Summer @ CMU Newsletter: Issue I

Welcome to Issue I of our Summer Studies newsletter! Every few weeks we’ll be sending out a new listing of on and off campus activities and resources so that you can make the most of your summer at CMU.

This year, our theme is Passport to Pittsburgh. Getting involved on campus is an essential part of the CMU experience, and we believe that getting off campus and exploring Pittsburgh is just as important. The folks contributing to this newsletter are all locals (hi!) with insights about this exciting, rapidly changing city. We want to share our knowledge with you! We’ll conclude each newsletter with Neighborhood Spotlight, a rundown of the best things to do in two neighborhoods you may not have explored yet.

We’re so excited to embark on new summer adventures with you!

Athletics Department: Let's Ride & Group X

The Athletics Department is hosting their annual Summer Fitness Challenge, Let’s Ride! It’s an awesome opportunity to explore the city by bike. Sign-up forms and schedules are available at the CUC Fitness Desk or Wiegand Gym Equipment Desk. Try to show up 15 minutes before each session begins to sign any necessary waivers or borrow a bike from CMU.

CMU also provides a diverse array of Group X fitness classes. Whether you’re interested in a Bhangra-based dance workout, kickboxing, kettle bell training, yoga, or something else entirely, Group X has a class for you. Classes are FREE for CMU graduate and undergraduate students.

If you prefer to walk or run outdoors, check out the Athletics Department’s guide to safe running or biking routs near campus.

Tartan Passport

Tartan Passport is the Summer Studies guide to free and low-cost events around the city. We’ll keep you updated on social media (so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). In the meantime, here are some exciting low-cost events that will run all summer long:

Ongoing Events:

• Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn — The first Friday of each month, the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative hosts Unblurred. Businesses, galleries, and concert spaces between the 4800 and 5500 blocks of Penn Avenue in Garfield open their doors for an evening cultural festival. May thru September, Unblurred also features the Garfield Night Market from 6-10 p.m. Garfield is right next door to East Liberty, an easy bus ride from campus.
• Neighborhood Farmers’ Markets — The City of Pittsburgh sponsors neighborhood farmers’ markets all summer long. Nearby neighborhoods like Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Bloomfield all host weekly markets. For days, times, and locations, check here and here.
• Cinema in the Park — Did you know you can watch FREE movies in the parks? Every summer, the city screens outdoor movies across Pittsburgh. You can catch classics like “Dirty Dancing” and new releases like “Black Panther” Wednesdays on Flagstaff Hill (right behind campus). For family friendly fare, try Schenley Plaza on Sundays. Movies start at dusk. Listings here.

Summer Concerts

Pittsburgh is hosting some pretty amazing concerts this June. Some are free and some require purchased tickets:

• 6/1-6/10: Three Rivers Arts Festival (free/various locations)
• 6/1-6/10: Pittsburgh Pride (various locations)
• 6/12: alt-J @ Stage AE
• 6/15-6/17: Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (free/various locations)
• 6/16: Kendrick Lamar, SZA, ScHoolboy Q @ Key Bank Pavilion
• 6/19: The Magnetic Fields @ Carnegie Music Hall
• 6/22: Grizzly Bear & Spoon @ Stage AE

Neighborhood Spotlight

Regent Square & Wilkinsburg

Want to kick back at an out-of-the way coffee shop, eat the best hot dog of your life, then head to an art house movie? Bus it to Regent Square/Wilkinsburg (don’t worry — we’ll tell you which bus to take). Snap a picture at one of our featured locations and tag it with #CMUsummer to enter our Instagram photo contest!

Regent Square

Regent Square might be the most adorable place you’ve never been. It’s right next door to Squirrel Hill, but the neighborhoods are separated by Frick Park and Homewood Cemetery. This can make Regent Square hard to stumble across unless you’re actively looking. Which you should be, because Regent Square is great.

Like Squirrel Hill, Regent Square is a residential neighborhood with a thriving business district. Braddock Avenue is home to Pittsburgh institution D’s Six Pax and Dogz, where you can get some of the best hotdogs and chili cheese fries in the city. (There are also excellent vegetarian options.)

Fans of Pamela’s should try the Square Café, also on Braddock Ave. The Square Cafe features creative twists on traditional diner food. Their menu rotates seasonally, so there’s always something new to try.

The Regent Square Theater is another old-school Braddock Avenue attraction. They screen art house movies and classic films. This month, Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff will offer their signature commentary on “some of the worst movies ever made.”

Wilkinsburg

Wilkinsburg isn’t technically part of the city of Pittsburgh, but it’s so close that it might as well be. It’s right next door to Regent Square (just cross Braddock Avenue, walking away from Frick Park, and you’ll be there). Wilkinsburg has dealt with some tough economic times, but it’s a beautiful neighborhood. The old brick roads are lined with trees and Victorian houses, many of them painted bright colors, and there are plenty of interesting places to go.

One of those places is Biddle’s Escape. Located on the corner of Biddle and South Trenton, the coffee shop boasts a shady, outdoor patio as well as a cozy in-door seating area. In addition to coffee and tea, they serve tasty sandwiches and baked goods. Biddle’s is the perfect place to study or spend a lazy afternoon with friends.

If you’re in Wilkinsburg on a Thursday or Friday afternoon, head down Trenton to Percolate Art Space. Percolate has limited hours, but they host exciting shows throughout the year. Starting June 22, you can check out “Creating Space for Joy,” an interactive digital art installation.