City Cast Pittsburgh

If you can’t bring yourself to watch the actual Super Bowl this weekend (pour one out for the Steelers!), you can at least catch some four-legged Pittsburghers in another big game. The mayoral race is looking tight — at least when it comes to fundraising. And there’s some good news from the state legislature for Pennsylvanians with food allergies. Plus, the City Cast Pittsburgh team got a special...

National Pizza Day is coming up on Sunday — the same day as the Super Bowl! To celebrate, we’re resharing our conversation with Dan Tallarico, Pittsburgh’s premiere pizza journalist. He’s telling us all about his favorite local spots, recommendations for specialty slices, and places worth a drive. Plus, where to get vegan pizza, classic cheese, thin or thick crusts, and even his pick for the best...

On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, just an hour from Pittsburgh. Officials initially said air and water were safe, but residents reported lots of mysterious symptoms — and they continue to worry about the long-term health effects of the vent and burn of a million pounds of toxic vinyl chloride. Julie Grant, environment and e...

Everything is so expensive right now! It feels like you need to sell a kidney to buy a dozen eggs, and with President Trump threatening tariffs on major countries, prices could climb on everything from cell phones to tequila. If you’re looking for ways to save money without completely withdrawing from the world, you’re in luck — there are so many ways to get discounts at Pittsburgh’s cultural inst...

It’s been a hectic couple weeks since inauguration. President Donald Trump has issued slews of executive orders, many of them targeting our most vulnerable communities. If you’re looking for ways to support your neighbors or need support yourself, City Cast Pittsburgh contributor and socially conscious journalist Natalie Bencivenga is joining us to share ideas about where to plug in. Have another...

We’re celebrating Groundhog Day with a bonus episode! January included some below freezing temps, so the City Cast Pittsburgh team is hoping for an early spring. To honor the most famous rodent in the Commonwealth, we’re bringing back producer Sophia Lo’s dive into Punsutawney Phil lore.  Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news?  Sign up for our...

A toilet exploded in the City-County Building — and it might be a warning sign about other city-owned property. The Republican race for mayor is heating up for the first time in decades and we’re giving you the need-to-knows from an 11-hour planning meeting that will shape how Pittsburghers buy and rent their spaces. Plus, Mayor Ed Gainey joins us to explain exactly who’s been holding up progress...

Love is in the air and everyone’s going wild about a local groundhog — it’s (almost) February in Pittsburgh! There’s so much to celebrate in our city, from Valentine’s Day to Black History Month to three different soup competitions. We’re sharing our favorite ways to experience Pittsburgh this month, whether you’re looking to make your own fancy valentine or just sit back and enjoy some short film...

It’s the first day of the Lunar New Year! To ring in the year of the snake, Producer Sophia Lo and food blogger @sopheating are sharing their go-to spots for noodles, dumplings, and more. Plus, they’re dishing about the limited-time Lunar New Year menus and events you can’t miss.  Learn more about the sponsors of this January 29th episode: The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens Pittsburgh Opera...

It’s trash day on City Cast Pittsburgh! Starting this year, you can get fined if you don’t follow the city’s trash and recycling rules, so we’re reviewing the basics and explaining what’s new. Plus, we’re sharing where you can take hard-to-recycle items like batteries and old phones and walking through some of the more surprising items you can donate. (Did you know you can bring your old glasses t...

Recreational cannabis is now legal to purchase in nearly all of our neighboring states. Can 2025 be the year that Pennsylvania decides to fully legalize as well? We’re turning to SpotlightPA reporters Ed Mahon and Stephen Caruso to figure out the political climate, the potential hurdles, and exactly how cannabis sales could even work. Like, would it mirror Pennsylvania's centralized alcohol sales?...

Pittsburgh leaders have tried (and mostly failed) to get big nonprofits like Highmark and UPMC to pay their “fair share” to the city. Now it looks like the issue may be front and center as the mayoral race heats up. Executive producer Mallory Falk and producer Sophia Lo are joined by Axios Pittsburgh’s Ryan Deto to explain why. Plus, they’re talking about a new study that says Pittsburgh has the m...

