Carnegie Mellon University
- Local Atmosphere

CMU at Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is a great city, and is definitely a college city. There's plenty of shops and places for college students to go to, and there's plenty of activities going on on campus all the time. Pittsburgh is the 3rd safest city for its size, but student's can't walk completely blinded wherever they go: use common sense. The students at CMU are very bright, and we don't fulfill the stereotype of a "nerd" school that most people give us. We have smart kids here, but everyone is sociable, and generally very nice.

Make of It What You Will

There is a lot to do in Pittsburgh if you have a car and know someone from Pittsburgh. Most students stay on campus and hate the weather, but there are many great outings to be had at Penguins hockey games, at the many art galleries and museums, parks, and local neighborhoods that make up the bulk of the city. The best way to experience Pittsburgh is through restaurants: check out dive bars on the South Side, get a steak on the North Shore, find delicacies in the Strip District (not a red-light district, but a marketplace), get some kosher pickles and bagels in Squirrel Hill or grab some Italian food in Bloomfield. Don't bet on the neighboring University of Pittsburgh to offer much in terms of social life or sports teams, as CMU students don't seem to spend much time in Oakland, but there is a lot to do down the street in terms of shopping or cheap food. (Lots of restaurants offer half price food after 11pm during the week; organizations make a habit of going). There are hundreds of opportunities to volunteer in Pittsburgh as well, but none are in very close proximity to campus. If you want to be adventurous, there is a lot to do, but you need to become very familiar with the area and public transportation.

Pittsburgh Unique Culture

Pittsburgh is one of (if the the) most livable city in the USA. Cheap housing allows for more money to spend around the town. The big business draws of Pittsburgh are robotics, the medical fields, and the city is especially friendly to start-ups. The National Aviary, plenty of museums and libraries, and one of the world premiere glass art centers are just a couple gems which offer great opportunities for fun and learning. The sports scene is phenomenal, the central hub of some of the widest spread fan bases around. The personality of Pittsburgh's citizens ranges from savvy businessmen to youthful hipsters, but all people have friendly, folksy dispositions (and some of them even speak Pittsburghese). The weather can be a drag, with frigid winters, hot summers, and rain nearly half the year, but honestly it's a fair price to pay for a fantastic city.