonderful businesses – too many to count.”
The area certainly has a lot to offer, agreed Mardi Isler, president of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition.
“I am a ‘buy local’ person,” Isler said. “If I can buy it in my neighborhood, I will. I wasn’t born here, but I will die with my boots on in this neighborhood — I love it that much.”
The Tribune-Review visited recently. Here are just some of the places and businesses that make up the neighborhood.
Landmarks
Tree of Life: (5898 Wilkins Ave.) Tree of Life was founded in 1864, and Or L’Simcha in 2005. In 2010, the congregations merged to form Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha.
As a conservative Jewish congregation, Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha “remains true to traditional teachings, yet is also progressive and relevant to the way we live today,” according to its website. Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers has been the spiritual leader of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha since August 2017. (Tree of Life Congregation currently is gathering at the Rodef Shalom building in Shadyside.)
The Manor Theater: (1729 Murray Ave.) The theater will celebrate 100 years in May. Owner Rick Stern reopened the theater last April after a closure because of the pandemic. It has Sony 4K digital projectors, a bar and lounge area for guests.
Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh: (5738 Forbes Ave.) A member of the Jewish Community Center Association of North America, is one of the largest social service, recreational and educational organizations in the region.
For more than 125 years, the JCC has provided child care, school programs, camps, senior adult activities, fitness and wellness programs, special needs services and arts and cultural activities. It has fitness and wellness facilities as well as other studios, classrooms and meeting areas.
Neill Log House: Located in Schenley Park, it’s the oldest existing domestic structure in Pittsburgh, according to the historical society, and one of the last few buildings left from the 18th century. It is owned by the City of Pittsburgh and was designated a City Historic Landmark in 1977. There is a movement to restore and preserve it. It is believed to have been built by Ambrose Newton, a soldier at Fort Pitt, who laid claim to 262 acres in what is now Schenley Park. It is known as the “Neill Log House” after the family who lived in it from about 1774 to 1795.
Bob O’Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park: In 1897, a nine-hole course was laid out in Schenley Park. It was constructed into an 18-hole course in 1903. The 4,620-yard par 67 golf course was named The Bob O’Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park in honor of the former Pittsburgh mayor who helped create First Tee of Pittsburgh, an organization that introduces the game to young people.
Pittsburgh Allderdice: (2409 Shady Ave.) The neighborhood high school has an engineering magnet program and college preparatory classes. Approximately 1,500 students attend the school. There are interscholastic, intramural, and co-curricular clubs.
Stores
Ten Thousand Villages: (5820 Forbes Ave. ) It’s a fair trade retailer of artisan-crafted home decor, personal accessories and gift items from across the globe. The store features products from more than 130 artisan groups in some 38 countries and is part of a network of more than 390 retail outlets throughout the U.S.
Jerry’s Records: (2136 Murray Ave.) Jerry “Vinylman” Weber, who started Jerry’s Records, died on Jan. 28. He retired from the store in 2017, with 450,000 albums in a warehouse and 20,000 in his personal collection. Weber owned various iterations of Jerry’s Records, which he opened in Squirrel Hill in 1993. He sold the business to employee Chris Grauzer. Music covers all genres, from rock to folk.
Littles Shoes: (5850 Forbes Ave.) Littles Shoes first opened its doors in 1932. Co-owners of the store, Justin Sigal and his father, Joel Sigal, know footwear. The store sells dozens of different brands from UGG to New Balance to Birkenstock.
S.W. Randall Toyes and Giftes: (5856 Forbes Ave.) Established in 1970, it’s Pittsburgh’s oldest and largest specialty toy store, according to its website. It carries thousands of items, from Legos to Pokemon to games and puzzles, action figures and trains.
Global Market Retail: (2016 Murray Ave.) Each piece here is hand-picked from travels all over the world.
William Penn Jewelers & Watchmakers: (1837 Murray Ave.) The store was closed for a short time after the death of its owner and master jeweler Yefim Shimenko in 2018. It’s been a Squirrel Hill staple for more than 40 years and recently was refurbished in 2019.
