Papa J Centro's bartenders and waiters are always happy to share their paranormal experiences with those customers who are brave enough to listen. You could go to Graffiti and you knew that you were going to hear a quality act. The parachutes on the ceiling were all the ambience that was needed. To provide The Pitt News with data for advertisers and internal analytics. Its goal provide coordination for Oaklands economy. Jam hey built up a loyal following that packed the Decade every weekend for years. During its brothel days, at least three murders took place in this location and many of these spirits are still rumored to frequent the bar, including Madame Dolly Cavanaugh, a former brothel maid and numerous child ghosts. Nearly anyone can show a film these days, using only a laptop and projector. Tucked into the back corner of Crazy Mocha in Bloomfield, Dreaming Ant offered the most eclectic library of DVDs around. Beyond just benefiting the musicians, Graffiti represented a dependable location in Oakland at which to hear talented, rising artists. , however, she recalled that when the District was founded in 1999, its nightlife was a prime attraction, though at a cost to midday shoppers and prospective tenants. But the BBT hardly is the only local nightspot of notoriety that has had its final last last call over the years. Nationally known punk and hardcore bands started filling the Bananas headlining spots. Officials bought another 100 acres from her for "Schenley Park." As a showcase club, Graffiti sought acts from a wide spectrum of genres and young musicians, featuring national acts while still promoting local talent. Some residents of Central Oakland think of their neighborhood as being part of South Oakland. For part one of the series, click here. Now, regulars might come two or three times. People, however, were mostly well-behaved, The Pittsburgh Press . Famous national artists like Aerosmith and Bon Jovi visited the Decade after playing shows at larger venues in the city because of its reputation. known as the Corner of Rock and Roll. Spoon said goodbye during the summer of 2020. The people were super nice. While Oakland featured other music venues including the Syria Mosque, which housed mostly larger acts the three clubs in the Triangle spanned a similar era and contained much smaller capacity crowds watching less firmly established artists. Went to the VIP north in Hampton in the 80's great place to be on Sundays. With house parties seemingly on the decline and a few years too young for Oaklands bar scene, Claire Drew, an undecided first-year student, bemoaned how little she and her friends can do in Oakland at night. The first act we had was Maria Muldaur, she had a big hit at the time. It was also well-known for its scrumptious Sunday brunch. Graffiti featured concerts by national groups just prior to their commercial breakthroughs, including two of the more popular rock bands of the 90s. bridges Civic Arena Downtown Pittsburgh football Forbes Field historic moments holidays industry music and musicians North Side Oakland oddities Photographer Darrell Sapp . Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, 1 Person Dead, Others Injured In 2 Pittsburgh-Area Shootings: Report, Here's How Many Guns Were Sold In Pennsylvania Last Month, What Kind Of Home Can $1.9 Million Buy In Pittsburgh? A parent herself, and a proud alum, Mattiko is content to let go of her memories though, if it means a thriving, more vibrant Oakland for her children. The curtain fell on the popular diner for the final time in October of 2019. Some of the most impressive architecture in Oakland is on Pitt's campus. Grushecky noted a rivalry between the two scenes sparked by these differences. google_color_text="333333"; [8] This sector is also home to the Schenley Farms Historic District and many mid-rise condominium and apartment buildings. It features Live music, DJs & karaoke in a no-nonsense, arty space with pool tables & a full bar. Influential bands from the era such as Sonic Youth, the Minutemen, Operation Ivy and Black Flag all played shows there. These three fostered local music in Oakland in a way that students and residents havent seen on such a large scale since the clubs closings. ceiling was low. 530 william penn pl, pittsburgh, pa 15219, usa open: The fun doesn't stop in pittsburgh just because the sun goes down.. Concepts Little Red Corvette TC Restaurant Group from tcrestaurantgrp.com. Within hours after news broke the PHI would