So the Pittsburgh adventure continues.....

 

Oakland

Oakland is the cultural district of the city.  It includes The University of Pittsburgh which includes the Cathedral of Knowledge, Carnegie Mellon, and a gigantic Carnegie library.

 

This is a very small overview of the neighborhood:

 

And now Pittsburgh University's library (kinda of a disappointment)

 

Cathedral of knowledge

Here is an example of one of the country room.  There are at least 20 country rooms in the building decorated with characteristics of the culture.  Unfortunately I was unable to go inside the rooms.

This would be an awesome classroom:

 

They certainly have a taste for Mexican:

 

nice, i always wondered what the inside of that looked like.

 

qdoba haha!

Oakland is wonderful. I was fortunate to see inside some of the country rooms, and they're very well done. Entering the Cathedral of Learning sometimes is like stepping into another realm.

I love Oakland.  It's so monumental, but it has maintained a lot of youthful energy due to the universities in the area.

I was a little disappointed with Carnegie Mellon. I thought it would look better in person. The brick is gross. I really like UPitt and Oakland in general though.

Ohh I like CMU's campus! Granted it's where my dad went so I have some attachment, but I think they have a pretty campus.

ACK! It's Cathedral of Learning!! Learning! Not Knowledge! :-)

 

And the correct term is Nationality Rooms, not Country rooms!

 

You Ohio hillbillies...:-)

 

Actually, this brutalist monstrosity is Posvar Hall... which has classrooms, auditoriums, offices, etc.  Hillman Library would be just to the right of it (it's also a brutalist monstrosity... but much less offensive than Posvar)

 

 

Hillman Library

And the correct term is Nationality Rooms, not Country rooms!

 

You Ohio hillbillies...:-)

 

 

Blame this one on Evergrey. :wink:

Actually, this brutalist monstrosity is Posvar Hall... which has classrooms, auditoriums, offices, etc.  Hillman Library would be just to the right of it (it's also a brutalist monstrosity... but much less offensive than Posvar)

 

 

Hillman Library

 

Brutalist isn't the word. These buildings are dehumanizing!

 

A lot of campuses have these though so I don't hold it against Pittsburgh.

Great photos, I really miss Oakland.  Need to go back soon. 

 

It's the Cathedral of Learning and 2, there's some story about the quote around the gates to the door...trying to remember it.

 

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A5135780:

 

In the Commons Room, the massive wrought-iron gates created by the blacksmith-artist Samuel Yellin still greet visitor and student alike, as they have for over half a century now, with the words of the poet Robert Bridges:

 

    Here is eternal spring. For you the very stars of heaven are new.

 

 

 

 

Thanks again!

When I saw that Qdoba I almost died. You know your lacking in the Mexican food department when Qdoba wins. But, delicious non-Mexican (whatsoever) tortillas stuffed with artery clogging goodness is delicious. Fact.

Actually, there are two great authentic Mexican restaurants in Oakland (and a Mad Mex... which certainly beats Qdoba)... but you know the way those newspaper "Best of city" contests go... local places have their intense fan clubs... but chain restaurants have widespread name recognition... so even if a lot of people don't have particularly strong feelings about Qdoba... it might be the only "Mexican" place they know of... so they write it in for the "Best Mexican" award

ACK! It's Cathedral of Learning!! Learning! Not Knowledge! :-)

 

And the correct term is Nationality Rooms, not Country rooms!

 

You Ohio hillbillies...:-)

 

I was making mistakes about the names the whole trip.  I was calling Shadyside neighborhood ShadyTown.  And calling University of Pittsburgh UP. 

 

EDIT: Fixed quote box

Actually, there are two great authentic Mexican restaurants in Oakland (and a Mad Mex... which certainly beats Qdoba)... but you know the way those newspaper "Best of city" contests go... local places have their intense fan clubs... but chain restaurants have widespread name recognition... so even if a lot of people don't have particularly strong feelings about Qdoba... it might be the only "Mexican" place they know of... so they write it in for the "Best Mexican" award

 

I totally agree with this.  I thought it would be a funny thing to add to the post ;)

The Cathedral of Learning is amazing...Qdoba, not so much.

^ Lol Agreed.  Great photos inside the place though.  Mine were unfortunately very blurry.

well I think most decent size campuses have those 60's/70's era buildings.  I don't mind them since there are often surrounded by so many classic campus buildings and their is something interesting to me in noting a time, even if it looks bad now, relatively speaking.

 

 

I need to get in a road-trip to Pittsburgh. And just ignore the Qdoba crap, the masses have bad taste. Here El Vaquero gets voted number one and neither I nor my friend were impressed. I thought the food was run-of-the-mill Americanized Mexican, while he said it was unedible after eating half of what he got since it was drenched in melted cheese. I'll take a taco truck any day over these places, or even Chipotle.

I need to get in a road-trip to Pittsburgh. And just ignore the Qdoba crap, the masses have bad taste. Here El Vaquero gets voted number one and neither I nor my friend were impressed. I thought the food was run-of-the-mill Americanized Mexican, while he said it was unedible after eating half of what he got since it was drenched in melted cheese. I'll take a taco truck any day over these places, or even Chipotle.

 

El Vaquero is good for the bar though. All those free chips and salsa with your margarita!