The Zany Umbrella Circus Takes Over Market Square!

By, Anastasia Farmerie

Zany Umbrella Circus in Market Square March 22-24, 2013. Presented by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership with assistance from the Office of Public Art and special thanks to the City of Pittsburgh.



The Zany Umbrella Circus from Anastasia Farmerie on Vimeo.

This street theatre circus who are originally from Pittsburgh, Zany Umbrella Circus, performed this past weekend for a free show of "Cake" in Market Square. Watch this video to see who they are, what they're about, and a brief recap to their latest show.

Q & A with Famous Pittsburghers

Famous Pittsburgher: Tim O' Brien

Company/Organization/Job:

Owner, O’Brien Communications

Quick blurb about your company/organization:

O’Brien Communications is a corporate communications consultancy that was started in 2001.  It has served companies and organizations of all sizes.

How long have you been doing what you do:

I’ve run by business for the past 12 years.  I’ve been in the communications business for  30 years.

How long have you lived in Pittsburgh:

I’m a native Pittsburgher.

1.       What is your favorite thing to do in Downtown Pittsburgh? Why? 

a.       My favorite thing is the Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  I’m on the committee and it’s one of the most fun groups to be around.   And on parade day, it’s great to see so many people “Irish for a day” come out rain or shine and put the city’s best foot forward.  It’s a great rite of Spring for Pittsburgh.

2.       What is your favorite Downtown restaurant? Why? What’s your favorite dish?

a.       My favorite Downtown restaurant is Ruth’s Chris.  Their steaks are the best.

3.       Where do you like to shop Downtown? Why?

a.       My favorite store is Macy’s.  I started going there when it was Kaufmann’s and it has always been a favorite place to shop Downtown.

4.       Talk a bit about your favorite Downtown Pittsburgh Experience or Memory.

a.       About one month after I got married, I organized the first luminaria display at PPG Place for Light Up Night.  There was something about that time and that night I will never forget.  I still have the photo in my office of the plaza glowing with 2,000 lit candles.

5.       What festival or major event do you like best in Downtown? Why?

a.       I mentioned the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which is my favorite.  My other favorite event would be the Three Rivers Regatta, which uses all of Pittsburgh’s assets at one time, the parks the town and of course, the rivers.

6.       Tell us one thing about Downtown that has surprised you.

a.       Downtown is emerging as a residential option for many newcomers and long-time Pittsburghers.  I’ve read about it as an emerging trend over the years, but when you see it in person, it’s a pleasant surprise.

Meet Geof Comings...

By, Anastasia Farmerie--PDP Marketing Intern

Geof Comings, Economic and Development Manager for PDP, is responsible for the Market Square management and the Paris to Pittsburgh project but if you listen to this brief interview, you can find out why he fell in love with Market Square and so much more.

"That’s exactly how I see Downtown – a diverse group of people experiencing a diverse offering."

By, Brian Kurtz--Research and Economic Development Manager

After much anticipation I found myself in the Pierce Art Studio on Saturday with experts, innovators, entrepreneurs and generally gifted people for TEDxGrandviewAve, an event - in the words of event organizers - “here to give [innovators] the opportunity to showcase their efforts, share their realizations, and inspire those around them to develop ideas worth spreading.”

Photo by, Mike Woycheck

TEDx featured a total of nine speakers that were aimed at innovating oneself, one’s community, and one’s thoughts with topics that included stepping outside of the virtual realm, changing one’s brain in an effort to refresh the mind, redefining communities through space and grassroots efforts, being positive to promote good mental health, and moving quickly from words to accomplishments. The Pillow Project provided a thought provoking performance that is indescribable with words.

Photo by, Mike Woycheck

The whole day I continued to ask myself - how do I relate these topics and talks to what I do on a daily basis – how do I use these talks and connections to make a better Downtown? I hear too often “There’s nothing to do downtown” or “Everything closes at 5” and my favorite “Who would want to live ‘down there’”. So how do we take a lesson from Matthew Keener and “design” Downtown to change the brains of others? Maybe, to paraphrase Braddock Mayor John Fetterman, we reinvent what others perceive to be impossible, and redefine the Downtown community through better space planning as Christine Mondor models throughout the city. Don Charlton, founder and CEO of The Resumator – a Pittsburgh start-up – and his mantra of taking an idea from words to actions to accomplishments at a quick pace was energizing and noteworthy in that entrepreneurship is not just about starting a new business.I doubt I’m the first, but let me say that we would love to see Don’s business and his team call Downtown Pittsburgh home.

I don't have the space to talk about every speaker, but be sure to visit the TEDxGrandviewAve website to view videos of the fantastic talks!

As unintentional as it may have been, Downtown was the perfect setting for this conference. Just look at the progress made over the past six years. New skyscrapers, a plethora of new apartments and condos, a reinvented Market Square, new ideas and activities to establish Downtown as the top of mind place for living, business and pleasure in the region. Pittsburgh is lucky to have people who are committed enough to the city and enterprise to spend a Saturday listening to the bright ideas and actions of others. These are probably the same people that will continue to grow Downtown and our region over the next six years. 

Photo by, Brian Kurtz

The evening concluded with an after party at SPACE on Liberty Avenue that also acted as the official launch of Urbanist – the new go-to guide for what makes Pittsburgh Pittsburgh. The party featured some of our favorite Downtowner’s – Bluebird Kitchen, Franktuary, Marty’s Market, Bar Marco and Pittsburgh Winery – in addition to other hot Pittsburgh restaurants and thirst-quenchers. The Pillow Project continued their entertaining improvisational “FreeJazz” movement and music. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing them in Downtown very soon.

