Urban Hike in the Hill District

Did you know that Pittsburgh’s Hill District is a neighborhood rich with fascinating history, green development, and intriguing reuse projects? Terri Baltimore, of the Hill House Association, has led walking tours of the Hill District to scores of people, including visitors from France, Ireland, England, Brazil, and Peru. Now she’ll lead GBA and its friends on a special tour of the neighborhood.
We’ll begin the afternoon gathered on the patio of the Hill House Kaufmann Center where we’ll enjoy beer, wine, cold lemonade, and appetizers while Terri offers an overview of the community and some of its green and historical highlights. Then we’ll embark on the walking tour. In an effort to see a variety of neighborhood highlights along an easily walkable route, we’ve identified the following locations as our stopping points. But there is so much more to see! So we’ll also hand out a list of additional stops that Terri recommends you check out in your own time, in addition to those we’ll be hitting on the tour!

• Hill House Kaufmann Center – Hill House Association is “the heart of the hill” and offers integrated community services including family and workforce development, senior services and neighborhood engagement. The Kaufmann Center was renovated in 2010 and achieved LEED Silver certification. This rehab restored the majestic stairs leading the wooden doors. Additional enhancements – including a new stage, lighting, sound system and elevator – made the Elsie H. Hillman Auditorium a destination for performances, lectures, and other events (like GBA’s Inspire Speakers Series!).

• Wylie Avenue Carnegie Library – This is one of six free libraries that were established with Andrew Carnegie’s original donation to the City of Pittsburgh. Carnegie saw libraries as “vital, non-luxury assets to be supported by public dollars.” While the Wylie Avenue location is no longer used as a library – it’s now a Mosque – “Free To The People” is still carved above the entrance.
• Crawford Grill – Imagine meeting up with friends at the famous Crawford Grill and hearing jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, and John Coltrane. This local club was once known across the country as a destination for great music. While it closed more than 10 years ago, jazz enthusiasts and community members are hoping to see it resurrected.
• August Wilson House – August Wilson’s childhood home is a project of the Daisy Wilson Artist Community, a non-profit organization. Their purpose is to foster and promote greater appreciation for and understanding of African-American literature, the performing arts and the literary, artistic and professional legacy of August Wilson by transforming the August Wilson House, at 1727 Bedford Avenue, into a world-renowned artist residency and studio space.

** Space is limited for this event, so be sure to sign up early! Children are welcome to join their parents on this tour (but remember it’s a walking tour!).

GBA Member$20

GBA Non-Member$30

Student / EP$10

Individual Membership + Event Fee (member rate)$95