I just spent a week in Pittsburgh hanging out with my 95 year old father-in-law while my wife's mother was in the hospital. She's fine, by the way, it was just a follow up to an earlier surgery and she's now home and all is well. My wife had to stay home due to a couple obligations she couldn't change.
Anyway, if you've never been to Pittsburgh, you should go. It's positively the most aggressively friendly city I've ever experienced. I could cite probably fifty examples, but I'll just share one. I had gone over to see my mother-in-law at the hospital one evening. It was pretty cold and snowy out, a generally unpleasant evening. I come in and the nurse is in there checking the MIL's vitals or whatever they do. She asks the MIL if she needs anything, then turns to me and asks if I need or want anything. I respond that I'm doing ok, and she says "Are you sure? It's pretty nasty out there. How about a hot cup of coffee?" I, thinking she's joking, say "sure, that'd be great!" and we all go about our business. A few minutes later here she comes with a cup of coffee and some creamers and sugar packets. I was blown away.
And the entire city is like this. People smile and say hello. They ask how you are and genuinely want to hear your response. I found myself actually looking forward to going to the grocery store and the post office just because it was so nice to interact with people. I spent almost a half hour chatting with the lady at the register in the wine store.
I've always joked that the whole town is hopped up on prozac or something, but I've always only been there for a couple days at a time. Being there a week, it really sank in how incredibly friendly a place it is.
I've spent a lot of time all over the South and in other supposedly friendly places like Baltimore and Wisconsin, but NONE of them hold a candle to Pittsburgh.
Like I said, if you haven't been, go. Just please don't stay unless you're nice.
Anyway, if you've never been to Pittsburgh, you should go. It's positively the most aggressively friendly city I've ever experienced. I could cite probably fifty examples, but I'll just share one. I had gone over to see my mother-in-law at the hospital one evening. It was pretty cold and snowy out, a generally unpleasant evening. I come in and the nurse is in there checking the MIL's vitals or whatever they do. She asks the MIL if she needs anything, then turns to me and asks if I need or want anything. I respond that I'm doing ok, and she says "Are you sure? It's pretty nasty out there. How about a hot cup of coffee?" I, thinking she's joking, say "sure, that'd be great!" and we all go about our business. A few minutes later here she comes with a cup of coffee and some creamers and sugar packets. I was blown away.
And the entire city is like this. People smile and say hello. They ask how you are and genuinely want to hear your response. I found myself actually looking forward to going to the grocery store and the post office just because it was so nice to interact with people. I spent almost a half hour chatting with the lady at the register in the wine store.
I've always joked that the whole town is hopped up on prozac or something, but I've always only been there for a couple days at a time. Being there a week, it really sank in how incredibly friendly a place it is.
I've spent a lot of time all over the South and in other supposedly friendly places like Baltimore and Wisconsin, but NONE of them hold a candle to Pittsburgh.
Like I said, if you haven't been, go. Just please don't stay unless you're nice.