Amazing Books: (5858 Forbes Ave.) A new location opened nearly a year ago. It’s twice as big as the old store and has more than 20,000 books and 4,000 records.
Squirrel Hill Flower Shop: (1718 Murray Ave.) It’s one of the longest-running businesses in Squirrel Hill and offers professionally hand-arranged flower arrangements and gifts. They deliver and collaborate with a network of florists nationwide. The shop also has an assortment of plants and gift baskets.
Riverstone Books: (5825 Forbes Ave.) Riverstone last summer bought Classic Lines bookstore, which operated in the space since 2014, and continues to offer a selection of literary and popular fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books. The store also sells greeting cards, children’s puzzles, educational games and literary stuffed animals.
Pittsburgh Honey: (2327 Murray Ave.) A sweet retail spot for a family owned honey farm. There is a variety of honey along with beeswax, lotion and lip balms.
Sassy Ash Cigars: (5835 Forward Ave.) Owner Melissa Simmons has been in business for more than five years. “We are Pittsburgh’s newest female owned and operated cigar lounge,” she says on her website.
Food & drink
61c Café: (1839 Murray Ave.) Kate Knorr and Gary Kaboly opened the shop as a place for a quality cup of coffee and a friendly place to enjoy it. The establishment serves homemade pastries to complement the brew.
Murray Avenue Grill: (1720 Murray Ave.) Described as casual comfort food, the restaurant has salads, wraps and gourmet burgers, shrimp and steak. The kitchen is open seven nights a week.
Gaby et Jules: (5837 Forbes Ave.) A specialty, high-end patisserie shop.
Squirrel Hill Café: (5802 Forbes Ave.) Anthony Bourdain interviewed novelist Stewart O’Nan in 2017 for CNN’s “Parts Unknown” at the Squirrel Hill Café, which is known as the “Squirrel Cage.” Serving salads, sandwiches and wings, along with a full bar, the Cage is a local institution. Its essence has been chronicled in a recent book, “The Red Door: An Historical Memoir of the Squirrel Hill Café,” by longtime bartender Jan Cavrak.
Silk Elephant: (1712 Murray Ave.) Thai food and a wine bar.
Waffallonia: (1709 Murray Ave.) Wake up to Belgium Liège sugar waffles.
Mineo’s Pizza House: (2128 Murray Ave.) Giovanni Mineo Sr. came to America in 1955 from a small town in Sicily. He found an empty storefront on Murray Avenue for rent in 1958. Three generations continue the tradition of making dough from scratch and sauce out of Italian tomatoes. Signature cheeses are hand-grated daily. The pizza shop added a bar in 2014.
“When I think of Squirrel Hill, I think of what a great neighborhood it is,” said Giovanni Mineo Jr., co-owner of Mineo’s. “We’ve seen a lot of changes. There are a lot of college students and restaurants geared toward college students. There were a lot of Jewish bakeries and kosher delis. You have to accommodate the changes in the community.”
Aiello’s Pizza (2112 Murray Ave.) Joe Aiello, an Italian immigrant, started Aiello’s Pizza in 1978. He often worked the lunch counter and could remember several orders at a time without writing anything down. Specialty pizza options include pierogi and barbecue.
Napoli Pizzeria: (2006 Murray Ave.) Serving Squirrel Hill since 1973, the shop serves gourmet pizza such as fried chicken bacon ranch and meat lovers, pasta dinners and what the shop calls “almost famous” hoagies.
Pastoli’s Pizza: (1900 Murray Ave.) There’s pizza by the slice as well as traditional round, Sicilian and vegan pies. They also serve spaghetti dinners, hoagies, wings and beer. The menu is divided into two sections to reflect the kitchen — allergen-friendly and non-allergen friendly.
Pizza Bellino: (5839 Forbes Ave.) The menu includes gourmet pizzas, white and regular pizzas, salads, sandwiches, wings, gyros, calzones, wedgies, soups, pasta, appetizers and desserts. Regular and whole wheat crust dough and buns are available.
Independent Brewing / Hidden Harbor: (1704-1706 Shady Ave.) A tavern and restaurant that serves beer from independently-owned breweries opened in 2014. Hidden Harbor is a cocktail bar.
