This document provides an overview of the gentrification process in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh over the past 20-25 years. It discusses how Lawrenceville shifted from a blue-collar middle class community to a new middle class population of artists, young professionals, and "bohemians". The gentrification was driven by efforts from Lawrenceville officials and city planners to attract new businesses and residents by marketing affordable housing and business space. While gentrification models cannot be universally applied, examining the specific cultural and economic factors involved in Lawrenceville's transformation provides insights into urban development and population shifts in other Rust Belt cities experiencing similar changes.

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Gentrifying a Community, What Makes Lawrenceville Different
By Austin Hatfield
ANTH 1955
Spring 2015

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Table of Contents
Abstract 2
Introduction 3
The US Shift from the Fields to the Cities 5
De-Industrialization in the US Rust Belt 7
Reshaping Pittsburgh 11
Urban Development in Detroit 13
Qualitative Methods of Field Research in Gentrification Studies 15
Conclusion 22
References Cited 25
Appendices 27
Appendix A (Chuck) 27
Appendix B (Harvey) 29
Appendix C (Doug) 32
Appendix D (Joe) 35

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Abstract
In the past two and a half decades the Pittsburgh urban community of Lawrenceville has
gone through a major process of gentrification. The economy of Lawrenceville has gone through
a major boom period as well do to various industries and customers moving into the
neighborhood. The factors that make up this gentrification are factors that are specific to
Lawrenceville, however they have borrowed a few ideas and theories based off the creative ideas
found in other cities and communities. Both young and old groups of residents have been
affected by the changes in the community, but it seems that the large majority of people are
embracing change within the community. It’s these factors of community officials and business
elites that can truly better a community. The city of Pittsburgh has its economic roots based in
blue collar labor jobs, however that industry is dying, and we will take a look at the new factors
contributing to Pittsburgh’s economic success.

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Introduction
This paper will examine how urban populations in a specific neighborhood
(Lawrenceville) has shifted from a blue collar middle class community, to a new middle class
population of artists, young professionals and bohemians, as a result of gentrification.
Gentrification is defined as a process by which middle-class people take up residence in a
traditionally working-class area of a city, changing the character of the area. Gentrification
studies have been published for decades by various sociologists, but the problem with these
sociological studies is in their empirical viewpoints. Studies of certain gentrified communities
cannot be lumped into a single category, because these communities are not homogeneous to the
vague category of gentrification. Simply put, gentrification can be classified as any example of a
community shifting from a low-income majority, to a wealthier and educated community.
Gentrification studies should be a culturally specific examination of certain communities that
have shifted in their population’s age, ethnicity, and income levels. That is why examining the
gentrification process of Lawrenceville must be done in a qualitative manner, in order to fully
understand all of the factors involved. Lawrenceville began the process of gentrification around
20 years ago in order to accommodate for the newly emerging middle-class in Pittsburgh. After
seeing their residence declining in numbers, Lawrenceville officials began working with city
planners, potential business entrepreneurs, and community locals to formulate a plan to revitalize
Lawrenceville. The main goal for Lawrenceville was to attract new businesses along with new
residents by marketing affordable housing and affordable rent for business owners. By allowing
for affordable prices, newly establishing individuals, couples, and families could relocate to a
community in urban Pittsburgh. The concern for everyone was how to create an affordable
community that is both safe and profitable. This dilemma was all based around businesses and
community members working together to create a compatible environment. The adaptation of a

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low-income, economically depressed community, into a vibrant, culturally unique community is
the process known as gentrification. By examining communities in the US Rust Belt we see
features that are homogenous to this region, but we will also see traits that are very specific to
these communities, that give them a sense of community identity. “Theorizing the city is a
necessary part of understanding the changing postindustrial, advanced capitalist, postmodern
movement in which we live” (Low 1996: 384). Cities are made up of various ecological niches
that are each unique that that particular community. These niches are what make anthropological
studies of urban neighborhoods crucial to understanding the fabric of these communities (Low
1996).
The process of a neighborhood or a city reshaping their image is a complex system that
has to take into account many variables in order to be successful. City planners must work with
local and corporate business to ensure financial stability within their community. Publicly run
organizations like museums and libraries need proper funding and volunteer support to function
properly. But what really makes a community vibrant is the people who reside, work, and
participate in various events. Successful gentrification revolves around the young and the old
working in conjunction with one another in order to make their community a more livable area.
Community members must put aside ideologies, political opinions, and theological beliefs and
work as a group of ‘urban pioneers’, to create a livable middle-class (Chase and Kimelberg-
McDonough 2013). In order to properly understand urban development, and the factors that
contribute to gentrification, we must look at the history of urbanization in western society.
Urbanization is what made and continues to make our cities survive, and we will see what factors
led to urbanization in the US.

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Urban sociologist Sharon Zukin looks at how culture shapes and controls the makeup of a
given city. Zukin calls city advocates and business elites the groups that are responsible for a
symbolic economy. A symbolic economy is responsible for museums, parks, and libraries and is
run by these groups due to their combination of philanthropy, civic pride, and desire to establish
their identity (Zukin 1995). For example, we see names like Carnegie, Frick, and Mellon all over
the Pittsburgh area, due in large part to these factors of a symbolic economy. Product design is
influential in forcing the growth of towns and cities. New product design establishes a vast, new
work force, which started in the early 1990s (Zukin 1995: 8). During this time period industries
such as entertainment and recreation grew more than health care and six times more than the
automobile industry (Zukin 1995). The theory of the global city introduced by Setha Low states
that “cities like New York, Tokyo, and London are the preeminent centers of technology,
financial production, and support services in which translocal economic forces have more weight
than local policies in shaping urban economies” (Low 1996: 393). So according to the global city
theory, cities like Pittsburgh must take into account the trends that are taking place in places like
London, in order to better project their economic policies. The informational society plays off of
the global city theory by further examining the way in which control over knowledge and
information decides who holds power within society (Low 1996). This involves communication
through media, representation of public image, and overall public opinion on various topics.
The US Shift from the Fields to the Cities
Urbanization is the central theme of how cities were formed in the US Rust Belt. Cities
such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit all emerged as major metropolises as a result of urban
industrialization. Jobs were created in the steel, coal, and manufacturing industries, and this

