Nothing to Do? Find out what's going down in the burgh.
Do you like exploring new areas? Getting lost amid shops in which nobody speaks English? Need a break from schoolwork and the usual crowd? Sometimes, my friends and I do too. My name is Leon, and I’m an adventurer. Along with my friends, Rikku and Lynk, I travel from place to place in search of good times and excitement. Our mission is to have a thoroughly exciting adventure for $20 a day or less. In a city like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this is sure to be an adventure.
This particular adventure brought me to an area called the Strip District, a short walk from downtown. I took the 28X Downtown-Oakland bus from the stop at IKEA, and after a scenic ride, I found myself standing Downtown (Note: You may want to grab a bus schedule when you get off). Walking up Liberty Avenue and past the Fish Market, Lynk and I made our Way to Penn Avenue.
The first place we stopped was Eides, a shop that sells DVDs, comic books, and CDs. The ground-level floor is home to a wide array of CDs and music, while the Basement is reserved for comic books and action figures. I myself bought a copy of “Land of the Dead” for four of my twenty dollars. (I’m a die-hard fan of anything within the zombie genre). After looking round for a few more moments, we were ready to move on.
As we walked farther down the street and under an overpass for traffic, we found Lotus Foods Inc., an Asian market selling everything from quail eggs to live crabs in paper sacks. I personally recommend trying some of the candy and sweet things, most of which cost under two dollars. A bag of fortune cookies sells for a dollar, if you are one for souvenirs. After purchasing some sugar-laden treats, we left to continue our trip.
Depending on what time of day you go to the Strip district, there may or may not be various street vendors. I went on a Friday night and there were none, but upon my return the next day in the early afternoon, it was like some kind of festival. There was wide variety of items for sale, everything from Katanas to Steelers jerseys to baked goods to exotic fruit.
Continuing further on and making a left down any one of the random side streets, then a right onto Smallman Street, we soon found Prana on the right side of the street. Prana, described as “A Nirvana of Subculture in the Strip,” is certainly a good place to spend time (and money on delicious coffee and various desserts). It is also an art gallery and tattoo parlor and is host to live bands and performers on the weekends. I recommend any form of iced-mocha.
We continued to look around Prana, at the various forms of art and the unique clothing and accessories for sale, until we decided that it was getting late. So, we set out and walked back to one of the bus stops along Liberty Avenue. The buses run every twenty minutes, so it wasn’t a long wait before we were on our way back to Robinson.
Final Totals:
“Land of the Dead” comic at Eides: $4.27
Strange Chinese Snacks At Lotus Foods: $2.78
Iced Mocha at Prana: $4.87
End Total………..$11.82
Cash Left………..$8.18
