Finding Homes, Jobs and Entertainment: A Guide to Pittsburgh, PA

Looking down from nearby Mount Washington in southwestern Pennsylvania upon the former steel capital of the world one's eyes are filled with a breathtaking view. Nestled amidst the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers where they meet and form the Ohio River, lies a sprawling metropolis.

It is a metropolis clamoring with shipping, commerce and pedestrian activity. Rising to the center of this majestic image is an expansive, circular skyline; and from its every corner the many adjacent suburban neighborhoods stretching in all directions and strangely out of view.

Pittsburgh, PA enjoys a strategic and progressive central location. Fifty-one percent of the nation's population and 63% of the national industrial output lie within a 500 mile radius of Pittsburgh. Another 53% of U.S. purchasing income and 50% of retail sales for the entire country are also in similar proximity to this industrial giant.

These days the Keystone State doesn't rely on steel factories and coal mines to do its bidding and maintain its position as one of the nation's most stable economies and successful cities. With a population over 340,520 (Allegheny County: 1,256,806), Pittsburgh in recent years has revitalized itself as a city on the move and one that is moving in an upward mobile direction.

A little history

In the 1750's settlers began migrating to the area that is now Pittsburgh. Both the British and French claimed the region, and it was the scene of fierce fighting between British and French forces during this time. In 1758 the British built a military fort near the fork of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers and named it Fort Pitt in honor of William Pitt, who later became England's prime minister. Soon afterwards, British settlers established a community around the fort and named it Pittsburgh.