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allowed for these cities to have a high number of middle class citizens. Nan A. Rothschild
described this new middle class or people living in urban environments:
“Urban dwellers live in the subunits of the city, which we may call neighborhoods, and
these serve as communities for their residents, being particularly effective as such if they
have spatial boundaries and/or distinctiveness and if they are homogeneous with respect
to one or more socioeconomic attributes of the population” (1991: 203).
Urban neighborhoods make up the fundamental building blocks of a city. It is within specific
neighborhoods where you will find specific elements that make a community unique. Around the
late 19th century the industrial revolution took place in the US, these Rust Belt cities began to
thrive. The cities based their economies around only a few industries, which meant that if these
industries failed, their cities would fail. For example, Detroit’s economy was almost completely
based around the automobile industry, which created thousands of jobs, but when the automobile
industry went downhill, thousands of middle class people went unemployed, crippling Detroit’s
economy. The industrial revolution helped create jobs for people who were previously working
in non-urban environments. This led to a migratory shift from the countryside to the cities.
The US went through two major periods of urban growth and development. Both of
which are a result of the industrial revolution. “The first period took place from 1830 to the Civil
War, which was marked with industrial capitalism beginning to become established as the
dominant trend of the future; and from about 1865 to 1910-1920, during which it became the
pervasive pattern of the country” (Abu-Lughod 1991: 87). During this period of time there were
several factors that contributed to mass urbanization in the US. Immigrant populations began to
appear throughout the US, like the great Celtic migration that took place between 1840 and 1850
(Abu-Lughod 1991). The industrial revolution led to massive job openings in newly developing

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urban communities, juxtaposing tremendously with the large scale immigration taking place in
the US.
Urban populations began to expand exponentially as a result of industries emerging in large
cities like the coal and steel industries in Pittsburgh. “The 1920’s witnessed an influx of domestic
immigrants from the southern United States who came to work in the steel mills and coal mines
and factories, or to do other unskilled labor”(Udin 2014: 34). With large-scale domestic and
foreign immigration taking place in the US around the 19th century, urbanization began to fully
take shape in the US. For example, in Pittsburgh, populations grew significantly as a result of
new industries being established, and a plethora of new blue collar, unskilled jobs being created.
The result of urbanization in the Rust Belt was the creation of a new blue collar middle class.
This majority population of mostly unskilled laborers began to take residency in the urban
neighborhoods in and around the Pittsburgh area, in neighborhoods like the Hill District,
Millvale, Oakland, and Lawrenceville to name a few (Udin 2014). For several decades the town
of Lawrenceville was significantly occupied by middle class blue collar laborers who worked in
the various manufacturing industries of Pittsburgh. This neighborhood was labeled as a hard –
working, Irish community from its existence, until very recently.
De-Industrialization in the US Rust Belt
Beginning in the early to mid-20th century cities centered in the Rust Belt began a
transformation of de-industrialization. This meant a shift in the blue collar middle class
community. Labor jobs started to get outsourced to more affordable foreign areas. As a result of
these industries outscoring their jobs, communities, and the middle class citizens began to hurt
financially. Many of these unskilled laborers had only worked for one company their entire lives,
and now were stuck without work, and without marketable traits to impress the few hiring

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companies there were left. De-industrialization began to move many families from the middle-
class, to a lower-class, almost poverty level of financial income. Deindustrialization in the Rust
Belt has several factors that are present in almost all communities. Aged stock manufacturing,
diversified investments by corporate elites, and cut and run economics are all present in cities
like Detroit, Cleveland, Youngstown, and Pittsburgh (Newman 1985). Each city has taken their
own approach to dealing with industries leaving.
The 1930s marked the first time in the city of Pittsburgh’s history that city officials began
a phase of urban redevelopment. Hazardous smoke and waste products left the city covered in
toxic pollution that was actually visible to the naked eye. City planners began to create an idea
for change, an idea to bring in new consumers and businesses, and to put Pittsburgh on the
forefront of progressive change. “These plans promised full industrial employment without
environmental harm” (Isaacson 2014: 1). During this time Pittsburgh provided many blue collar
jobs, creating a large population of middle class citizens. However, during the late 19th and early
20th century Pittsburgh was not a good place to live. Steel mills were the major industry of
Pittsburgh during this time, providing employment for the majority of middle class citizens in
Pittsburgh (Isaacson 2014). Around this time in the US, people were starting to realize the harsh
consequences of the industrial revolution. Red flags were being raised by environmentalists for
the first time in US history. Various cities began to promote their cleanliness, along with new
‘clean’ facilities’ and tax breaks for companies moving to these cities. Pittsburgh’s polluted
environment began to hurt its economy, so in order to survive city planners began to develop a
plan for redevelopment (Isaacson 2014). Pittsburgh’s downtown became the focal point of the
‘Pittsburgh Renaissance Project’ based on its aesthetic qualities and location. City planners had
the difficult job of implementing change within an economic system based around polluted

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industrial capital. “Pittsburgh planners improved basic sanitary conditions, built parks, and eased
traffic congestion in the early 20th century, but perennial problems left the city grim and
unhealthy” (Isaacson 2014: 3). We see problems arise when cities base their economic strategy
on industry. The task for the city of Pittsburgh was to re-image itself from the “smoky,
“polluted” idea businesses and consumers had of Pittsburgh. In May 1946, the Iron Age which
was a steel industry magazine, announced that Chicago had become a more promising industrial
center than Pittsburgh (Isaacson 2014). Pittsburgh was facing pressure from investors and
consumers to change their overall image. Pittsburgh began a pollution control process that
ordered smoke control ordinances to control the health of the city. Aside from the air pollution
that plagued Pittsburgh, river floods threatened the development of Pittsburgh. “A major flood
on St. Patrick’s Day in 1936 caused an estimated $94 million in property damages, killed 47
people and left 67,500 homeless”(Smith 1977: 11). Along with the St. Patrick’s Day tragedy, the
Pittsburgh area’s rivers exceeded flood stages 117 times, between 1854 and 1963 according to
the Army Corps of Engineers. The threat of flooding became so severe that local and state
officials had to turn to the Federal Chamber of Commerce for help in maintaining river levels.
With the help of Congress, Pittsburgh was able to properly fund the Conemaugh Dam, which
was the crucial component in the network of Pittsburgh dams (Isaacson 2014). Once immediate
threats like controlling river floods were institutionalized Pittsburgh urban planners could focus
on attracting new business industries. Pittsburgh based much of its urban planning on The City
Beautiful Movement which was a growing movement among industrial cities of the early 20th and
late 19th century. “The City Beautiful which flourished in the early 20th century was a compound
of several environmental and cultural developments affecting urban life: the park, open space
and boulevard planning of the post-Civil War generation of landscape architects” (Lubove 1992:

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28). Once Pittsburgh began to embrace the City Beautiful Movement they began the
transformation process out of the industry that had driven Pittsburgh, which was beginning to
start to hurt the overall image of the city.
The city of Pittsburgh continued to employ over 300,000 manufacturing jobs during the
early phases of the deindustrialization process. However, starting in 1982, U.S. Steel Corp.
announced they would be closing down plants in Braddock, Aliquippa, and Johnstown, leaving
tens of thousands of blue collar workers unemployed (Toland 2012). According to the Bureau of
Labor, from 1979 to 1983 Pittsburgh lost a significant amount of jobs, along with having severe
elements of underemployed workers (Newman 1985). This fueled the need for a new economic
middle class in Pittsburgh, due to the severe loss of labor jobs. Jobs began to emerge in
industries like technology, skilled craftwork, and medicine. For example, Pittsburgh has been on
the forefront of the medical industries for decades, employing thousands at hospitals like UPMC.
This shift was marked by a transition from mostly unskilled labor jobs, to specifically trained
white collar jobs, such as tech developers. The middle-class population of Pittsburgh began to
become filled with mostly college graduates, who possessed certain skills that could only be
applied to industries in cities like Pittsburgh. The redefining of the urban middle-class in
Pittsburgh allowed for gentrification to take place in Pittsburgh neighborhoods. With different
groups of people moving into urban neighborhoods, many urban neighborhoods have begun to
change the way their community looks.

