Pittsburgh hot spots

Attic and Cruel Noise are also Lawrenceville-adjacent. There were a couple record stores on Butler a few years ago, but one closed and the other relocated to Brookline.

The downside of being such a successful neighborhood may be that the rents are too high for a record store.

 

Had a similar conversation about Primanti’s the other day..... when I lived in Boston for 5 years after college we hit Primani’s every time I was home. In 19 years since settling back here I bet I haven’t eaten there 5 times, mostly with out of town guests. Perhaps not ever being in the city and drunk at 1 AM anymore has something to do with it but mostly - there are better options.

Agree on Lawrenceville’s lack of record stores but since we go to Row House Cinema pretty often maybe it’s better that way.

 

It's hit or miss between Jerry's and The Attic. Sometimes you'll have a better day at one or the other, it's all about timing. The Attic has new releases and RSD participation where Jerry's stays away from new stuff. Also, The Attic has CD's,Jerry's not unless that's changed recently. But, Jerry's does share the building with Galaxie (or maybe Galaxy) Electronics so you can get your audio components worked on by Vince and pick up a few record supplies and used gear. I like them both. Music To My Ear is more swanky, laid out better and more room to move, plus, cleaner. I hope it keeps a small footprint though and doesn't try to be Jerry's or The Attic volume wise. It's got high end audio/video gear upstairs and a few new TT's and headphone section near the vinyl and CD's.

Half-Price Books and The Exchange are really picked over and you'd have to be there frequently to pick up re-stock items as they fly off the shelves quickly. They're usually a waste of time but I have to admit if I'm near one I'll stop and browse. A few times a year I'll find something great but usually leave empty handed. I look out for the discount days but so does everyone else in the burgh. The competition is healthy.

 

I found a couple Bowie RSD things at Dave's Music Mine on the Southside, in addition to the Jaco big band live Truth, Liberty & Soul, which I never saw anywhere in Northern NJ or even at the Jazz Record Center in Manhattan.

Found the Robert Johnson Centennial Collection from RSD last year at The Exchange, also on the Southside.

Got some nice used jazz, blues and the best original Katy Lied I've seen in quite awhile at Vinyl Remains, a small shop just off West Liberty in Dormont. It's a tiny shop, but very well done. NYC expats run the shop, and I really hope they stay in the 'Burgh.

I found mono Beatles for Sale and With The Beatles at the Barnes & Noble in Homestead, and picked up a few of the good Coltrane reissues I don't see here. Usually, it's Ole and Giant Steps and that's it.

Didn't make it to Jerry's, but I'll try next time.

Pittsburgh's so small, but people drive really slow, every red light lasts 3 minutes, and lots of side roads in the South Hills were closed due to flooding. I was there for 10 days, and it rained literally every single day, often torrential downpours that were like mini-hurricanes that lasted 15-40 minutes. It's always been a grey, rainy place, but it was something else this time around.

Didn't make it out to Lawrenceville this time, but no record stores there?? Sounds like an opportunity just waiting to be exploited.

 

Nice finds but the weather is usually hot and sunny when I go. Whole summer has been pretty moist in the NE,PA in particular.

 

Does anyone know where I could rent a real time analyzer in the Pittsburgh area? I don’t trust any of the equipment that I have, nor do I want to buy one because I don’t anticipate using it that often. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!