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East Liberty Walking Tour
October 12, 2019 @ 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Saturday, October 12
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Explore the heart of the East Liberty Commercial Historic District on a walking tour from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.––and then enjoy a special performance by young musicians from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. at East Liberty Presbyterian Church.
On this tour you’ll learn the history of the neighborhood that was once considered Pittsburgh’s “second downtown.” You’ll see sites such as the sole surviving historic theater in what used to be an entertainment district with seven movie houses. You’ll find traces of the city’s largest urban renewal project during the Pittsburgh Renaissance in the 1960s, when almost a third of the commercial core was demolished to make way for an outdoor pedestrian mall. This tour will show that today, East Liberty is once again experiencing change as new development is evident around every corner. Come explore the visible layers of history in this resilient neighborhood and discover how old buildings are being creatively reused for new purposes.
Special Event: From 3:00 to 3:30 p.m., students from CMU’s Creative Expressions Program will perform original music inspired by the history and architecture of East Liberty Presbyterian Church. The performance will take place in the McKelvy Room. Friends and family may attend this portion of the program at no charge.
Paid reservations for the walking tour by Tuesday, October 8, 2019.
Fee: members $10; non-members $20
Registration for the walking tour is limited to 30 people and advance paid reservations are required: marylu@phlf.org or 412-471-5808, ext. 527. Docents will lead groups of about 10 to 15 people.
Starting Location: Trade Street in front of Motor Square Garden [5900 Baum Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15206]
Ending Location: East Liberty Presbyterian Church (116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206)
Special Notes: Parking is available in the Eastside Shopping Center area near the Whole Foods. The tour is handicap accessible. The Ace Hotel has a wheelchair lift but not a ramp – there are fewer than 10 steps to get inside the Hotel. The Teenie Harris photo gallery is along the hotel stairwell, but a few of the photographs can be seen from the main floor. We will be walking on mostly flat land. There is a slight uphill section walking from Centre Avenue through the East Side Bond Pedestrian Plaza to view the new East Liberty Transit Station (you are given a choice to use a ramp or about 10 steps).