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Reshaping Pittsburgh
“Deindustrialization was a regional problem in the 1940’s. When Pittsburgh’s biggest
competitor for corporate investment was Cleveland, the answer was to clean up Pittsburgh
(Isaacson 2014: 4). The Pittsburgh business elites working in conjuncture with city planners
designed iconic developments such as the Gateway Center, Point State Park, and the Civic
Arena. These structures were invested in because Pittsburgh was attempting to reinvent itself as a
culturally significant, livable city.
What truly defines a city is found within a city's culture. In order for industries to succeed
in urban re-development they must play into a cities culture. For a city to appear attractive for
tourists, and people looking to relocate they must play on the city’s cultural heritage (Zukin
1995: 8). Small industries that fuel a community such as Lawrenceville must appeal to a
multicultural approach. By doing this communities helps to create image, and further more frame
a vision for the community (Zukin 1995: 23). Within gentrified urban environments political
identity and social classes play little role expressing ones identity (Zukin 1995). Factors that
contribute to shaping an urban space as appealing, and attracting consumers include expressing
local heritage in urban development. Culture as a means of framing both public and private space
is used in process of gentrifying a community. For example, Bryant Park in Manhattan was
notorious for crime, drug use, and poverty. During the re-designing process of Bryant Park,
community leaders brought in not-for-profit business associates to design the public space. Their
idea was to display for-sale art in a public space within Bryant Park. This idea attracted several
other not-for-profit businesses, including programs of cultural events, new food services, and
new offices (Zukin 1995). Re-building an urban space depends on how people combine
traditional economic factors (land, labor, capital), into a public space.

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The people responsible for museums, parks, and libraries are the ones who can truly
make or break an urban development program. These people include business elites and city
advocates, who are combining their philanthropy, civic pride, and their desire to establish an
identity (Zukin 1995). Deindustrialization shifted the entrepreneurial edge of the economy from
large US companies outsourcing their labor, to deal making, selling their investments toward
creative products, that couldn’t easily be replaced elsewhere. What is shaping the economies in
cities like Pittsburgh is the product design of companies. This vast, new work force began to
establish itself in the US Rust Belt in the early 1990’s. During this time entertainment and
recreation grew more than six times greater than auto industry and more than health care in the
US (Zukin 1995). These industries that started to boom included hotels, restaurants, and
underdeveloped land construction. The US went through, and continues to go through a phase of
reshaping geography and ecology into places of creation and transformation. A visual display is
crucial for creating a healthy symbolic economy. Such as displaying a farmers market puts a
neighborhood on the map of visual delights (Zukin 1995). This gives a specific neighborhood
and opportunity for gentrification. What happens next is the process of all of these factors
working together to create a more livable community, where all members have an opportunity
for success.
After World War II the US went through a massive period of suburbanization. This made
the idea of the majority of the middle-class living in the city unreasonable. Men and women still
want to live in urban areas, but when we develop only small places within cities as sites of visual
deflection, we create an urban oasis where everyone appears middle-class (Zukin 1995). In order
to fully establish these cities and communities development must include recycling workers,
luring investment markets, negotiating political claims for public goods, and promote a multi-

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ethnic groups. Successful gentrification involves using culture to supply basic information for all
service industries. This means service industries in these communities must use and promote
their culture to establish themselves as significant. In doing this, you get people buying a
product, which becomes an industry of culture (Zukin 1995). Culture becomes intertwined with
capital, and the identity of a city. Cultural institutions will establish new competition over other
cities for attracting new businesses. Next we will look at how the Rust Belt city of Detroit
attempted to reshape their economy after the automobile industry collapsed.
Urban Development in Detroit
The city of Detroit is over 300 years old with a rich history of a successful middle class
working in the automobile industry. However, in recent times Detroit has made global news for
the poor economy, and for rising poverty levels, and an ever dying middle class population.
Wayne State University is one of the largest colleges in the state of Michigan, and the school is
working with Detroit community members to institute a creative way of redeveloping the city.
The greater part of the world’s population resides in urban settings, so many pressing social
problems will continue to rise in the consistent future (Briller and Sankar 2013). These scholars
believe that the growing socioeconomic problems facing Detroit are a good example issues that
the entire urban world will face in the years to come. “Detroit exemplifies some of these
challenges as the city deals with social, economic, and technological adaptation, especially in
light of the restructuring of the American automobile industry” (Briller and Sankar 2013: 156).
The goal of the Anthropology Department at Wayne State is to engage students in hands on
practices of community engagement. Students and professors work with local officials to
enhance the socioeconomic quality of living for Detroit and Michigan residents. The idea of
gentrifying the underprivileged communities of Detroit isn’t foreign to the state of Michigan

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however, what Wayne State University is attempting to create is a new concept that hasn’t been
approached until very recently. For example, the health care industry in Detroit see’s many
clients with little to no health care coverage. WSU medical school is the largest single campus
medical school in the US (Briller and Sankar 2013). The medical school at WSU works with
Detroit Medical Center to provide medical assistance to thousands of people who would go
without coverage elsewhere. “In conjunction with the Detroit Medical Center, WSU faculty
physicians provide an average of $150 million in uncompensated care annually” (Briller and
Sankar 2013: 158). The programs provided by WSU medical school are tremendous building
block for urban redevelopment. The first step in providing your community with functioning
livable conditions is promoting health care. No community can be successful, let alone survive
without proper medical care and support. These are the essential building blocks of urban
development, whether it be in Detroit, Sudan, or Pittsburgh.
The goal for gentrification is to improve quality of living, and in order to improve living
conditions officials aim to reduce crime an urban blight, and improve economic conditions.
Detroit urban planners have modeled their redevelopment program after the University of
Pennsylvania’s program of transforming their relationship with its surrounding West
Philadelphia neighborhood (Briller and Sankar 2013). When conducting urban studies it is
important to remain culturally specific in categorizing communities, but when officials are
working to improve their urban environments it’s essential that they model portions of their
programs on passed designs. Urban planners can take away successful methods of urban
redevelopment from similar cities in order to develop their communities. WSU brought in some
of the leadership involved in the successful development of Penn’s relationship with West
Philadelphia to help improve Midtown Detroit. “Through involving these core Detroit

