Lawrenceville : Development News

A new adaptive-reuse apartment project is set to take shape in Lawrenceville.  The Locomotive Lofts project, located at the corner of 49th and Harrison Streets will create 34 market-rate units in this former industrial site.

“It’ll definitely be the most state of the art apartment complex in Lawrenceville,” says project developer Ernie Sota, citing security, energy efficiency, balconies, and off-street parking.  The project will be a complete renovation with new construction, designed by architect Paul Rodriguez.

Sota says Locomotive Lofts LP will aim for LEED gold certification.  Solar photovoltaics will be used on the roof, along with HVAC heating and cooling systems, and LED lighting. 

Sota and partners paid $150,00 for the 20,000 sq. ft. former office building.  The project is expected to cost $5 million to develop.  The building was once home to H.K. Porter Co., a manufacturer of compressed air locomotives.

Financing for the project is to be finalized soon, with construction on the units beginning in the fall. Sota says his team has worked closely with Lawrenceville United and the Lawrenceville Development Corporation, and that the community has been very supportive.

Last year, Sota developed Pittsburgh’s first net-zero home on the South Side, a home that generates as much energy as it uses annually.  Although Locomotive Lofts isn’t expected to achieve net-zero, Sota says this building will use only about 25% of the energy in a typical apartment building.

Sota believes renters understand energy efficiency equals a lower cost of living, but also that there are certain human comforts in green building techniques. 

“All these things lead to a more enjoyable, healthier lifestyle,” Sota says.

Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Ernie Sota

Image Credit:  Paul Rodriguez Architect

Perkins Eastman has been working for more than a year on the still in-progress masterplan, under a $350,000 contract from the URA.

The plan makes suggestions for the City of Pittsburgh and Buncher Co.'s joint strategy to redevelop some 80 acres of riverfront land. The City could combine parcels of its own -- including with Produce Terminal in the Strip -- with industrial properties Buncher owns. Construction could start in the Strip in 2013, with the 40 undeveloped acres behind the Produce Terminal. The City and URA will spend some $20 million in capital funds to remediate the site and prepare it for redevelopment. A 1,000-unit development -- five buildings of 200 units each -- has been proposed.

Perkins Eastman envisions a new way of looking at riverfront parcels, says principal Steve Quick.

"In the past, the riverfront has been seen as a place for industry. We're looking at it now as a community-oriented place with a mixture of uses, including residential and business and low-impact industry, like the robotics and software coming out of the universities," says Quick.

The Perkins Eastman plan aims to maintain the character of the "neighborhoods on the rebound," as URA executive director Rob Stephany described the Strip, Lawrenceville and Morningside at Thursday's meeting.

Quick, with Senator Jim Ferlo, assuaged fears that this redevelopment project is anything like Soffer's SouthSide Works, which Quick calls a "standalone type of development." "We are looking for something that will spur development, something more inborn in the communities," Quick says.

Perkins Eastman suggests to:

- Add parking facilities.
- Restore the natural slope down to the river to get people closer to the water.
- Transform the Allegheny Valley Railroad into a pedestrian-friendly green path.
- Anchor the Produce Terminal with the in-development public market on one end and the Society for Contemporary Craft on the other, with restaurants and professional spaces in between.
- Capture all stormwater for storms of one inch or less (more than half the storms in Pittsburgh) through green roofs, pervious ground surfaces and trees.
- Increase the tree canopy coverage in the Strip District and Lawrenceville to about 40 percent. There are currently only about 200 trees total in the study area.
- Create bike/ped connections.
- Take into account the Allegheny Valley Railroad's planned commuter line between New Kensington and Arnold through Oakmont into Downtown.
- Create a new "Golden Triangle" by connecting Downtown and Lawrenceville, and eventually Oakland, via a trolley system that stretches, initially, between the Convention Center to 40th and Butler Streets, which Quick says needs to be more of a "civic center" than an "auto-oriented corner."

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Steve Quick, principal, Perkins Eastman

Image courtesy Allegheny Riverfront Vision plan

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DiNardo had her own eponymous sportswear label for awhile, but about five years ago, nostalgia drove DiNardo to try something new -- T-shirts. She was holding a trunk show at Sugar Boutique during Lawrenceville's 2005 winter Cookie Tour, and the boutique asked if she'd be interested in creating something wearable and gifty. DiNardo -- who at the time had no experience working with tees, graphics or screenprinting -- was loving and missing Pittsburgh's neighborhoods from afar, so came up with the first two Neighbor Teaze -- Lawrenceville and the South Side.

Five years later, she's still coming up with tees. Each tee features a snappy slogan and an accompanying image. For instance, Squirrel Hill reads, "Keepin' it Kosher Since 1927," and Point Breeze is "Frickin' Fabulous Since 1903." The all-purpose "Pittsburgh" one, with its yellow bridge graphics, reads, "446 Bridges, 3 Rivers, & 1 Dahntahn Since 1758."

The line now includes 15 neighborhood-specific tees, including the Strip District shirt ("Stimulating the Senses Since 1915"), which was just released a week-and-a-half ago at the inaugural Pittsburgh Flea. The Heinz History Center is even keeping a shirt from the first printing in its permanent textiles collection.

DiNardo says she releases a new shirt every three to four months (Mt. Lebanon may be next), and is always looking for grassroots input, as well as interns. Future plans include a photo submission project (email an image of yourself in a tee; get a discount); a short video, in mid-May, of people discussing what they think makes the Strip District so special; and even a message board where people can post personal stories about their neighborhoods.

DiNardo maintains a Neighbor Teaze web store, and the tees can be purchased locally at Jupe Boutique, Sugar, the Picket Fence, CoCo's Cupcake Cafe, the Mattress Factory and more.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Julia DiNardo, Neighbor Teaze

Image courtesy of Neighbor Teaze

Pageboy Salon & Boutique, 3613 Butler St., promises to meet customers' every style need, from tip to toe. Dana Bannon's got her chic little salon on the back, and in the front, Rachel Vallozzi's got racks and racks of handpicked and reconstructed vintage, as well as stuff by independent and local designers, including all sorts of accessories for women and, yes, men.