If you need a pick-me-up on a dreary and windy day, the solution could be a visit to one of Pittsburgh’s tea shops. The choices can be overwhelming when you’re looking at a long list, but luckily, we found a local seller with a quiz to match you to your perfect brew. Plus, we’ve got plenty of new restaurants opening up all around town — and one fried chicken chain bringing the Steelers abroad.  We...

We love celebrating our own here in this city, and we’re quick to claim our hometown heroes when they make an appearance on a bigger stage. Now there’s a new nonprofit creating Pittsburgh’s very own Walk of Fame, so visitors can learn more about homegrown stars who’ve made an impact nationally. They’re asking for nominations through the end of the month. Nancy Polinsky Johnson, the project’s found...

It’s freezing outside! As we’ve been watching the snow fall and trekking through the slush, we’ve been wondering how often our region actually deals with this kind of winter weather and when it’s genuinely been bad enough to break records or shut down the city. We’re digging into the worst snowstorms and cold snaps in Pittsburgh history – and how we even started measuring this data in the first pl...

The local law firm Pond Lehocky replaced the enormous IC Light billboard on Mt. Washington, the grocery chain Wegmans finally confirmed they’re coming to Pittsburgh (and as a new neighbor to Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle), and the Steelers’ season is done sooner than we hoped. Plus, there’s been another unusual hockey heist — this time targeting Penguins center Evgeni Malkin — more developing U.S....

Are there folks in your friend circle tying the knot quickly here in Pittsburgh? Ahead of the incoming presidential administration and threats to queer rights, we sat down with the CEO and founder of Burgh Brides, Victoria Deardorff, for her expert tips and tricks for pulling off a beautiful last-minute wedding, elopement, or casual day-of affair. Tune in for practical advice and a little Pittsbur...

Pittsburgh needs thousands of new homes to meet demand, and there’s a lot of local politicking behind potential solutions. One idea? Inclusionary zoning, which either incentivizes or mandates that a percentage of units in new housing projects be priced affordably for lower income households. A handful of neighborhoods in Pittsburgh have already tried it, including over in Lawrenceville, where resi...

There’s a lot of debate about how to make Pittsburgh a livable city for everyone and ensure that longtime residents of a neighborhood aren’t pushed out by rising home prices. Host Megan Harris is with TribLive reporter Julia Burdelski to talk about the two bills in front of City Council that aim to create more affordable housing and how these very different visions could impact our city’s approach...

It’s been six months since the Highland Detention at Shuman Center reopened, with a new name and new, private, nonprofit management under Adelphoi, headquartered in Latrobe. Shuman was shut down in 2021 for “gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct.” While most of the facility is still being renovated, one pod is open with room for 12 children who’ve been charged with a crime.  We’re talking...

It’s our first Friday news roundup of the new year, and we’re catching up on a bunch of stories, from detention and deportation to the governor’s sports tickets to higher turnpike tolls. Plus, we’ve got the latest on the PA Farm Show butter sculpture, an important “I Voted” sticker contest, and ways to watch Pittsburgh on TV while you’re staying in and staying warm. Notes and references from today...

The end of every calendar year brings with it dozens of best-of lists, and our favorite ones to scroll through are all about the food. City Cast’s Megan Harris, Sophia Lo, and Francesca Dabecco are sharing their top picks from the best of 2024 lists released by blogs, reservation sites, and more local news outlets to help you figure out where to eat out in 2025.  Can’t keep up with all the restaur...

If you’ve read the news lately, it feels like Downtown Pittsburgh keeps winning the lottery. There’s a $600 million plan to revitalize and transform the Golden Triangle, with tons of money going toward places like Point State Park and Market Square. But the investment isn’t so obvious along Smithfield Street — once the destination Downtown, now filled with vacant storefronts. Local journalists Ada...

President Joe Biden made good on his promise and blocked the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel, and now both companies are suing the federal government, a Cleveland-based steel rival, and the head of the United Steelworkers union. So what happens now? Can U.S. Steel leave Pittsburgh? Is Nippon, based in Japan, really a threat to our national security? And what does all this say about Pittsburgh’s...

The new year kicked off with a nice, bright snowfall. While it can be tempting to bundle up and hunker down when it’s chilly outside, there are lots of great outdoor winter activities in our region, from sledding to skiing to snow tubing. The team is sharing our tips and tricks for having the perfect snow day in Pittsburgh — plus a few hacks for dealing with the wintery weather. Wondering who’s in...