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institutions, the goal is to implement a series of sustainable economic development plans that
will create more businesses, jobs, and bring in more residents” (Briller and Sankar 2013: 158).
By attempting to recreate phases of Penn’s program, Detroit officials are able to use a
multicultural approach to gentrify their community.
Qualitative Methods of Field Researchin Gentrification Studies
When we study various urban centers and environments it is important to use qualitative
research methods. For example, a gentrified community in California could have several of the
same factors as Lawrenceville however, the enculturation of the neighborhood could be
completely different (Basham and DeGroot 1997). This is where anthropology comes into play
when studying gentrified communities. Too often sociologist lump together urban re-
development into one category, and don’t take into account the fine details that truly make up a
community. What makes up a community? Is it various commercial restaurants and shopping
centers that are centered on the main roads? The answer frankly is no, what makes up a
community is the people behind those stores, living within their particular culture. Lawrenceville
is made up of various store fronts, public buildings, and houses most of which are culturally
specific to the Pittsburgh area, and are furthermore unique to the community of Lawrenceville.
By using a more in depth analysis of the urban community we will find what features made, and
continue to make Lawrenceville a prime location for gentrification.
Urban populations have been on the rise since the early 19th century in the US. The size
in which these populations have grown has fluctuated from various time periods, and from
different locations. From a global standpoint 30% of the world’s population resides in urban
settings (Briller 2013). Several key factors have led to the populations in urban settings rising
drastically. Historically, New York emerged as the center of the urbanized world in the US due

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to New York’s monopolization of the shipping and financing of cotton from the south (Abu-
Lughod 1991). As New York began to establish itself as the urban epi center of the Northeast,
several other cities began to see a rise in their urban populations. In 1825 the Erie Canal was
built, which linked New York with the Great Lakes. This allowed for cities like Cleveland and
Detroit to grow. All of this urbanization was again a result of industrialization from New
England based business elites (Abu-Lughod 1991).
During my study of what made Lawrenceville culturally unique I interviewed several
Lawrenceville residents who came from different economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds. All
of which were opened minded, and enthusiastic about the changes taking place in Lawrenceville
and around Pittsburgh. I will refer to all of the people I interviewed using pseudonyms to keep
their personal information private. My first interview was with a young white male (24) whom I
will call by the name Joe. He has lived in Lawrenceville for only a few years. He is a college
educated student, with a full-time job, and comes from a well-to-do family in the Pittsburgh
suburbs. The next interview I conducted was with a Lawrenceville community official, who is in
his mid-30, and is also not native to Lawrenceville I will refer to him as Doug. I asked all
individuals similar questions about their overall thoughts on the community’s development, and
how they believe the progression to be going. I asked Joe what attracted him to move to
Lawrenceville after he graduated college:
For one thing the rent was incredibly cheap, and I didn’t want to move back home after
college. I had a few friends that had already lived here for a couple of years, so I was
familiar with the area. I liked the idea of being able to walk, bike, or bus to virtually any
area I want to go around Pittsburgh. Plus, Lawrenceville seemed to have a lot of people
around my age, doing the same things I was doing…
Joe’s response seemed to be the general consensus of most of the new generation of artists

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moving into Lawrenceville neighborhoods. Joe works during the day as a substitute teacher in
various city schools, ranging from elementary school to high school. I asked him what he
thought about Lawrenceville’s accessibility to the overall Pittsburgh area, and what makes life
easier for him by living in Lawrenceville.
Whether it’s Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, or East Liberty, or any other of these similar
neighborhoods, they all provide a similar, yet distinct feel. I’m someone who has to travel
to Crafton, Homestead, Westinghouse, Oakland, Squirrel Hill and many other
communities in the surrounding Pittsburgh area for work. Luckily, I have a car to travel
to work, but even if I didn’t I would never be more than a 30-40 minute bus ride to work.
Once I’m done with work I rarely use my car. I bike pretty much everywhere I go...
Lawrenceville’s art community has been growing tremendously in recent years. This has been a
result of the business owners of various establishments like the Thunderbird Café and
Belvedere's openness to local artists Joe runs a website called Red Fish Bowl that promotes and
sells art work of local community artists in the Pittsburgh area. He helps promote and create
various art crawls and events in the surrounding Pittsburgh area that display visual art for public
display and features live music. I asked him a little more about these various events he
participates in, and how difficult they are to run.
They really aren’t all that hard when you have so many friends around the area. We are
pretty lucky because our band normally plays at these events, and one of our members
gets to display his artwork. Which leads to us getting other local artists in the area to
participate. I have a really good friend who manages the coffee shop Delanie’s in the
South Side. They already display artwork so when we get to play there they get to
promote their own art, as well as help our band out…
The central theme for urban development and gentrification is whole-scale community
involvement. Without active participation and support from business leaders and community
officials, no town can be successfully gentrified. There are certain traits of gentrification that are

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linkable to most gentrified communities. The resurgence of historical buildings and sites is often
associated with gentrification of urban communities (Dawdy 2010). What is interesting to note is
the fact that most of these historical buildings and locations in the US and most of Western
society have a tremendous history of oppression. Most historical architecture of the west is based
in the negative past of colonialism, capitalism, and eurocentrism (Dawdy 2010). Nonetheless,
most of this architectural rejuvenation attracts consumers and businesses so it is important to
note its significance in gentrification studies. The Lawrenceville community official who I will
refer to as Doug explained to me how Lawrenceville has gone through an overall successful
redevelopment program over the past two decades:
During the late 1980s several local and non-local business leaders worked in conjunction
with community members of Lawrenceville to establish a new economic and visual image of
Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville has always been a lucrative location for the establishment of new
businesses. Lawrenceville sits three miles from downtown Pittsburgh, and only one mile from
the Strip District, the University of Pittsburgh, and CMU. This provides Lawrenceville with the
opportunity to attract many different groups of people. During the late 80s and early 90s
community officials started a major marketing scheme to attract businesses to the vacant public
spaces and warehouses…The price for public space during this period was incredibly affordable,
so a wide range of industries could be started…
Many of the surrounding urban communities in Pittsburgh have identifiable traits that
distinguish themselves as Pittsburgh communities, but each of these communities (South Side,
Bloomfield, and East Liberty) have unique traits that can only be found in a certain
neighborhood. Doug went on to describe to me what separates from these other communities:
Lawrenceville was originally an Irish-immigrant led community that saw most of its
residents working in the blue collar job sector. Once the mills began to start shutting down you
started to see a more depressed economic community. During this time period public space for
housing and retail was incredibly affordable. Various groups of people began to establish
themselves in Lawrenceville creating a melting pot effect on the community…The idea of
Lawrenceville being an independent community is what draws man y of the industries that have
been successful here. Community involvement allowed Lawrenceville to establish its image as
an independently driven community.