It was quite invigorating to walk around SPACE (featuring a new thought-provoking exhibit called “Mean Girls”) and see people from every age, race, social, economic and artistic realm all taking in the food, beverage, music, dance, and art choices the evening had to offer. That’s exactly how I see Downtown – a diverse group of people experiencing a diverse offering.

Photo by, Brian Kurtz

There’s plenty of room to go and grow, and we at the PDP are working hard on a daily basis to make Downtown a true 18 hour/day neighborhood. But that room for growth compounded with the energy and ideas at coming out of TEDxGrandviewAve is what makes me even more excited for what comes next.

P.S. Our upcoming Annual Meeting is a great opportunity to hear more about what we do to make Downtown a better place and what to expect in the next year. I hope to see you there.

Get to know the PDP Staff--what do they do, what do they like about Pittsburgh, who are they?

By, Anastasia Farmerie--Marketing Intern at PDP 

She welcomes you to PDP while walking in the office, but who is she? Meet Lynda Fairbrother, Administrative Assistant for Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Find out why she loves Pittsburgh, and a little bit about who she is.

Rockin Out at Heinz Hall with Music from Green Day

by Nick Kratsas

After a lovely dinner at Six Penn Kitchen, the time was approaching for an anticipated Broadway Musical starting just across the street at Heinz Hall. Green Day fans rejoice- American Idiot, the musical based on the album of the same high-energy, angst filled story that incorporates Green Day music, dancing, and a very cool set that features dark backgrounds and metal, multiple television screens, moveable scaffolds and staircases, and even a few high-wire flying scenes.

The story revolves around friends Will, Johnny, Tunny, and their slacker 20-something lifestyles. The trio decides to escape their boring suburban lives by buying bus tickets to head to the big city, but the realities of life sidetrack them in very serious and powerful ways; Will never makes the bus because he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant, and instead stays home and spirals into drug and alcohol use, Tunny quickly becomes disenchanted with the big city and opts to join the Army, and Johnny, who is also the narrator and main charactr, can't handle the temptations of the city and spirals quickly into multiple temptations. The three eventually find their way back home, but each are changed profoundly.

If you love Green Day's music, you'll appreciate the soulful, energetic renditions by both the actors and the on-stage band - even an actor portraying Billy Joe Armstrong is on stage at all times to oversee the music and story. It's a great story with excellent acting and singing, and make sure you stick around to the en, for the final song performed by the entire cast.

A Stroll Downtown...

By, Nick Kratsas

Since I work in Green Tree, one of the things I lose out on is the phenomenon of the urban happy hour. What better way to fill time between work and home then having a few drinks with friends? So, I took the trolley Downtown to meet some friends, followed by date night with my wife.

My first official happy hour was meeting my wife and friends at Tonic Bar, on the corner of Liberty and 10^th. Downstairs, the bar has a modern style, with stark gray and black décor.  At 6:00 p.m. the place is packed and animated. Upstairs, it’s a bit calmer, with lots of tables, and a style with more wood accents and vibrant art on the walls.  I like the speed of upstairs, the service was very attentive. We had some great drinks that weren’t hard on the wallet, and my friends ordered some fun appetizers. The roasted garlic and red pepper hummus had a tangy flavor that showcased the roasted red pepper, and the nachos were overloaded with cheese, salsa, fresh guacamole, and more.

After libations and munchies, my wife and I left our friends to start our date. We walked across the street to the Original Fish Market, located in the Westin Hotel by the Convention Center. We sat in the dining area, which despite the large space, our booth felt like we were dining alone, with high backed seats and a hanging light over the table. We were seated near the kitchen, which has a big glass wall so you can watch the chefs prepare your meal.

Our server was very attentive and gave us great recommendations from their 30-plus wine list, as well as explaining what the different fish would taste like from the menu. We started with the rainbow roll from the sushi menu, which was wrapped in salmon and tuna. We thought the fish was very fresh and the presentation beautiful. Next, I had a cup of the cream of blue crab soup, a thick cream soup with tons of pieces of crab meat. I’ve tried she-crab soup in Charleston, South Carolina, and other fine establishments, and the soup at OFM blew all of them away.

Next, came our main course. I opted for the Hawaiian Walu. It was tender, fresh, and clean, and came pan seared with a brandy cream sauce, fingerling potatoes, mushrooms, and asparagus. The sauce was the boss, and went well with everything on the plate. My wife had the scallops, which were large and tenderly cooked. They came with delicious mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts roasted with bacon, and long, thin strips of fried plantains that stuck straight in the air- it was a lovely, artistic presentation.

We finished our meal by sharing the crème brulee. The top was perfectly crystallized and shattered like glass with a tap of a spoon, and it was sweet and creamy. The berries on top made for a fresh contrast to the sweetness of the crème brulee.

In all, we really enjoyed our experience. Our server described everything exactly as it came, the dim-lighted dining room made for great date ambiance, and the price was reasonable and what you should expect from a fine restaurant in the city, especially one where the fish is so fresh. I read somewhere that their head chef is big on bringing in fish fresh from around the world, and they make sustainability a priority, which makes me feel good about going there. What a great experience!

Afterwards, we made a quick jaunt over to the O’Reilly Theater for a presentation of “1776” by the Pittsburgh Public Theater. This show is a quirky presentation of the Founding Fathers debating if and how they will secede from Britain and start the American Revolution. It’s filled with more than a dozen actors in period clothing, and they mix stirring speeches, heated arguments, and singing and dancing to tell the story of the writing of the Declaration of Independence. If you can catch it, it’s running until February 24. The Pittsburgh Public Theater puts on well produced shows, with quality actors and detailed sets. If you enjoy theater, check out a Public Theater show soon!

All photos taken by Anastasia Farmerie, unless otherwise noted.