"Anything but Square"

I'll just start off by saying that my commute was a lot better than it was yesterday. It seemed to go much smoother! Maybe because I ranted yesterday! But after class, I was trying to think of something I could do until my next class. I couldn't think of anything. As I was walking out of class, I looked across the river and saw Station Square. So, I chose to go there because there is a variety of things to do and it was half way decent outside (weather wise). One thing that I think everyone should check is the display of the fountain. It shows every 20 minutes from 9 am to 12 pm. They have many different places to eat, as well as shop. If you haven't visited Station Square, I suggest you make a trip!

Let me know what you enjoyed at Station Square!

Not So Happy Commuter...

It's one of those where I wish I didn't commute....nothing seemed to go my way. I hit every red light, I seemed to get stuck behind someone who was in no rush to go anywhere. I found myself switching in and out of lanes every minute. Also, I seemed to get behind buses. On top of that, I sat in traffic for a good 45 minutes. Now most days this type of thing wouldn't bother me, but today it just really upset me. Days like these make me wish I either lived downtown or in walking distance of downtown. Can I get a break here??!!

A Commuter's Vent...

There are some things I like and there are some things I don't like about commuting. Parking is something I don't like. I shouldn't really be complaining because I have a lease in a parking garage literally 2 seconds away from school (3rd Avenue Garage). But in this garage, if there are no spots left, you have to leave your keys with the person in charge of that floor so they can park and/or move it when they need to. Two things I don't like about that...1) they adjust the seat to their liking, 2) once your ready to leave, you have to press a button to have someone move around cars, so you can leave. This takes and extra 15 minutes. Last year, I had a lease to another garage (Boulevard). I couldn't get a lease because they were doing construction and weren't giving out as many leases. Once the garage was half way full, they closed it off to only people who had leases, so that we could find a spot. But this garage did have 10 floors compared to the 4 floors in the 3rd Avenue garage. I personally liked this one better. I had my keys, no one moved my seat and I could leave once I got to my car....


Anyone have a similar situation? This drives me crazy!

Skateboard or Bike?

Well I must have jinxed myself yesterday saying how nice it was not to have any traffic! The traffic today made up for yesterday . . . bumper to bumper traffic all the way until the Liberty Tunnels. Lets just say I wasn't having a great morning. But I found an article in the Post Gazette about how college commuter students are starting to not drive to class. They are using bikes and skateboards! I would LOVE to not drive my car to school every day, but riding my bike wouldn't be something I would want considering my commute is long. Now if I lived close by, I would!

Let me know what you would take and if you consider not commuting with a car!

Moes, Starbucks and Bruegger's, Oh my!

Ohh, Mondays. It's definitely a challenge getting up after a nice relaxing weekend! I couldn't figure out why there was not a lot of traffic on my commute in, but then I remembered that the Steeler's played at home and won. That explains a lot! Anyway, after class was over I decided to walk to Market Square (someone told me to check it out). Market Square is located at the intersection of Forbes and Market Street. There was a lot of construction going on, which made my visit interesting. I've honestly never been to Market Square, but I was suprised by how many shops and restaurants there are there. Primanti Brothers, Moe's Southwest Grille and the 1902 Tavern are just a few of the restaurants located there. Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and Bruegger's Bagels are also located there. There is also a nail salon and a GNC. I stopped in Dunkin' Donuts to get a donut because I haven't had one in so long! (Check out the website! It has many discount coupons that you can use in a lot of the shops there as well as other interesting information!)

Button Up!

So today was the same as any other day...woke up, ate breakfast, got ready, packed my things (which i should do the night before but somehow never get around to!), and leave. Now that it's getting colder I had to wait until my windows/car "defrosted". I like warm or hot weather better than cold weather. There is something about getting into a freezing car every morning that I just can't get used to or learn to like, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I got to class ..did my thing and then had some extra time in between classes. and you know me...always hungry! I walked around until I found some place that looked inviting. I chose Fifth Avenue Place. There are a variety of things there from places to eat to places to shop. The food court is on the 2nd floor. Places to eat include Sbarros (pizza and other Italian foods), Charley's Grilled Subs (my personal favorite), and Wok & Grill (Chinese). Places to shop include Laurie's Hallmark and Betsy Ann Chocolates. Check out the following link for more information about Fifth Avenue Place. In addition to a listing of merchants, the site includes information on what's new as well as an events calendar. This is a nice place to enjoy a nice quiet lunch, not too crowded and not too far from campus!

oh...and why do people insist on doing productive things...aka film a movie...during rush hour traffic...ONLY PITTSBURGH. my commute took an extra 45 minutes. Anyone know what movie is filming here?

