City Cast Pittsburgh

Happy National Pizza Day! There are so many great spots around town to get some 'za — that is, if you aren't just eating a cold, leftover slice from your Super Bowl party. In honor of this special day, we're revisiting a conversation between host Megan Harris and pizza journalist Dan Tallarico to dish on which pies you absolutely need to be eating right now.  Plus, we asked you, our listeners, to...

The cold weather continues to wreak havoc across our city. A feud over a Brighton Heights parking spot went viral, vehicles froze to the street in Highland Park, and one intrepid East Ender reserved their parking space with a Pittsburgh potty. Host Megan Harris, producer Sophia Lo, and contributor Colin Williams are joined by parking chair skeptic Bruce Chan to debate proper parking chair etiquett...

It's tax season… but not for our city's largest nonprofits, aka the Big Five. Mayor Corey O'Connor got some big wins with a pair of one-time donations from UPMC and PNC Bank’s foundation last week, but what happens now? Our health care giants and major universities — UPMC, Highmark Health, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duquesne University — collectively own about on...

Data centers have been around for more than 80 years, so why is everyone talking about (and fighting over) them now? If new data centers get built in nearby communities like Homer City and Springdale, what happens to the environment and our electricity bills? Alice Crow, the lead Pittsburgh reporter for Technical.ly, joins host Megan Harris to explain what exactly a data center is, why our region...

February 17 kicks off the Year of the Fire Horse! Producer Sophia Lo is with food blogger Sophia, aka @sopheating, and they're running through some of their favorite spots to get noodles, dumplings, rice dishes, and even dessert.  **This episode originally aired on January 29, 2025. Learn more about the sponsor of this February 3rd episode: P3R - Use code CITYCAST15 to save 15% off any event regis...

Don't let all the snow on the ground stop you from exploring Pittsburgh this month! There are Valentine's Day markets and craft workshops, events for Black History Month, and some tasty soup competitions. Plus, you can come say hi to the City Cast Pittsburgh team at a Connection Expo featuring social clubs, hobby groups, and more. (Think back to your college activities fair!) And if you're looking...

Some of our streets still haven't been cleared, nearly a week after the Pittsburgh region was hit with double digit snowfall. When can we expect some relief? And will UPMC's $10 million gift for emergency vehicles make things better? (Also, just how generous is this gift, really?) City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris is joined by producer Sophia Lo and contributor Colin Williams to share the lat...

Groundhog Day is on Monday, and Pennsylvania always shows up for Punxsutawney Phil, the state's beloved groundhog and "official meteorologist." Ahead of the celebrations in Punxsutawney, host Megan Harris and producer (and Punxsy Phil devotee!) Sophia Lo are talking about how this weather-forecasting groundhog got his start, how accurate his predictions are, why PETA wants to replace Phil with a h...

Depending on where you live, there's anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of snow sitting on the ground. And while you may have been out clearing your sidewalk, for many of us, the streets are still a slippy mess. Both the city and county have declared states of emergency, and the city's tapped in private contractors to help to clear the snow. Host Megan Harris is with City Controller Rachael Heisler, wh...

Back in 2016, driverless car developers chose Pittsburgh. We were supposed to be the crucible! If autonomous vehicles could work here, they’d work in any city. Turns out, that challenge was a lot harder than many companies hoped. Host Megan Harris is with Axios’ transportation correspondent Joann Muller to talk about the big companies that have come and gone, how she thinks about their relative sa...

Pittsburgh's lost more than half its population since our peak in 1950, and our city has more than 20,000 vacant homes. How do we also have a housing crisis? Public Source's Charlie Wolfson joins host Megan Harris to explain why so many houses are sitting empty, what (if anything) the city can do about it, and why our neighbors in Cleveland are doing a much better job turning abandoned houses into...

More than 500 Pittsburghers showed up for a training this week on how to safely witness and respond to ICE activity — including City Cast contributor Meg St-Esprit. She joins host Megan Harris and executive producer Mallory Falk to share what she learned from the newly-formed group Frontline Dignity. Plus, the team discusses AI-generated deepfakes of Mister Rogers, behind-the-scenes scheming to ke...

