Denise S. Artman photographs Strip District visitors, who comment on our question:
“Why have you come to the Strip today, and what do you like most about the Strip?”
Emily Loecken (Hill District)
Emily: “I am a student at Point Park, but honestly I don’t get to the Strip too often. I have only been here a couple of times. I just got hired at Coop De Ville and can’t wait to start! I also went to Grandpa Joe’s for my first time and I loved it! They have Hello Kitty themed drinks, like Hello Kitty Fizzy Pop. I like The Dancer’s Perfect Fit; I got tap shoes there once. The owners and workers were super helpful and kind. The Strip’s lovely environment is very welcoming, and there’s something for everyone.
Emily: “I am a student at Point Park, but honestly I don’t get to the Strip too often. I have only been here a couple of times. I just got hired at Coop De Ville and can’t wait to start! I also went to Grandpa Joe’s for my first time and I loved it! They have Hello Kitty themed drinks, like Hello Kitty Fizzy Pop. I like The Dancer’s Perfect Fit; I got tap shoes there once. The owners and workers were super helpful and kind. The Strip’s lovely environment is very welcoming, and there’s something for everyone.
Marla Proksell, Hillary Hambleton (Mt. Washington)
Hillary: Lefty’s is a good spot. I like their PB&J shot and beer combo and their Jim Morrison cocktail. I like the cheeses at Penn Mac, too.” Marla: “I come to the Strip at least once a month. I always get a microbrew and steamed shrimp. I like Lefty’s, too. Oh, and I like the meats at Parma Sausage and the shrimp and crab legs at Wholey’s. The Strip has changed so much in the past eight years—there’s a lot more shopping, live music, and bars here. Coop De Ville is newer and they have a bar and restaurant, an arcade, coffee shop, and bowling.”
Hillary: Lefty’s is a good spot. I like their PB&J shot and beer combo and their Jim Morrison cocktail. I like the cheeses at Penn Mac, too.” Marla: “I come to the Strip at least once a month. I always get a microbrew and steamed shrimp. I like Lefty’s, too. Oh, and I like the meats at Parma Sausage and the shrimp and crab legs at Wholey’s. The Strip has changed so much in the past eight years—there’s a lot more shopping, live music, and bars here. Coop De Ville is newer and they have a bar and restaurant, an arcade, coffee shop, and bowling.”
Cathy Wiltrout, Phil Wain (Saxonburg)
Cathy: “I’ve been coming here for 27 years. There is a lot more open on Sundays than before.” Phil: “I like to hang out, shop, eat, and drink. There’s always new stuff to try.” Cathy: “I enjoy the Italian pastries at Colangelo’s.” Phil: “I like Penn Mac, Wholey’s, and Roxanne’s Dried Flowers—it’s a neat place. And we just went to Enrico Biscotti’s.” Cathy: “I like Penn Mac’s cheese counter and their olive oil—and getting Sushi from Andy at Wholey’s.”
Cathy: “I’ve been coming here for 27 years. There is a lot more open on Sundays than before.” Phil: “I like to hang out, shop, eat, and drink. There’s always new stuff to try.” Cathy: “I enjoy the Italian pastries at Colangelo’s.” Phil: “I like Penn Mac, Wholey’s, and Roxanne’s Dried Flowers—it’s a neat place. And we just went to Enrico Biscotti’s.” Cathy: “I like Penn Mac’s cheese counter and their olive oil—and getting Sushi from Andy at Wholey’s.”
Todd, Sharon, and Anna Keruskin (Fredericktown, OH); Dakota McCloskey (Youngstown, OH)
Todd: “We come to the Strip about once a month. We’re going to get lobster, crab, and shrimp from Wholey’s.” Sharon: “We love Penn Mac. That’s what we came for—cheeses and salami. And bread from Mancini’s. We just came from duck pin bowling at Coop De Ville. It was our first time there and it was fun!” Anna: “I like Grandpa Joe’s Cereal Marshmallows—just what it says, but without the cereal!” Dakota: “I have been to the Strip a few times. Bowling was fun. I like Primanti’s—anything with fries. There’s nothing like the Strip where I’m from.”
Todd: “We come to the Strip about once a month. We’re going to get lobster, crab, and shrimp from Wholey’s.” Sharon: “We love Penn Mac. That’s what we came for—cheeses and salami. And bread from Mancini’s. We just came from duck pin bowling at Coop De Ville. It was our first time there and it was fun!” Anna: “I like Grandpa Joe’s Cereal Marshmallows—just what it says, but without the cereal!” Dakota: “I have been to the Strip a few times. Bowling was fun. I like Primanti’s—anything with fries. There’s nothing like the Strip where I’m from.”
Dylan Sciotti, Alex Kilbert (North Huntingdon)
Dylan: “We come to the Strip about once every couple of months … but it seems like more.”
Alex: “We like all the different restaurants.”
Dylan: “I wanted to try some of the exotic meats at Strip District Meats today, but we got here too late. I tried kangaroo meat once and it wasn’t too bad.”