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Since today was Columbus day, and most people had off (expect Point Park) my commute was smooth! No traffic, and I also hit no red lights. It was wonderful!

After class, I figured since it would start getting colder, I would take a walk. I usually never have time to walk around downtown, so I figured now is my chance. I walked down 3rd Street. PPG Place is located there. They are getting ready for Christmas already! It's only October!! I never noticed there were restaurants and shops inside the buildings. They are spread out between the 6 buildings!

You can even warm up with something from Crazy Mocha!!

Get Fit!

So today I was sitting in my car on my way to class, and of course there was traffic (keep in mind I am going into the city of Pittsburgh at 8:30 in the morning). Since I had a lot of time on my hands, I started thinking about things you can do in your car while sitting in traffic. Not too many things came to mind because there really isn’t anything you can do besides sit in silence or sit and listen to the radio. And we all know that morning radio shows NEVER play music, all they do is talk. To me, I don’t like that, but to you, you may. But here’s a video, I found on YouTube! I never thought to do something like this, but I may have to try. ENJOY.

Monday Morning Blues

Yesterday, my commute into school was....long. For some reason, every Monday, I get stuck behind a truck. If I pass it, I seem to get behind another one. I can never get away from them. On top of that, there was a lot of car traffic too...not suprising being it was a Monday morning. The best thing about my Mondays is that I only have two classes.. I am done by 1:00 PM and am usually very hungy. (Funny, I just realized I talk about food alot . . . guess that's because I LOVE food.) I have heard a lot of students talking about a pizza place they like to go to. It's called R & B's Pizza. Since I was done with class and hungry, I decided to go check it out. I liked it! It's nothing fancy, just a small resturaunt located on 107 Smithfield Street, right next to Smithfield News. They have your typical "bar" food. Pizza, any type of hoagies, gyros...you name it, they have it. They have specials also for college students. You can get one piece of pizza and a drink or one large pizza and a large drink for a reasonable price. That's good new for me because the place where I have worked for three years just closed for business. I recommend R & B's pizza to anyone. They also deliever! My day turned out pretty good after all. I still had my commute back home, though. It was only 2:00 PM when I left, so I didn't hit much traffic. So, this day tripper was happy that she didn't get "tripped" up going home!

Let me know about your commute into school/work today!

The Golden Triangle

Today after class, I decided to take a walk to Point State Park. From Point Park University, it is a 10 minute walk. Wow, what a beautiful view! I ran in a race there with my dad when I was little . . . but didn't remember much about the park itself. What a sight to see. Many people were there, which was surprising to see because the weather is starting to get colder. Although, luckily, today was a little bit warmer than it has been so far this week! If you are planning to visit, I'd suggest you go sooner rather than later because the leaves are starting to change, and it makes the park and the view even more beautiful. If you aren't familiar with Point State Park, there is a 100-foot tall fountain at the "point". There are many paved pathways that you can walk on, and while doing so get a close up look at where the three rivers meet! There is also a huge grassy area there where people lay blankets and hang out. For all the bikers out there, you can enjoy bike routes that connect to other bike routes. Some go to the North Shore Trail, the South Side Trail and the Eliza Furnace Trail. And for those interested in history, there is also the Fort Pitt Museum, the Fort Pitt Block House, plaques and markers that show historical facts and explain the significance of the park. I recommend a visit!


Interested, here's the information!
Point State Park
c/o Park Region 2
Prospect, PA 16052-2013
724 865-2131
Manager: Frances Stein
E-mail: parkregion2sp@state.pa.us