Monday, November 12, 2007

THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH

Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as the 22nd largest metropolitan area in the United States. It is the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Built on land surrounding the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, where they merge to form the Ohio river, Pittsburgh features a skyline of 151 skyscrapers, 446 bridges, two inclined railways and a pre-revolutionary fortification. Residents of the city are called Pittsburghers. The downtown area is located on the triangular parcel at the confluence of the rivers. Pittsburgh is noted for bridges of all types throughout the city and is commonly known as the "The City of Bridges" or "The Bridge Capital" of the U.S.

Though Pittsburgh's economy was traditionally fueled by heavy manufacturing to the detriment of local air and water quality, today it is largely based on healthcare, education, technology and financial services, while Forbes magazine called it one of cleanest cities in the world. Robotics, for example, is such an emergent sector of the local economy that the Wall Street Journal dubbed the city "Roboburgh."

Despite its declining population, Pittsburgh remains the principal cultural and economic influence in the eastern Ohio River Valley. Also, though the city proper is diminishing in population, some areas of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area continue to grow. Because of its low cost of living, economic opportunities, education, transportation and medical infrastructure, Pittsburgh is consistently ranked high in livability surveys. In 2007, Pittsburgh was named "America's Most Livable City" by Places Rated Almanac.

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