magister

Honestly am not surprised about Rugby.

"My son said 'Daddy, I don't wanna go to school, 'cause the teacher's a jerk, he must think I'm a fool'" - The Message by Grand Master Flash.

 

As a huge opponent of public schools (both philosophically and because of my line of work), this line hits home.

I didn't have a 3GS but have owned a 4 since a few months after they came out. I was coming from an LG; the 4 was my first iPhone. This LG wasn't exactly new when I replaced it and I feel the clarity is similar if not slightly worse on the iPhone 4. Sometimes, it compares more favorably to those $5 wall-mounted landline phones you can get at Walgreen's.

 

I can't say I have too many problems with dropped calls, although they have happened now and then.

 

Case-wise, I use the Apple bumper. I'm not a fan of bulky iPhone cases.

I live in Pittsburgh. That being said, here are a few pointers on the city:

 

There are lots of different areas, both in the city and the suburbs, and each has its own unique feel and culture. It's a pain to get around due to the lack of a true beltway, which has to do with the city's three rivers, strange terrain, and the fact they keep buildings up forever because some condemned church or whatever is significant to one person who happens to have power.

 

A few places in the city worth checking out: South Side (nightlife), Cultural District (if you're into theater), North Shore (sports), Mount Washington (great views and a few decent bars), Shadyside/Oakland (where you'll find most of the hip young folks). All around the city you'll find some awesome architecture and lots of history to go behind it. There's even an entire museum devoted to local history, which is worth a visit.

 

Looking at the earlier recommendations, there are lots of good restaurants listed. We don't have a ton of them, but there are some standouts. The Pamela's recommendation is a good one, as is Primanti Brothers. An up-and-comer in the Cultural District is Meat and Potatoes--went there last year shortly after it opened and enjoyed both the food and the dining experience. If you're taking your lady along, treat her to Le Mont. It's expensive but the experience is worth it. Also, if you're in the Oakmont suburb, be sure to grab some goodies from the Oakmont Bakery.

 

If you're more into cooking, good luck. The Strip District (which is NOT strip clubs for those curious) has most of your fresh markets for meat and whatnot. There are some decent farm markets around too (I frequent Shenot's in Wexford, which has both produce and meat). Mancini's bread is a must-have item. Sadly, the grocery options aren't that great. We do have a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's, but they aren't convenient for everyone. You'll have to make do with Giant Eagle (which has a lot of good natural/organic products but overcharges for them) or a bunch of awful value chains.

 

For things to do--I've lived here most of my life and have never really been bored. Like all cities, there's your typical bars (everyone has one or two they prefer, find one you like) and lots of standard options. I know a lot of guys who are getting into dancing, which seems to be nearly everywhere here. If you're a theater geek, you're in the right place. PNC Park is the best baseball stadium in the country.

 

If you want to shop--check out Shadyside and Ross Park Mall. Downtown has nothing but Macy's these days (although the store is historic and worth visiting; this includes the Tic Toc restaurant for a quick bite to eat). Sadly, many Pittsburghers don't have a good sense of style. As much as I love football, I'm not really a fan of people wearing jerseys for anything other than game day--yet they do it all the time in Pittsburgh. American Eagle has their headquarters here so you can only imagine what even the 20-somethings typically dress like.

 

To reply to abaer's comment about friend circles--although there are lots of little groups which have been together forever, Pittsburghers can be accommodating of new folks. You just need to find the right group to fit in. Yes, there are some who still keep in touch with their high school buddies (I actually still talk to about ten of them) and plenty who met their spouse in middle school, but there are far more who came in to go to college (with Pitt, Duquesne, Robert Morris, Carnegie Mellon, La Roche, Carlow, and others I'm forgetting in town, lots of folks do come here for that reason) who decided to settle down in a city rapidly turning to technology and medicine as its two leading industries. (We really don't have steel anymore--forget the stereotype of Pittsburgh as a blue collar town of smoky mills).

 

If you're actually moving to Pittsburgh, I recommend the northern suburbs so you don't have to deal with ridiculous city politics. They're the easiest to access downtown and other urban areas from plus they have some cool history behind them.

 

Oh, one last thing--public transit gets cut every year. Make sure you have a good car if you come to Pittsburgh since things don't look good for the bus routes in many parts of town.

Figure this could be a good first post for me, always have liked Polo Ralph Lauren.

 

Definitely would love to get my hands on some of that 1992 gear. While not exactly true vintage, I've been on the lookout for the Germany shirts from the past two summer olympics.

 

Also, it seems Polo has come and gone with brands. I distinctly remember "Polo Sport" from the late 90s. Had two of those polo shirts plus a yellow t-shirt (which I can't figure out what I did with for the life of me). Am I crazy or did this brand really just come and go like that?