A Brief History of Fineview
Fineview is a neighborhood on the North Side of Pittsburgh. It’s known to older Pittsburghers as “Nunnery Hill.” The name “Fineview” literally comes from the beautiful views of the city (aka “fine view”). The most famous view in this Pittsburgh neighborhood is form the Fineview Overlook, located at the corner of Catoma and Meadville Streets. Older Fineview residents reminisce about the #21 Fineview streetcar line and the old incline, called the Nunnery Hill Incline. The incline was one of just two in the city that had a curve in the tracks, with the other being the Knoxville Incline on the South Side. The Fineview Incline ended at the top of a hill along Meadville St. One can still see the retaining wall that was made for the incline running up the side of Henderson St. The incline ran from 1888 to 1899.
Facts about Fineview
Fineview is known as one of the city’s best kept secrets. The neighborhood is located behind Allegheny General Hospital and is within walking distance to Pittsburgh communities like Downtown, the Strip District and all the sports stadiums. Its residents can also walk to the Carnegie Library and Children’s Museum as well as the Andy Warhol Museum and more. The neighborhood is home to the Rising Man Street Steps, which have 337 steps for athletic Pittsburghers to climb up. There are plenty of small urban farms as well as the Fineview Community Garden. Fineview also has an active Citizens Council. The history of Fineview is yet another story of the ever-evolving history of Pittsburgh.
Rising Main Avenue steps