Polish Hill ( pl, Polskie Wzgórze) is a
neighborhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. Primarily a residential area, it is home to Pittsburgh's
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary () is a Roman Catholic devotional name used to refer to the Catholic view of the interior life of Mary, mother of Jesus, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love ...
church.
History
Large numbers of
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
immigrants settled the neighborhood after the mid 1800s. They were attracted to the many jobs in Pittsburgh's burgeoning
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
industry, which immigrants could perform even before learning much English. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, construction of highways were supported by the federal government, and new residential areas were developed in the suburbs. Polish Hill and other neighborhoods began to
lose population as some of its more established residents joined the suburban and
white flight
White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...
movement, a process seen in many established cities in the US. At the same time, Polish Hill has many residents who are the descendants of non-Polish immigrants and is attracting new residents who value its scale, walkability, and proximity to jobs and amenities.
Surrounding Pittsburgh neighborhoods
Polish Hill has five borders with the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of
Lower Lawrenceville to the north,
North Oakland to the southeast,
Upper Hill District to the south,
Bedford Dwellings
The Hill District is a grouping of historically African American neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, "the Hill" was the cultural center of black life in the city and a major cent ...
to the southwest and the
Strip District to the west and northwest. Polish Hill also runs catty-corner (without a direct border) with
Bloomfield to the east with its meeting point at the center of the Bloomfield Bridge.
Government
Polish Hill has representation on the
Pittsburgh City Council
The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city ...
by the council member for District 7. It is within Pittsburgh's 6th ward.
City Steps
The Polish Hill neighborhood has 16 distinct flights of
city steps, many of which are open and in a safe condition. In Polish Hill, the steps quickly connect pedestrians to public transportation and provide an easy way to travel through this densely populated area.
Gallery
File:Pitttsburgh Polish Hill autumn 2012 01.JPG
File:Polish Hill from Herr’s Island Railroad Bridge, 2015-06-28, 01.jpg
File:Polish Hill, Pittsburgh PA.jpg
File:3120 Brereton Street, Polish Hill, 2022-03-24, 01.jpg
File:Pitttsburgh Polish Hill autumn 2012 06.JPG
File:Downing street steps (2620902449).jpg
File:Pitttsburgh Polish Hill autumn 2012 02.JPG
References
Further reading
*
*
List of Pittsburgh neighborhoods
This is a list of 90 neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Generally neighborhood development followed ward boundaries, although the City Planning Commission has defined some neighborhood areas. The map of neighbor ...
*
Polish Cathedral style churches
External links
Polish Hill Civic AssociationPolish Hill Community BlogPittsburghCityLiving — Polish Hill
{{Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Polish communities in the United States
Neighborhoods in Pittsburgh
Polish-American culture in Pittsburgh