Alex: “We both like the cheeses at Penn Mac. And I try something different every time at Allegheny Coffee.”
Dylan: “I enjoy just hanging out and looking at everything.”
Alex: “Yes, I love the atmosphere here.”
Dylan: “We come to the Strip about once every couple of months … but it seems like more.”
Alex: “We like all the different restaurants.”
Dylan: “I wanted to try some of the exotic meats at Strip District Meats today, but we got here too late. I tried kangaroo meat once and it wasn’t too bad.”
Alex: “We both like the cheeses at Penn Mac. And I try something different every time at Allegheny Coffee.”
Dylan: “I enjoy just hanging out and looking at everything.”
Alex: “Yes, I love the atmosphere here.”
Brian Klaas, Beth Miller (Lawrenceville); Christine Jones (Aspinwall)
Brian: “I took over my t-shirt business here about a year ago. I supplied the t-shirts to the former owner who retired and I bought the business from him. I still own GPSA Print Shop in Millvale and have 70 employees. I really like it here in the Strip. I meet a lot of different people.” Beth: “I like all the produce you can get here—Penn Mac and all their meats and cheeses, and Stamoolis, where everything is Greek. They have the best imported grape leaves.”
Christine: “I like Lefty’s, Primanti’s, and the liquor store. We bought these t-shirts to wear to the Pirates games. I like all the sports apparel stores—all the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins items. I belong to a tailgate group called Yinzer Mob.”
Brian: “I took over my t-shirt business here about a year ago. I supplied the t-shirts to the former owner who retired and I bought the business from him. I still own GPSA Print Shop in Millvale and have 70 employees. I really like it here in the Strip. I meet a lot of different people.” Beth: “I like all the produce you can get here—Penn Mac and all their meats and cheeses, and Stamoolis, where everything is Greek. They have the best imported grape leaves.”
Christine: “I like Lefty’s, Primanti’s, and the liquor store. We bought these t-shirts to wear to the Pirates games. I like all the sports apparel stores—all the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins items. I belong to a tailgate group called Yinzer Mob.”
Marissa Taskila, Caitlyn O’Hara (New Brighton)
Marissa: “I just moved here recently from Michigan. We got here a little while ago—we went to Café Raymond. I had tomato mozzarella on ciabatta and it was delicious.”
Caitlyn: “I had french toast and it was super good. I moved here from southern California because I was recruited to play basketball at PSU Beaver. I have been in Pennsylvania for a year and it’s my first time to Pittsburgh and the Strip. I’m on an assignment from college to do street photography. We are kind of just exploring everything now.”
Marissa: “I just moved here recently from Michigan. We got here a little while ago—we went to Café Raymond. I had tomato mozzarella on ciabatta and it was delicious.”
Caitlyn: “I had french toast and it was super good. I moved here from southern California because I was recruited to play basketball at PSU Beaver. I have been in Pennsylvania for a year and it’s my first time to Pittsburgh and the Strip. I’m on an assignment from college to do street photography. We are kind of just exploring everything now.”
Nick Mowery (Mt. Washington)
Nick: “I’ve been working at J. Marcus for about a year and a half now. I moved from Maryland and have been in Pittsburgh since 2020. I have never lived in a city before and I like it a lot. It’s way better than where I came from, which is more rural. I like going to Jimmy & Nino’s and I go to Peppi’s a lot. After work, I sometimes stop at Sam’s—they have good ice cream.”
Nick: “I’ve been working at J. Marcus for about a year and a half now. I moved from Maryland and have been in Pittsburgh since 2020. I have never lived in a city before and I like it a lot. It’s way better than where I came from, which is more rural. I like going to Jimmy & Nino’s and I go to Peppi’s a lot. After work, I sometimes stop at Sam’s—they have good ice cream.”
Tony and Tabatha Battini (Morgantown, WV)
Tony: “We have never been to the Strip before … it’s our first time here. We really aren’t too far away either, so I am excited to explore what’s here.”
Tabatha: “We came to do some shopping and get something to eat. We’ll probably go to Roland’s.”
Tony: “We have never been to the Strip before … it’s our first time here. We really aren’t too far away either, so I am excited to explore what’s here.”
Tabatha: “We came to do some shopping and get something to eat. We’ll probably go to Roland’s.”
Tina and Pasquale DiCello (Bridgeville area)
Tina: “We visit the Strip every couple of months—we love to come down to spend all our money.”
Pasquale: “We go to Penn Mac, Jimmy & Nino’s, and Parma Sausage.”
Tina: “I like La Prima and I love Roland’s—especially their lobster and mussels.”
Pasquale: “For lunch we love Bella Notte. I’m Italian and there are a lot of good authentic Italian food places here in the Strip.”
Tina: “We visit the Strip every couple of months—we love to come down to spend all our money.”
Pasquale: “We go to Penn Mac, Jimmy & Nino’s, and Parma Sausage.”
Tina: “I like La Prima and I love Roland’s—especially their lobster and mussels.”
Pasquale: “For lunch we love Bella Notte. I’m Italian and there are a lot of good authentic Italian food places here in the Strip.”