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The next two individuals that I interviewed were both middle-age, and currently lived in
Lawrenceville. I will refer to the middle aged black male as Harvey, and the white middle aged
male as Chuck to keep their information private. Chuck is a lifelong Lawrenceville resident, so I
asked him how he’s seen the community change over the years:
The improvements made to the community have made the image of Lawrenceville look a
lot better than it did when I was growing up... People used to give you a weird look when
you told them you lived here, now everyone’s really excited to talk to you when you tell
them you’re from Lawrenceville.” This implies that the image of Lawrenceville has
changed from a personal and local level. The identity of a community changes with the
gentrification process.
Harvey had a very similar response when I asked him what Lawrenceville was like during the
time he first moved here:
Well it’s a lot different than it is today…that’s for sure. I think the people that lived in
Lawrenceville at that time were much more of what you would call locals. Hard-working,
blue collar individuals who mostly worked in the mills around town. You didn’t really
see the mix of people you see today walking around Butler Street. Back then you would
drive through Lawrenceville, and really wouldn’t want to stop anywhere, you’d probably
just keep going…It was definitely a different community.
People seem to be generally excited when it comes to participating in community sponsored
events. This was a trend I noticed between all of the interviewers I talked with. For example,
when I asked Harvey how he has changed as the community has changed he claimed “I’ve
started to go to more ‘Lawrenceville’ events…I think the community has become more active,
which has led to me keeping in touch with more local events.” When a community such as
Lawrenceville allows for their residents to become more engaged with local events both parties
start to flourish.

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The community of Lawrenceville was known for prostitution, drug use, and overall
displacement. This all changed within the past twenty years when community members decided
to invest in a full scale change. This change was not simply an economic, social, or political
change, but it was a change of identity. Community members were tired of the negative
perception Lawrenceville had become known for. By sparking the interests of artists and young
professionals with cheap rent Lawrenceville began to start the process of urban gentrification.
Pittsburgh census numbers show that the average age of people living with a 15201 zip code
(Lawrenceville zip code) dropped from 42 to 38. Also the white population in Lawrenceville
dropped 21% during this time, being replaced by Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics. Family
households also dropped 17% during this time, being replaced by a younger demographic of
artists and young professionals. People have always been attracted to Butler Street due to the
various independent businesses, but in more recent times we are seeing a growing number of
stores taking residency in areas like the 10th Ward. For the first time businesses are competing to
storefront space on Butler Street. Store owners are claiming to have consumers shopping at their
stores from areas like Fox Chapel and Mount Lebanon because they heard their stores were
‘trendy’. The question that remains is what exactly makes Lawrenceville ‘trendy’ to consumers
and businesses alike. There is no clear cut answer to why Lawrenceville was chosen as a model
for gentrification. Several factors cause a community to be chosen for gentrification, but the most
crucial factors are the features that make a community culturally unique. Firstly, Lawrenceville
provides affordable housing for low to middle income residents who are trying to establish
themselves as either professionals or artists. Lawrenceville also provides its inhabitants easy
accessibility to the downtown area of Pittsburgh, and the surrounding metro areas. One can ride a
bike or even walk to the communities of Bloomfield, East Liberty, or the Strip District to name a

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few local communities. Living in a vibrant community such as Lawrenceville allows its residents
to participate in community led events, such as art crawls and festivals. By sponsoring,
supporting, and engaging in community run events like ‘Art All Night’ Lawrenceville is
marketing itself as a livable, enthusiastic, and colorful neighborhood. During this 20 or so year
process of urban redevelopment and gentrification Lawrenceville has seen crime rates drop and
housing prices rise. Those who don’t support gentrification claim that rising housing prices
pressure pre-existing families out of their own homes. Chuck explained to me how felt about
Lawrenceville losing some of its original character:
I would think that anytime you have new business and new groups of people moving into
a neighborhood things will change. But, for me at least, I haven’t felt any drastic changes
affecting the way I see the community. We still have our own little unique town, filled with
creative and motivated people.
However, Lawrenceville United and the Lawrenceville Corp. have the control over what new
businesses can and cannot come in, what housing projects can and cannot be approved, and
basically have the final say in any project planning on taking place in within the community.
“Any development needs approval from zoning and other public offices, said Matthew Galluzzo,
director of Lawrenceville Corp. With community led group support of what is and isn’t coming
into the community Lawrenceville is putting its future in its resident’s hands. “I still love the
older folks, but we see a lot younger people coming in, and it's great,” said Pat Geraci, 78, who
has owned and run Barb's Corner Kitchen for 22 years on that bend in Butler Street between
Upper and Central Lawrenceville. Assimilation between older and younger members of a
gentrified community is a key feature that can make or break a community. Various groups of
people must be willing to work and live together as equal members of a community in order to
have a successful community. This is a feature that is not exclusive to Lawrenceville, but one
that remains constant in all urban environments. For the most part older community members

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enjoy the younger demographic of residents in Lawrenceville. Neighbors and merchants say they
like what happened to the community and want to keep the younger crowd who brought the
change (Conti 2013).
Conclusion
Urban migration has been the dominate trend in population movement over the past
several centuries. What sparked the urbanization process was the industrial revolution in western
society. While the human population began to increase significantly the size of urban centers
began to rise drastically. During the 19th century we began to large scale shifts from the
countryside to urban centers. What became of the industrial revolution was harsh working and
living conditions in most of these urban environments. In order for cities to remain livable and
more importantly economically profitable, they had to shift out of the industrial age, and into a
more technologically advanced deindustrialized period of human history. It is during this time
that we see rises in living quality, technology, and working conditions. Lawrenceville’s
gentrification process is a system that started from the ground up. It began with individual
community members working together to establish a better community for everyone. By putting
aside personal gains, active community members were able to provide a culturally significant
space. According to local artist Joe, Lawrenceville is the ideal place for young artists and
professionals.
I think it must be easier for up and coming artists now than it was 20 or 30 years ago.
With the internet I can announce that my band is playing a show, and within a few
minutes I can invite hundreds of people. Things today are more accessible in
Lawrenceville, and it doesn’t cost much to try…

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Gentrification studies have given us a vague understanding of some of the components
that make up urban redevelopment. But we don’t’ get a full understanding of the community by
learning broad descriptions of every gentrified community. By talking to community members
that are both young and old you begin to understand what makes up Lawrenceville. Economic
facts and figures give us an understanding of how the community is doing, but unless you walk
around the streets, participate in local events, and talk to some of the neighborhood residents you
won’t understand the cultural makeup of a given community. What truly makes a community are
its people, the people who shop at the stores, work at the stores, and engage in community
sponsored events. Active participation by all parties is essential in developing an urban
community. Groups must coexist as equal partners in a community led gentrification program.
When you see unsuccessful gentrification it usually stems for one group being unwilling to
change. Differences of politics, ideologies, and ethnicities must be put aside for gentrification to
work. The process of gentrification is a gradual long-term process that will not display
immediate results. It is vital for all parties involved in redeveloping an urban center to take this is
into consideration because when too drastic of steps are taken, communities will suffer. For
example, if urban developers want to introduce a new model for gentrification, they must take
the proper courses of action. In Lawrenceville we see that any time a new business is attempting
to relocate itself to Lawrenceville a group of community leaders has the power to deny the
proposed business. Community led support from a group of diverse individuals allows all parties
to be taken into consideration. It is important for community officials working on economic
development plans to take into account the global city theory when assessing the current trends
in their community. By taking into accounts global markets city planners can better implement
their own creative policies into a more widely accepted market.

