(412) 224-2273www.parkhousepgh.com. Eric Heyl is Patch's Pittsburgh field editor. Netflix has wrecked the rental industry, yet movie screenings are on the rise. Elavsky is also bemused that students have the cash for a microbrewed IPA, as well as an Uber to then hit the competition in the North Side, South Side or Lawrenceville, when he couldnt even afford a cab in college. Pittsburgh, PA 15222 The area got its name from the abundance of oak trees found on the farm of William Eichbaum, who settled there in 1840. The first national act to play the Decade was,a former member of the New York Dolls. (Photo Credit: KDKA) Sandcastle 1000 Sandcastle. Pretty soon the Decade had seven nights a week of great live music, Grushecky said. But he loved us and supported us, Grushecky said. My preference was Graffiti, by far. The Decade had two small rooms that were said to hold 6. Let's Find Out, PA County Wants To Make Its Own Gun Laws After Recent Court Defeat. By the late 70s the Iron City Houserockers established a residency at the club playing two sets every Thursday night and a growing scene of musicians and bar regulars soon emerged. Elavsky also credits the shift in nightlife to a smarter, more serious college crowd determined to finish in four years. Since he bought Hemingways, Elavsky said many of the old hot spots have closed and students and their dollars have left to other competing parts of the city, like the North Shore and South Side. Grushecky noted a rivalry between the two scenes sparked by these differences. Tucked in East Liberty, Spoon was a favorite dining spot of many Pittsburghers. Grab a drink, pull up a barstool and test the history knowledge of the bar and restaurant's family and employees who are able to answer even the most ambiguous tavern questions. 1. Petropoulos takes great pride in Oakland's rise over the past years to the third largest commercial district in Pennsylvania behind Philadelphia and downtown Pittsburgh mostly on the strength of the neighborhood's daytime economy. I saw him at a jazz fest in New Orleans. Since then, this revered watering hole has cultivated many loyal locals thanks to its weekly events, happy hour specials and seasonal international dishes. Jam The people were super nice. This is part two of a series by staff writer Stephen Caruso about how Oaklands businesses and the community have changed since the 1990s for better or worse. People, however, were mostly well-behaved, The Pittsburgh Press . Cruze Bar Night Clubs (3) Website Amenities: (412) 471-1400 1600 Smallman St Pittsburgh, PA 15222 OPEN NOW showcase club like the Whisky-A-Go-Go in L.A. and the Agora in Cleveland. The Banana survived until 1999. 3. Gene's Place 3.9 (38 reviews) Dive Bars $Oakland Divey All you need is a dark room and comfortable seating, and the trend is strengthening every month. A graduate of Robert Morris University with a degree in English Studies, Jessica is also a contributing writer for Allegheny West Magazine. That was a really nice place. Jam The Pretenders packed the Decade on March 19, 1980. Over its 20-year run, the Brazilian eatery featured a seafood and salad bar and a menu that left mouths watering. Slightly veering off topic, but where was the Bank Cinema at? To provide The Pitt News with data for advertisers and internal analytics. 9. We could accept the deaths of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, but the end of Dreaming Ant is a rude awakening. Read on for the 5 best Pittsburgh nightlife spots geared toward those who aren't quite legal to drink, or who need a break from the bar scene. Jackson sang his Is She Really Going Out with Him and Funny Papers" in April Those Doc Marten-wearing feet could then walk a few blocks down to The Decade, a bar and concert venue, then The Next Decade, a rehashed version of the venue on Atwood Street. Get Pitt and Oakland news in your inbox, three times a week. They brought in outside acts all the time, but still the local guys were the top dogs. Fantastic place for your amazing night out in Pittsburgh. Elbo Room Jack London Oakland Join the conversation in the comments! Many students at the University of Pittsburgh who decide to live off-campus reside in this neighborhood. Whether you are a craft beer lover or opt for the occasional cocktail, guests can pick their poison from La Frontera nightclub's bar menu. After (412) 566-7925www.originaloysterhousepittsburgh.com. Love Pittsburgh? The Park House 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 1963, The Pittsburgh Press dubbed Shadyside 'our Greenwich Village.'. When they packed the place, Zarra began booking punk bands. Schenley Plazas transformation from a gray lot filled with cars to a bright green park with studious sunbathers in the mid-2000s comes to her mind. Its generations of blue-collarfamilies built much of the town's businesses, bars and restaurants from their very beginnings, growing them into true institutions and forever preserving the city's hardworking, steel city values. 