London, Buenos Aires, Pittsburgh

[TheGerbil]

http://nymag.com/travel/2007/winter/39306/

New York magazine put together this list of "ideas for culture hunters" and Pittsburgh is on the list. Considering this is a short list and mostly includes foreign cities, I'd say this is an honor. Pittsburgh was included for its jazz scene, which is apparently still kicking. I knew we still had a jazz scene here, but I didn't realize it was of this calibre. (Not being into jazz myself).

Anyway, just thought you all might like to see this.

[Evergrey]

I believe Dowe's on 9th just closed however. Jazz doesn't seem to be a commercially viable form of music anymore. It's mostly relegated to venues like the Manchester Craftsman's Guild.

[mjcatl2]

Pittsburgh has at least a small place in jazz heritage in the 20th century. But yes it isn't that commercially viable which is unfortunate. It's too bad that a club downtown couldn't make it. I have to wonder if the Balcony in Shadyside would still be around (it got forced out for a higher paying tenant in Pottary Barn I believe).

[TheGerbil]

I knew we once had a significant jazz scene, just didn't realize we still did.

As for Dowe's on 9th, anyone ever been there? I'm curious what it was like because I once heard someone say it wasn't that good. Then again he was a very critical person.

[Evergrey]

Pittsburgh has at least a small place in jazz heritage in the 20th century. But yes it isn't that commercially viable which is unfortunate. It's too bad that a club downtown couldn't make it. I have to wonder if the Balcony in Shadyside would still be around (it got forced out for a higher paying tenant in Pottary Barn I believe).

[tooluther]

GQ has a similar list of art cities this month...Pittsburgh is again mentioned

Good stuff

[facilities man]

Does anyone know how many international flights are offered out of PIT on a weekly basis, and how many cities are served?

[tooluther]

Just a few...Toronto plus some locations in the Mexico and the Caribbean

[TheGerbil]

I assume we're talking direct flights?

[facilities man]

I assume we're talking direct flights?

[urbanophile]

Does anyone know how many international flights are offered out of PIT on a weekly basis, and how many cities are served?

[TheGerbil]

That would be the definition of an international flight.

If a flight goes through New York to Paris then it's a flight to New York. New York would be the originator of the international part.

[tooluther]

You can leave from an international gate without it being an international flight. Its the arrival into the customs level that counts. So it was just a coincidence that the transcon flight left from that gate and you happened to be continuing on over seas.

[MFAC]

A little off-topic (but not really). I just flew non-stop from Cancun back to Pittsburgh this past Saturday afternoon. If you think the emptiness of the regular concourses of PIT are depressing, you should see what has happened to the customs and immigration level below C. I am talking abandoned machinery strewn everywhere, flat screens pulled out of the walls with wires hanging, baggage claims that haven't been used, empty check-in gates, wrong signs.......and they let it stay in this condition while funneling people through! It was one of the biggest customs stations I've been through, but they only had two lines open. We actually got in early....I was the first person to get to the international security screening point and I surprised them. They jumped up from a card table and were like "Look. People!" "The flight's early!". They had me wait five minutes while they turned on the X-ray machines and metal detectors. Really really sad. Talk about a ghost town. You seriously had to maneuver around old US Airways crap all over the place. It was like walking through someone's basement.

[urbanophile]

I assumed that any flight bound for a foreign city was 'international' even if you had to stop on the way. When I flew to Auckland we went through the international terminal at PIT even though we were stopping in LA.

[TheGerbil]

This was many years ago, so my memory's fuzzy. There may not be an "international" terminal per se but it wasn't one of the normal terminals either. Or at least it was a special section of the terminal. Pretty sure I remember a small bank there for exchanging currency.

Well does this mean there are direct flights from some of PA's smaller cities that go out of the country? I'm pretty sure we have about 7 international airports in this state.

[urbanophile]

This was many years ago, so my memory's fuzzy. There may not be an "international" terminal per se but it wasn't one of the normal terminals either. Or at least it was a special section of the terminal. Pretty sure I remember a small bank there for exchanging currency.

[PITTown]

I knew we once had a significant jazz scene, just didn't realize we still did.

As for Dowe's on 9th, anyone ever been there? I'm curious what it was like because I once heard someone say it wasn't that good. Then again he was a very critical person.