What has Corey O'Connor been up to during his first month in office? Host Megan Harris sits down with the mayor to hear about new initiatives, tight budgets, and some fresh ideas to revitalize Downtown. Plus, she asks the questions YOU sent in. Listen in for O'Connor's takes on ICE, affordability, dark sky compliance, snow plows, parks, and more. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 22nd...

Looking for a stiff drink? A little quiet time? Want to have a smoke, play a round of darts, and don't mind paying cash? If that sounds like you, you may be a fit for one of Pittsburgh's best dive bars. City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris is in McKees Rocks with career bartenders Aubrey Halliburton and Lisa Considine, co-owners of Lo Bar Cocktail Services and Lo Places Social Club, to talk abou...

Pittsburghers love bragging about ourselves. We're the City of Bridges and the City of Champions. But can we really say we have the most bridges? Did we actually invent the rally towel? Do we truly have the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country? Journalist and City Cast contributor Colin Williams is joining host Megan Harris to set the record straight about Pittsburgh's favorite myths —...

Mike Tomlin resigned this week after nearly 20 years with the Steelers. We're talking about his coaching legacy, what went wrong, and what's next for his career and the franchise. Plus, host Megan Harris and producer Sophia Lo are chatting about the PA Farm Show's butter sculpture, super flu, "The Pitt" at the Golden Globes, a new weekend newspaper, space news, and a very strange case of stolen hu...

Hockey is having a big TV moment across the country — not for the sports, but for the gay sex and queer representation on HBO Max’s new breakout series “Heated Rivalry.” The show, which has already been renewed for a second season, is based on a book series by author Rachel Reid, who says portions of its focus were inspired by an imagined rivals-to-lovers relationship between Pittsburgh Penguins s...

ICE has been in and around Pittsburgh for months, and even though Mayor Corey O'Connor and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato say we won’t work with them, it’s not always clear what that means. Host Megan Harris is with David Harris, Sally Ann Semenko Endowed Chair and professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh, to talk about how federal agents are affecting one of the city’s biggest...

Made a resolution to go to more events and make new friends? Pittsburgh can be a tricky place to find a friend group, especially when you're a transplant. So many people have stuck with their crew since elementary school, but there's also a growing number of clubs and social organizations to help you find your people. Haley Ingersoll of Pittsburgh Social Health, Dan Lampmann of Yinz Run Club, and...

City Cast Pittsburgh turned four this month! To celebrate, we're sharing recommendations for marking your milestone birthday in style, from a sloth encounter at the National Aviary to a tiki cruise down the Allegheny River. Whether you're turning 21 or 50, there's so much to do besides going out for a fancy meal. (Though we have some suggestions for that too, like dining inside a castle!) Learn mo...

The first week of the new year brought a lot of changes for Pittsburgh. Corey O'Connor was sworn in as mayor, the Block family announced that it's shutting down City Paper and the Post-Gazette, and the Steelers made it to the playoffs thanks to a divine intervention. Host Megan Harris is joined by City Paper's former news editor, Colin Williams, and Axios Pittsburgh's Ryan Deto to talk about O'Con...

Pittsburgh's largest, oldest newspaper is shutting down. The Post-Gazette will publish its last issue and cease operations on May 3. Its owners, Block Communications, Inc., say they've lost hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 20 years, and their decision comes after they lost a legal battle against the Newspaper Guild. Andrew Conte, managing director of Point Park University's Center for...

It's a new year full of new dreams and goals, and for us, that includes putting together a list of restaurants to try throughout 2026. Post-Gazette dining critic and City Cast contributor Hal B. Klein rounded up some of the best new restaurants of 2025, and he's sharing his favorites with host Megan Harris and producer Sophia Lo. Plus, Hal's got the details on what other restaurants are opening so...

Season 2 of "The Pitt" drops this Thursday at 9 p.m., and our team has some ideas about what storylines should be included. (You can't set a show in Pittsburgh during the 4th of July without at least one medical emergency involving a furry!) The City Cast Pittsburgh team is sharing our predictions, plus discussing our favorite local homages and Easter eggs from the first season, debating the authe...

Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a City Cast host — and that makes them the best predictors for 2026’s biggest local stories. City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris joins CEO David Plotz and the other 12 hosts from across the network to talk about the big changes coming to our cities, from political shifts to data centers. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 5th episode: ⁠⁠He...