I'm heading out there to give a talk (9/14 through 9/17). I'm thinking about taking the train out, because the drive from Philly alone is kind of tough. Although I will review our 'things to do' bulletin from the convention (www.nesug.org), I thought I'd tap the Offsprung crowd, too.

Any other statistically minded Offsprungers attending NESUG?

Incline! Incline! Incline!

Looking at the Tourist Information on the site, that's a pretty good sampling. If you happen to pass through U Pitt, a quick walk through the Cathedral of Learning is kind of fun. It's very pretty inside and the nationality rooms are great. Don't forget to visit the West Virginia Nationality Room right outside the Cathedral building...err I mean Stephen Foster's log cabin...whatever.

West Virginia is a nationality? Who knew!

Umm...what are you looking for? I lived in Pittsburgh for 6 years and loved it. If you are into museums the Pittsburgh History Museum in the Strip is cool (especially for a union guy like myself). The Strip itself is touristy and busy but still pretty fun on the food and booze tip.

There are lots of good places to eat and drink. Do you want grimy Pittsburgh? There is lots of that in my old neighorhood and that part of the East End. Cheap beers etc.

No. I haven't gotten involved with SUGs much, other than to look up articles, although we are forming our own SUG at work, which will probably start sending at least one member to the DCSUG meetings. I think they are held at the US Dept of Agriculture or some USDOE. Maybe some day I'll go.

I go back to work on Tuesday (from Maternity leave). Ugh!!

bap's right about the incline. Ride it.

While you're on the South Side, drop in South Side Marios for drinks if it's still there.

Get brunch or fish at the Grand Concourse. Wonderful restaurant in a converted old train station by the Mon.

What's the incline?

It's an "inclined railroad." Mount Washington, just south of the downtown area of Pittsburgh (across the Mon River), is pretty steep. There were two inclines that you could ride up to the top, where you get great views of the downtown business area (the Golden Triangle) and the confluence of the Allegheny and Mon Rivers, forming the Ohio, etc.

Ellie, there's a picture of an incline on this page from Michael's conference's "tourist" link: http://www.nesug.org/conference/pittsburgh.cfm. It used to be a part of the commute for a lot of workers back in the day.

Michael, here are links to Mario's and to The Grand Concourse.

http://www.mariospgh.com/

http://www.muer.com/index.html (click on the Grand Concourse icon at the top of the page).

I can't recommend the Grand Concourse highly enough -- the atmosphere is incredible. It's not cheap, but it's less expensive than upscale restaurants here in Philly. Or at least it was when I still lived in Pittsburgh. In 1999.

And Michael, make sure you pronounce it IN-cline. Emphasis on the first syllable!

Ruth, here in the south, we don't say incline any other way, it's EHN-clahn, y'all.

Try to get a sandwich at Primanti (Pri-manni) Bros. They put fries and cole slaw in the sandwiches. A Pittsburgh thing. And they're pretty good.

Ruth, the pronouciation in Pittsburghese is crazy. And some of the words. Rubber bands are gum bands. They say "greasy" like "greazy" instead of "gree-cee." The Steelers are the Stillers. Jaguar cars are Jag-wires. My parents both went to Carnegie Tech (now Mellon), and my father's family is all from Pittsburgh. I got a lot of it growing up, and then I went to law school there. It's a fun city. It just feels far away from everything.

Andy Warhol! My trip would be all about Andy Warhol. He grew up there and went to the Carnegie Institute (I think it's called that Carnegie's in the name).

I was mostly looking for pleasant food venues and maybe a nice place to go for a walk. I'll definitely check out the IN-cline.

btw - both my parents went to College (although both transferred) in Pittsburgh. I might check those places out, too.

There's a Pirates game that we can go to as well, but I'm sort of drained out on baseball.

The Pirates have a nice stadium. although they suck. But if you go to the Sahside (South Side) go for dinner because there are lots of options. Later in the evening it is drunk frat boys and a little too collegey for my tastes.

and I second JTC's suggestion of getting a Primanti's sandwich. They are delish and terrible for you.

At least the Pirates won't distract the city from the Steelers. It's a pity how our city starts ignoring the Phillies the second the Iggles take the field.