🌳 A makeover for Downtown Pittsburgh

Vision Plan for Downtown Pittsburgh

City leaders unveiled a plan to revitalize Downtown, Market Square, and the Cultural District ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, which could draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. Officials said the plan includes amenities such as cafes, children’s play areas, improved infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, and an amphitheater. The plan will come into sharper focus in the coming months, but the price tag and the source of funding are uncertain. [TribLive]

Paid Family Leave Gaining Momentum

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering legislation to create a statewide standard for paid leave for workers after the birth or adoption of a child and to tend to an ill family member. Supporters say this will provide economic security for workers, but some employers and lawmakers say it will be an economic burden for businesses. [SpotlightPA]

75 Years and Lots of Smiley Cookies

Pittsburgh’s iconic family restaurant Eat’n Park turned 75 this week. The first location opened in 1949 in a small building on Saw Mill Run Boulevard with seating for only 13 and served Big Boy hamburgers, fries, and shakes. Through the years, the number of restaurants grew as well as the menu. The company says its famous Smiley Cookie made its appearance in 1986. [Eat’n Park]

• 🍪 Cookie tables also bring smiles. Lore has it that cookie tables at weddings began during the Great Depression when couples couldn’t afford a cake. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Jackworth Ginger Beer

Co-owners Jack Smith and Tyler Lewis have built an historic respite on Hamilton Avenue in Larimer, right along the same path Jack’s grandfather — and the bar’s namesake — once drove a streetcar. The creative pair brew and serve three main products: a classic ginger beer and a spicy habanero alternative, plus an alcoholic fermented ginger beer. But don’t sleep on the cocktails! We love the Texas medicine, dark and stormy, and Moscow mule, and Jack says the daiquiri is the best thing on the menu.

Jason Aldean’s Kitchen & Bar

With its two bars, main stage, patio, rooftop, and dining room, about 400 people can fit into the country music star’s new North Shore location. Aldean says he chose Pittsburgh because the city loves country, and he pays homage to our sports heritage with a television in nearly every corner. Look for comfort food like pot roast and Nashville hot chicken, as well as sweet summer flavors in cocktails named for his most popular songs.

Buenatarde

You can choose your adventure at Shadyside’s “cocina del sur” (kitchen of the south) with gobs of build-your-own options and especiales including carne asada, tortas, tacos, and the classic chimichanga, plus ceviche and a margarita and cocktail menu sure to pack a punch. For wine lovers, try a Spanish red courtesy of Spill Wine Bar in Bloomfield.

Revitalizing Downtown, Shelter Fire & Eat’n Park Turns 75

City leaders are really stoked about landing the 2026 NFL Draft, and they want to spruce up the place before an estimated 750,000 people come to visit. We’re talking about plans to revitalize Downtown — again — plus Eat’n Park’s 75th anniversary and the AC fire that displaced nearly 200 unhoused people from the Second Avenue Commons shelter.