Pittsburgh Shopping

The variety of shops there and the low prices for goods which are about 2 or 3 times more expensive in Europe!

What to buy: Everything
Prime Outlets - Grove City is rated as one of the top 20 Outlet Centers in the United States by Value Retail News (August, 2004). With over 140 brand named outlets, Prime Outlets - Grove City customers realize savings from 25% - 65% off retail everday making it a bargain shoppers paradise!

What to pay: Not much!

While strolling through the Strip, the delicious smells emanating from this shop meant we could not resist going in. The sign outside announcing freshly-baked Chocolate Rascals, and the fact we hadn't had breakfast sealed our fate. We grabbed an assortment of sumptuous cookies to munch on while we strolled. Everything was extremely fresh and tasty and all of the prices seemed like quite the bargain to me.

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We were impressed by the prices at Tanger Outlet Mall of at Washington, PA just south of Pittsburgh. Needless to mention, some of the best deals were to be had here in many branded stores. Us two families shopped for about 3 hours on the day of arrival and 3 hours on the day of departure at this outlet center to be taken back to Canada. Picture # 1 shows some happy faces after the final haul on first day late in the evening. We were the last people to exit the Center.

Other pictures from our last year trip (going towards Boone, NC) and from this visit show different views and the food court of the Center.

Nearby attractions include:

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
(412) 622-3114
4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
(724) 228-9256
1 Museum Road, Washington, PA 15301

The Meadows Racetrack & Casino
(877)-824-5050 or (724) 503-1200
210 Race Track Road, Washington, PA 15301
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available, call (800) 848-1880.

What to buy: Clothes, shoes, ladies handbags, gift items.

What to pay: It is an outlet mall. Therefore, the prices are less as compared to Canada and elsewhere.

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By my rough count they have some 325 varieties of craft beer from at least 20 different breweries, over 60 brands from 20 countries, and over 25 brands of domestic beers. They also stock a varieties of soft drinks ("pop") and snack foods.

I was amazed at some of the beers they had in stock that I had only seen overseas or in a few trendy bars in big cities. We came for the IC Light, but left with some premium Golden Pheasant from Slovakia and Kostritzer black lager from Germany. IC light cases seem a little expensive at $21 for bottles, but the international beers were reasonable at $31 to $35 a case. They even had some exquisit Belgian beers that sold for over $100 a case!

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I am a big fan of the chocolate chip cookies from Doubletree. During our last stay I decided to buy a tin of their chocolate chip cookies for home. The tin was bown with the Double Tree logo with six cookies inside. The tin was $10.95 and so worth it for the delicious cookies.

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After the Civil War, industrial development thrived here, along the south bank of the Allegheny River, northeast of downtown. Andrew Carnegie, Pittsburgh's great steel magnate, made his start here. So did George Westinghouse, who built his first factory here.

Starting in the late 19th century, wholesale merchants began moving in. Slowly, the Strip evolved from an industrial area to a vast produce market. Today, small shops, cafes, and bars continue to do a brisk business here. Nightlife is very limited. But if you're shopping for a unique gift, or a memorable souvenir, then this is the place to find it.

What to buy: Produce is still a big item here. But many shops sell crafts, jewelry, books, clothes, and a variety of other goods. It's a perfect place to browse, people-watch, and just hang out.

What to pay: Prices are about average.

Giant Eagle Market is a local chain of grocery stores in the Pittsburgh area, and was recommended to us by the Marriott Residence Inn hotel staff. As previously mentioned, our hotel was an all suite hotel and had a wonderful full, but compact kitchen and dining area. Great for fixing meals to stretch your travel budget! The hotel's terrace also had a BBQ grill which our group decided to make use of for a cookout.

We visited the Giant Eagle Market to buy groceries and supplies for the cookout. They had a wonderful bakery where beautiful pastries, fruit tarts, specialty cakes and pies, beautifully decorated cookies, and all sorts of sweets were artfully made & displayed. The bakery also carried a full range of all sorts of breads, rolls, baguettes, etc. We chose a full-size sheetcake for the girls' volleyball team and had it personalized at no extra charge. Of course, it had to have pink & lavender frosting!!

The next task was picking up the main course for the grill and the Giant Eagle Market's steaks and chicken were fresh and well-cut. The store had a full range of fresh vegetables and fruits to choose for salads or side dishes.

The Giant Eagle carried a full range of other groceries and products and without a doubt you could certainly find whatever you needed at this market.

The Giant Eagle was not your regular neighborhood grocery store but what I would call upscale. Prices were slightly higher than most grocery stores at home, but might have been considered normal for Pittsburgh. It had plenty of free above & underground parking, and helpful staff. It was not very far from the hotel and a very nice store to shop in and I would recommend it for anyone picking up groceries you might need when staying at the Marriott Residence Inn.

What to buy: The Giant Eagle Market had one of the nicest, in-store bakeries I've seen and the cookies, cakes, fruit tarts and other pastries were really wonderful little works of art!!

The Irish Design Center is a great place to find traditional Irish gifts. Everything is handmade and imported from Ireland. Though sometimes tricky to find, this store is worth it.

Open Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5:30pm

What to buy: I love the Callan Knitwear they have. Though more expensive ($60-$200), the handknitted sweaters are beautiful and soft. If you want to spend less money, handthrown bowls and candles are lovely. ($6 - $20). My favorite item of them all is the Jerpoint Glass. The glass paperweights and candlesticks are handcrafted.

What to pay: Since there is a wide variety at this store, it's hard to say how much you'll pay. The price range is about $6 - $200.