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References Cited
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Basham, Richard and DeGroot, David. 1997. “Current Approaches to the Anthropology of Urban
and Complex Societies.” American Anthropological Association 79 (June): 414-440
Briller, Sheryln. 2013. “Engaging Opportunities in Urban Revitalization: Practicing Detroit
Anthropology.” American Anthropological Association 37.1: 156-178
Billingham, M. Chase and Kimelberg-McDonough, Shelley. 2013. “Middle-Class Parents, Urban
Schooling, and the Shift from Consumption to Production of Urban Space.” Sociological Forum
28: 85-107
Dawdy, Shannon Lee. 2010. “Clockpunk Anthropology and the Ruins of Modernity.” Current
Anthropology 51 (December): 761-793
Grantmyre, Laura. “Selling Pittsburgh as America’s Renaissance City.” Journal of Urban
History 41: 5-12
Isaacson, P. Mariel. “Fantasy Meets Reality: The Pittsburgh Renaissance and Urban Utopias.”
Journal of Urban History January 2015 41: 13-19
Low, M. Setha. “The Anthropology of Cities: Imagining and Theorizing the City.” Annual
Review of Anthropology 25 (1996): 383-409
Newman, Katherine. 1985. “Urban Anthropology and the Deindustrialization Paradigm.” Urban
Anthropology and Studies of Cultural Systems and World Economic Development 14 (summer):
5-19

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Phillips, Martin. 2002. “The Production, Symbolization and Socialization of Gentrification:
Impressions from Two Berkshire Villages.” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers
Powers, D. Edward. 2012. “All Things That I Didn’t Want to Change Anyway.” American Art
26 (spring): 48-73
Smith, Todd. 1977 “The Politics of Pittsburgh.” The Army Engineers Historical Society of
Western Pennsylvania, Library Archives
Toland, Bill. 2012. “In Desperate 1983, there was nowhere for Pittsburgh’s economy to go but
up.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Zukin, Sharon. 1995. The Cultures of Cities. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Inc.
Triblive. 2013. Lawrenceville balance shifts to hipper, pricier. Pittsburgh Tribune Review June
11, 2013. http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/4097469-74/lawrenceville-upper-
neighborhood#axzz3YAyMJYqK
“The Army Engineers’ View on the Reservoir System of Flood Control for Pittsburgh,” 1-2 Box
274, Folder 11, ACCD Records, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, Library Archives.

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Appendices
Appendix A (Chuck)
The following interview was conducted at the informant’s home in Lawrenceville during the late
afternoon. He is a white middle class Lawrenceville resident, who grew up in the area. He is in
his early 60s, and is currently a retired Pittsburgh city school teacher. The interview was
conducted on 4/3/15.
Question:
You’ve lived in Lawrenceville your entire life. How have you seen the changes taking place in
the community?
Answer:
The improvements made to the community have made the image of Lawrenceville look a lot
better than it did when I was growing up. I remember when people used to give you a weird look
when you told them you lived here, now everyone’s excited to talk to you when you tell them
you’re from Lawrenceville.
Question:
It seems like the general consensus among Lawrenceville residents is that the redevelopment
process has been a good thing for the community. How do you think Lawrenceville was able to
create a community catering to everyone’s needs?
Answer:
I think it’s because of the participation of community members with Lawrenceville officials and
business owners. Everyone seems to be involved in events like parades and festivals held for the
community. You don’t really see such fun community events like we have here.
Question:
What are some of these events that you are describing?
Answer:
I’m a big fan of getting some friends and family together and going to the public movie viewings
at the park during the summer. They are held once a month, and always showcase a pretty good
movie, along with having food and drinks provided by some local vendors. I am also a big fan of
local craft breweries around this area so any of the various beer festivals are a blast. During Craft
Brew week in the summer, a bunch of breweries like Church Works hold beer tastings.

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Question:
Do you think that Lawrenceville has lost any of its original characteristics that made up the
borough?
Answer:
I would think that any time you have new business and new groups of people moving into
neighborhood things will change. But for me at least, I haven’t felt any drastic changes affecting
the way I see the community. We still have our own little unique town, filled with creative and
motivated people.
Question:
Lawrenceville is starting to gain local and national recognition as a ‘trendy’ community. How
have you seen this process play out throughout the years?
Answer:
I guess you start to see several patterns taking place around the area that start to catch your eye. I
would see kids walking around Butler Street with crazy haircuts and a lot of piercings. That
starts to make you think that wow I would never expect to see someone like that around here.
Then more and more people who you would call hipsters started to appear around the area. This
started to shift the local trends of some of the bars and restaurants. You definitely can see the
transition taking place, it’s not an overnight effect, but something that takes place over a gradual
time period. New businesses began to start up, and new groups of people began to appear all
around.
Question:
How has this change affected you and your family living in Lawrenceville?
Answer:
I think the community is a little bit safer now, which is always a good thing. The price of my
home has also gone up exponentially from the time I bought my house in 1982. Overall property
values have rose incredibly high over the past couple years. So that’s a good thing for anyone
who’s owned a home here for a long period of time. I think the new industries and the
rejuvenated businesses are very good for my kids who enjoy the nightlife here. Previously I
would be a little hesitant for my daughter to be going out in Lawrenceville with her friends, but
now I think it’s great.
Question:
So do you see yourself living and staying here in the future?
Answer:
I really have no reason to move. I’m from here, I’ve never lived anyone else, and my family lives
here. Since I’ve retired I’ve been more able to do some volunteer work, and participate in more
events. My family loves it here, and I tend to agree with them. As long as things don’t change
too drastically, I mean change in a negative aspect; I don’t see myself moving out.

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Question:
What are some of the activities you participate in around the community?
Answer:
I’m a huge golfer, and since I’ve retired I have had a bunch of free time to spend on the course
(much to the wives liking). I work part-time at Schenley Park public golf course, where I work
with different youth groups to help encourage golf among city youth programs. When I was
teaching I coached the golf team at Schenley High School so I’ve been involved in several local
programs for youth golf in Pittsburgh.