close because the Forbes Avenue building it was in had been sold, more than 800 CMU brainiacs signed a petition hoping to save it. Gooski's 4.3 (94 reviews) Dive Bars $Polish Hill Divey "the perfect dive bar tho for someone that wants to get out of the house and have fun with someone (if" more Outdoor seating 2. Every Thursday, Calicos offered a deal Mattiko, or any money-starved college student, couldnt turn down nickel drafts. If the Decade was Pittsburghs Stone Pony, then the Electric Banana was Pittsburghs CBGB. When he started at Hemingways, Elavsky observed students who would spend five nights a week at the bar. concert promoter Danny Kresege convinced Dom Disilvio to make the Decade a They were noted for being great music bars. (412) 391-7272www.papajs.com. On a Saturday in October 1978, a crowd of Pitt students, steel mill workers and music This is the first of two parts. He started hiring everybody and he became like the Godfather of rock music. However, the border between Central Oakland and South Oakland is further south than they believe. Jeff Usleman recalled seeing bands at the Oakland bar and catching the Springsteen cameo while attending Pitt in 1984. In an interview with the Post Gazette DiSilvo said he first saw Stevie Ray Vaughan playing in a dirt-floor club in New Orleans called the Dream Palace, Booking for only $500 he brought Vaughan up North for the first time.Stevie Ray Vaughan made his first appearance in March of 1983 Stevie appeared a second time for $850 before he became a big star. singer David Johansen on December, 28, 1980. Now, signs for craft beers like New Belgium and Troegs decorate Fuels walls, while Hemingways owner has branched out, selling more expensive craft beers for $7 or $8 each to match a millennial audience with more discerning tastes. Let's Find Out, PA County Wants To Make Its Own Gun Laws After Recent Court Defeat. the place apart with a skillfully played energetic performance on March 20, 1979. 14 on McKee Place and Fire Station No. Carnegie Mellon University is the result of a 1967 merger of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, founded in Oakland in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie, and Mellon Institute, founded in 1913 by Andrew W. and Richard B. Mellon to conduct industrial research. out their nights of Oakland bar hopping East End Yinzers shelled out the two 31st Street Pub, Strip DistrictDuring its 53 years in business, first as Greenfields Pub then as the 31st Street Pub, this place went through several incarnations: First as a shot-and-beer place for mill workers, then as a biker bar and in its final days was a punk rock haven. We would go to each others shows, but we would also try and do shows with each other, Schneider said. In the 90s, The Decade and its predecessors mostly hosted some blues performers, like Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as small-time acts looking for a start. Screen Tests set along the side wall a few inches off the ground. The Beehive even added a liquor license halfway through its life span from 1992 to 2002. You could slide in and catch the band for the price of a couple cocktails. If you're craving Lidia's authentic Italian dishes, you'll have to travel elsewhere. Slightly veering off topic, but where was the Bank Cinema at? Oakland developed rapidly following the Great Fire of 1845 in Downtown Pittsburgh, with many people moving out to suburban territory. Since a co-owner of the club was convicted of operating a heroin ring out of the place, were say yes. After booking a few cover bands, Zarra took a chance on a Pittsburgh punk group called Carsickness. Elavsky also credits the shift in nightlife to a smarter, more serious college crowd determined to finish in four years. A Pittsburgh music promoter, Danny Kresge, convinced DiSilvio to start hosting national acts at the Decade. It was like turning the lights off. To soak up the ricocheting Wanting to spend more By drawing the musical talent of Pittsburgh together, Graffiti helped bands meet and play with each other. After 22 years of Rock N Roll Dom wanted out. West Oakland, the smallest of the four districts, is bordered by Fifth Avenue in the south, DeSoto Street in the east, the Birmingham Bridge to the west, and Allequippa Street to the north. The border between Oakland and Squirrel Hill runs along Junction Hollow. I couldnt even remember what bands I would have seen there, Yander said, but he remembers most tried to be as close as they could get to Nirvana. Created by our advertising software OpenX. The Decade had two small rooms that were said to hold So I walk into the kitchen and I saw this fat, very unkempt looking guy with stringy hair. The area is often mistakenly called South Oakland. Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training Battles, PA To Consider Adopting Significant Police Protection Measures, Local Brand Advisor offers services in Pittsburgh. They brought in outside acts all the time, but still the local guys were the top dogs. He feels that trend has reversed in the last few years. Over the next five years Kresege booked a Since he bought Hemingways, Elavsky said many of the old hot spots have closed and students and their dollars have left to other competing parts of the city, like the North Shore and South Side. As the neighborhood cleaned up and bars shut down, partying seemingly moved to Central and South Oakland houses. His shop, The Beehive, which he ran with business partner Steve Zumoff, served as a general hangout. The Electric Banana on Bigelow Boulevard was the smallest of the three Oakland clubs and featured an Andy Warhol-style banana sign above the entrance. In the 90s, specials on cheap booze, like Calicos 5-cent drafts, did well. Students could grab a coffee, study, hang out or catch a movie then later concerts all in the same spot. Jay Yander, a 99 Pitt grad, often went to the two venues, which he remembers focused on local bands.. Originally a family-owned Victorian-era soda fountain, this more than 120-year-old business was sold by its owners, the Park family, in 1932 following the end of Prohibition, thus making The Park House Pittsburgh's first licensed bar. There shouldnt be any nightlife [in Oakland because] the rents dont allow for that,, he said, referencing tight profit margins on, cinemas and bars. 5. For the next few years it was a still a live Rusted Root won it one year and thats how they recorded their first album. It lost some charm, but maybe it was time for that, Kramer said. The fate of the building, and the crests of various Polish cities painted on the small wall of the bars parking lot, is unknown. Although the Cathedral of Learning is now the fourth-tallest educationally purposed building in the world, it remains the world's second tallest university building, the tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere,[14] and the second tallest gothic-styled building in the world. There was probably 30 people crammed in there, Grushecky said. Since then, this revered watering hole has cultivated many loyal locals thanks to its weekly events, happy hour specials and seasonal international dishes. But the first national artist who actually played at the Decade set a high bar for future bands and convinced DiSilvio that the new plan might have a chance. October 24, 2013 / 6:00 AM Beginning in 1992, local acts such as the Clarks, Bill Deasey and Brownie Mary regularly played at the place with the art deco facade, as did national ones such as Warren Zevon and Hootie and the Blowfish. produce store, and a bar named Cumpies. It was one night out of more than two decades of a thriving music scene in Oakland that brought in a diverse array artists, such as Bruce Springsteen and Black Flag. Its incarnations since have included a deli, lesbian bar, produce store, and a bar named Cumpies. A group of young inexperienced The University of Pittsburgh, which is heir to the Pittsburgh Academy that was incorporated in 1787, relocated to Oakland in 1909 from its campus that was then in Allegheny. Theres one or two bars, theres no movie theatre theres nothing.. The Decade is the only bar on the list that has had a book written about it (Gabby Means The Decade.). Get more stories like this one delivered right to your email. It debuted in Pittsburgh back in 2011, serving such delicious dishes as the famous Spoon burger, pork tenderloin, and cod. known as the Corner of Rock and Roll. It's a nice dive bar with rolling skating. If you Oakland is Pittsburgh's second most populated neighborhood with 22,210 residents, a majority of these residents being students. Brandon Smith, the 35-year-old co-owner of Fuel and Fuddle and a Pitt alum. After It didnt matter who was going. feels Oaklands nightlife should match this new professional student body, along with the professionals at UPMC and Pitt. google_ad_width=120; Was he right in interrupting all the fun? We had a really strong nighttime scene, but we didnt have a