A quick trip on the 71B outbound bus to the historic Highland Park neighborhood will no doubt enthrall any Carnegie Mellon architecture student. Many of Highland Park's houses are listed under the National Register of Historic Places -- Cordova Road is even home to delightful Tolkien-esque elfin houses that will transport you to Middle-earth. Rows upon rows of Victorian homes present a charming ambiance. Try taking a stroll in the historical district while listening to "The Charleston" on your phone and you will definitely feel like time traveling to the Roaring Twenties!

While the area is renowned for its fine dining, there are still plenty of affordable eateries for students to dine at. Thai cuisine is currently sweeping the nation right now, so this summer is the perfect opportunity to catch up on foodie experiences you missed out on during the school year. Bryant Street is home of Smiling Banana Leaf, widely considered to be one of, if not the best, Thai restaurants in Pittsburgh. Their streamlined menu offers familiar comforts such as Thai Fried Rice and Pad Thai for less than $12.00 on almost all items. More seasoned foodies may want to kick up the spice and order the Pad Kee Mao!

Highland Park also offers an exciting taste of the Caribbean with their annual Pittsburgh Jerk Fess. If you have never tasted jerked foods before, Pittsburgh Jerk Fess is the perfect opportunity to expand your culinary horizons. Why not finish your weekend by kicking back your shoes and relaxing to some live reggae music while tasting some jerk conch and jerk lobster?

For more information about this exciting festival, visit their Eventbrite page here.

North Shore

Most students know North Shore for being home to Heinz Field, PNC Park, and the Andy Warhol Museum. However, the neighborhood offers much more than these three meccas of tourism. Exploring the back alleys of the North Shore will leave you pleasantly surprised!

One of the quirkiest attractions in the city is Randyland. The intentionally-renowned eccentric artist Randy Gilson has transformed this stretch of the North Shore into a psychedelic mosaic of colors and mind-boggling patterns. Gilson's museum serves as a testament to the power of the human mind and the limitless creativity everybody has in store. Feel free to rack up those likes on your Instagram account by posing for some crazy selfies in Randyland!

The 7th annual Deutschtown Music Festival will take place from July 12 to July 13 in three locations within North Shore: Allegheny Commons Park, Foreland Avenue, and just outside the Sue Murray pool. The event will feature hundreds, yes hundreds, of local musicians, artists, and vendors. So here's a great opportunity to show your support for small businesses and artists! Not to mention that the festival takes great strides in being a family-friendly celebration. Come on down to the North Shore for the Deutschtown Music Festival -- it will make your weekend a little bit more memorable than usual!