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Appendix B (Harvey)
The informant was a middle age black male, who is a long-term citizen of Lawrenceville. We
met at Lil Coffee Shop, in a one on one sitting. This open interview was conducted during the
afternoon. The informant is a college-educated man, who grew up living in an urban
environment. Harvey was a very talkative, enthusiastic man, who seemed very generous and
kind.
Question:
Where did you grow up, and how long have you lived in Lawrenceville?
Answer:
I grew up in South Oakland, and went to Pitt; after I graduated from college I was living in
Homestead with some college roommates. I took a job teaching at (a Pittsburgh City School),
where I met a now close friend who encouraged me to move to Lawrenceville. So during the
mid-1980s I moved to the 10th Ward in Lawrenceville.
Question:
What was Lawrenceville like during the time you first moved here?
Answer:
Well it was a lot different then it is today (laughs) that’s for sure. I think the people that lived in
Lawrenceville at that time were much more of what you would call locals. Hard-working, blue-
collar individuals who mostly worked in the mills around town. You didn’t really see the mix of
people you see today walking around Butler Street. Back then you would drive through
Lawrenceville, and really wouldn’t want to stop anywhere, you’d probably want to keep going
(laughs). We still had fun, and I enjoyed living here because I was so close to where I worked,
and I had my friends who I lived with. But it was definitely a different community.
Question:
How have you seen the changes that have and continue to take place in Lawrenceville?
Answer:
I’ve seen a lot of different groups of people move into the community. Before it was mostly a
white population with a decent black population, but now we have a wide range of ethnic groups
living here. Asians, Latinos, Indians all help make up the community now, we aren’t specifically
a white or black community anymore.
Question:
How has the transition affected you specifically?
Answer:
I’ve started to go to more community-sponsored events thats for sure. I think the community has
become much more active, which has led to me keeping in touch with more local events. Once
the weather starts to get nicer, I love going to community heritage festivals, where they feature a

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bunch of great food vendors. I also really enjoy the local art displays featured around the coffee
shops and bars.
Question:
What are some of the local establishments that you go to on a regular basis?
Answer:
Since I’ve retired I have a lot more free time during the day so I enjoy coming to this coffee shop
to have lunch a read a book. I do that on a pretty regular basis. I also spend a lot of time at the
parks when the weather is nice out. I have two dogs so I try and take them out as much as
possible, weather permitting. We have a very dog friendly community here, so it’s nice to take
them out and talk to other dog people.
Question:
What are some of your favorite restaurants around Lawrenceville?
Answer:
I really like the Church Brew Works constantly changing menu, it’s great. I’ve eaten everything
from rattle snake pirogues’ to ostrich burgers there, plus they have a great selection of locally
brewed beers. Stinky’s has a great local menu, with some pretty good lunch specials throughout
the week. Barb’s serves a great breakfast if you’re in the mood for some traditional American
breakfast foods. Plus Lawrenceville has a really wide variety of restaurants and grocery stores.
You can find almost anything ranging from Thai food to Mexican street food. Honestly, you
really can’t go too wrong when it comes to the food scene here. It’s one of my favorite things
about Lawrenceville.
Question:
Do you believe the restaurants along with several other industries cater to specific groups of
people? Or do you see Lawrenceville as a more diverse community of individuals rather than
specific groups of people?
Answer:
Lawrenceville is definitely an eclectic group of individuals that make up the communities image.
People have an overall image of what kinds of people live within Lawrenceville, and yeah, for
the most part it’s true, but there are a lot of very small artists and entrepreneurs working on the
ground level trying to establish themselves. You can go into a number of coffee shops, bar,
restaurants and find some really spectacular artwork. And they have all sorts of mediums too,
whether it be photography, glassmaking, sculpting. I think the image of Lawrenceville is
represented by all of the variables involved from the community.
Question:
Since you had a career as a teacher in the Pittsburgh city schools, how do you think they have
performed with the entire change-taking place in communities like Lawrenceville?

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Answer:
I believe certain schools have done very well, and other schools have been basically eliminated
from any chances of being improved. The Pittsburgh City School System is investing in schools
that are doing well like Taylor Allderdice, and doing everything in their power to have these
schools compete with top-notch public schools like Fox Chapel. Then on the other hand you
have schools being condemned, completely shut down, and being forced to merge to other
schools. If you live in Lawrenceville now, and your parents chose for you to go to the city
schools, you have a choice of what high school you would attend, based on your marks from
elementary school This system allows for only certain people to succeed, while other students
are left behind. If a student wants to do well and go to college they can, but it’s made more
difficult by the placement method that the system uses.

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Appendix C (Doug)
The informant during this interview was younger, middle-aged man who worked in a community
involvement group based in Lawrenceville. He was a white male, who had a college degree. We
met at his office, during the morning, a rainy day in Lawrenceville. He was a very well educated
man, who had a passion for city planning and development.
Question:
Can you describe a little about the Lawrenceville Corporation?
Answer:
Hi Austin, I work as the Land Use Coordinator for the Lawrenceville Corporation.
Question:
Can you give me an understanding of some of the things the Lawrenceville Corporation is
involved with?
Answer:
Sure, we are a non-profit /community development program that is focused on issues dealing
with the Lawrenceville community. Which means we deal with recycling projects, public works
projects, and any issues dealing with public space within the community.
Question:
What are some of the issues you face as the Land Used Coordinator for the Lawrenceville Corp?
Answer:
Personally, I deal with the management of residential property restoration and overall real estate
projects. We also deal with recycling and sidewalk restoration programs in conjuncture with our
local Lawrenceville community workers.
Question:
Lawrenceville has gone through an overall successful redevelopment program over the past two
decades. Can you explain to me a little bit about the history of the rejuvenation of
Lawrenceville?
Answer:
During the late 1980’s several local and non-local business leaders worked in conjunction with
community members of Lawrenceville to establish a new economic and visual image of
Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville has always been a lucrative location for the establishment of new
businesses. Lawrenceville sits three miles from downtown Pittsburgh, and only a mile away from
the Strip District, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon. This provides
Lawrenceville with the opportunity to attract many different groups of people. During the late
80s early 90s community officials started a major marketing scheme to attract businesses to the
vacant public space and warehouses (left over from the closed steel mills). The price for public
space during this period was incredibly affordable, so a wide range of industries could be started

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here. For example, the Church Brew works bought an old church in 1996 and created a
restaurant/bar/ brewery all in an old church (laughs).
Question:
Can you explain a little about the marketing process that community officials used to attract
businesses to come to Lawrenceville?
Answer:
The process began as members of the Lawrenceville Corporation began to work with local
community members and business owners. Marketing a urban space that is located in the ideal
borough of Lawrenceville was based upon affordable rent and having a convenient location,
being so close to downtown and other densely populated urban areas. Once businesses began to
see success it didn’t take long for more and more industries began to establish themselves as
hallmarks of the Lawrenceville community. The process of developing Lawrenceville was
gradual, which saw economic growth lead to community and social growth. Maintaining the
community run image of Lawrenceville was vital to economic improvement of the community.
The idea of Lawrenceville being an independent community is what draws many of the
industries that have been successful here. Community involvement allowed Lawrenceville to
establish its image as an independently driven community.
Question:
How did the Lawrenceville community separate itself from some of the other middle class urban
boroughs in Pittsburgh?
Answer:
Lawrenceville was originally a Irish-immigrant led community, that saw most of its residents
working in the blue collar job sector. Once the mills began to start shutting down you started to
see a more depressed economic community. During this time period public space for housing
and retail was incredibly affordable. Various groups of people began to establish themselves in
Lawrenceville, creating a melting pot effect on the community. I think the various groups of
people and individuals are what separate Lawrenceville from the rest of the pack.
Question:
Do you see these trends that are shaping the community continuing to grow in the future?
Answer:
Absolutely, we have a growing community that is constantly attracting new members. Whether
those new members are volunteers or business leaders they both help to make Lawrenceville a
better community. Our community is based on local participation from vendors and residents.
We not only thrive, but we survive with voluntary community support. These factors play into
aspects of the community, from housing to industry.
Question:
What are some of the volunteer events that attract local and foreign customers?

