Tag Archives: Pittsburgh

This Picture

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There’s something about this image that’s incredibly satisfying to me. I suppose because it tells a story and I do like a good story.

You know where you are. It’s Pittsburgh and, specifically, you are at Lucy’s Handmade Shop which has been family owned since 2007. You know that the imagery of the sleek, stylized woman on the sign doesn’t jive with the cartoon hats and boho dresses they actually sell.

And that’s ok because you don’t go to Pittsburgh’s Strip looking for stylized. You go looking for sports team gear, cool hats, and random souvenirs to take home. You may also go for a delicious sandwich and cold beer or for pancakes at a diner with a chicken on the roof but you are not there for an evening gown.

There’s no arguing that you’re on the Strip. If you’ve been, it’s easy to recognize the slice of an interesting old building in the background and the way shop owners crowd the sidewalks so tight with their wares, it’s hard to walk more than single file in places.

I also like that we can date the photo with the security camera on the building. Otherwise, the image could have been made at almost anytime but the camera grounds us.

And, of course, I’m tickled by the richness of colors, textures and shapes to be found in all those dresses and hats. They provide a fun frame for an interesting guy who is rocking a yellow and brown ensemble like nobody’s business.

This is one of my favorite photos from my last Pittsburgh trip and one I’m glad I was ready and prepared to snap.

Isn’t street photography fun?

The Original Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop

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If you have a Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop in your town, you might be tempted to think it’s a one-of-a-kind place. After all, it’s a fun place that doesn’t feel like a chain, right? It actually is a chain with locations around Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and Minnesota.

I didn’t realize it when I was in the store but the company was born in Pittsburgh’s popular Strip District in 2012. I’m no aficionado but it’s the nicest of these stores I have seen so far.

Grandpa Joe’s is known for imported candy, for vintage candies from when you were a kid, for bulk candy, and for a wall of craft sodas in glass bottles – about 250 of them.

There’s novelty items like socks, games, toys and kitchen stuff. Plus, their $5 candy buffet is something that appeals to the kid in us all.

All the bright, happy colors and fun merchandising make it hard to pass up a treat here.

It can be kind of overwhelming but their Pittsburgh store is really well done. I ended up leaving with a puzzle and a fistful of Juicy Fruit Bubble Gum but completely forgot to circle back for a bottle of something good from the craft soda wall. I like to choose two bottles – one I know I like and one that’s new to me and I failed on both counts!

Who IS Grandpa Joe? If you ever saw the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you might remember the grandfather who spent twenty years in bed before making a miraculous recovery for a visit to the chocolate factory.

That’s the namesake for this store!

Learn more and find a location near you by visiting their website!

Adventure Day

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It’s Saturday which means it should be Adventure Day. I hope you are out experiencing something fun, interesting and fabulous.

Life isn’t meant to be spent in a cocoon. You owe it to yourself and your mental health to shake things up as much as you can – even if it’s just a different route to the grocery store or a walk around a nearby town that looks interesting.

Do something enriching every chance you get. Life is for the living and it’s hard to tell how many more Saturdays you have left. Do not waste them.

This mural is from Pittsburgh’s famed Strip District. It’s so vibrant and full of life, I find it mesmerizing! Plus, there’s a black cat!

Happy adventuring, friends! Get out and go!

DeLuca’s Line

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Years ago, I wrote a story about a place called DeLuca’s in Pittsburgh’s famous Strip District. It’s where I waited in line for a counter seat and where I discovered a new breakfast favorite – blueberry chocolate chip pancakes. You can read that story here.

We took a stroll through the Strip before I left Pittsburgh this last time and I was reminded of those pancakes when we came upon this sight.

That’s DeLuca’s, a tiny spot with a giant rooster on the roof. That mural on the next door building is new since I was there before. The line of people outside the door is not new. There’s always a line and it’s usually pretty long.

Maybe they’ve heard about the pancakes too!

The Color And Light Of Randyland

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Last year I finally made it to Pittsburgh’s famed Randyland but avoided writing about it because I honestly didn’t know what to say.

The truth is I loved Randyland but didn’t completely understand it even when I was standing there. All these months later and I can’t say my understanding is any clearer. 

It’s color and light, trash to treasure, and a sense that all are welcome. It’s the eclectic and commonplace colliding to create memorable outdoor art. 

It’s free to walk through but there’s a price to pay – the cost is that you’ll see and read things that are hard to forget and may cause you to think.

I feel like I’m not explaining this very well. 

Some call it an outdoor art museum. Some say it’s one of the most important art exhibits in the country. Personally, I think the place defies description. 

Essentially, Randyland is an outdoor space on Pittsburgh’s northside that’s filled with murals and repurposed stuff made into art with lots of words and quotes from Randy himself. 

Who is Randy?

We met him briefly and he is lovely. His name is Randy Gilson and he seems to have created this place to foster a community where he belongs. On a sign he wrote

Hello, I’m Randy Gilson. Have you ever been bullied? I’m different. I’m retarded. I’m a broken tape measure. My life understands ME. I will never be like you. I’m happy. Please be happy. Everyone is unique, a gift.

From what I gather, Randy has been homeless in the past. He has been a community advocate and has worked to bring people together through art, gardening and being kind to others. He reminds us all that we are ok. No matter what others tell us, we are ok, just as we are.

No matter where you stand in this museum, there is something fascinating to see. And no matter how long you look, it’s impossible to take it all in.

I know plenty of people who would just call it a pile of junk but that would be a mistake. There is beauty to be found in the wall of empty but still vibrant paint cans. There’s intrigue to be found in the way old crystal chandeliers sparkle in the sunshine. There’s wisdom to be found in the words and in the way random objects are united in unexpected ways. 

Not everything is meant to be defined or even described. Randy calls himself a broken ruler and says he will never fit in, will never be like everyone else. 

I actually find that admission and that acceptance a breath of fresh air given how many of us work to fit in where we find no acceptance where will never belong. 

If you’re ever in Pittsburgh, the address is 1501 Arch Street. Go see it for yourself. Meanwhile, check out Make The Journey Fun on Facebook. I’ll post more pictures there because there were too many to share here.

Silent Sunday

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