☂️ Pro-tips for living in Pittsburgh

🥶 Pitt Orders Hiring Freeze

The University of Pittsburgh won’t hire any new faculty and staff through June, when its current fiscal year ends. The university calls it a “proactive” measure to ensure their finances are stable, as they deal with uncertainty around federal funding cuts. [90.5 WESA]

• 📣 More than 400 unionized service workers at Pitt negotiated a one-year contract with a pay raise. It’s a shorter contract than normal because of funding concerns. [TribLive]

🏀 Advocates Call Out PIAA Sports Policy

Several advocacy groups are calling for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to reassess its new policy on transgender athletes. The high school sports association changed its policy last month after President Donald Trump issued an executive order that tries to ban trans athletes from women’s sports. [TribHSSN]

🏢 Local Investors Buy One Oxford Center

A New Jersey-based realty company and a group of local investors bought the third-largest office building in Downtown for the bargain price of $56 million; the tower last sold for $148 million in 2016. The realty company also owns Gulf Tower, Koppers, and Frick buildings. [TribLive]

• 💸 Money is pouring into Downtown! Learn about efforts to make Smithfield Street Pittsburgh’s “it” spot again. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

🥕 Pgh’s Food Justice Fund is Open for Apps

Nonprofits focused on fighting food insecurity can now apply for up to $75,000 through the city’s Food Justice Fund — a new program paid for by the city’s American Rescue Plan Act. The deadline to apply is April 14. Find application details here. [City of Pittsburgh]

The tree-lined East End neighborhood sits to the right of Frick Park, between the valley of Fern Hollow Creek and the Nine Mile Run. But Regent Square isn’t its own thing; the neighborhood is actually made up of four different municipalities — Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Swissvale, and Wilkinsburg. Its conglomeration of little towns is sometimes confusing, which is maybe why it had so many names: Gunn Hill, Devon Plan, Wilkins Plan, Regent Place, and ultimately, Regent Square.

Land acknowledgement: Long before white settlers gave it a name, though, the land belonged to Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Osage, and Shawnee peoples.

☕ 🥐 Eat & Drink

Morning: Grab a cup of coffee or tea from the eclectic Biddle’s Escape, then mosey down Trenton Avenue for a treat from Madeleine Bakery and Bistro that will transport you to Paris. The croissants, baguettes, and other pastries are the stuff of dreams.

If you want a sit-down classic breakfast, find Famous Cafe on S. Braddock Avenue. There’s also the convenient coffee window at 61B Cafe and good-for-you fuel at Live Fresh Cold-Pressed Juice & Smoothie Bar on the same stretch.

Mid-Day: Looking to spice up your lunch? Get tacos or burritos from El Burro Dos or a cozy noodle or curry dish from Thai Cottage.

Evening: Grab a cocktail at Frick Park Tavern’s bar and enjoy home cooking like “Pittsburgh Panko Chicken Salad” or “Jimmy’s Signature Meatloaf.” Also try: a blend of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Turkish flavors at Bosphorus Mediterranean Cuisine. For a late night bite, D’s Six Pack + Dogz has you covered until 10 p.m.

🛍️📚 Shop Local

Shop for the artsy plant-lover in your life at WorkshopPGH on Trenton Avenue. They have local pottery, candles, food products, clothes, accessories, and greeting cards for every occasion. Or, buy a ticket to their crafty workshops.

Right next door, browse secondhand reads and music at the delightfully curated Fungus Books & Records — or swing around to South Braddock Avenue to check out Stay Gold Books.

From clothing to accessories, find all of your outdoor exploring essentials at 3 Rivers Outdoor Co. Plus, 3ROC has gear rentals for camping, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, bouldering, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.