🎢 Kennywood opens without the Steel Curtain

Kennywood Opens Without the Steel Curtain

The West Mifflin amusement park opens tomorrow, but riders won’t be able to catch a thrill on the park’s newest roller coaster, the Steel Curtain. The Steelers-themed attraction, which opened in 2019, is undergoing an “extensive modification project to increase ride longevity and reliability.” [Kennywood]

• 👎 Editor’s note: The last two times I went to Kennywood, the Steel Curtain was down! K-wood might as well rebuild the Log Jammer 😜
• 🎢 But the old coasters are where it’s at! Get the backstory on these iconic rides. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Westinghouse Land Goes Up for Auction

A couple years ago, Amazon was planning to build a massive distribution center in Churchill at the old site of the Westinghouse Research and Technology Park. Some residents were not happy with the plan and organized against it; Amazon ultimately backed out. Now, the 135-acre site is up for auction, and bidding ends on May 17. [WPXI-TV]

• 🏗️ Why not Amazon? Learn more about how neighbors fought and won. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]
• 💰 How should the space get used? We have ideas! [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Heinz Says ‘Hi Barbie!’

Heinz and Mattel are partnering for a limited edition pink vegan mayo “Barbiecue Sauce” to celebrate Barbie’s 65th anniversary. Sorry neighbors — it’s only available in Europe. [TribLIVE]

• 🥴 Yinz probably didn’t want it anyway! Personally, it gives me flashbacks to the EZ Squirt colorful ketchups from the 2000s. [Hey Pittsburgh]

Symphony Caps Off Season With Originals

We often think about symphonies as sounds of history, but the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is marking its finale with two modern, original commissions: Canadian composer Samy Moussa’s “Adgilis Deda, a Hymn for Orchestra,” on April 26, 27, and 28 and the inaugural performance of American composer Michael Daugherty’s “Songs of the Open Road for Oboe, Horn and Orchestra” on June 7, 8, and 9. 🎶 Buy tickets here! [NEXTpittsburgh]

I’m back with your food and drink updates. Here's a new food hall, bakery, and coffee shop to try:

Lawrence Hall

The 6,000-square-foot food hall inside of an old 1890s warehouse brings fresh flavors to Lawrenceville with five food destinations. LOADED has burgers, corn dogs, and — what else? — loaded fries. TOMA plates up modern Italian fare. La Palapa, which has a location on the South Side, specializes in Mexican street food. And Cuddy’s Soul Food of Homewood gets a new home for its BBQ ribs, mac and cheese, collard greens, and more. Don’t forget dessert! Leona’s Ice Cream is scooping up your favorite (lactose free) flavors.

Third Space Bakery

You can get breakfast, lunch, coffee, and a variety of baked goods — like tahini brownies or buttermilk scones — at the new spot on Penn Avenue. Plus, order a specialty cake for your next occasion! But it isn’t just a cafe and bakery; it’s a co-op and teaching kitchen with classes like “Sourdough 101” and “Cook the Cookbook: Recipes of the Barefoot Contessa.”

Bitty and Beau's Coffee

Smallman Street has a new coffee shop, a North Carolina-based chain that hires people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Grab a pastry, coffee, or smoothie to go for your next shopping trip in the Strip District.

A New Bridge, A Missing Barge & What’s Next for the Westinghouse Site

We’re sharing a bunch of fun ways to beautify our natural spaces for Earth Day this weekend. After successfully deflecting Amazon, the former home of Westinghouse is up for auction in Churchill, and the U.S. Coast Guard says we found the missing barge! Plus, host Megan Harris is sharing her joy for President Biden's Sheetz order and the soon-to-be-built, new and improved Davis Avenue Bridge.