100 W. Station Square Drive Jessica Wasik lives in Pittsburgh where works as a full-time figure skating coach sharing her passion with todays generation of young skaters. West Oakland has six borders with the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of North Oakland to the northeast, Central Oakland to the southeast, South Oakland to the south and south-southeast, Bluff to the southwest, and the Crawford-Roberts and Terrace Village regions of the Hill District to the west and northwest, respectively. 4. As the neighborhood cleaned up and bars shut down, partying seemingly moved to Central and South Oakland houses. In 1873, the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) was first chartered and in . If you Long ago, people came to the site now known as Station Square to meet passengers arriving on the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. So I walk into the kitchen and I saw this fat, very unkempt looking guy with stringy hair. series of memorable shows that put the Decade on the national Rock and Roll map. A Bloomfield staple for more than six decades, Alexander's Italian Bistro was. A group of young inexperienced Students could grab a coffee, study, hang out or catch a movie then later concerts all in the same spot. The food is American fare at its best, with burgers, tacos, pizza, salads, and steaks highlighting the menu offerings. Read . There shouldnt be any nightlife [in Oakland because] the rents dont allow for that, he said, referencing tight profit margins on cinemas and bars. 80s Night Clubs in Downtown on YP.com. You really could only go to one place when you craved authentic Brazilian food - and that was Green Forest Brazilian Restaurant in Penn Hills. In the 90s, specials on cheap booze, like Calicos 5-cent drafts, did well. All photos used with permission. After 22 years of Rock N Roll Dom wanted out. Whim may offer the most epic club-going experience, however. This 21,000 sq. After a decline following the 1970s, Pitt's enrollment grew from 26,328 in 1995 to 28,649 in 2016. known as the Corner of Rock and Roll. Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts. international recording acts the Decade presented memorable shows with the Police, U2, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Blue, Bon Ton Roulet, Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band, and many Oakland was, at various points, the home of many professional, Oakland is less than 3 miles (4.8km) from, The Ryan Catholic Newman Center: Oratory of St. Philip Neri, Hunt Library (Carnegie Mellon University), This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 14:43. We were on the same label at the time Cleveland International Records. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Since its formation, Oakwatch has noticed a decline in disruptions and house parties in recent years, based on reports from a September Oakwatch meeting. See Part II. Dominic had been looking for something like this to come along, but he had no idea about the music stuff. The first act we had was Maria Muldaur, she had a big hit at the time. Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, BloomfieldIts painful to include this place on the list. The Cathedral of Learning, the engineering or midsection of the University of Pittsburgh campus, and the Craig Street business district are in North Oakland. From Prohibition-style taverns and restored saloons to haunted watering holes, there's no shortage of unique and iconic buildings in which to toast to the city's backstory. In 1984 Dom DiSilvio, owner of the Decade club, asked guitarist and ex Silencer member Warren King to form an "all-star" band to bring in customers on club's slow Monday nights. google_ad_client="pub-8685855016547639"; Joe Diesel Club Lounge doubles as a DJ mecca and live-music venue, and it's still South Side's most virile independent venue. It is also the location of the relatively isolated and historic neighborhood of Panther Hollow which runs along Boundary Street in Junction Hollow as well as the Oakland Square Historic District. Schneider saw Graffiti as the most impressive of the Oakland clubs. These 6 Pittsburgh Restaurants Are So Magnificent Theyve Been On T.V. The under 21 crowd packed the place every week to watch the Break-dance teams like the mid-town rockers. The crowd was a rowdy mix of mill workers, college students, and young professionals who were there to blow off steam. performed three songs with Bon Ton Roulet. Johnny Banana Zarra owned the Banana with his wife Judy and decided in 1980 to make a radical transition in style after nearly 10 years as a go-go and then a disco club. He started hiring everybody and he became like the Godfather of rock music. The University of Pittsburgh, which is heir to the Pittsburgh Academy that was incorporated in 1787, relocated to Oakland in 1909 from its campus that was then in Allegheny. acts moved on. the place apart with a skillfully played energetic performance on March 20, 1979. Nearly anyone can show a film these days, using only a laptop and projector. Across the Monongahela River, South Oakland runs adjacent with Pittsburgh's South Side Flats neighborhood. With house parties seemingly on the decline and a few years too young for Oaklands bar scene, Claire Drew, an undecided first-year student, bemoaned how little she and her friends can do in Oakland at night. piece band called the Police who were getting airplay with their song Roxanne tore In 1925, work began on what was then the world's tallest educational building, the 42-story Cathedral of Learning. While we might not be able to eat at those Pittsburgh restaurants well always love, well probably always remember the good times and the good food we had at are favorites. John Bon Jovi did the Decade on March, 1987 playing a 50 minute set with his friend the manful handful Norman Nardini. 