The Strip District is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a one-half square mile area of land northeast of the central business district, bordered to the north by the Allegheny River and south by portions of the Hill District. The Strip District runs between 11th and 33rd Streets and includes four main thoroughfares—Railroad Street/Waterfront Place, Smallman Street, Penn Avenue, and Liberty Avenue—and various side streets.
Once home to many mills and factories, today, the Strip District is home to dozens of tech and robotics companies, including a rapidly growing residential population.
History
In the early 19th century, the Strip District was home to many mills, and factories as its location along the Allegheny River made for easy transportation of goods and shipping of raw materials. It was the home of the Fort Pitt Foundry, a source of large cannons before and during the American Civil War, including a 20-inch (510 mm) bore Rodman Gun. Early industrial tenants of the Strip District included U.S. Steel, Westinghouse, The Pittsburgh Reduction Company (ALCOA), and later The H.J. Heinz Company, famous ketchup and condiment manufacturer.
The shipping infrastructure built around the manufacturing companies attracted other types of merchants to set up shop on the Strip. By the early 20th century, the Strip District became a vibrant network of wholesalers—mostly fresh produce, meat, and poultry dealers. Soon, auction houses rose around the wholesale warehouses. Many restaurants and grocery stores opened to feed hungry shift workers at any hour of the day. By the 1920s, the Strip District was the economic center of Pittsburgh, PA.
Today
Since the late 20th century, the area has developed into a historic market district with many ethnic food purveyors, some art studios, antique dealers, unique boutiques, and other businesses setting up shops where trains once delivered produce by the ton. The lack of weekday activity is sometimes compensated by retail and leisure facilities used primarily on weekends. There are open-air farmers’ markets, a range of street vendors, and facilities to enjoy open-air drinks, particularly in the summer months. Residential developers have begun to convert old factory and warehouse buildings into apartments and lofts. Examples include the Armstrong Cork Factory, Brake House Lofts, and the Otto Milk Building. Bed Bug Exterminator Pittsburgh
More recently, the area has attracted several technology companies and become a hotbed for autonomous vehicles and robotics technology. The site is home to Uber’s Advanced Technology Group, which leads the company’s vehicular automation efforts, and Argo AI and Aurora Innovation. Other technology companies with offices in the Strip District include Apple, Facebook, Robert Bosch GmbH, Target Corporation, Wombat Security, JazzHR, Petuum, and BossaNova Robotics.
Check out different neighborhoods like East Liberty