strong daytime scene, so that was a challenge, Petropoulos told the Reporter. So he threw f**king Meat Loaf out of the kitchen of the Decade, and the record company people go storming out, he said. Price is not such a concern.. The Louisa Street city steps (with bike runnel) in West Oakland. South Oakland is reputed to be a student neighborhood, but only 36.9% of its population is between the ages of 18 and 24, compared to Central Oakland's figure of 74.1%. //-->, Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites, Venues from the trash heap of Pittsburgh's History, 2013 Pittsburgh Music History Year End Recap, Biggest stories of 2011 -- Pittsburgh Pop, Rock and Rap, Hear the Music of Pittsburgh on the Genre Pages via Spotify, Inaugural Pittsburgh Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Celebration 01/23/14, Pittsburgh Music History Celebrates Black History Month 2012, Scot Tady of Times Online on Pittsburgh Music History, Thanks to Readers of Pittsburgh Music History, Thanks to the Internet, Pittsburgh's music history plays on, The Beat: Andrew Druckenbrod and Scott Mervis Video on Pittsburgh Music History, Vote for the 2015 Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legends Nominees, Calliope and the Smokey City Folk Festival, Sonny Pugar Memorial Music Smiles Program, Graffiti Showcase and Graffiti Rock Challenge. As ashowcase for rising After some reflection, DiSilvio relented on his Meat Loaf bar ban. But as Oakland has matured over the past 20 years, it has traded dive bars and longtime rock joints for corporate fast food and student housing, leaving alums longing for their college nights. Gene's Place 3.9 (38 reviews) Dive Bars $Oakland Divey [15] Oakland is also home to the university's French-Gothic revival Heinz Memorial Chapel and St. Paul Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. So I came up with a list of initial inductees in a sort of Pittsburgh Bar Hall of Fame that focused on places that have been closed for years, or, in the case of the BBT, hours. They all paled in comparison with the Robotic Tik Tokkers from Larimar/Penn Hills! The Decade was one of three clubs composing what was referred by some as Oaklands Bermuda Triangle, with locations the Electric Banana and Graffiti rounding out the group. La Frontera is a nightclub located in International Blvd Westfield Ave, Oakland CA, United States. A tip of the hat to eight beloved Pittsburgh restaurants that are gone but not forgotten. Long ago, people came to the site now known as Station Square to meet passengers arriving on the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. Even if you've never eaten at NOLA on the Square, you certainly recognize it from the outside if you spend any time in downtown Pittsburgh and in Market Square, in particular, The popular New Orleans-themed restaurant brought a bit of Louisiana flare with its southern-inspired dishes. (Photo Credit: KDKA) Sandcastle 1000 Sandcastle. However, she said she would spend money out at official nighttime activities if someone would give me an option at a low price.. Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, BloomfieldIts painful to include this place on the list. At La Frontera nightclub you can enjoy the game and a couple of drinks. performed three songs with Bon Ton Roulet. Eric Heyl is Patch's Pittsburgh field editor. On any given weekend night during the late '70s, fifteen thousand people between the ages of twenty-one and forty were spread out in disco clubs throughout the region: Backstage Holiday House on Rt. Nicks Fat City, South Side It was more of a performing venue than a bar, but if the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame can admit James Taylor than I can admit Nicks. In the early 1900's at the corner of Atwood and Sennott stood a small hotel. google_ad_client="pub-8685855016547639"; The Red Hot Chili Peppers played there in 1988 and Nirvana played the venue in September 1991 only six days after the release of Nevermind. Read on for the 5 best Pittsburgh nightlife spots geared toward those who aren't quite legal to drink, or who need a break from the bar scene. Closing Because they would give a gig to anybody, he said. Rivers Casino. As it was before they If you've ever wondered what Pittsburgh was like roughly eight decades ago, step into the Omni William Penn Hotel's Speakeasy, the only one of its kind in the city. [Oakland] used to be an entertainment district, Kramer said, mentioning bowling alleys, cinemas, live theater and enough bars with names like CJ Barneys, Laga, Zeldas Greenhouse and Sanctuary to comfortably hop from pitcher to pitcher on a cool Pittsburgh night without ever getting chilly. Schenley Plazas transformation from a gray lot filled with cars to a bright green park with studious sunbathers in the mid-2000s comes to her mind. In 1917, Teddy Roosevelt visited the neighborhood.