Vallozzi had her own Pittsburgh boutique, Kharisma Vintage Fashions, from 2002 to 2006, but has been focusing for the last few years on wardrobe styling and personal shopping, as well as her line Buttercup Blues, which will continue to be available at the nearby Wildcard. Bannon, who's got seven years experience as a hair stylist, lost her job at a Shadyside salon not too long ago, and says, "I allowed myself one day of pity, then I called Rachel."

The longtime friends found the perfect space for Pageboy in the former location of Accezzorize boutique. The 1,200-square-foot property -- leased from A-1 Realty's Lee Gross -- has "good bones," as Vallozzi explains: Brick walls, exposed ductwork and high, tin ceilings set the stage for furnishings from Retro on 8th and custom-designed racks (made from doors salvaged from Construction Junction) that hold everything from macho leather bombers to "upcycled" vintage frocks made modern with a few changes to hemlines, sleeves and buttons. Taking the confusion out of vintage shopping, clothes are labeled by measurements rather than arbitrary sizes, so perfect fits are ensured. Customers' measurements are even kept on file for future visits.

Bannon, who opened the salon by-appointment only before the boutique's official Tuesday opening, says not a single one of her hair customers has left Pageboy without buying something from the boutique -- "They browse while their hair processes." Similarly, many of Vallozzi's clothing shoppers end up booking appointments with Bannon.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Rachel Vallozzi, Dana Bannon, Pageboy Salon & Boutique

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

The Blossom Tour runs Fri., April 16 to Sun., April 18 and involves 24 participating businesses along Butler, 43rd, 44th, Hatfield and 50th Streets. Businesses will distribute flower and herb seeds, and offer Blossom Tour specials, sales, raffles, garden tips and demonstrations. This year's tour has five newcomers: Common Thread, Body Shop Tattoo & Apparel, Wildcard and Pageboy Salon & Boutique and Cavacini Garden Center, which offers a wide variety of gardening and landscaping services and products.

"What's fun about many new businesses in Lawrenceville is that they sell unique and alternative apparel," says Maya Haptas Henry from the Lawrenceville Corporation.

Common Thread, as well as the recently opened Ambiance Boutique, benefits charity through resale shopping; Body Shop Tattoo sells body apparel in addition to body art; Wildcard sells creative accessories, tees and garments (including funky Pirates gear) in addition to its cards and crafts; and Pageboy Salon & Boutique sells custom vintage and DIY creations… as well as trendy haircuts.

These new businesses join Lawrenceville shopping mainstays such as Sugar, Pavement, Divertido and Equita.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Maya Haptas Henry, Lawrenceville Corporation

Image courtesy Lawrenceville Corporation

After 14 years in the San Francisco Bay Area and a short stopover in Buffalo, NY, Art Noose--yes, that is her name--moved to Pittsburgh on a whim in fall 2007, and she's looking to stay. "I realized I want to live in city where people are excited about being here," she says. "That's what makes Pittsburgh different than other cities."

There are tons of vacant homes in Upper Lawrenceville, where Art Noose now resides as part of the New York Times-noted Cyberpunk Apocalypse writers' collective--and many of the properties start at just $4,000. So Art Noose posted a video to online funding platform Kickstarter stating, "I wanna buy a house, and I need your help."

In about a week, the project's already got 41 backers, and has almost $2,000 toward the $4,000 total goal. People are also offering nonfinancial assistance, such as carpentry skills.

"I come from this DIY background where things are done by having benefit shows and bake sales. And when a house is $4,000 it's actually possible to buy it with a bake sale, or a many bake sales," Art Noose says. "You have to get creative with fundraising."

Art Noose wants a house not only as a personal home, but also as a studio space. She's produced her zine Ker-bloom! entirely on a letterpress printer for some 13 years, and is looking for a space where she can settle in with all her equipment, and also educate folks who want to learn the craft, which has been around since the 15th century.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Art Noose

Image courtesy of Art Noose/Kickstarter

PBT acquired the building in November 2009 for under $300,000. Renovations are anticipated to cost more than $600,000. Jendoco is the general contractor, and the project is designed by Fukui Architects, where one of the architects is also a parent to a PBT School student.

The project will integrate, for the first time, a sustainable housing component into the PBT School. Currently, out-of-town PBT students stay with host families throughout the city. Of the 21 current fulltime high school students, 16 are from out-of-state, says Aaron Rinsema with the PBT School.

"The students and their family recognize that the PBT School is a destination institution where they can advance their ballet training," says Rinsema. "The student housing continues to advance the concept that Pittsburgh, as a city, is a destination place for so many great artists and athletes."

The three-story, 7,000-square-foot property is located at 3501 Liberty Avenue, less than one mile from the PBT studios in the Strip District. The building was the former rectory for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, which is now the Church Brew Works restaurant. The property has been used for many years as housing for social services organizations, including Familylinks, says Rinsema

PBT hopes to complete renovations in time to house students for its 2010 Intensive Summer Program, which begins in June.

The dormitory is part of a $1.5 million capital project, which incorporates other organizational enhancements and is funded by a $750,000 allocation from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, and matched by contributions from Allegheny Regional Asset District, The Byham Charitable Foundation, The Adams Foundation, The Wagner Family Charitable Trust, and anonymous funders.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Aaron Rinsema, PBT School operations director

Photograph courtesy of PBT

The lease started on February 1, and Bike Pittsburgh is now about 85 percent finished with the relocation, says Executive Director Scott Bricker.

The nonprofit is excited to be in not just a larger office, but also in an office that is more easily bikeable and walkable for many of its 1,100 members. The 1,300-square-foot building is located at the gateway to Lawrenceville, with easy access to the Strip District, Downtown, Lawrenceville and Bloomfield.

The building is recognizable as the former iconic Turner Detective Agency--the sign of which now resides upstairs at Bike Pittsburgh's office. Before housing the Turner Detective Agency, the building was occupied by the Junction Coal and Coke Company.

Bike Pittsburgh, which has been around for about eight years, operated for the previous five years out of the River Walk Corporate Centre on the South Side, in a 1,000-square-foot space shared with two other nonprofits (Friends of the Riverfront and Allegheny CleanWays).

