Pittsburgh's Smallest Slice of City

Bloomfield, Pittsburgh

As I am sure most of you know, I have been living in Pittsburgh for nearly three and a half months now while I attend the University of Pittsburgh.  My time here has been wonderful, and the neighborhood of Oakland is fantastic!  That being said, Oakland is very college orientated, so it can seem like a bit of a bubble away from reality.  Everywhere you look there is a group of college students meandering about.  In fact, it is rare to see anyone that is not a college student or employee at the university.   

To get away from this bubble I decided to take a trip to the nearby neighborhood of Bloomfield.  Historically, this neighborhood has been considered Pittsburgh’s “Little Italy” since the settlement of many Italian families in the early 1900’s.  To be completely honest, not much of its Italian roots stand out anymore, aside from a couple of restaurants.  The neighborhood is more like a quaint look at old-town America (think The Music Man or Groundhog Day).  This is not to say that I did not like it though, as I quite like the old “small town shopping strip” look.  For my local Erie readers, this place was very reminiscent of North East.   

When I got off the bus I immediately felt as though I was away from the hustle and bustle of Oakland and Pitt.  There was a very calming quiet that can be hard to achieve in the city sometime.  This peaceful quietness was nice, and very welcome.  It lent a big hand to the atmosphere that Bloomfield was trying to achieve.  The main road, Liberty Avenue, housed all of the local shops, and is where I spent a majority of my time.  It is a cute, walk-and-talk, kind of place.  The buildings are only a couple of stories tall and lined up side by side, with most made of brick.  Some are even fun colors like the green building pictured here.  In Bloomfield, there is no pressure to rush, and no reason to feel stressed.  

On my way down the street, I stopped in a little store called Paddy Cake Bakery.  The inside was a cute pink color with display cases showing off impressive cakes and other baked goods.  Honestly? I did not really want to spend money (college budget, you know?) so I just walked in, surveyed the area, and left.  The entire time I was in there though, I could sense the care that the older owners put into their store.  They were locals trying to reach out to more locals and provide freshly baked goods, which is a rare commodity in Oakland.  I still regret not buying a cupcake.  I still really want a cupcake.   

Another stop was the local Hallmark.  I know, I know; “Sam! Hallmark is not a local store! You are ruining the experience!”  Seriously though, how can a Hallmark NOT feel like a small-town-store?  Only at a local store and a Hallmark can you experience the magic of wooden angels being on sale right next to a slightly crude birthday card.  Also, the older people shopping there perfectly fit the demographic of people that I observed in the entire neighborhood.  

Yes, the whole neighborhood seemed to be populated by people much older than college students.  I was only in Bloomfield for an hour or so, but I think I saw less than 10 people aged twenty-five or younger.  Now that I think of it, I hardly saw anybody, maybe because I visited at 2 pm on a workday, whoops.  However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the older population!  In fact, I think if younger kids overwhelmed the area, it would lose its sense of charm.  Gentrification is not always positive ladies and gents.  Though, I could see that this area was trying to modernize itself in a way fitting to its brand.  The murals painted on the side of buildings were fresh, and obviously newer, but they still incorporated the most important parts of Pittsburgh, like football and food.   The newer restaurants and bookstores also kept a very rustic look to them and did not attempt to be like a flashy building you would expect to see in downtown Pittsburgh.  They also had this cute little park area with an old-fashioned clock in the middle.  That part is not integral to my story, but I still think it is pretty cute.   

Also! If you like Asian cuisine, boy do I have a place for you.  Considering this is Pittsburgh’s Little Italy, I was taken back by the number of Asian restaurants that were located in Bloomfield.  I am currently writing a list of them so I can visit them all.  I really think this goes to show Pittsburgh’s acceptance to diversity, and the ability to make a community no matter who lives there.  It was a nice little testament to our unity as a city.  Its such a small detail in such a larger picture.  

Overall, I definitely am going to come back to Bloomfield again, and I recommend you check it out if you are ever traveling through Pittsburgh.  The small town feel in one of Pennsylvania's biggest cities is a welcome experience.  Bloomfield knows what it wants to be and knows how to keep reinventing itself to fit the times, while maintaining the original vision.  With an abundance of restaurants and stores, a walk down Liberty Avenue will refresh the mind of any busy city-goer.  So, if you are ever overwhelmed, make a journey to Pittsburgh’s Little Italy, and find yourself again, I promise it will help.  

Much love,  

Samantha Rose (P.S. Keep scrolling for extra pictures I took!)