City Cast Pittsburgh

Immigrants make up an outsized share of Pittsburgh's entrepreneurial community, but a surge in ICE arrests is hurting immigrant-owned businesses on both sides of the counter. Alice Crow, lead Pittsburgh reporter at Technical.ly, joins executive producer Mallory Falk to explain how fear of deportation is keeping customers and employees at home and discouraging foreign-born residents from starting n...

You might have a few pots of herbs and flowers in your backyard, but what if you want to dream bigger? Maybe you're thinking of raising some chickens and building a coop, or you've decided this is the year to install an in-ground pool and buy that sauna from Costco. But before you make a trip to Home Depot, we're here to help you review Pittsburgh's rules for how many animals you can keep, what yo...

We threw out a challenge to City Cast Pittsburgh contributor and Post-Gazette dining critic Hal B. Klein: Where can you get a meal in Pittsburgh after midnight? He joins host Megan Harris to round up over 20 delicious spots and what to order. Plus, Hal shares how immigrants are behind the latest resurgence in Pittsburgh's last-night dining scene. City Cast Pittsburgh is also celebrating our 1,000t...

Homelessness is one of the major issues that cities like Pittsburgh are trying to solve. The state of Utah is planning to build a 16-acre homeless campus on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, where unhoused people with mental illnesses or addiction issues could be sheltered and in some cases involuntarily committed. This controversial idea is the brainchild of conservative think tanks, and it’s one...

Antisemitic and racist messages have been broadcast over a police radio channel — along with death threats against Mayor Corey O'Connor — but we don't know who's behind them. Host Megan Megan Harris and executive producer Mallory Falk are with City Cast contributor and TribLive reporter Colin Williams to share what we know about the investigation so far. They also dig into the mailbox and answer y...

After more than 30 years in Millvale, the beloved French baker Jean-Marc Chatellier closed up shop. While Pittsburgh's sad to see him go, City Cast's Sophia Lo and Francesca Dabecco have some more suggestions for where to get delicious French pastries in the Burgh. They're also talking about Downtown's buzzing coffee scene, Senza Wine Bar's reopening, the neighborhood market that's taking over an...

Pittsburgh’s short-term rental market — think Airbnb, VRBO, and others — is surging leading up to the NFL Draft, just as City Council considers new regulations around these spaces. Host Megan Harris is with Public Source's managing editor, Rich Lord, to talk about whether we'll see these short-term rentals stick around after the Draft. Plus, Rich explains why Council's thinking about regulations n...

Why are there so many potholes on the streets this time of the year, and what does it take to fill them? What should you do if there's a particularly awful one outside your house? We're revisiting a conversation where host Megan Harris brought all your nebby questions to Bill Crean, deputy director for the city's Department of Public Works. Bill shares the worst neighborhoods for potholes, the wei...

Pittsburgh loves to go all out for St. Patrick's Day, but there's so much to explore this month beyond the big parade and beer crawls. Think theatrical performances about thumb wars and tradwives, the city's hottest seed swap, and self-guided tour of our region's many maple camps. And if you need help deciding which fish fry to drop by during Lent, check out our guide to fish fry season. If you're...

With the NFL Draft coming up in April, Pittsburgh is getting creative with downtown revitalization efforts. To solve the problem of vacant properties and empty storefronts, the city is trying out a new rent abatement program. So, City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris about why their downtown emptied out, whether this program will bring new businesses downtown...

The Pittsburgh Public Schools board is discussing school closures…again. Executive producer Mallory Falk and producer Sophia Lo are with City Cast contributor and TribLive reporter Colin Williams to talk about whether the district will finally make a decision. Plus, they explain why Pine-Richland might reserve its controversial school library policy, and what that says about larger book ban effort...

Tech giants are rushing to build data centers — facilities to house their servers — and Pennsylvania is a mostly willing partner. But is Gov. Josh Shapiro (or our very divided) legislature) waffling on that support? Spotlight PA's Kate Huangpu joins City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri to talk about lawmakers' evolving views on data centers and whether we should be giving them tax breaks. Want to lea...

Rivers Casino is a destination — usually for slots, table games, and events. But City Cast contributor and dining critic Hal B. Klein argues it’s also for food. He’s with host Megan Harris talking about a months-long challenge to eat at all the casino's restaurants for the Post-Gazette, and he’s sharing what each of them is best at, from legitimately great burgers and broccolini to confusingly ter...