"We were limited in what we could do with that space," says Bricker. "We simply outgrew it."

The new office will enable Bike Pittsburgh to host events like movie screenings, speakers and gatherings, and to better accommodate volunteer nights and large meetings.

Upcoming Bike Pittsburgh happenings include a public hearing on the City's proposed bike parking ordinance on March 9, and participating in the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. on March 9-11.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Scott Bricker, executive director, Bike Pittsburgh

Photograph courtesy of Bike Pittsburgh

The area, however, could soon be the site of a $30 mixed-use development spearheaded by October Development, which has been instrumental in reviving the North Side's Deutschtown (still known to many as the East Allegheny neighborhood). At a community meeting last week held at Enginehouse 25 on the Square, October Development leadership--along with the Lawrenceville Corporation and Lawrenceville United--presented the plan, which includes new residential, commercial, office and senior housing space along Penn Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets.

The plan, which will be done in several phases, will include about 25,000 square feet of retail, 40,000 square feet of office space, five to 30 residential units and lots of off-street, tree-lined parking.

The development team includes Bob Baumbach (residential architect), Ralph Murovich, Sr. (commercial architect), Grant Street Associates (commercial agents) and Coldwell Banker (residential agents). Al DePasquale of October Development said Dollar Bank is financing the project.

As for a timeline, DePasquale said they could start building in three to six months, but could not yet commit. Construction will depend on October Development's ability to acquire certain properties, and also on community feedback. Many community members expressed excitement about a collective vision for developing Doughboy Square, but would like to see more attention go into the design--they would like to see architecture with a "wow factor" that integrates into the area's historic aesthetic, and also speaks to Pittsburgh's role as a leader in innovative, green building.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Al DePasquale, October Development

Image of previous Doughboy Square plan courtesy of Lawrenceville Corporation, Pfaffman + Associates

The Leslie Park Pool in Lawrenceville closed in 2003. Sixteen Pittsburgh pools were decommissioned that year. Some, such as Polish Hill, have reopened, and others, such as Troy Hill, have been converted in spray parks. But Lawrenceville's Leslie Park Pool has sat vacant above Butler Street next to the Allegheny Cemetery since shuttering.

Neighborhood residents Susan Englert and Deborah Knox are now spearheading an initiative to re-imagine and redevelop the pool. Inspired by the decommissioned McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn being used as a concert venue and undergoing renovations to restore it as a swimming facility, Englert decided to stage a one-time event at the Lawrenceville pool over the summer. The inimitable Accordion Pool Party attracted lots of attention for the site, and also involved a clean-up that resulted in about 600 pounds of trash being pulled from the property.

Councilman Patrick Dowd and Duane Ashley, then-director of Pittsburgh Parks and Recreation, encouraged the friends to pursue revitalization beyond the party. "They sat us down and said you can't just do a one-time event," says Englert. "They said the pool had been largely forgotten because it sits so far back from the street, but now people will pay attention and care. They insisted we take it in front of a committee and get to support and attempt to develop it into something that will be a year-round community resource."

Two community meetings--with about 30 attendees each--took place in January, and another two are scheduled for February. The steering committee, which includes seven architects, hopes to have concrete plans by next year, and open the pool as its new use a year from then

Ideas for reuse include: Mini-golf, a flea and farmers market space, an outdoor cinema, and a wedding and events venue. There's also the option of using the pool, quite simply, as a pool (whether that means covered and heated, or retrofitted with a pool insert, or something else altogether remains to be determined).

The next Leslie Park Pool meetings are: Feb. 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m. St. Matthew's/St. Kieran Hall, 5322 Carnegie St.; and Feb. 21, noon-2 p.m. at the Stephen Foster Center, 286 Main St.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Susan Englert and Deborah Knox

Image courtesy of Susan Englert

Opening in early November, Eye Candy, at 5126 Butler St., provides full optician services as well as customized fittings and the choice of about 500 handmade glasses frames.

Where most opticians' offices and eyewear retailers resemble medical suites, Eye Candy feels more like a designer boutique. The walls are a rich raspberry and floors a polished wood, Regina Spektor's latest piano-pop album plays softly in the background, and a decadent chandelier illuminates the shop, which is filled not with severe institutional furniture, but with delicate vintage pieces that harbor frames unlike anything you'd find at a chain.

Eye Candy sells what optician Katie Bulger calls "elite" eyewear lines: Lafont from Paris, Grotesque from Germany, Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses from London and Hoffmann natural horn that will hold up over the years far better than anything plastic (can you say "sustainability?"). Eye Candy's frames are hand-cut filigree, colorful layered plastics and heavy plastic cat eyes, and there's even a children's corner, inspired by owner Monica George Krasinsky's young son. Frames start at around $300, and can run well over $1,000 a pair. Eye Candy provides full optician services, and is planning to add an opthamologist (the owner's husband, actually) a couple days a week down the line.

Eye Candy's frames are not lined up for customers to handle at their will. Instead, they're tucked away. Sit, have a cup of something steamy, and tell optician Katie Bulger what you want. She'll pull what you think suits you, and even some surprises. Bulger, a board-certified optician with 10 years experience, has also owned and operated Sugar boutique, at 3703 Butler St., for the last three years. She sees Upper Lawrenceville now as what Lower Lawrenceville was four years ago: On its way up, filled with emerging galleries, bars and boutiques, with room for more.

In part, that's why Monica George Krasinsky opened Eye Candy. The fulltime nurse anesthetist has always loved designer eyewear, so there's that, but also, she wanted to get in on the Lawrenceville action. She bought the building where Eye Candy is located, totally renovated it, and opened Eye Candy. There's still a storefront available next to Eye Candy (though Bulger hints there might be an announcement soon about a retailer moving in), and of the two freshly rehabbed one-bedroom apartments upstairs, one is still available for rent.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Katie Bulger and Monica George Krasinsky, Eye Candy

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

"Tour" may be too structured a term for what the event really is, though: It's less of a guided excursion, and more of a four-day long, neighborhood-wide festival that celebrates treats of the culinary and consumer kinds.

