The First Side neighborhood of Downtown hosts a broad mix of historic buildings that have remained unchanged for close to a century. The majority of trading and shipping in Pittsburgh began on the shores of the Monongahela River, where the area, which is now known as the Mon Wharf, was a busy shipping port, accepting passengers, goods, and communications daily. First Side was ideal for storehouses and warehouses to sell, distribute, import and export various goods in and out of the city along populated trade routes along the three rivers.

But like the steel mills, the shipping ports have been cast off by a city defined by its dramatic renewals. Once known as a gritty industrial town, Pittsburgh is now celebrated for its spectacular urban parks and stadiums, diverse arts and cultural assets, high-tech companies, and as a world-class medical and university center. In the center of it all is First Side, within walking distance to all that the city has to offer, but still with quiet and quaint riverside streets to welcome you home at night.