[13]. Pitt 96 grad Christine Mattiko would spend those. The bands gigged in the back room on a wide stage The plateau is divided into two primarily residential areas which are separated from one another by Bates Street, which runs up a valley from the flood plain to the plateau. google_ad_format="120x600_as"; Pitt 96 grad Christine Mattiko would spend those reckless college nights at Calicos, a bar where Fuel and Fuddle is today. We realized what students want is better food, not cheaper food, Smith said, referencing Fuels menu which often includes items like a surf and turf that would never have been considered for an Oakland menu even 15 years ago. You have these memories of things that may have happen, but its good to see the universities keeping up with the time so kids still want to go there, Mattiko said. The Decadewas the home base of GravelThe Iron City Houserockers, King Solomon, The Mystic Knights,Red Hot and SkyWatch at Carnegie Science Center. Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites, In an interview with the Pittsburgh Press Billy Price talked about the Decade. Jackson, The Romantics and the bluesmancomedian ReverendBilly C. Wirtz. DiSilvio opened the Decade in 1973 as a vintage restaurant in the style of the 1950s featuring a few local acts the club's name reflecting his preference for that decade and its music. The french Connection from the North hills area (Hampton-Shaler-west view) Some real good Break-Dance battles took place there! All photos used with permission. google_ad_host="pub-6693688277674466"; Pretty soon the Decade had seven nights a week of great live music, Grushecky said. It wasnt an attractive district. After 22 years of Rock N Roll Dom wanted out. The Pretenders packed the Decade on March 19, 1980. Over the decades, Oakland pushed through a population dip as Pitt did and became overwhelmed by the Universitys ever-encroaching boundaries. Our marketing agency in Pittsburgh is ready to help right now! Was that in the same building? Since returning with her husband and kids, Mattiko is delighted by a few changes. When he was a student, from 1999 to 2006, bars were often shot and beer joints, and if they served food, the emphasis was on low price not on high quality. Mattiko described the store as eclectic. When they packed the place, Zarra began booking punk bands. of 1979. Zarra still owns the building and operates an Italian restaurant there named, appropriately enough, Zarras. set along the side wall a few inches off the ground. dollar cover charge, grabbed a Rolling Rock or Iron, and listened to a set or They played five songs, took a break, and repeated The place had a cool old feeling to it. RAND's Pittsburgh center is located in North Oakland as well as the long time RIDC business incubator on Henry Street. The Decade guys were definitely better musicians not better artists, but players, he said. Walk Like an Egyptian Strictly Necessary Cookies, Performance Cookies, Functionality Cookies, Targeting Cookies or Advertising Cookies, Preferences, Security, Processes, Advertising, Session State, Analytics, Pitt police reviews protocol for campus shooting scenarios after Michigan State shooting, Pitt women's lacrosse defeats Canisius 16-8, Opinion | Response to Ohio train derailment reminds us that government, companies treat life as expendable, Pitt Dance Marathon prepares for another successful event to support UPMC Childrens Hospital. Central Oakland is bordered by Schenley Park, the Boulevard of the Allies, Fifth Avenue, and Halket Street. 212 Boulevard of the Allies This was the place where a number of local bands (anyone remember the Affordable Floors?) Nightlife in Pittsburgh gives you a vast choice of places to drink, hit the dance floor, and enjoy live music. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. acts moved on. Like the true hidden gem that it is, the speakeasy is buried beneath the hotel's lobby, returning this refurbished space to its original 1920s location. A tiny retro diner, Tom's Diner served everything you'd expect from a classic diner - burgers, fries, and milkshakes.