The Strip District is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a one-half square mile area of land northeast of the central business district bordered to the north by the Allegheny River and to the south by portions of the Hill District. "The Strip District is a one-half square mile area northeast of downtown Pittsburgh."The Strip." as it is familiarly known, is just that -- a narrow strip of land in a flood plain confined by natural boundaries" (Pennsylvania). It extends from 11th to 33nd streets and includes three main thoroughfares. These are Smallman St., Penn Ave., and Liberty Ave. It also includes various side streets. The area from 16th to 22nd is commonly known as the produce district. The Strip district was established in 1814 when James O'Hara and George A. Bayard established a plan of lots in the area that is between today's 11th and 15th streets. "Although officially named the "Northern Liberties of Pittsburgh," the area was commonly known as Bayardstown" (Pennsylvania). Even though it was the 19th century its location and access made it ideal for industrial development. Quickly it became the home of iron mills, foundries, and glass factories. Soon industrial development flourished, factories sprang up all along Allegheny River. "The Strip District was the location for a number of significant industrial "firsts." Andrew Carnegie got his start in the iron and steel industries with the Upper and Lower Union Mills on Smallman and 33rd streets" (Pennsylvania). The Pittsburgh Reduction Co. (ALCOA) began production of aluminum on Smallman. "George Westinghouse built his first factory to produce air brakes on Liberty Avenue" (Pennsylvania). Other early tenants of the Strip District included U.S. Steel, Chautauqua Lake Ice Company Warehouse, St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, and The H.J. Heinz Company. The H.J. Heinz Company later moved from the strip to its present location on the opposite bank of the Allegheny River.
The reason that the Strip District was home to many mills and factories was its location along the Allegheny River. This made for easy transportation of goods and shipping of raw materials in and out of the city. The merchants were able to ship their goods via either boat or rail car. This type of shipping built around the manufacturing companies naturally lead to an increase in other types of merchants setting up shop in the Strip.
The late 19th century, wholesale produce merchants were located on the railroad track running Liberty. In 1906 the train tracks were removed from Liberty Ave, produce merchants began to relocate to the Strip near the railroads. By the early 20th century the Strip District became a vibrant network of wholesalersâ€"mostly fresh produce, meat, and poultry dealers.
"The produce station was located in a small triangular building at 21st Street near Smallman Street... this became the hub of the wholesale produce business in Pittsburgh. From the turn of the century through the 1920s, industrial buildings, shops, and homes along Smallman between 16th and 21st streets were demolished for the construction of produce warehouses and offices... The 1920s were a time of prosperity, and grocery store chains began on a small scale and helped increase the volume of business in the Strip District. Produce merchants faced difficult times in the 1930s...Just as the wholesalers were beginning to pull out of the Depression, World War II brought about short supplies of food, rationing and price freezes. The post-war years brought two major changes to the produce industry. Trucks began to replace railroads as the preferred method of transportation, and grocery store chains continued to grow, putting small independent stores out of business and cutting out wholesalers by purchasing directly from growers... In the 1950s there were 71 wholesale produce dealers in the Strip District. By the 1970s there were about two dozen dealers left in the produce terminal. Remaining dealers began to expand their businesses by opening retail stores on Penn Avenue and Smallman Street" (Pennsylvania)
One of the most interesting stories of the businesses in the strip is that of the restaurant Primanti Brothers. Primanti Brothers was founded in 1933; its signature items are its sandwiches, which consist of grilled meat, a vinegar-based cole slaw, tomato slices, and French fries between two pieces of Italian bread. History claimed in the 1930s, the Strip was a very busy place. Truckers delivered their goods in the middle of the night and had to get back on the road quickly. So Primanti's designed their sandwich to be eaten with one hand, while the driver drove the truck with the other. By combining the sides with the sandwich, a Pittsburgh staple was born. Of course, the restaurant offers a slightly humorous takes on it, offering the explanation that the Primanti brothers simply forgot the plates and forks one day. The official website of Primanti's says it started when Joe Primanti opened a cart in the Strip District selling sandwiches to truckers on the go. It was decided that he should expand to a small restaurant on 18th Street. The hours were 3am to 3pm to accommodate truckers and the like. According to history, "One winter, a fella drove in with a load of potatoes. He brought a few of 'em over to the restaurant to see if they were frozen. I fried the potatoes on our grill and they looked pretty good. A few of our customers asked for them, so I put the potatoes on their sandwiches." And the rest is history. The Primanti Sandwich: a true taste of Pittsburgh ( (Primanti Brothers).
