Boaz Frankel

1 week ago | nextpittsburgh.com | Boaz Frankel

Location: 5 Generation Bakers in McKees Rocks Featured guests: Scott Baker, president of 5 Generation Bakers3 things that surprised me:1. Scott’s great-great-grandfather emigrated to the United States in the 1860s and opened a bakery in the West End of Pittsburgh in 1875. Scott has heard stories that his ancestors in Germany might have owned a bakery as well, but he can safely say that he’s at least the fifth generation in the bread business. 2.

1 month ago | nextpittsburgh.com | Boaz Frankel

Location: Noah’s Ark, The Exterminator and Ghostwood Estates at Kennywood Park, West Mifflin Featured guests: Taylor Bulischeck, director of marketing for Kennywood Park3 things that surprised me:1. Taylor led me underneath Noah’s Ark to show me the mechanism that powers the rocking boat. There were wheels and gears moving a giant mechanical arm that rhythmically shifted the boat back and forth.

1 month ago | nextpittsburgh.com | Boaz Frankel

You can’t throw a pierogi very far without hitting a historic spot in this town. A morning commute takes you past the birthplace of the Ferris wheel, the Big Mac and commercial radio. George Washington fought wars here, and the Underground Railroad passed through local basements. The emoticon smiled here for the first time. : – )My wife, Brooke Barker, and I are always looking for excuses to tell these Pittsburgh stories. Recently we found one in an unexpected place – an empty Downtown storefront.

1 month ago | nextpittsburgh.com | Boaz Frankel

Location: The new landside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport Featured guests: Bob Kerlik, director of public affairs at Pittsburgh International Airport3 things that surprised me:1. Bob explained how massive this construction project is. There are around 1,200 workers on-site everyday. Recently they’ve been busy attaching ceiling panels and pouring terrazzo floors. So far, everything is on schedule to be ready for a fall 2025 opening. 2.

2 months ago | nextpittsburgh.com | Boaz Frankel

Location: Robert Wholey Co. (aka Wholey’s Market) in the Strip District Featured guests: Jim Wholey, co-owner of the Robert Wholey Co., and Muriel Maze, marketing coordinator3 things that surprised me:1. When Jim Wholey was a kid, his first job in the store was to lay down a layer of sawdust on the floor every morning. That sawdust would absorb water and miscellaneous fish juices. That’s no longer the preferred way of keeping the shop clean, though.