The cookie tour is about providing a mall alternative to holiday shoppers. Participating shops, galleries and eateries include established Lawrenceville staples (Piccolo Forno, Arsenal Bowling Lanes, Divertido), as well as newer establishments (Espresso a Mano, Wildcard, Ambiance Boutique). Each of the 21 participating shops will feature a different cookie baked by Bernadette Ogurchak of Heaven's Scent Pastries in Forest Hills.

The tour is also about promoting Lawrenceville's business district as an eating, drinking and shopping destination.

"Many people come to the neighborhood for the cookie tour, and then come back to their favorite places," says Nadia Diboun with the Lawrenceville Corporation. "Over the past 10 years, we've seen an increase of sales during the cookie tour. It promotes the neighborhood regionally."

The tour began in 1997 as a holiday open house at Jay Design Soaps & Gifts, and has grown to a business district-wide event that organizers anticipate will draw more than 3,000 attendees.

The tour occurs Thurs., Dec. 3 through Sun., Dec. 6. Special events on Saturday include a trolley running the expanse of Butler Street from 34th to 55th Streets, as well as the Cookie Mall bake sale 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Augustine's Church, at 37th and Butler Streets. The bake sale, organized by the Lawrenceville Rotary, benefits local community groups, including Friends of the Lawrenceville Library, Lawrenceville United and St. John Neumann School.

The Joy of Cookies Cookie Tour is sponsored by the Lawrenceville Corporation, the Mainstreets Pittsburgh program, PNC Bank, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh City Paper, Lawrenceville Rotary and the Joy of Cookies Cookie Tour Planning Committee.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Nadia Diboun, Lawrenceville Corporation

Photograph courtesy of Nadia Diboun

PBT's new building is at 3501 Liberty Ave., about a half mile from PBT's Strip District studios. The building was purchased for under $300,000, and will receive about $600,000 worth of renovations, says Harris Ferris, PBT's executive director. Future dormitory is part of a $1.5 million project to increase the school's capacity and its ability to complete internationally for the most talented students.

The project will integrate, for the first time, a sustainable housing component to the PBT School. Currently, out-of-town PBT students stay with host families throughout the city. Of the 34 high school students enrolled in PBT's fulltime program, 15 are currently housed with host families.

PBT's new property was the former rectory for St. John the Baptist Church, which is now the Church Brew Works restaurant. The three-story, 7,000-square-foot building will be renovated to create housing for as many as 16 high-school-aged students, plus a full-time resident advisor. PBT hopes to complete renovations by June 2010.

PBT's other future development plans, according to Ferris, include making improvements to the facility at 2900 Liberty Ave., such as new studio floors, expanded parking, exterior landscaping and even a conditioning area for Pittsburghers looking to use dance as a method of core training.

The PBT building acquisition is funded by a $750,000 allocation from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which was matched by contributions from Allegheny Regional Asset District, the Byham Charitable Foundation, the Adams Foundation, the Wagner Family Charitable Trust and anonymous funders.

CLO's new property is a 68,000-square-foot building at 997 Sherosky Way in Springdale that it purchased for $1.1 million. The property, which was formerly home to Fortco Plastics, will house CLO's Construction Center. Occupancy is expected by the end of March 2010.

CLO has bee, leasing a space for about a dozen years at 403 Bingham St. on the South Side for set construction and storage. It maintains its administrative offices Downtown in the Benedum Center, where it also puts on most of its performances.

"The decision to own rather than lease gives us that much more security as we move forward," says Jim Mercer, general manager of CLO. "We don't see it as growth, though, because its impact on the budget will be neutral. It's not going to cost us any more on an annual basis to own rather than lease."

Tom McCaffrey, SIOR, an industrial broker with Grant Street Associates, represented CLO in the transaction. Gene Galiardi and Scott Long of Pennsylvania Commercial Real Estate represented the building's owner.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Harris Ferris, PBT; Jim Mercer, CLO; Tom McCaffrey, Grant Street Associates

Photograph of Mame production courtesy of CLO

How does he do it?

"I don't watch TV and my social life is my work," Devine says. "That, and Pittsburgh is a city where you can afford your dreams."

Devine moved from Ohio to Pittsburgh in 2001, then bounced around the country (Seattle, El Paso, Portland) with wife Julie before returning to Pittsburgh in 2006 and opening Zombo Gallery at 4900 Hatfield St. in Lawrenceville's Ninth Ward. He bought the 200-something-year-old building for less than $50,000 ("the price of a mobile home on the West Coast"), worked on renovations with contractor John Popinksi, and now uses it as a true live-work space. The first floor has the gallery as well as massage therapy offices (both Michael and Julie are certified); the basement's where's the screeprinting shop is; and the couple lives on the second and third floors.

The gallery now doubles as a fashion boutique. All current show artwork will remain on display during store hours, and all clothing racks will be wheeled out for art opening and closing receptions. Devine says he was inspired to create Wear It Clothing Co. after being approached by Kendall Bieselt who works at the nearby Remedy Restaurant and Lounge.

Wear It Clothing Co. features affordable, retro and locally designed men's and women's clothing and accessories by a variety of local designers and collectors. There are 10 racks, each rented to a different vendor. Wares include modified vintage by Buttercup Blues, corsets by local seamstress Zoe Collins, newer retro stuff by Amanda Manol (who runs Spookshows at the Thunderbird Cafe) and, of course, screenprinted tees by Devine.

Zombo Gallery will host a grand opening for the Wear It Clothing Co. on Thur., Nov. 12 at 6 p.m.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Michael Devine, Zombo Gallery/ Wear It Clothing Co.

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

Most hotels cost about $100 a night, says Katherine Camp, which can be a lot for budget-conscious travelers. These travelers used to have the option of checking into the Pittsburgh International Hostel, in the city's Allentown neighborhood, but that facility closed in 2003 due, in part, to problems with its size (too large) and location (too far removed from hotspots).

The Pittsburgh Hostel Project is trying to bring back the hostel option. Led by Camp (a planner at East Liberty Development, Inc.), her fellow CORO classmate Tony Lodico, Sarah Papperman and Venture Outdoors program coordinator Lora Woodward, the organization formed about a year ago with the mission to "provide high-quality, community-oriented accommodations, allowing budget-minded travelers to enjoy Pittsburgh." The Pittsburgh Hostel Project held a successful fundraiser at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern in July 2009, and has more than 600 Facebook fans. But it's still trying to find its footing regarding what the organization should look like, and more importantly, what the hostel should look like and where it should be.