Another staple of the Strip is The Mike Feinberg Company. The Mike Feinberg Company originated on 4th Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA in the 1950s. The store started by selling wholesale toys such as bicycles, boxed goods and the like. Eventually, the Mike Feinberg Company moved to Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh's "Strip District". Throughout the years, Mike adapted his merchandise to the demands of the customers and, after some time, it became rumored that you could find "anything you could possibly need" (Feinberg) at the Mike Feinberg Company. The shelves were stocked year round with party decorations, toys for every occasion and various novelty gifts. "In the 1970s Mike stocked his shelves with Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise and became the original distributor of "Myron Cope's Terrible Towel" (Feinberg). "Mike Feinberg Company is still the destination in Pittsburgh for party supplies, novelty gifts and Pittsburgh sports merchandise and memorabilia" (Feinberg).
Today the once massive warehouses and wholesalers are now home to restaurants, nightspots, and "a bustling marketplace" (Powell). Because of its set up, it provides one of the most interesting architectural displays in the city. During the day the Strip is the melting pot of shopping areas in the city, anyone can find almost anything that they are looking for. They can easily go from finding ethnic foods, to poultry, produce, retail clothes, carpets, or furniture. However during the night the Strip turns from a market place into one of Pittsburgh's top nightlife destinations. From lounges to bars and pubs the Strip has a place for everyone. Some of the most popular spots are Wholeys, Mike Feinberg Co, and Primanti Brothers. While there are plenty of places to shop or eat, one can also go to mass. The St. Stanislaus Kostka Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, one of the city's oldest churches. The church is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral' style of churches in both its opulence and Old World elegance. It is known also as 21st and Smallman Street Church. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
In recent years the Strip has had a new addition to its repertoire, the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, The Pittsburgh Ballet, Pittsburgh Opera House, and the new Sports Center Museum, both which are in affiliation with the Smithsonian.
The strip is not just for shopping and parting, another recent addition is that of apartments and lofts. In part of Pittsburgh's attempts at restoration they have turned many of the old warehouses and factories into living spaces. "The old brick buildings of the former warehouse district have become a hot commodity for people looking for unique loft living near downtown Pittsburgh. The Brake House lofts, located in the building where the movie "Flashdance" was filmed offers amazing views of the city skyline. The old Armstrong Cork Factory is now home to hundreds of hip, luxury loft units and even features its own private marina (Powell)" Springfield Public School, built in 1871, is now the 31st Street Lofts. However, unsurprisingly these lofts cost a pretty penny to inhabit. These renovations are also similar to what they have done with the old Heinz factory. Other uses include a mixed-use tower is planned for the Ayoob fruit warehouse site.
The Strip has always been the Strip even with its "rough-and-tumble past and an elusive, tough-sounding name...but it was "once a lovely wooded riverbank" (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh). "The Strip has seen use as "farmland," as a home for "mills and warehouses," as a "food market," and, most recently, as a focus "for the area's trendiest nightlife" (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh). The Strip has also been known by many names, "Bayardstown, O'Haraville, Northern Liberties [and] Denny's Bottoms". "The Strip District at one time was "an undesirable, heavily populated, residential-industrial district notable mainly for its marauding gangs and election day brawls" (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh).
Works Cited
