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CommaSplyce t1_j09w18l wrote

I'm also originally from NE Ohio! These days, I work at Allies for Health + Wellbeing, which isn't far from Bloomfield in East Liberty - Allies offers LGBTQ+ competent primary care, so if you need a PCP who understands the LGBTQ+ experience, look no further! Allies also offers PrEP, STI testing, gynecological care and gender-affirming care.

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zsmartone t1_j0bmayc wrote

Lived in Akron for 8 years including some internships in Cleveland. Pittsburgh for 1.5 years so far.

Pittsburgh proper feels like where Cleveland wishes it was development wise. Everything feels close together compared to Cleveland so, walking,biking and transit feel more doable because of that. It also is casually scenic, Bigelow Blvd looking down on Bloomfield shouldn't be as scenic as it is.

Pittsburgh biking community is pretty gay and progressive between the underwear rides and the critical mass. Bike pgh also does a lot of work to get complete street moving.

I do miss the raw convenience of summit and Cleveland metroparks. Pgh doesn't have as many convenient nature walk trails for weeknights. But Pgh is much closer to weekend trip hiking if you don't mind the drive.

Most of pgh proper is pretty gay or gay friendly. Especially the bubble around Bloomfield.

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NunzAndRoses t1_j0d42kf wrote

Spent a lot of time out in Cleveland this summer for work, and the metro parks are the only thing you got us beat on

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[deleted] t1_j08m5ot wrote

Some Pittsburghers will disagree with this but Cleveland and Pittsburgh are almost identical cities except Pittsburgh has more hills. There, I said it.

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382hp t1_j099fx1 wrote

Pittsburgh is the best city in Ohio

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Cryptic_Skies t1_j08pb4p wrote

there's little difference between PGH and most rust-belt towns, imho.

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dfiler t1_j096irw wrote

That’s like saying two people are identical except one is a midget and the other is 7 feet tall.

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NunzAndRoses t1_j0d47bd wrote

Also Pittsburgh recovered economically from the steel industry collapsing about 30 years before Cleveland did

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[deleted] t1_j0a8bp0 wrote

Absolutely not

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ballsonthewall t1_j0bl3yy wrote

what are the major differences that aren't topographical in nature?

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[deleted] t1_j0bofbs wrote

We have over double the skyscrapers and the cathedral of learning our buildings and skyline are on another level. And let’s not even get into bridges.

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periphescent t1_j0c4edi wrote

Hi! 31F, queer, I've lived in PGH off and on since 2011, and I spent 2020-2022 living in Bloomfield. It's a great neighborhood for what you're looking for. It's certainly not perfect, and experienced a nearly across the board rent hike over the pandemic, but if you can afford it, I would live either in Bloomfield, Friendship, Garfield, or maybe even into Highland Park/Morningside. Also, for reference, when I talk about Pittsburgh in the below comments, I'm referring to inside the triangle (the part of the city that's enclosed by the rivers). There's stuff to do elsewhere, but this part of Pittsburgh is the part that will be immediately accessible via bike.

Trace Brewing is a one of the few loudly LGBTQ+ spaces in the city, and it's located in Bloomfield. The employees are wonderful humans, and they hold a huge variety of cool events throughout the week. DJs, art shows, open mics, roller skate nights -- you name it. They also do coffee in the morning which is a huge plus and great reason to swing by on the way to/before work. Then, you can grab a beer there after work!

There's also a ton of breweries within a 5 mile radius of Bloomfield. Two Frays, Hop Farm, Cinderlands Foederhouse, Coven, Eleventh Hour, East End. If you're biking, you can cross 40th Street to Strange Roots, or the Highland Park bridge to Dancing Gnome and Hitchhiker. There's also a lot of beer/tap bars that serve local brews in the area, like Urban Tap and Bierport. If you like cocktails, Tina's is impeccable -- classic, quality cocktails that aren't outrageously expensive. Kelly's is good too, and Bar Botanico for more experimental, bougie drinks.

Pittsburgh has a couple of LGBTQ+ bars, though we lost some over the pandemic. Blue Moon, 5801, and P-Town are the big ones that still remain. Blue Moon is smallish but probably the most diverse of the bunch, and has karaoke every Friday and multiple drag/open stage shows a week. 5801 is more cis white male-ish, but they have surprisingly good food and darts, so they're good for a happy hour vibe (Blue Moon is more of late night spot). P-Town is kind of dive-y and has an older clientele most of the time, but they host Jellyfish usually once a month, which is a DJ group that spins euro-disco for a predominantly queer crowd. The outdoor space in the summer is crowded, but fun if you like dancing. Brewer's is also LGBTQ+ but I've never personally been there, so I can't vouch for the vibe.

I can't speak to hiking, but Pittsburgh has extensive bike trails, and is generally super accessible via bike. I will say that people are not always the nicest to bikers, but I think that's a lot of major cities. You will get a hell of a workout here though, due to the hills. Check out the Three Rivers trail map: https://friendsoftheriverfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2020-Three-Rivers-Heritage-Trail-Map-and-Guide.pdf

White Whale is one of the few independent book stores in the city and I always find something new or offbeat there. They have popular books as well as more culty and niche books, and overall have a super queer vibe. They also do coffee now! East Liberty, which is adjacent to Bloomfield, has a branch of the Carnegie Library, which is the main Pittsburgh library system. There's branches in nearby Lawrenceville, Oakland, and Squirrel Hill as well.

Hope some of this helps! If you are looking for queer friends in the city, hmu when you get here!

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