"A hostel is a lagging, not leading, indicator of a successful young neighborhood," says group organizer Lodico. Allentown, therefore, many not have been the best spot for such a facility, but Lawrenceville or the Strip District--with their bustling nightlife and easy access to public transportation--could be.

The group hosted a potluck Sunday night to encourage dialogue and find new directions. About a dozen participants attended, ranging from group organizers, to developers pitching properties and strategies, to Burgh-based travel junkies offering up anecdotes and suggestions for the kind of place they'd want to stay.

What emerged over shared cookies, pie and pita was the idea that a hostel offers a very unique service to a city. It attracts a different kind of traveler (one who'd be more eager to try an Iron City at Gooski's than a martini as Olive or Twist, perhaps), and through its communal spaces, it engages these travelers in different kinds of conversations than those most hotel-goers have with their concierge.

Most mid-size Rust Belt cities, with the exception of Cleveland, do not have hostels, the Pittsburgh Hostel Project organizers say, so it could be up to Pittsburgh to lead the way.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Katherine Camp, Tony Lodico and Sarah Papperman, Pittsburgh Hostel Project

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

"We shake our head when we have to lock to a trash can, and joke, 'Ah, the indignity of bike commuting,'" says Bike Pittsburgh director Scott Bricker.

Now, with the addition of 200 more bike racks throughout the city, dignified bike parking opportunities will just about double, says Bricker. Each rack has parking for two bikes, meaning that there will be 400 more bike parking spaces throughout Pittsburgh.

The City officially launched the Small Business Bicycle Rack Program last week with the installation of a rack in front of Enrico Biscotti in the Strip District. The Small Business Bike Rack Program was created through a collaboration of Bike Pittsburgh and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's Taking Care of Business Districts Program, which " aims to revitalize business districts through targeting City services and providing resources for small business owners and the residents who frequent those neighborhood lifelines," according to the City.

The City will install bike racks in the Strip District, Bloomfield, South Side, Polish Hill, Squirrel Hill, Carrick, Lawrenceville, Friendship, Garfield, Shadyside and Brookline, and will install more upon request and evaluation. Businesses can request bike racks online at www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us. Requests will be assessed by the City's Bike Ped Coorinator.

The bike racks are in the same style as the original Bike Pittsburgh Three Rivers model, designed by Wall-to-Wall Studios and made locally by Red Star Ironworks. The new racks were manufactured by Dero Bike Rack Co., from Minneapolis, Minn for $251 per rack. The total cost of the bike rack program is $25,100 and will be paid for from the City's Taking Care of Business budget which consists of $850,000 in grant money from the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Bike Pittsburgh donated 100 racks through support from Richard King Mellon Foundation and William Benter Foundation.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Scott Bricker, Bike Pittsburgh; Joanna Doven, City of Pittsburgh

Photograph courtesy City of Pittsburgh

WildCard, masterminded by Shaler native and Lawrenceville resident Rebecca Morris, specializes in cards, paper and stationary, as well as bags, buttons, jewelry, T-shirts, books, craft supplies and more. Plus, there's original and vintage art on display and for-sale.

Morris, who has a background in city government, left Pittsburgh for a few years ago to learn the retail ropes at Paper Boy in Chicago. She says she and her husband both wanted to "get a new perspective, and bring it back to Pittsburgh."

The look and feel of the shop in-and-of itself is a work of art. Located at 4209 Butler St., half a block down from the freshly re-hatched Istanbul restaurant, WildCard's interior is as dynamic as its merchandise. Designed and constructed by Andrew Moss at mossArchitects and Morris' husband, Brian Mendelssohn, of Botero Development, the space features impossibly high ceilings (original tin, of course), exposed brick walls and distinctive flooring solutions--the back of the ground-level shop is made of wood joists relocated from the upstairs area, and the front floors are essentially wooden beams sliced thin and arranged like tiles. The effect is simultaneously organic and innovative.

Mendelssohn has created two two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments above the shop, which are renting for $1,900 a month. Almost 15 percent of the building materials were reused from the building itself, and the residences contain many other green features, as well as roof-decks with clear views to Downtown.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Rebecca Morris, WildCard; Brian Mendelssohn, Botero Development

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

Yes, some routes are being cut, and yes, some fares are being raised, but Heather Pharo from Port Authority explains how these changes are being put into place to increase ridership and efficiency. Duplicate and underused routes are the only ones being eliminated; and these cuts, she says, are enabling Port Authority to add trips, increase hours of operation and simplify service for the routes are in-demand. Just 0.04% of routes are being totally eliminated; nearby alternatives exists for the other 10.1% that are being cut, according to Port Authority.

"The Port Authority system hasn't seen real service changes since the beginning," says Pharo. "We've had the same route system in Allegheny County for decades. Certainly Allegheny County has changed, the population has shifted. The purpose of the plan is to better match service to demand to serve people where they live today."

Some of brand-new routes include busses connecting neighborhoods that are up-and-coming and heavily student-populated with key centers of work and play. Lawrenceville, for instance, figures heavily into the new route plans. A new bus will connect Lawrenceville to the Waterfront at Homestead, with stops along the way in Bloomfield, Squirrel Hill and Shadyside; another a new bus will connect Lawrenceville directly to Oakland, which will enable students to live in the area rather than around campus; and yet another bus will travel directly between Shadyside and the South Side, without the traditional transfer in Oakland.

Other route changes include the introduction of rapid busses, described by Pharo as "like a light rail on rubber tires," between Pittsburgh's major employment centers, Oakland and Downtown, and to and from the airport (when you're trying to catch a flight, that 28X stop at Robinson Town Center can be a real time-suck, says Pharo).

In terms of the fare increase, the $2 base fare in Zone 1 will not change, and the Zone 2 fare will increase from $2.60 to $2.75. Transfers will cost 75 cents (up from 25), and prices of monthly and annual passes will rise.

