Culture and Lights in Pittsburgh

I was looking for a hotel in Pittsburgh, close to the airport which would allow us to make it to our early morning flight without the crazy rush that choosing a downtown hotel would cause. After searching the Internet I decided that the Holiday Inn Express offered the correct combination of price and location.

Location was within six miles of the airport adjacent to the airport road and the price was $89 per night for the three of us. Since this rate includes free parking as well as breakfast I decided it was the perfect choice.

The Lobby of this hotel is very attractive with couches as well as a fireplace. The fireplace also opens into the dining area. Well not exactly the dining area, there is a small area with couches and computers, a relaxing business center area that is down one step and adjacent to the dining room , this is where the fireplace is located.

Pluses
The rooms are a very good size. The entire hotel is non-smoking , there are king rooms as well as rooms with two queen beds. Rooms come equipped with a desk and chair as well as free WIFI. In the corner there is a comfortable chair with a pole lamp which makes a nice spot to read. There room also had a mini fridge, microwave and coffeemaker. If you don’t want to make your own coffee the dining room has free coffee 24/7.

The bathroom was a good size with a tile floor and walls. Outside the bathroom there is a large marble topped vanity and on the opposite wall a large closet with floor to ceiling mirrors and an iron and ironing board.

Breakfast is included and consists of their famous cinnamon buns, eggs, toast, bagels, juice, coffee, tea and hot chocolate, cereal, oatmeal (make your own) and yogurt. The room is attractive with a nice open feel and wooden tables and chairs.

The hotel has a workout room and a hot tub. There is a pool but it is outdoors and so only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The interior courtyard where it is located is quite attractive.

Cons
The elevator in this hotel is located on the opposite side of the hotel from the lobby. It is what seems like an endless walk to get to it.

The breakfast is free but it is not great. Those famous cinnamon buns are so sweet your whole body will do into sugar shock and the cold cereal is sweet except for raisin bran and there is no fresh fruit. The microwave is hidden so if you want to have oatmeal you will be frustrated.

All things considered the location and the price are enough to overcome the few short coming that this hotel has. It is clean and everything in our room was in good repair. I would definitely consider staying here again for the same price I paid on this trip.

When it comes to strange names for an art museum I don’t think The Mattress Factory has much competition. Who would guess from this unique moniker that this would be such an interesting venue? The idea for this museum began over thirty years ago and has morphed into a place where invited artist produce works that they create on site. It has become one of the premier museums of installation art in the world. It is located on the north shore in a neighborhood called the Mexican War Streets which is almost an art venue in its own right.

Artist come to the museum and are provide with a place to stay and everything they need to produce their work of art. They are allowed the freedom to produce a work that expresses their own idea of art. It can take anywhere from two weeks to two months to complete a work.

There are sixteen installations in their permanent collection including works by James Turrell, Yayoi Kusama, Greer Lankton and Bill Woodrow. Every year over 30,000 people come here to participate in the experience that the museum offers. While the majority of them are local there are many who come from other parts of the US and even around the world.

What exactly is installation art? Installation art takes a space and uses the environment to create art. The visitor is drawn in and becomes almost part of the piece. Every room is an assault on at least one of the senses and often more than one.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and found that I loved this art. I realized that James Tyrell was an artist I had already been exposed to in Houston. The tunnel that connects the two different parts of the museum is one of his works. I recognized the artist immediately.

Until January 2009 in addition to the permanent pieces there is an exhibit called inner outer space. This includes works by Sarah Oppenheimer, Allison Smith, Mark Garry, Luca Buvoli, Mary Temple, Daniel Canogar, Tavares Strachan, David Ellis and Yumi Kori.

This exhibit is so out there in so many ways that it is hard to even begin to describe. The Sarah Oppenheimer piece is kept behind locked door because it includes an open hole in the floor which is large enough for a child to go through. It is the most amazing sight to see we were all mesmerized by it. As mesmerizing was Luca Buvoli's piece that does right through the window.

This museum will lead you through the dark, several of the pieces are in a dark atmosphere but you know that waiting for you somewhere there will be a flash of light or color. Yumi Kori takes you out over some water and you have to feel your way while being drawn toward the bright red ahead of you.

Come prepared to either love it or hate it but I’m guessing love is the way to go.

If you are walking in downtown Pittsburgh and are looking for somewhere to get an exceptional meal in a beautiful and relaxed atmosphere then the Sonoma Grill is definitely not your usual hotel restaurant. Located in the Courtyard by Marriott the chef owner is an award-winning chef with an extensive background in both French and nouveau California cuisine.

I began my lunch with the French onion soup. It was perfect, just the right amount of melted cheese and a wonderfully soggy crouton and one of the best broths I have ever tasted. I was impressed and I am not that easy to impress. The bread was also excellent served not with butter but with oil for dipping.

We were quite a large group and ordered a variety of items from the very extensive luncheon menu. If you are in the mood for a lighter offering, they have omelets, steak, and eggs. If you want an appetizer they offer sesame e fried calamari, which I have to, say sounds yummy. The other soup on the daily menu is the Fisherman’s Wharf Chowder, which is served in a rustic bread bowl and filled with scallops, shrimp and clams.

If you are a seafood lover, you will find much to please you here. They have mahi mahi Cuban sandwich, crabmeat and asparagus penne and a hearts of romaine and crabmeat salad. The carnivores haven’t been forgotten either with the Kobe beef hamburger, pulled pork sandwich and filet mignon and aloutte stroganoff.

