A PowerPoint by Rebecca Reese

The Strip District, commonly referred to as “The Strip”, is the one-half square mile area northeast of downtown Pittsburgh where Macaroni Boy takes place. Many of the places that Mike goes in the novel are real places, such as Penn Avenue and St. Patrick’s church.

In the early 19 th century, the Strip had many mills and factories. This was because its location along the Allegheny River made for easy transportation of goods and shipping of raw materials. Some early businesses in the Strip included U.S. Steel, Westinghouse, and later The H.J. Heinz Company. Today the Strip District is best known for its retail produce, ethnic food stores, restaurants, and coffee shops.

Heinz History Center, originally the Chautauqua Lake Ice Company Warehouse. Klavon’s ice cream parlor.

Today, in the Strip District there are still several wholesalers and produce dealers, and many abandoned warehouses have been renewed into small specialty shops and restaurants. The area has become a historic market district with many cultural food sources, some art studios, antique dealers, and other businesses setting up shop where trains once delivered produce. The Strip District comes alive primarily on weekends during the summer months when street vendors are selling their goods and the farmer's markets are in progress.

Street vendors selling Pittsburgh sports merchandise.

Inside Wholey’s.

The original Primanti Brothers restaurant.

Some stores in the Strip.

Google Images strip/