Pittsburgh
by Elaine Ernst SchneiderThere's no Michelangelo coming from Pittsburgh.…
In his song "Smalltown," Lou Reed laments the limits he feels Pittsburgh places on creativity and the ability to grow and evolve. The Reed and Cale "Songs for Drella" lyrics go on to say: "My father worked in construction; it's not something for which I'm suited. Oh, what is something for which you are suited? Getting out of here."
Perspective is everything--the proverbial "It's all in how you look at it." Indeed, Pittsburgh in its smoke years lost its appeal to the rich or creative. From Carnegie to Warhol, they left and never came back. Carnegie's wife said Pittsburgh was a miserable place filled with smoke and small minds. But what about today's Pittsburgh, fifty years after the smoke has cleared? The Smoke
One hundred years of industrial prominence (1870-1970) in the iron, steel, glass, and coal industries took its toll on Pittsburgh environmentally. Renowned as the city with the world's largest blast furnaces, Pittsburgh thrived as a hub of industry, nicknamed by its country as "The Hearth of the Nation." Tongues of flame rose from the city at night that were visible for miles along the Allegheny, Ohio, and Monongahela rivers. But years of fire produced skies rolling in smoke. The rivers were polluted and soot filled every breath of air. During World Wars I and II, private and public sectors of the city began to address the problems in the environment, but it was not until a 1950's mayor named David L. Lawrence issued the slogan "Smoke Must Go" that efforts turned to real progress.
From the 50's to the 70's, Pittsburgh pushed for clean air, unpolluted rivers, and environmentally controlled industry. The future looked promising. Then the unthinkable happened. The United States turned to foreign markets for much of its steel. The economics were such that it was cheaper to ship it in than pay union wages. As the steel industry in Pittsburgh declined, Pittsburgh became that place to "pass through." Simon and Garfunkle aptly summed up most of the country's opinion about Pittsburgh in their 1981 "America" lyrics when they "boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh." Small Minds
In spite of Mrs. Carnegie's belief that Pittsburgh was filled with small minds, the technical, financial, and political forces of Pittsburgh banded together to face the challenge of creating a new image for Pittsburgh. A redevelopment program emphasized industry within the confines of environmental control, along with diversification of products. Today, Pittsburgh places importance on smoke and pollution control, flood prevention, ecologically clean rivers, and sewage control as it embraces the manufacturing of products such as petroleum, electrical equipment, machinery, coke, and chemical products, as well as the coal and steel for which it has long been famous.
Flaming tongues no longer dominate the night as the lights of the city can be seen, beckoning everyone from pawn-shoppers to millionaires to "come out and play." Guy Mitchell sings it like this: "There's a pawnshop on the corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I walk up and down … she was peaches, she was honey, and she cost me all my money 'cause a whirl 'round the town was her dream … and she'll tell you somewhere there's a rich millionaire who is calling again." Yes, Mrs. Carnegie, the Smoke has Cleared
Fifty years since Mayor Lawrence declared "The Smoke Must Go," Pittsburgh boasts a spectacular and impressive city landscape. Not only do city lights twinkle at night, but the rivers have recovered and offer fishermen a line or two on how to catch bass. Riverfront attractions such as the Sandcastle Waterpark, The Carnegie Science Center, and the floating boardwalk in the Strip District bear testimony to the new appeal of Pittsburgh's rivers. Pittsburgh's Strip District along the Allegheny River bustles with food markets and restaurants by day and nightclub life by night, literally reflecting the water's new surge of creative input to the city. In their song, "Mississippi Queen," the group Mountain references the rivers "down around Pittsburgh," for the Allegheny and Monongahela meet at the Ohio River to form an impressive port any river boat crew would want to visit. Indeed, Pittsburgh is ranked today as one of the nation's largest and most active inland river ports.
Ranked in 1999 as America's sixth most "kid-friendly" city, Pittsburgh boasts an award winning zoo and two Kennywood park roller coasters that made the "Top Ten Coasters in the World" list. The hands-on Children's Museum is another of the city's kid calling cards.
"Friendly" is a word that just keeps popping up when the surveys are counted. Association Management voted Pittsburgh into the top twenty "friendliest host cities" for meetings and conventions. It can't hurt that the Pittsburgh International Airport has received its share of accolades as well, with five first-place wins from the Airport Retail News 1999 Best Airport Concessions Poll. The Wall Street Journal ranked Pittsburgh among the thirteen leading technology centers in the United States in 1999, the same year that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center was chosen #12 Best Hospital in the nation. It seems evident that Pittsburgh has evolved from its industrial beginnings to become a vital contributor in the fields of technology and medicine.
But that's not all.
True, Lou, there's "no Picasso" or "Michelangelo…from Pittsburgh…no Dali…no adorable lisping Capote," and perhaps there was a time when Pittsburgh couldn't hold her artists. But that day vanished with the smoke, and Pittsburgh has birthed new talent such as Gene Kelly, Henry Mancini, Billy Eckstine, Lena Horne, Perry Como, Gertrude Stein, Mary Roberts Reinhart, Fred Rogers, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author August Wilson.
It's all in how you look at it.
Elaine Ernst Schneider is a freelance writer and music teacher. She has been writing since high school and has published articles, songs, and children's work. Presently, Elaine is a curriculum author for Group Publishing.