They also offer a mixed grill, which runs from $12-$24. You can choose between 1-3 items for your grill and they included such luscious offers as minted crab cakes Bourbon Glazed Petite Pork Shank and a 5 oz. filet mignon and mushroom kabob. You then choose your dipping sauce and your side. You can really "have it your way" here.

I decided to have the Tandoori Satay Chicken Salad as my entrée. The chicken was served warm on a skewer atop the salad and had a nice spicy glaze. The salad was field greens with tomatoes, radishes and butternut squash. The dressing was a very interesting cinnamon vinaigrette. It was an excellent choice. I wish I had paid more attention to what everyone else was eating but I was too busy with my own food. I did notice that the gentleman across from me was devouring the pulled pork sandwich with gusto so I must assume it was excellent.

I didn’t have time for dessert but I was tempted by the crème brulee du jour, which will of course change daily as well as profiteroles and apple walnut bread pudding.

This is a lovely restaurant with walls the color of the sunset and wooden tables and banquettes along the walls. There are carriage lamps attached to the walls and hanging teardrop shaped lights. It has a decidedly Spanish feel. The quality of the food is excellent and the presentation exceptional.

They are open for lunch and dinner daily and valet parking is available.

Pittsburgh Festival of Lights

If you think you know what a festival of lights is all about you may be in for a surprise in Pittsburgh. It is not about placing colored lights on the sides of buildings, it is about making buildings into works of art. 2008 is the 250th anniversary of the city of Pittsburgh and all the stops have been pulled out. I had the honor of being present for the official launch of the Festival of Lights at Agnes R. Katz Plaza and it was an event worth participating in. From the moment the over sized switch was flicked the wall we were facing became a piece of the universe. The cosmos swirled in front of us in a piece that changed colors from orange to red and tones of blue and green. This amazing piece of art was created by Corentine Buron and it certainly set the tone for the whole event.

The Omni William Penn was transformed into a garden by the same French artist of light Corentine Buron. This 1916 gem has a façade that was covered with the state flower of Pennsylvania the mountain Laurel. We were lucky enough to get a chance to talk to the organizers and to get a preview of the hotel the night before it went public and it was a great opportunity to see how this amazing projection works.

The Convention Center has been turned into a multi color work of art which features over 60 works of art from many different mediums that runs for six minutes. Churches through out the city are lit from within or lit to show off their architectural detail and the oldest Jewish congregation in western PA is also included. A walking tour of the downtown area will give you the perfect opportunity to view all of these.

Unfortunately I was not there when the University of Pittsburgh debuted their addition to the festival of lights on October 15th. There are two different designs scheduled to run for two weeks each. They will transform the Cathedral if Learning into a Cathedral of Art.

While you are in Oakland stop at the Carnegie Art Museum to see their light installation by Doug Aitken entitled Migration. It shows right above the main entrance and it not just a light sow it is full film. Where these animals are migrating to is a bedroom and you have to use your imagination to figure out what a deer, a beaver and a wild cat will do to a pristine home. It does keep your attention; you are never quite sure what they are going to do next.

In addition to just viewing the lights there will be live entertainment at Katz Plaza and Schenley Plaza on selected days. Check the festival website at www.PittsburghCelebrates.org for dates and times.

These works of art have been created under the direction of Lucette de Rugy of Artlumiere and will be available to view from October 10 through November 20, 2008.

When it comes to old world elegance you will be hard pressed to find any hotel lobby in Pittsburgh or almost anywhere else for that matter, that can surpass the Omni William Penn. You will be wowed from the moment you enter this Georgian gem with its classical design and ambiance. Wonderful chandeliers and comfortable groupings of chairs and sofas contrast with the modern amenities. Everywhere you look there are groups of people sitting using their laptops. Yesterday meets today in a very attractive way.

There are many unusual artifacts around the hotel one that we heard about but never found was Lawrence Welk’s bubble machine, it was designed by the engineers here at the William Penn. Another peice of trivia, It was at the William Penn that Bob Hope proposed to his beloved Delores.


There are a wide variety of room offerings.From the original 1000 rooms that the hotel had in 1916 today there are 596 much more spacious rooms. I had a double bedded room. It was a corner room so the views were interesting on all sides. I had three large windows. These three windows looking out over a fountain on one side, it was pink at night in honor of Breast Awareness Month.

There was a desk with a straight chair and comfortable boudoir chair in a brocade fabric. Because I am a select guest members I also had my preferred type of pillows, free internet access ($9.95 per day if you aren’t a member) and I also get a newspaper of my choice plus free early morning drink service (juice, coffee, tea or hot chocolate). It arrived at the perfect time every morning.

The bed was done with nice white bedding and there were plenty of pillows. The mattress was comfortable and I certainly slept well.
If you want to lounge around in your room there are two bathrobes in the very large closet as well as an ironing board and iron. Beware of drinking the water provided however, it is $5.00. There is a coffee maker with Wolfgang puck coffee and nice amenities in the bathroom. The shower had excellent pressure and plenty of hot water and the towels were plush.

The hotel offers turndown service, when I got back to my room there were chocolates on the night stand, my curtains had been drawn and there was music playing on the television, a very nice touch. Housekeeping was very good.

At the front desk there is fresh cold ice tea available all day as well as a large bowl of several varieties of apples. I was able to get into my room by 12:15 . If your room isn't ready they do offer to hold your luggage.

The hotel has three restaurants. The Terrace, The Palm Court and The Tap Room. The Palm Court serves afternoon tea from 2:30-4:30 Monday thru Saturday. There is also a Starbucks right off the lobby.

This is a beautiful historic hotel in a fantastic location and we all know it is all about location, location, location.