If Troy Hill is the finish line, then Rialto Street is the trail to climb. Just off of East Ohio Street at the 31st Street Bridge, the street’s 24% grade earns it the title for fifth-steepest street in the city. Once you make it up the mount, you’re welcomed into this tight-knit North Side community.
🐽 1 Thing to Know
Rialto Street used to also be called “Pig Hill,” when pigs were herded down the hill to a slaughterhouse on Herr’s Island. Yikes!
Grab something cozy at Der Fer Coffee & Tea in Troy Hill. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
☕🥯 Eat & Drink
De Fer Coffee & Tea took over the former neighborhood favorite, Pear and Pickle, at the top of Rialto Street. They’re well missed, but visitors will not be disappointed by the new tenants. Inside, you’ll find a cozy space serving quality coffee, tea, and homemade food like sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and fresh pastries.
Start your morning with breakfast at Scratch & Co in Troy Hill. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
Scratch & Co. on Lowrie Street is exactly how it sounds — food made from scratch. Get snacks and sandwiches from the "Tavern Menu" on Wednesdays and Thursdays; sit down for a house focaccia, NY strip, and smashed potatoes on Fridays and Saturdays; or dig into a bagel breakfast sandwich at Sunday brunch. Don't forget cocktails! Their seasonal menu is always packed with flavor. Plus, they have interesting nonalcoholic options. Sweet onion shrub and soda, anyone?
Troy Hill was historically a German immigrant neighborhood, so it’s no surprise that it’s home to Penn Brewery, one of Pittsburgh’s oldest and largest craft breweries. Beer lovers should save the date for the annual Penn Brew Oktoberfest in September.
🛍️ Shop Local
While it's open by appointment and special events only, photography lovers should check out Spaces Corners — an artist-run bookshop, gallery, and project space that seeks to engage the public on global and contemporary photography trends.
Love to thrift? Find treasures at the Red Door Thrift Shop in the basement of Grace Lutheran Church most Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
The 142-year-old Saint Anthony's Chapel on Harpster Street. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
👀 Go, See, Do!
Want to see a lighthouse? You can in Troy Hill, hundreds of miles away from the ocean. It’s the third installation of the Troy Hill Art Houses, a trio of abandoned homes turned into immersive art — and you can tour them for free with an appointment.
No matter your religious beliefs, it’s pretty neat to see the 1880 European-style Saint Anthony’s Chapel. People travel from all over to admire its 5,000 Catholic relics, the largest collection in the world, outside of the Vatican.
A mural of churches in Troy Hill by Lindy Packard. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
In this City Cast Pittsburgh podcast, we talked to city steps expert Laura Zurowski — aka Mis.Steps — about why Pittsburgh has so many and which are the best for urban hikers to climb. Basin Street in Troy Hill was one of her picks, because it has a great overlook at the top. You can enter at either Cowley-Goettman Park or Province Street.
