We rolled into Pittsburgh a little later than our original ETA because our geekery took over and we had to make a not so quick detour to visit Notre Dame University.  However, when we came over one of Pittsburg’s famous bridges we found the city was swathed in a score of gold and black.  My ample research hadn’t revealed that pre-season had begun and that on our night in Pittsburg the Steelers were playing the Chiefs.  After arriving to The Fairmont Pittsburg 10 minutes after ticket sales closed, and thus an unsuccessful attempt to procure seats we decided to head out for dinner and soak in the buzzing atmosphere that only die hard sports cities on game day can emit.  We walked around the historic district and selected a spot in their Market Square area to sit and people watch.  After a bite we sauntered around to the river front and explored some of the art and architecture the city has been cultivating in recent years.  Although Pittsburg has remained true to its roots with an abundance of Heinz (think ketchup) buildings and modern art portrayals, and their celebration of being the birth place of of Andy Warhol, gone still are the days of purely blue collar vibe.  Although I would be amiss to neglect the gritty, authentic pulse that still runs deep and has very much been integrated into the new, vibrant scene that is found in today’s Pittsburg.