2013 Pittsburgh Music History Year End Recap, Biggest stories of 2011 -- Pittsburgh Pop, Rock and Rap, Hear the Music of Pittsburgh on the Genre Pages via Spotify, Inaugural Pittsburgh Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Celebration 01/23/14, Pittsburgh Music History Celebrates Black History Month 2012, Scot Tady of Times Online on Pittsburgh Music History, Thanks to Readers of Pittsburgh Music History, Thanks to the Internet, Pittsburgh's music history plays on, The Beat: Andrew Druckenbrod and Scott Mervis Video on Pittsburgh Music History, Vote for the 2015 Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legends Nominees, Calliope and the Smokey City Folk Festival, Sonny Pugar Memorial Music Smiles Program, Graffiti Showcase and Graffiti Rock Challenge. Photo credits: Decade sign, Dom DeSilvio via Gabby Means; Decade exterior, Jay Flori via Gabby Means; Jon Bon Jovi, Dom DiSilvio via Gabby Means. The Ramones, David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter).The Pretenders, Joe It features Live music, DJs & karaoke in a no-nonsense, arty space with pool tables & a full bar. Especially on a Friday night, it was a happening place. 10 Mom & Pop Restaurants In Pittsburgh That Serve Home Cooked Meals To Die For, If You Grew Up In Pittsburgh, You Definitely Love These 9 Classic Dishes, Facebook/Green Forest Brazilian Churrascaria, 12 stores that anyone who grew up in Pittsburgh remembers. A row of stools were lined against the street side wall. The Pretenders packed the Decade on March 19, 1980. The Decade was legendary, he said. The parachutes on the ceiling were all the ambience that was needed. Some folks dress up in pastels and high-top shoes, but really, its all about the attitude. So we said, Whats next? So we went rock n roll, Zarra said. There wasnt a club owner in the city who would book, like, punk rock, new wave. The Decades owner, Dominic DiSilvio, already stressed over managing the number of people crowding his bar, did not appreciate Meat Loafs engorged presence in the kitchen. The Electric Banana on Bigelow Boulevard was the smallest of the three Oakland clubs and featured an Andy Warhol-style banana sign above the entrance. South Oakland has six land borders, including the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Central Oakland to the northeast, Squirrel Hill South to the east, Greenfield to the southeast, Hazelwood to the south-southeast, Bluff to the west, and West Oakland to the northwest. The place was full of people, smoke and sound.". Even Bruce Springsteen stopped in after playing at the Civic Arena when Grushecky took him on a tour of Oakland. The area is often mistakenly called South Oakland. While Pitt and UPMC attract daytime traffic, employees of the institutions. As a showcase club, Graffiti sought acts from a wide spectrum of genres and young musicians, featuring national acts while still promoting local talent. The Decade was the home base of Gravel The Iron City. packed, sweaty, and loud with menacing bouncers it was a gritty steel town bar. [Oakland] used to be an entertainment district, Kramer said, mentioning bowling alleys, cinemas, live theater and enough bars with names like CJ Barneys, Laga, Zeldas Greenhouse and Sanctuary to comfortably hop from pitcher to pitcher on a cool Pittsburgh night without ever getting chilly. In keeping with an historically accurate layout, a police raid escape route winds through hallways and back staircases before spilling out onto Oliver Street. Though Pittsburgh is no longer replete with dance clubs, surefire picks still exist. Belvederes Ultra Dive is a nightclub located in Butter street, Pittsburgh, United States. Its incarnations since have included a deli, lesbian bar, produce store, and a bar named Cumpies. Joe Photo by Laura Zurowski. Johanasen. The Electric Banana became the go-to destination for these young punk bands. Graffiti, OaklandMore than a bar, this nightspot at the intersection of Craig Street and Baum Boulevard was, as it said on the sign outside, a cafe, pub and showcase. A row of stools were lined against the street side wall. If the idea of sharing some spirits with Pittsburgh's spirits is on your bar bucket list, Papa J Centro's is the perfect place to check that off. 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