✋ O’Connor swears in

Corey O’Connor Becomes Mayor

O’Connor was sworn in as Pittsburgh’s 62nd mayor at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland yesterday. In a short speech, he shared what motivated him to run for office, promising to focus on families and making Pittsburgh a place where young people can build their lives. “Opportunities for reimagining Pittsburgh are everywhere,” O’Connor said. [City Cast Pittsburgh / WPXI]

• City Council was also sworn in yesterday. Democrat Kim Salinetro, who represents the city's West End neighborhoods, became the newest member. [TribLive]

City Paper Shuts Down After 34 Years

Block Communications, Inc. closed the alt-weekly, citing "the economic realities facing news organizations." BCI bought City Paper from the owner of the Butler Eagle in 2023; it also owns the Post-Gazette. Former staff started a fundraiser to support laid-off workers. [WESA / GoFundMe]

‘The Pitt’ Returns This Week

The second season of the HBO Max hit medical drama premieres on Jan. 8. Tune in to see Dr. Robby (Noah Wylie) and his team navigate high-stress cases and workplace politics at a fictional Pittsburgh trauma center — and see if you can spot local shots filmed in the city and at Allegheny General Hospital.

• Catch up on season one and what this award-winning show got right about the Burgh. [🎧📝 City Cast Pittsburgh]

PRT Closes Oakland Bus Lane

As part of the University Line project — a new rapid transit bus line from Oakland to Downtown — Pittsburgh Regional Transit redirected nine bus routes and cut 17 stops along Fifth Avenue. The change will also allow for a new, two-way bike lane on Fifth. See the affected routes. [TribLive]

Let’s play a game! Where in Pittsburgh can you find this sketchbook zone?

🌟 Congrats to Mark V. and Pam V. who correctly guessed the last “Where Is It?” challenge! ⬇️

This colorful gallery wall looks like it could be at the Warhol Museum, but it’s actually at the nearby MuseumLab on the North Side — a space operated by the Children’s Museum where kids can learn about tech and art.

It’s also a stunning event venue, popular for weddings and big parties. The MuseumLab is located inside the former Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny and has been beautifully restored to highlight original architecture like exposed brick walls, stunning archways, and tile flooring.

Know before you go: Admission to the MuseumLab is included with your ticket to the Children’s Museum.

🎉 New this year: The Children’s Museum is hosting collection events as part of their new “Year of Kindness” initiative. Every visitor who brings an item to donate to one of their drives will receive a free admission ticket for that day. In January, bring a nonperishable food item for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.

Looking for more things to see and do?

• ❄️ Find the best things to do in January.
• 🎟️ Get more free museum tickets with RAD Pass.
• 🍽️ Build your restaurant wishlist with our 2025 favorites.
• ⛸️ Get outside with these winter activities.
• 👖 Snag some cool gems at local thrift shops.
• 📚 Get free perks with your library card.
• 🍕 Buy a slice at these new Pittsburgh pizza spots
• 💡 Try our Pittsburgh crossword puzzles.

We’re back with recommendations from City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbors 📣 This is a weekly spot in the newsletter where members get to shine a light on their favorite local businesses, organizations, and events.

• Dan E. is tugging at our heartstrings. “Shout out to the City Cast Pittsburgh crew! I've been listening everyday since I moved here a couple months ago and I already feel so much more connected to the city because of you all. Your election coverage was top notch, especially the remarkable interviews with the candidates, and really helped me feel like an informed voter when I went to the polls.”
• Kelly F. loves Harold's Haunt, a “haunted they-bar,” and Maude's Paperwing Gallery, a metaphysical gift shop. Both are LGBTQ+ community hubs in Millvale.

Want to share your own shoutout? 🌟