Sometimes you don’t even realize how “Pittsburgh” something is until an out-of-towner points it out. I came across this Reddit post about how many working-class folks in Pittsburgh have land outside of the city where they go to breathe some fresh air, hunt, fish, or sit around a fire and look at the stars.
Growing up, my family didn’t really go on vacations, but you bet we spent summers at our family camp just about an hour north of the city. It was a peaceful place for dirt road bike rides, tasty mountain pies, and swimming in the Allegheny River.
That was my upbringing in Western Pennsylvania, but judging from these Reddit comments, I bet it was many of yours, too. Here are a few favorites:
- “Part of the reason this may be more common in Pittsburgh than elsewhere (besides having plenty of woods available nearby) is that for a long time the city was so polluted that if you could afford to leave for the weekend, you did.” — @Bethskw
- “Think of it like a middle class summer home without the beach.” — @I_am_cam8
- “Yinz gone up camp piss weekenn?” — @31coupe, getting the pronunciation jussst right
- “People also like to name their camps/cabins, similar to how one might name a boat.” — @Excelius (I can attest to this! Ours was named Camp NuNu after my great grandmother.)
- “LOL. My wife and I make this joke every time we pass those trailer parks on the sides of the turnpike. We even sing Upcamp Girl to the tune of Billy Joel’s ‘Uptown Girl.’” — @BurghPuppies
These responses reminded me of a joke by comedian Ray Zawodni.
“In Pittsburgh, no matter where you go it’s ‘dahn.’” — comedian Ray Zawdoni. (@rayzawodni)
