Cruising Carnegie

From the early days of Pirates shortstop Honus Wagner playing ball for the Superior Steel Company, to former Bears coach Mike Ditka, Carnegie embraces its native sons, even some that weren't born and raised there like its namesake, the famed industrialist Andrew.

The year was 1894 and local leaders were debating a merger of two boroughs, Chartiers and Mansfield. Locals sought the help of Andrew Carnegie and he agreed on one condition: That the new town take his name. So Carnegie was born and, as part of the deal, Mr. Carnegie purchased a large parcel of land for a magnificent library, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, a focal point of the town, one of only four libraries in America endowed by him and the only one to bear his full name.

The Carnegie Carnegie as it is called, is a 106-year-old historic landmark facility. Considered a superb example of Beaux Arts architecture, it is sited in a park-like setting overlooking Carnegie's main street. Today it's in the midst of a capital campaign that is halfway to its $8.6 M goal, an effort that has attracted a star-studded cast of celebrities and foundations who are helping to make it a cultural jewel of the Chartiers Valley.

In addition to the library, the Carnegie Carnegie houses a 500+ seat acoustically superb music hall with mahogany seats and an elegant foyer. The library contains 20,000 volumes rich in local history and genealogy and there's a gymnasium, meeting rooms and a true national treasure, the Captain Thomas Espy Post of the Grand Army of the Republic.  Here veterans of the Civil War met for 30 years and left behind invaluable memorabilia and relics.

The spirit of people of Carnegie was never more evident than in the final days of a community challenge that launched the capital campaign in 2004; $500,000 in community support was needed to secure a matching grant. The sadly deteriorating structure had suffered from years of water damage and neglect and leaders wondered if the community could or would meet the challenge. Two weeks after Hurricane Ivan submerged the town in September, the people of Carnegie rallied to contribute $65,000 to meet and exceed the goal and the campaign was off and running.

It's that kind of spirit that keeps Carnegie coming back.

The Carnegie Carnegie offers a year-round calendar of cultural events, attracting some of the region's best entertainment. The Duquesne University Opera Workshop will stage Don Giovanni this spring and the Broadway hit Urinetown is scheduled for July. Stage 62, a non-profit community theatre group that could rival any troupe in New York City, may be one the town's best kept secrets.  

Down on Carnegie's tree-lined Main Street, the local story is told in the Sprout mural on Third Street, a phoenix rising from the floodwaters. The once gritty mill town is rebuilding from the last devastating flood one business at a time and, if you squint, you can overlook the boarded up windows and see its future. New shops and eateries have moved in, joining the businesses that have been mainstays for decades. Where else can you stock your vintage jukebox with great vinyl oldies and do-wop but at D&J Records, an awesome collection of more than 1 million 45s, LPs, CDs and cassettes from the '40s to the present. (Make sure to tell Beans that we sent you!) Looking for vintage diner glassware, clocks or tables? Check out Gino's Malt Shoppe Collection on Main Street.

Carnegie is a destination for antiques and collectables as well. The  new shop Azzaro's recently opened and fits right in as an upscale conseignment store. And for the sports collectors out there, there's Triple Play Sports Cards, a haven for rare and unique sports cards, and Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Store, a shop selling model vintage cars.

A local bright spot is 3rd Street Gallery, a favorite meeting place for local artists, musicians and the enlightened. The gallery features exhibitions year-round, including the work of its owner, Carnegie artist and internationally known portrait and landscape painter, Phil Salvato. At other times, Third Street is where you'll find a Himalayan Swami giving a retreat or a drumming circle. A regular attraction is the late night jazz that attracts some of the top musicians in the region. Jazz night is usually Wednesdays or Thursdays around 10 p.m., but you're best to call ahead and bring your own bottle and munchie.

Those who are in the know, know Carnegie as the place for unfussy, fabulous food. Many of the Irish, Italian, Polish, Ukrainian and Russian immigrants who first moved to this area are now third generation families who know good food and where to find it. Papa J's is a regional favorite, offering an authentic Italian fare and crusty bread baked right on the premises.

If you can forgo ambiance, try Ciaos Italian Café, another local favorite. There's homemade pastas, especially the lobster ravioli tossed in a classic tomato cream sauce with a hint of red pepper, and a mouthwatering pizza with a semolina whole-wheat flat bread crust. Paddy's Poor House offers a phenomenal Irish menu where you'll find an authentic Guinness and Shin, a steamy meat stew, along with Colcannon, Irish mashed potatoes and butter, and a great Shepherd's pie. 

Carnegie has a great breakfast spot, what locals call "the four lane highway to Barb's" at her Country Junction Café. Looking for great burgers? Babyface's Carnegie Grill and Catering offers a "monster burger menu" with 23 different varieties including the Pittsburgher, topped with a Pierogie, and the Madoo, with Buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, bacon, lettuce and tomato. Fries? They come with or without cheese or gravy.

Up for pizza? There's more than that at the Sunset Pizza and Grille. Owned by a local Turkish family, the menu also features great Mediterranean fare: hummus and gyros, a fabulous white pizza and wings that hold their own.

The food is never ending and at some point you are going to want a hot dog, right? In that case, head straight to New York Style Hot Dogs and Café for a dog that will pop in your mouth. Try the toppings, like Pittsburgh-style where you get, of course, fries on top. Say hello to the owner with the Long Island accent. By now you're thirsty and if a cup of tea sounds good, Conscious Café may have one of the most exotic loose-leaf tea selections in town. Try the premium green tea, Rose of Suzhou, a lotus flower of flavor. The conscious part of the café is its collection of books for patrons to browse, and the fact that it is owned by the Adventist Community Services, the organization that came to Carnegie to help flood victims and stayed on.  

The secret is out these days on Cefallos, the beautiful church renovated into a restaurant and nightclub. Come to dine, stay to dance with a wide floor and live entertainment on the weekends, occasionally featuring Pittsburgh's own Beatles band, a group of 50-something guys who are pulling off the sound. And when your done eating and ready for some recreation, there's Forsythe Mini Golf, known as one of the toughest miniature golf courses around. 

And for something completely different, Rivas is the only authentic Nicaraguan restaurant in the region. Opened by the Rivas family who, undeterred by the nearby creek, relocated to Carnegie after they were flooded out in Etna, Rivas' menu is in Spanish and the food is home-cooked. Mrs. Riva is known for her signature dish,  Churrasco, a broiled steak with Nicaraguan seasonings. Prefer fish? Try Camarones al ajillo, a fish flavored in a special blend of seasonings.

Carnegie may not be a real looker yet. Its true beauty is found in its people, their proud heritage, their neighborhoods and their communities of faith. Its industrial past has helped to make real estate a bargain.  Cubbage Hill, Roslyn Heights and the Park Overlook area offer charming old Victorians and Craftsman-style bungalows; with a little elbow grease these homes could be gems. Annual events like the Arts & Heritage Festival the week after Labor Day, the Car Cruise on Tuesdays in the warmer months and the Ukrainian pysanky egg sale during Holy Week at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church bring out the best of the three generations of families who have made Carnegie their home and enjoy sharing it with others. You can't keep a good town like Carnegie down. 

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Captions:

Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox G.C. Church (left) and Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Church

Maggie Forbes, Executive Director of the Carnegie Library in Carnegie, discussing renovations in progress

RCA dog and Wurlitzer juke box at D&J Records

Phil Salvato at 3rd Street Gallery

Half and half at Paddy's

New York Style Hot Dogs and Cafe

All photographs copyright Brian Cohen