We're officially halfway through Season 2 of "The Pitt," HBO Max's breakout medical drama, and the Pittsburgh references and Easter eggs keep on coming. (Some are more questionable than others. A date-worthy art gallery at 40th and Butler? Sir, this is a Wendy's.) City Cast's Megan Harris, Mallory Falk, and Sophia Lo are sharing what we love so far, where the show falls short, and where we think t...

It feels like ICE agents are everywhere, conducting “snatch and grabs” off the street, raiding small businesses like restaurants, and intercepting people at their jobs, schools, and court proceedings. Host Megan Harris is with the founder of Frontline Dignity, Jaime Martinez, to talk about what’s going on in Pittsburgh right now, what happens when someone is taken, and their odds of coming home. M...

Everyone’s talking about AI these days, including Pittsburghers. And now, more data centers are popping up across the country, thanks in part to the AI revolution. But some cities are stemming the tide, including Madison, Wisconsin, who recently passed a one-year moratorium on new data center construction. City Cast CEO David Plotz feels strongly that this was the wrong choice! He’s sitting down w...

Will this be the year Pennsylvania legalizes recreational cannabis? City Cast's Megan Harris and Sophia Lo are with contributor and TribLive reporter Colin Williams to talk about why the commonwealth is so far behind its neighbors and what local lawmakers can realistically do about it. There’s good and bad news at the airport, more “snatch and grabs” by ICE, and new events for the NFL Draft. And w...

Here in Pittsburgh, we have so many wonderful museums and cultural institutions. The Heinz History Center and Children's Museum of Pittsburgh even topped the lists for best history museum and best children's museum for USA Today! To help you see all these exhibits, performances, and even sports games, we're revisiting an episode where producer Sophia Lo and executive producer Mallory Falk rounded...

Allegheny County Council is considering a bill to prohibit county employees from working with ICE agents, including the sheriff’s department and district attorney’s office. It’s not clear whether council has the authority to enforce those rules, but county executive Sara Innamorato says not only will she sign the bill, but that it’s worth a potential lawsuit to try and protect our immigrant neighb...

Fish fry season kicks off this week! Whether or not you observe Lent, it's one of the most social and delicious times of year in Pittsburgh. With so many fish fries to choose from all around town — in church basements, fire halls, and community spaces — how do you decide where to go? And how can you ensure you have the optimal fish fry experience? Axios Pittsburgh's Ryan Deto helped put together a...

All eyes have been on the Twin Cities lately, including Pittsburghers’. Operation Metro Surge is reportedly ending in Minnesota, with the withdrawal of immigration agents expected over the next week. Over the last two months, though, residents of the Twin Cities have organized a range of local collective action efforts including protests, mutual aid, and monitoring ICE — and they’ve done it quickl...

It’s Friday the 13th! And it’s not clear what that portends for Pittsburgh. Fear about increased ICE activity is creeping into everything from county government to the governor’s race. City Cast’s Mallory Falk and Megan Harris are with contributor Colin Williams talking about what we know, plus how the agency is quietly leasing new space all over the commonwealth. Stick around for street trees, PG...

Need a last-minute Valentine's Day gift or just want to show yourself some love? A spa day is a great way to cure the blues that come with Pittsburgh's gray skies. The City Cast Pittsburgh team is rounding up some of the treatments we've tried around the city and planning our next self-care splurges. We're talking about mud wraps, massages, saunas, facials, LED red light therapy, and more.  Did we...

Valentine's Day is coming up this weekend! We're all about celebrating all forms of love — and stocking up on discount drugstore chocolate the day after — but we also can't resist a little gossip about a bad date. We're revisiting a conversation where we asked YOU, our listeners, to share your most horrific dating stories. Producer Sophia Lo is running through the juiciest ones with host Megan Har...

The Oscars are coming up on March 15 and while hometown favorite Jeff Goldblum didn't receive a nod for his dazzling turn as the Wizard of Oz in "Wicked: For Good," there are still plenty of local connections to this year's nominees. Plus, now is the time to catch any films you may have missed, as Pittsburgh's indie theaters hold special screenings with nominees for best picture, best animated sho...