Fares will increase starting January 1, and the other changes will start to go into effect in March 2010.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Heather Pharo, Port Authority of Allegheny County

Photograph courtesy of Port Authority of Allegheny County

So when owners Andrew Watson and AJ Schaeffer made it known they were looking to sell the business, Istanbul Grille owner Coskun "Josh" Gokalp and manager Mindy Adleff knew they stumbled upon the perfect opportunity. Gokalp's been operating his Downtown grab-and-go Istanbul Grille location as his only location since this spring, when he shuttered his Shadyside spot. He was looking to expand to a sit-down space, and Lawrenceville, where manager Adleff lives and the couple spends much of their time, seemed (and still seems, they say) like the best place to do that.

Gokalp took over Your Inner Vagabond mid-October and renamed it Istanbul. Istanbul, much like Your Inner Vagabond before it, operates as a hybrid eatery and performance space, and is still BYOB. Much of the original decor remains, including the back "harem" room with the stage. The front room, which used to be full of sofa seating and low tables, is now an official dining space with tons of comfortable booths. The menu changes daily, and features Turkish delights such as a creamy mushroom and pea salad with dill, a subtle baba ganoush, a whole goat and grilled eggplant with the slightest hint of mint. Coffee comes from Fortunes in the Strip District, and Adleff says she's looking to add more global beverages, such as bubble tea and Vietnamese coffee. The space doesn't have a full kitchen, so Gokalp makes everything fresh Downtown, and the food is finished and served to-order in Lawrenceville.

Gokalp, who's originally from Turkey, moved to Pittsburgh from New York City about four years ago, and says he couldn't be happier here.

"In Pittsburgh, people are still hungry for everything," Gokalp says. "Pittsburgh is growing fast and there are niches to be filled."

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Coskun Gokalp and Mindy Adleff, Istanbul

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

When the then-couple decided to renovate their Highland Park home--which has been in Glosser's family since 1942--they knew they wanted the renovations to be as eco-conscious as possible to reflect their personal and professional passions. Rosenthal's a PR specialist who worked as the first development director of the Pittsburgh Glass Center, and Glosser is a community activist most recently involved in the Three Rivers Climate Convergence around the G-20 summit.

"We were looking to make a healthy house for individuals living there and for the planet," says Glosser. "Homes are routinely built with materials that use toxins, which contribute to a variety of illnesses. So that's one part of it. It's also that we have one planet and we're using it up, and if we don't make some changes we're going doing to see terrible climate change and deforestation."

The renovations, designed by architect Stuart Horne of Seigle, Solow & Horne, were completed between 2006 and 2007 with the help of Lawrenceville-based Artemis Environmental Building Products.

The five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home balances the best in green living technology with the most up-to-date in opulence. Luxury touches include a first-floor open plan; a gourmet kitchen with a 14-foot island and Italian glass tile wall treatments; a three-story glass sculpture by Pennsylvania artist Ben Cunningham; and an extra deep air-jet bathtub.

In terms of green elements, there are far too many to name, but some standouts include the use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as formaldehyde-free bamboo, Paperstone (a soap-stone-like material made of recycled paper and organic resins) and Isynene (an environmentally friendly closed-cell co-polymer foam used to insulate the exterior and interior walls and ceilings). All the heating and cooling is energy-efficient, of course, and all products used are formaldehyde-free with zero to low-levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. And the main roof is made of eco-friendly synthetic tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes, with a 50-year warranty.

The home is located at 1422 Greystone Dr., on a quiet cul-de-sac near Highland Park's Bryant Street commercial district, and is listed at $589,000 through Coldwell Banker.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Nathaniel Glosser, Lissa Rosenthal

Photograph courtesy Nathaniel Glosser and Lissa Rosenthal

It's art in which we live, work and play. Art that occupies every corner of our city, and the curves that crawl around the region. It's art that is tied to the past and the future, that at its best, is innovative and inspirational. It's art that has positioned Pittsburgh as a global leader in sustainability and green building.

Architecture is integral to Pittsburgh's growth, development and beauty, and its stars--the people and places that inspire and shape the city--are being honored at Design Pittsburgh, AIA's annual event.

This year's competition features submissions in the categories of architecture, architectural detail, interior architecture, open plan, regional & urban design, landscape architecture and "timeless," a grouping for projects built in the last 25 years. Though the winners will not be announced until Thursday night, nominations include Astorino (Children's Hospital), DRS (Duquesne University Power Center), EDGE studio (CMU's Tepper School of Business addition), Bergman, Walls & Associates/Strada (Rivers Casino), moss Architects (the Silver Top House on the South Side) and Perkins Eastman (East Liberty's green vision).

This year's Design Pittsburgh will also honor Rebecca Flora with a Gold Medal, a special award bestowed to a non-architect who makes a difference in the region. Past winners have included Teresa Heinz, and Children's Museum Executive Director Jane Werner. Flora, a founding member of the Green Building Alliance, now serves as senior vice president of education and research at the U.S. Green Building Council. She is credited with changing the culture of Pittsburgh to recognize and celebrate sustainability, says Chip Desmone, president of AIA Pittsburgh and principal at Desmone & Associates, which was voted "Best Architect of 2009" by the readers of Pittsburgh Magazine.

Design Pittsburgh includes an exhibit that is open to the public Oct. 20 and 21 at the August Wilson Center, as well as a juried competition, a People's Choice Award and a gala and ceremony on Thurs., Oct. 22.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Anne Swager, AIA Pittsburgh; Chip Desmone, Desmone & Associates

Photograph of Children's Hospital courtesy of AIA Pittsburgh

Paris66, which opened in East Liberty over the summer, attracts crowds morning, noon and night for its authentic French fare; Crepes Parisiennes packs both its Shadyside and Oakland locations for its savory and sweet treats; and now J'eet, which opened late last week, is bringing French-infused California cafe cuisine to Lawrenceville.

The cafe, at 4200 Penn Ave., balances cozy and chic with no-nonsense dishes (sandwiches, salads, crepes and coffee) and a casual, tongue-in-cheek vibe that's accessible to Wi-Fi-seeking neighborhood residents as well as the on-the-go Children's Hospital crowd from across the street. The ingredients are fresh and predominately local, and the combinations, by chef Kevin Olmstead, are sophisticated. For instance, the turkey sandwich features smoked Gouda and fig jam, and there's a dessert crepe made with mint, honey and candied walnuts.