Dobra Tea: (1937 Murray Ave.) A Bohemian-style tearoom that serves the drink in traditional vessels from the country of origin or in handmade pottery of traditional style.
Everyday Noodles: (5875 Forbes Ave.) Meals come with a show here – tables are positioned so diners can watch the cook create authentic Chinese cuisine.
Pigeon Bagels: (5613 Hobart St.) The kosher shop sells made-by-hand bagels such as plain, sesame seed, poppy seed, garlic and everything.
New Dumpling & Sushi House: (2138 Murray Ave.) A Chinese and Japanese restaurant offering meals such as chicken with cashew nuts, sweet and sour shrimp and vegetable tempura.
Lucha Street Tacos: (2130 Murray Ave.) Every day is Taco Tuesday. One of the newer businesses, the shop has been selling tacos, burritos, quesadillas and street food since April 2021. There are monthly specials such as the flaming luchador with has slaw, ghost pepper sauce, chipotle peppers, crispy jalapenos and cheese.
Prantl’s Bakery: (5824 Forbes Ave.) New to Squirrel Hill in 2021, the bakery is known for its burnt almond torte. It’s a sweet yellow cake with custard between the layers, topped with buttercream and toasted almonds.
Pink Box Bakery Café: (2104 Murray Ave.) A bakery serving Taiwanese desserts including buns, breads and cakes.
Murray Avenue Kosher: (1916 Murray Ave.) A grocery store with a full-service butcher. The deli offers fresh daily cooked food made with kosher ingredients. The store also provides catering.
Sumi’s Cakery: (2119 Murray Ave.) Items such as green grape cake and pie dough soup are on the menu.
African Cuisine: (2030-2032 Murray Ave.) Serves traditional Nigerian and West African dishes such as goat pepper soup, yam porridge and bitter leaf stew.
Turkish Kebab House: (5819 Forbes Ave.) Features authentic Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine. There are vegan and vegetarian options.
Sichuan Gourmet: (1900 Murray Ave. ) Since opening in April 2011, Sichuan Gourmet (previously named as Chinastar) sells authentic Sichuan cuisine, a style of Chinese cuisine originating in the Sichuan Province of southwestern China.
Gluuteny Bakery: (1923 Murray Ave.) Founded in 2007, everything is made in-house, from scratch at this gluten-free, dairy-free bakery.
Med Grill: (5835 Forbes Ave.) A family-owned business established in 1992 known for authentic, homemade Lebanese dishes.
Ramen Bar: (5860 Forbes Ave.) It’s not just about the noodles at this Japanese restaurant. It’s also about the broth. The soups are simmered for more than 8 hours. Bowls can be customized with more than 25 toppings to choose from.
Chengdu Gourmet: (5840 Forward Ave.) Chef Wei Zhu has been nationally recognized for his Sichuan cooking.
KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery: (5846 Forbes Ave.) – Eatery brings the cuisine of Lao and Thai style food together in such dishes as boat noodle soup and tofu salad.
Interesting places
Sunburst School of Music: (5843 Forbes Ave.) The school helps children and adults get started with music. Lessons, both in-person and online, include guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, ukulele and music production as well as group programs and performance opportunities.
I Am Yoga: (1701 Murray Ave.) Classes are from beginner to those that steadily work deeper into the postures while mastering a person’s breathing. Students can build flexibility and strength.
Vivi Pilates: (5865 Forbes Ave.) Founded in 2018 by Viviana Romanazzi, the classical pilates studio offers private sessions and small group classes. Virtual instruction is available.
Games Unlimited: (5876 Forbes Ave.) In 1979, three friends collaborated together and started selling games not yet popular such as Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, Pictionary and Rubik’s Cubes. The store also sells puzzles, has a demo library where customers can borrow new and current games to try and a trade-in program for games people don’t play anymore.
The Refillery x The Local: (1931 Murray Ave.) The woman-owned business was founded in April 2021. Bring or buy an empty container and refill it with personal care and home essentials.
Related:
• A guide to Lawrenceville
• A guide to Shadyside
• A guide to Oakland
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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