No matter where you end up after living in a certain city, or if you’re proud to call yourself a lifer, there are always certain things that stick with you. Pittsburghers are lucky to have so many things that remind them of home. No matter how far away you are right now from the epicenter of all things Yinz, or if you’re just a few miles “dahn” the road, we hope you enjoy this list of nostalgia! If you don’t see your favorites on here, keep checking back with Pittsburgh Beautiful for more posts!
1. This commercial that would magically appear right before Christmas.
2. One of the greatest football plays of all time.
3. This store’s iconic snack bar.
4. This catchy as ever jingle.
5. When you saw this commercial and contemplated calling the number to see if you could actually get money.
6. Going to Pens, Steelers and Pirates games and hearing “Beer here!” “Coke here!” from this guy, who passed away in 2011 after serving the Pittsburgh area sports teams since 1985.
7. Having to memorize the lyrics to this song every time new players came on board.
8. Getting this artificially colored, sugary deliciousness in your trick-or-treat bag growing up.
People you know call Maybro
I’m originally from Pittsburgh and one thing I’ll never forget is the treats made from so-called Farkle berries sold at a downtown department store
Rege Cordic named those to raise money for Children’s Hospital. “Start your heart eat a Farkleberry Tart!”
Awesome
I will always remember Islay’s pyramid shaped ice cream cones. Cherry Vanilla (with real cherries) was my husband’s favorite. (With my Italian/German heritage, I could only stare at the calorie laden treat.
Oh my gosh! Cherry vanilla ice cream!!! To die for!!!!
I used to work at the Isaly’s in Monessen when I was a teenager!
The store I remember was in Oakland, near the University of Pittsburgh. It was a large white brick building.
My high school job was working at Islas in Penn Hills.
We had so much fun!!
But do you remember what that ice cream was called? It was “White House’
Maz’s home run!
Who can?
Ameri-can!
The iron city beer jingle at Christmastime, ” o my gosh, it’s frothingslosh.
Old Frothingslosh, the pale stale ale with the foam on the bottom. Only in Pittsburgh.
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh – Mt. Washington, precisely ( a loong time ago). I can remember when the Mon river shore was a mass of sooty train sheds, the smell of sulfur filled the air, and the brown colored river was crowded with coal barges. I remember when the paddle wheeler, the River Queen, exploded and burned at the Mon wharf. A Saturday night treat was to watch the dumping of flaming slag from tipping cars along Route 51. An actual mountain was eventually created. My Mom’s standard practice each morning was to wipe off the coal dust that had accumulated on the kitchen window sills overnight. And then, there was the snow! Great for sled ridding (Virginia Avenue was the best). I recently read a funny ditty about never leaving Pittsburgh because ones feet were frozen to the ground. A real possibility. My childhood home no longer exists. The site is now the parking lot for St. Mary of the Mount’s Sullivan Hall. My Mom’s rose bushes, and the 40 steps that led up to the front porch still exist. My Dad had reinforced the concrete with tie rods and awning pipe, making them highly resistant to removal when the house was demolished. Somehow, the street seems much more narrow.
Like?
Yinz remember WIIC channel 11 Luncheon at the ones TV show early sixties, up in Perrysville Heights ?
WestView Park
The train that would take you around the park, sometimes I could hear the announcement that was played over its P.A. System before it pulled out
The CP Huntington on track number 9
My parents and I moved to North Braddock in 1933. I was two years old. We lived in a duplex on Hawkins Avenue( Due to a fire, no longer there. ) Our street was like a little United nations. We had the English Potters and Coleman’s, The Andersons, Frenchie, Mitchell, Malley’s , Scott, George;s, Dzura’s, us,the Murphy’s, Boyles, and Newell’s. We all got along and it was a great neighborhood to grow up in. I, too, remember the coal dust everywhere, even on Mom’s clean sheets hanging on the clothesline to dry. I also remember getting a piece of steel dust in my eye, which was a devil to remove. We could catch a streetcar on the corner and go to the museums, Duquesne Gardens, Gimbel’s, Kaufman’s. At Christmas time Mom took my sister and I to see the store windows decorated with automated figures. We had lunch at Donahue’s and everything there was a wonderful treat. I went to Scott high school–Purple Raiders–and had a happy time there graduating in 1949. It was a wonderful town in which to grow up. I graduated from West Penn Hospital School of Nursing—I wish they would bring back those nursing schools !! I have lived in Virginia for 51 years but still think of Pittsburgh as—HOME!! 🙂
Maz’ home
Run to win ’60 World Series is not in the top 10? Bogus list!!!!
I remember the animated windows at Kaufman’s and Gimbels. They were very special. And then, there was ( and I think still is) Kaufman’s clock. It was THE place to arrange to meet downtown.
Elroy strutting in from the bullpen to save another game.
Yes the animated windows at Christmas, my dad worked at the PBA and would bring home salted pretzel sticks from a street vender
My 11 year old neighborhood friend’s Dad was partial owner of West View Park.. Safe walking in the 40’s and only a mile away allowed us to go the the park anytime we wanted to…. Can you imagine FREE rides and FREE food all day? It was a kid’s dream and a fantasy and oh what great summers..
I go way back to Rege Cordic and Omicron who named the streetcar (77/54) “the Flying Fraction.” Old Frothingschloss Beer with the foam on the bottom. Younses could mention the Pirates Mean Green Machine as well as the “Green Weenie.” Why did Isaly’s stop making the pointy ice cream?
Always loved West View. I was amazed when I saw a picture of the grounds after the park had been demolished. I could still picture what had been on each level of the sloped ground. As a child, I had just not realized how many slopes there were. To me, it was just one wonderful park. I remember that for the school picnics the old street cars with woven straw seats were put into service. Should have taken a picture of them.
People laugh when I say “I need to run the sweeper.” Where are you running it to? ?s ?s and more. ?s
In the late 1950’s my mother and I would come into Pittsburgh to meet her mother who came in from Crafton on the balcony at Horne’s Dept store. We checked our coats on the balcony and then dashed across the alley to eat a fancy big lady lunch at Stouffers. My mother always had the cobb salad. I remember they had white French dressing. I remember seeing Bill Burns, the TV newsman in the restuarant. Wow, I saw a movie star. I loved those days when we “girls” met in the city to spend time together. So much love ans so many happy memories.