J'eet's sunlit space was vacant for about two decades before cafe owner Marc Stern completely renovated it. The Pittsburgh native, who worked as an actor in California for many years before boomeranging back, added plumbing (there was none), a garage-front facade, gleaming hardwood floors and a full--if compact--kitchen, and is planning on a back deck by the spring. And J'eet, a play on Pittsburghese for "did-ya-eat," is presided over by a whimsical mural of what may very well be a donkey-headed, book-toting hipster, painted by Stern's brother and sister-in-law, who own area staple the Brillobox a couple doors down on Penn.

The brothers now share an office over the Brillobox, and Marc credits Eric's Brillobox success as encouragement in first restaurant venture. But the real inspiration, Stern says, is Lawrenceville itself, which is located at the intersection of so many of Pittsburgh's up-and-coming neighborhoods, and is home to some of the city's most creative, food-loving types, including Stern himself.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Marc Stern and Kevin Olmstead, J'eet

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

Asylum Coffee Bar, which opened Saturday morning at 1919 Forbes Ave., serves coffee and espresso drinks, teas and some uniquely Pittsburgh treats.

The cafe originally announced its opening in July, but delayed several months due to zoning issues that have now been resolved.

Asylum uses beans from Iron Star Roasting Company, the wholesale branch of the Coffee Tree, which has locations in Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Fox Chapel and Mt. Lebanon. Asylum's menu also features prepared wraps, sandwiches and salads, including vegan options; baked goods and desserts from the rapidly expanding sweets empire Dozen Bake Shop; Spanish pies by Pittsburgher Daniel Aguera, who also sells his pies at Espresso A Mano in Lawrenceville; and water and energy drinks by Pittsburgh-based GIVE, which donates $.10 from every can or bottle to a charity.

Asylum's 700-square-foot space, which includes a sidewalk patio and garage-front, feels more of-the-moment bar than typical corner cafe. It's got a 40" LCD HDTV and a wall-mounted gas fireplace. The walls are exposed brick, the floor poured concrete and the coffee bar a sleek metal. Pieces by local artists are on display and for sale.

Asylum is connected to River City Flats, a 32,000-square-foot, 12-unit residential loft building owned by Asylum co-founder Chip Fetrow. Fetrow acquired and renovated the former linen factory in 2003. All apartments are currently occupied and rent for $750 to $1,050 per month.

"This neighborhood doesn't have a lot of residents, and most coffee chops survive on pedestrian traffic," says Fetrow. "But the Fifth and Forbes corridor sees thousands of people driving to Downtown for work every day, so we're planning on doing curbside service down the line to reach those customers."

General manager Matt Hoover, who lives in a loft above the coffee house, says Asylum is not just for commuters--it's a "safe haven of sort" for Uptown residents, including himself.

"In a neighborhood like Uptown, people are looking for somewhere to come together and bring about ideas of change and revitalization," says Hoover. "They need a meeting place, and we want to be that place."

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Matt Hoover, general manager, co-founder, and Chip Fetrow, co-founder, Asylum Coffee Bar

Photograph courtesy of Asylum Coffee House

Restaurant supply company Dean Supply opened in June, and hosted its grand opening over the weekend at 3300 Penn Ave., on the Lawrenceville-side of the Strip District, across the street from vintage shop Hollywood Rag, which opened last month.

Dean Supply offers thousands of items, such as closeouts, china, glassware, flatware, party supplies, paper products, janitorial supplies, kitchen utensils, smallwares and new and used equipment. It is open to the food service industry as well as the public, and provides free customer parking--a rarity in the Strip.

"After one visit, you'll never both going to a 'party store' ever again. The low prices and high quality guarantee that your parties will be kicked up a notch," says Cindy Helffrich from Neighbors in the Strip. "It's also a great place to spice up your dinnerware affordably, and to equip your home kitchen in a professional manner."

Dean Supply features a 10,000-square-foot showroom, and has created 21 new jobs. Dean Supply is always accepting applications from qualified individuals, says co-owner Matt Cozza.

Dean Supply is owned and operated by brothers Craig and Matt Cozza, and Dennis Savinda. It is located in a property that previously housed a restaurant supply shop. That business--Lewis Brothers--was founded in 1937 and closed about a year ago. Unlike Dean Supply, Lewis Brothers was not accessible to the public. The Cozza brothers did extensive renovations to make the space more visitor-friendly. Dean Supply still employs many of Lewis Brothers' experienced managers and staff.

Dean Supply has a license through Dean Supply of Cleveland, which enables the store to purchase items at a significant discount over retail prices, and pass the savings onto the customers, says Cozza.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Cindy Helffrich, Neighbors in the Strip; Matt Cozza, Dean Supply

Photography copyright Caralyn Green

The consignment shop, located at 4735 Butler St., offers high-end labels at affordable prices. It opened late-September in a 2,200-square-foot space--with glossy hardwood floods and classic tin ceilings--formerly occupied by The Framery, which moved within the past year to 3627 Butler St. in Lower Lawrenceville.

Kelly Pezze, Ambiance's director of retail operations, says most goods are priced at 50 to 75 percent off retail, but hints there are even better deals to be found--a $2,500 John Galliano gown for $350, for instance.

And the best part? Ambiance is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bethlehem Haven, a nonprofit organization that supports homeless women through emergency shelter, transitional housing and medical, dental, obstetrics and mental health services; and provides employment services to women in the Pittsburgh area.

Bethlehem Haven purchased the original Ambiance consignment shop in Regent Square in 2004 as a social enterprise. That shop was so successful that in 2006, Bethlehem Haven opened a second location in Oakmont. And about six months ago, Bethlehem Haven made the decision to open a third shop in Lawrenceville, which Pezze says feels like "a secret little place in the city with all the best boutiques and restaurants." Where the Oakmont location features homewares in addition to its extensive women's clothing and accessories offerings, the Lawrenceville location includes a menswear section (standouts: Hermes ties, Gucci boots, cashmere).

