The Pittsburgh Setting
Carnegie
Mellon is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
once the home of much of the United States'
heaviest industry. Over the past half century,
the city has undergone a remarkable transformation.
Once highly polluted, it led the nation in pollution
clean-up and control, well before the creation
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Today, it is a clean, modern city, in a dramatic
natural setting, with a vital central core.
Its economy has successfully negotiated the
transition from heavy industry to high-tech
and service industries.
The
city itself has a population of about 350,000.
The population of the greater metropolitan area
is a bit under two million. Because of its industrial
past, for many years Pittsburgh was the nation's
third largest corporate headquarters city. Mergers
and moves have changed that, but the long-established
wealth of the region provides the underpinnings
for a remarkable diversity of cultural, educational,
medical, and other facilities. The Pittsburgh
Symphony is one of the finest in the world.
There are also excellent resident ballet and
opera companies, and a rich diversity of other
cultural offerings ranging from theater to modern
dance, jazz, and folk arts. The downtown cultural
district houses two large theaters and two smaller
theaters, all excellently equipped. There are
a number of superb museums, a good modern zoo
and aviary, a large arboretum, many fine restaurants,
and similar amenities usually found only in
much larger cities.
Because
of its long industrial past, Pittsburgh offers
a rich mixture of local communities, built up
through successive waves of immigration. These
have retained much of their traditional character
and offer a rich array of ethnic cuisines, folk
arts, and cultural activities. Neighborhoods
such as the Strip District, with its wonderful
wholesale food markets, add interesting variety
not found in many younger U.S. cities. There
are strong professional sports teams in football
(Steelers), baseball (Pirates), and hockey (Penguins).
Two new stadiums are being built.
Although
it is only 300 miles from the Atlantic Ocean,
Pittsburgh is midwestern in its character. People
are friendly, unpretentious, and hardworking.
Drivers are among the most courteous in the
nation. Crime rates are low. Travel from Pittsburgh
is easy. Washington, D.C., New York, Toronto,
and Chicago are all within a day's drive. Pittsburgh's
international airport is a major hub city for
US Airways.
For more information on Pittsburgh, please feel
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