Cristina Holtzer

Oct 24, 2024 | nextpittsburgh.com | Cristina Holtzer

“So do you like living in Pittsburgh?” a Los Angeles-based friend asked me recently on a FaceTime catch-up. We met a few years ago while we were both living in Brooklyn. “Well, it’s home. So, yes,” I said. It was a perfectly reasonable question to ask, but at the moment it felt like one with such an obvious answer. I grew up in Westmoreland County, but Pittsburgh has been my home since I left for college — first at Duquesne University and then at Pitt.

Sep 23, 2024 | nextpittsburgh.com | Cristina Holtzer

I can finally breathe again. Fall is here, the weather has dipped below the 80s on a semi-regular basis and my will to live has returned. In case you couldn’t tell, autumn is my favorite season. I’ve been waiting patiently all year to share my bucket list of what I plan (or hope) to do before the transition to winter. Some are events, some are businesses to visit and some are anytime activities that make the most sense to do in autumn. But they’re all perfectly Pittsburgh.

Sep 5, 2024 | nextpittsburgh.com | Cristina Holtzer

Everyone’s got that cousin who has a few piercings and tattoos and plays in a band. They’re a little funky. For Pittsburgh, that’s Millvale. Every year in late spring, Millvale becomes one big stage. The borough of just over 3,300 residents is perhaps most well-known to the rest of the region for the Millvale Music Festival – two days of free concerts. The town’s streets and long list of bars and breweries become music venues.

Aug 15, 2024 | nextpittsburgh.com | Cristina Holtzer

A long, winding metal pathway built into the sidewalk leads you down Butler Street in downtown Etna, almost like the red stripe on the floor of a hospital would. The shapes of plants and flowers are carved into the metal, which are decorative but also functional – the pathways are drainage grates that are part of a larger stormwater management system called streetscapes. When I think about Etna, I think about a classic Yinzer spot, in the best way. Fried food and pierogies, beer and sports.

Jul 25, 2024 | nextpittsburgh.com | Cristina Holtzer

While I paddled along the river in my bright yellow kayak, jet skis zoomed past and pontoon boats floated nearby. I stopped for a lobster roll afterward – a sandwich for the record books – and pondered if I had room for a vegan ice cream cone. (I did not). I’m not bragging about how wonderful my vacation was. I didn’t even leave the less-than-1-square-mile town where I live. Sharpsburg is one of a trio of small towns across the Allegheny River, along with Etna and Millvale.