After paying consignment costs and overhead fees, all revenue goes directly to Bethlehem Haven. Since opening almost six years ago, Ambiance has provided about $30,000 to the nonprofit.

Cheap and for a good cause? This is guilt-free shopping at its finest.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Kelly Pezze, director of retail operations, Ambiance

Photography copyright Caralyn Green

EverPower, which was founded in 2002, describes itself as "a developer of utility-grade wind projects, seeking to acquire and develop large scale projects."

The 6,600-square-foot offices are located in the second floor of the Chocolate Factory, a 71,000-sqare-foot Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC) property on 43rd Street across from the Ice House Artist Studios, where the Lawrenceville Corporation relocated in August. Other tenants of the Chocolate Factory include Seegrid Corporation and RedZone Robotics. Both the Ice House and the Chocolate Factory are in close proximity to Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center, making this area of Lawrenceville an innovation hub, while Butler Street blossoms into an eating, shopping and nightlife destination.

At an open house celebration on Monday, EverPower CEO Jim Spencer, a Pittsburgh native, said the company expanded to the Pittsburgh market for several reasons, including access to top engineering talent at Pitt and CMU; the low cost of doing business and of living for employees; and the city's central location to key wind farm projects in Johnstown, Pa., Ohio and upstate New York.

"We see strong opportunities for future partnerships leveraging the regional interest in building up a clean economy with Pittsburgh as the hub," Spencer said.

Spencer said EverPower currently employs six at the Chocolate Factory office, and will expand to 15 within the first year of operation, with plans to employ as many as 35.

At Monday's event, U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny Conference Executive Vice President Kathryn Zuberbuhler Klaber welcomed EverPower as a new leader in a city that is already committed to sustainable energy solutions.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Philip Cynar, Allegheny Conference on Community Development; Jim Spencer, CEO, EverPower

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

Buy-sell-trade shop Hollywood Rag opened, under the tutelage of Josh Freedman, in late August in a 750-square-foot space on the Lawrenceville edge of the Strip District.

When Strip District resident Freedman first got into the Penn Ave. space, he was running Freedman Capital Group, a mortgage brokerage firm that employed 17 and closed between $4 and $6 million a month across the U.S. The economy being what it is, Freedman shut down and let everyone go in August 2008, and decided to convert the office into an art gallery. Freebird Gallery hosted one show in October 2008. The show--by Emmeric James Konrad, who painted all the tables and walls at Lawrenceville's Remedy Restaurant and Lounge--sold out.

After executing the Freebird Gallery concept, Freedman set off on a cross-country trip, hitting all the major cities, and getting ideas for what to do next. The one thing that popped out?

"All major cities have great vintage shops," says Freedman.

Taking inspiration from thrift chain Buffalo Exchange, Freedman converted the once-office, once-gallery into Hollywood Rag, the kind of place where high-quality clothes and accessories are cheap and plentiful, and you can turn a profit on your gently worn wardrobe. Right now, Freedman's giving store credit on goods, but will start to deal in cash in a few months.

Down the line, Freedman sees himself establishing a cool laundromat-café, inspired by San Francisco's BrainWash, in the vacant storefront next door.

"Right now, there's no connection between the Strip and Lawrencville," says Freedman, who's trying to change that.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Josh Freedman, Hollywood Rag

Photograph copyright Caralyn Green

And when Ziller was trying to decide how to spruce up these abandoned and neglected properties, he turned to local fellow Andy Warhol for inspiration. Warhol's recognizable Flowers--both buoyantly cheerful and deeply meaningful for the city--now embellish the boarded up windows of two vacant buildings, and will soon brighten up more.

On his own, Ziller has beautified properties in Uptown and Lawrenceville--at the foot of the Birmingham Bridge, and at the corner of 40th and Butler Streets, respectively. And now that his Pittsburgh Beautification Project has received a Sprout Fund Seed Award, Ziller is reaching out to community development groups for approval for more properties, and getting the communities involved in the quick, cost-free public art projects.

Ziller is holding events where participants will be painting Warhol's Flowers on donated chipboard (reused from the Sprout Fund's Hothouse party), which will be premeasured to fit the windows of buildings slated for beautification. The paintings will then be professionally installed to full City Code in time for the G-20 summit.

"The G-20 is a good incentive for community groups," says Ziller. "I had this in mind before the G-20, but the summit has provided the kind of push the city needs to make some changes that make Pittsburgh more presentable to outsiders."

Painting parties will be held at the former Red Star Iron Works garage at 4800 Penn Ave. in Friendship/Garfield, at the following times: Fri., Sept. 4, 7 p.m.-midnight; Sat. and Sun., Sept. 5-6, noon-6 p.m.; and Sat. and Sun., Sept. 12-13, noon-6 p.m.

For questions, suggestions or to participate, please email Bob Ziller or call 412-606-1220.

Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Bob Ziller, Pittsburgh Beautification Project

Photograph courtesy Pittsburgh Beautification Project

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) has opened the first center to cater to Latino families in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Latino Family Center, which has a membership of some 50 families, opened in July at the corner of Murray and Phillips Avenues in Squirrel Hill, a block down from the new Crazy Mocha. The center, which has two staff members and a three-year budget of $300,000, runs with the help of grants from Allegheny County and the Heinz Endowments.

The facility is accessible by five bus lines and is convenient to areas with large Latino populations, such as Beechview, Oakland and Lawrenceville, says Sarah McCluan with AIU.

"About a year ago a group of Latino families approached the county and proposed a family center," says McCluan. "At that time AIU had 11 family centers in the county, but none specifically geared toward Spanish-speaking families."

According to census figures, there were more than 25,000 people of Hispanic or Latino origin in Pittsburgh metropolitan area in 2007, and Latinos make up the fastest growing demographic in the state. The Hispanic Center on the North Side helps area Latinos, but is focused primarily on career services for adults. The Latino Family Center, however, reaches out to all ages. It offers English literacy programs for parents and kids, advice on health care resources, parent support groups and more.

"Services are family-driven, and depend on what families need," says McCluan. "The point of the center is to help families be strong and successful, stay intact and raise healthy children."

Writer: Caralyn Green

Source: Sarah McCluan, Allegheny Intermediate Unit