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Answer:
We have many different locally run events that can excite a wide range of participants. Some of
our most popular events are the weekly farmer’s markets where anyone can go to sell and buy
locally grown produce. We cater to family events like the 4th of July parade in the summer, and
the monthly movies in the park events held during the warmer months. Then we feature many
events that attract a more adult crowd, such as the Art all Night event that is taking place next
month.

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Appendix D (Joe)
The informant during this session is a young, white male, who recently graduated from college.
This informant recently moved to Lawrenceville post-graduation, and works as a substitute
teacher for various Pittsburgh Public Schools. The informant is also highly involved in the local
Pittsburgh art scene, working as both a musician and promoter. We met at night, at the Thunder
Bird Café on Butler Street.
Question:
How long have you lived in Lawrenceville?
Answer:
I’ve lived here since I graduated college (2012).
Question:
What were some of the things attracted you to Lawrenceville?
Answer:
For one thing the rent was incredibly cheap, and I didn’t want to move back home after college. I
had a few friends that had already lived here for a couple of years, so I was familiar with the
area. I liked the idea of being able to walk, bike, or bus to virtually any area I wanted to go to
around Pittsburgh. Plus, Lawrenceville seemed to have a lot of people around my age, doing the
things I was doing.
Question:
Can you specify what places you attend on a regular basis?
Answer:
My band plays shows at the Thunderbird Café pretty regularly, and I love to shoot pool there
during the week. I am a huge fan of local bars like Carneys and the New Amsterdam. They both
have a local feel that remains fresh at the same time. The 720 Music Café is an awesome place
to find vinyl records, tickets to local shows, and find all kinds of crazy music merchandise.
Question:
What are some of your favorite places to eat?
Answer:
If I can afford to spend a little more money I’ll go to the Church Brew Works because they are
always changing up their menu with different seasonal foods. Plus they have a great selection of
home brewed beers. But, normally I’m trying to stay on the cheaper side when going out, so Ill
go to places like Los Cabos for some good, quick Mexican street food. Hambone’s also has good
prices, and makes some pretty good burgers.
Question:
You are a city school substitute teacher during the day, but your real passion is music. Do you
think Lawrenceville is the ideal place for young artists?

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Answer:
Without a question I think this area of Pittsburgh, at this particular time, is the best place to be a
young artist in the surrounding Pittsburgh area. Whether it’s Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, East
Liberty, or any other of these similar neighborhoods they all provide a similar, yet distinct feel.
I’m someone who has to travel to Crafton, Homestead, and Westinghouse, Oakland, Squirrel
Hill, and many other communities in the surrounding Pittsburgh area for work. Luckily, I have a
car to travel to work, but even if I didn’t have a car, I would never be more than a 30 to 45
minute bus ride to and from work. Once I’m done with work, and back home, I rarely have to use
my car (unless I’m going back home to Plum). I bike pretty much everywhere I go, and I feel
like this is something you can’t do in a lot of other cities.
Question:
You said that all these neighborhoods (Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, East Liberty etc.) as provide a
similar, yet distinct feel. Can you go into a little more detail in this example?
Answer:
Yeah, What I’m saying is that Lawrenceville and Bloomfield would seem pretty similar to the
average out-of-towner. They both have a main street where most of the businesses are located,
and they both have pretty similar looking buildings. But, when you actually spend some time in
these neighborhoods you see the differences. Like, Bloomfield has a much more old-school
Italian feel to it than Lawrenceville, where most of the older locals tend to be Irish. You have
some great little family run Italian markets in Bloomfield, and you also have some great Irish run
butchers markets in Lawrenceville. Both are great, and both are unique.
Question:
Would you say these towns have similar late-night scenes?
Answer:
Absolutely, I think they play into each other, benefiting both communities. They have art crawls
at least once a month, where clubs and bars from Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, South Side, East
Liberty, and sometimes a few other places sponsor local artists to perform music, read poetry,
display and show art. I think everyone benefits from these events, most of the venues that
participate in these events offer free admission so just about everyone can go.
Question:
I know from personal experience that your website (Redfish Bowl) creates and participates a lot
of these events. How hard is the overall process of getting these events up and running?
Answer:
(Laughs) They really aren’t all that hard, when you have so many friends around the area. We
are pretty lucky because our band normally plays at these events, and one of our members gets to
display his artwork. Which leads us to getting other local artists in the area to participate. I have
a really good friend who manages the coffee shop Delanie’s in the South Side. They already
display art, so when we get to play there, they get to promote their own artwork, as well as

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helping our band out. So basically, all groups involved benefit, plus I think the people who come
out and support this local art have a pretty good time.
Question:
Do you think all of this would have been possible in Pittsburgh 20 to 30 years ago?
Answer:
I don’t know any specific facts or anything like that about rent prices back then, but I think it
must be easier now for up and coming artists. With the internet I can announce that my band is
playing a show tonight, and within a few minutes I can invite hundreds of people to our show.
Back in the day, people had to work much harder to market their artwork. I can imagine hanging
up flyers throughout all the streets in Pittsburgh. Social media gets a bad rap, and for a good
reason mostly, but I think it does wonders for spreading the voice of the uncommon artist, who’s
trying to make a name for themselves. Things are more accessible, and that makes it a lot easier
for me.
Question:
How do you think the locals of Lawrenceville feel about their town being gentrified? In other
words, how do you see the people who have lived in Lawrenceville their entire lives, see
someone like you?
Answer:
I think it varies from person to person. I’ve had some really good conversations with people in
their 60’s and 70’s who have spent their entire lives in Lawrenceville, and I’ve also been
frowned upon, and looked at funny by a lot of these same people. I think that it goes both ways,
for people in my category, and the “locals”. Like for me, I’ve never been obnoxious to any of
these people, and generally am interested in what they have to say. But, there are people who
would be lumped into my category as the “new” population who are really snobby to the locals.
These people make no sense to me, because I have no clue where the sense of entitlement comes
from. As long as both groups act like civilized adults no problems should every really happen. I
don’t think it’s really any issue.
Question:
Do you think that Lawrenceville is better now than it was previously?
Answer:
I really think it is. I mean I haven’t lived here for that long, but everyone I’ve talked to who
hasn’t been to Lawrenceville recently always thinks it’s a dead town, full of drunks. I think at
this particular time, Lawrenceville is as alive as it’s ever been, and it’s thriving. So many new
people are moving into the area, and the town is booming along with it. It’s a great time to be
here, and I really think it just keeps getting better. It’s cheap, fun, and not too far from home, so I
don’t really see why I would move anywhere else.

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