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South Side (or "Southside") is an 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, ...
, United States, located along the
Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , )—often referred to locally as the Mon ()—is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-c ...
across from
Downtown Pittsburgh Downtown Pittsburgh, colloquially referred to as the Golden Triangle, and officially the Central Business District, is the urban downtown center of Pittsburgh. It is located at the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River who ...
. The South Side is officially divided into two neighborhoods, South Side Flats and South Side Slopes. Both the Flats and the Slopes are represented on
Pittsburgh City Council The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh. It consists of nine members. City council members are chosen by plurality elections in each of nine districts. The city operates under a mayor-council syst ...
by Bruce Kraus. The business district stretches along East Carson Street, which is home to many small shops, restaurants and bars. In 2006, more than 80 bars and pubs operated in the South Side Flats. The neighborhood has an urban fabric with
rowhouse In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United Sta ...
s. The South Side is well-connected with
public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...
. Its proximity and public transit connections also have attracted professionals who work
downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...
. Pittsburgh Fire Station #24 is located on Mary Street in the neighborhood.


History

The South Side, most of which was originally the village of ''Birmingham'' that was annexed to the city in 1872, was settled primarily by
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
then later
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
an immigrants who came to Pittsburgh to work in
heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
. Dr. Nathaniel Bedford planned a large part of Birmingham and named many streets after his friends and family, thus the predominance of streets named after people such as Jane, Sarah, and Carson. For many years, much of the South Side was dominated by heavy industry and associated service businesses. The Jones and Laughlin Steel Company was located on the South Side but closed in the 1980s and has since been redeveloped. The
Pittsburgh Terminal Properties The Pittsburgh Terminal Properties building is an historic structure on Pittsburgh’s South Side, across the river from Downtown. The building was the Pittsburgh Terminal Warehouse and Transfer Company, located in the South Side Flats neighborhoo ...
building is located on the west end of Carson Street, next to the Liberty Bridge. When construction finished in 1906, it was the largest warehouse between New York and Chicago. Connections to river, rail, and road transport made it an ideal facility for merchants who sold goods and needed temporary storage. It has since been redeveloped into River Walk Corporate Centre and houses a mix of office and service businesses including Paper Products Company and City Center Self Storage. In more recent years, the South Side has become home to a larger student population. Many students at
Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit , image = Holy Gh ...
,
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
, and
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
either live in the South Side or spend a portion of their nightlife there. A walk over the South Tenth Street Bridge that crosses the
Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , )—often referred to locally as the Mon ()—is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-c ...
takes students to
Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit , image = Holy Gh ...
. Due to the large number of college students and young professionals, in addition to the thriving bar scene, South Side has developed into a nightlife destination for young people in Pittsburgh.


Economy

Important streets in South Side are E. Carson Street, Josephine Street, and S. 18th street. The business district is located along E. Carson Street, which runs the length of South Side. The Birmingham Bridge makes South Side easily accessible from
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, which is around 2 miles away from South Side. Station Square is about 1.5 miles west of South Side, and Mt. Washington is 2.5 miles away. The average South Side family income in 2003 was $41,353. East Carson St. has restaurants, bars, and shops that help support the economy of the South Side. The large variety of shopping along E. Carson Street and
SouthSide Works SouthSide Works is an open-air retail, office, entertainment, and residential complex (often referred to as a lifestyle center) located on the South Side of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. and just across the Monongahela River from ...
is also a factor in the South Side's economy. There are a variety of locally owned stores such as Pittsburgh Jeans Co. and widespread stores such as American Eagle, H&M, and
Nine West Nine West, also known as 9 West, is an American online fashion retailer which is based in White Plains, New York. It was founded in 1983 and closed its brick and mortar stores business in 2018. Its products continue to be sold at other reta ...
. The Urban Redevelopment Authority started the
SouthSide Works SouthSide Works is an open-air retail, office, entertainment, and residential complex (often referred to as a lifestyle center) located on the South Side of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. and just across the Monongahela River from ...
project hoping to create over 6,000 jobs. Today, SouthSide Works has over 10 shopping stores and over 10 restaurants & bars. The restoration of the business district has improved South Sides economy dramatically and house sales have jumped $75,000 in the past 10 years along with vacancy dropping below 10%. The South Side is also home to a variety of service businesses and reconverted office buildings. Many businesses locate here because rents are less than in Downtown Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Terminal Properties building has been converted into River Walk Corporate Center. Tenants are a mix of light industrial (The Paper Company), professional (LDA Architects), and storage for Pittsburgh businesses and residents (City Center Self Storage). South Side Local Development Company (LDC) helps the economic development in the neighborhood. Under LDC, the Neighborhood Assistance Program was created. The NAP is partners with PNC bank and able to fund programs to create jobs and housing production with their $2.5 million grant. Since 1982, LDC has created over 250 new businesses, renovated over 200 stores, and built over 700 new homes. South Sides redeveloped downtown has increased apartment sales and attracted a lot of nightlife in the neighborhood.


South Side Flats

The Flats has one of the largest Victorian main streets in the United States. The entire length of East Carson Street is designated as a
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from cer ...
. Strict rules dictate what the exterior of the buildings can look like. This neighborhood is a prime example of
adaptive reuse Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an existing building for a purpose other than which it was originally built or designed for. It is also known as recycling and conversion. Adaptive reuse is an effective strategy for optimizing the o ...
of historic structures to spur community revitalization. One of the famous steel mills of Pittsburgh, the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company was located on the South Side but closed in the 1980s and today the land is home to the
SouthSide Works SouthSide Works is an open-air retail, office, entertainment, and residential complex (often referred to as a lifestyle center) located on the South Side of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. and just across the Monongahela River from ...
shopping and entertainment complex. In the 1980s, this neighborhood was rapidly declining but historic preservation propelled it to a new and bright future. Today, the South Side is a desirable city neighborhood and is known for its multitude of bars and restaurants. The South Side is a popular destination for Pittsburgh residents who seek an entertaining nightlife. The popularity of the neighborhood has costs. Older, lifelong residents often clash with the values of the young urban professionals and students moving in. Also,
parking Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions. Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the buildings' ...
in the South Side is among the tightest in the city, as narrow streets and high density of buildings leave little empty street space. Nuisance crime has also been a growing issue, but in mid-2018, city leaders announced that crime in the South Side bar district dropped by roughly 30 percent from the previous year, possibly because of the addition of new outdoor security cameras and a larger police patrol presence.


South Side Slopes

The South Side Slopes is the very steep neighborhood located just south of what is traditionally thought of as the South Side but is more appropriately the South Side Flats. Sections of the Slopes are so steep that special fire trucks have to be used to navigate the zigzagging maze of narrow streets. Some spots are so steep that public staircases actually serve as the street. These public steps have street signs and houses located along them. Public steps are not rare in the hilly city of Pittsburgh. The city has over 700 sets of steps providing access to otherwise unreachable neighborhoods.


Gallery

Image:Southside 0739.JPG, Another view of historic East Carson Street Image:BloomCigarPittsburgh.jpg, Bloom Cigar Company in Pittsburgh's South Side.


See also

* List of Pittsburgh neighborhoods * Bloom Cigar Company, an iconic South Side cigar store * History of Pittsburgh's South Side


References


External links

* {{Authority control Neighborhoods in Pittsburgh