The Best Pittsburgh Stories in 2023
It’s a special edition of the Friday news roundup! There’s a lot we could say about this year, but we’ve decided to focus on the good. We’re wrapping up 2023 by highlighting the best stories in the Burgh, including the return of McCutchen and grilled stickies, a bunch of milestone anniversaries, improvements to city landmarks, and a few funny mishaps along the way. Only happy news to close out the year!
We always cite our sources:
- Virginia Montanez wrote about the best things that happened in Pgh in her newsletter, Breathing Space.
- Some big things we didn’t touch on in this episode include last month’s election, smoke from the Canadian wildfires, conversations about mental health sparked by Fetterman’s hospital stay, the East Palestine train derailment, and the verdict of the synagogue shooting trial.
- For their 125th anniversaries, friend of the pod Mark Houser talked about the opening of the zoo and how Kennywood became the roller coaster capitol of the world.
- We interviewed the city’s first openly gay police chief, and he shared his coming out story on the podcast.
- Dr. Jonas Salk was a key figure in developing the polio vaccine, and you can learn more about this work at an exhibit at Pitt Public Health.
- For another comprehensive list, check out KDKA’s lengthy roundup of their biggest stories in 2023.
Become a founding member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Paid Parental Leave Proposal Gets a Makeover
After weighing over 1,400 public comments — mostly from parents, health care workers, and small business owners — the county health depar...
‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Philly Is Reducing Violence With Parks — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
Would Pittsburgh be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime...
Ripping Out Skill Games, Mandatory Fun & RIP Annie Dillard
Will state police start ripping skill games out of convenience stores, vape shops, and other spots? That's what could happen if lawmakers...
Pittsburgh Restaurant Empires, Explained
Did you know a ton of Pittsburgh's most influential dining spots are run by the same six restaurant groups? Some are massive, some are lo...
Measles, Go-Karts & Wylie’s Opening Lineup
Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is getting worse. At least four people have died and nearly 700 cases are being tracked statewide. Host M...
What To Do During an ICE Encounter in Pittsburgh
Community leaders and business owners in Beechview — the heart of Pittsburgh's Latino community — say ICE activity has been increasi...
Won't You Be a Reader? The Campaign to Raise Lifelong Readers {SPONSORED}
On this bonus episode sponsored by the Grable Foundation, we're talking about a local push to make sure every child has access to the boo...
Does Pittsburgh Have the Meats? A Guide to Pittsburgh BBQ
Can Pittsburgh hold its own when it comes to barbecue? We definitely don’t have the smoked-meat reputation of Texas or the Carolinas, but...
‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Las Vegas Is Handling Record-Breaking Heat — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
It may not feel like it right now, but extreme heat is coming for Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas might have the answers you need. An already s...
Iceburgh Loaf Pan, Fetterman's GOP Lovefest & Pittsburgh Remembers 9/11
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Western PA was directly affected: one of the hijacked planes crashed...