Selecting a menu is one of the biggest decisions for a wedding. While buffets and sit-down dinners are still popular, there are numerous other options available that can make a wedding as individualized and personal as each couple. When Dewaine Beard was married last year, he and his new spouse wanted their wedding and food selections to reflect their personalities—casual and low-key. “We were married in a friend’s backyard and had a barbecue. It was self-serve, very cost-eff

Prohibit a woman from dining at a restaurant without a male escort, and she just might take over the kitchen. Unbelievably, as late as 1969, women were grappling for the right to dine in well-known restaurants during lunchtime where the men were busy making deals. Activist Betty Friedan took care of that when she walked into the Oak Room in New York City’s Plaza Hotel with 15 women. They waited two hours for service that never arrived. However, the Plaza changed its policy wi

Pennsylvania has some of the most breathtaking wedding venues. From the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh to the Rustic Acres Farm in Volant, there is hardly a shortage of places to say, “I do.” If a fall wedding is in your future, here are some of the best locations to accommodate intimate wedding parties or all-out celebrations with 200-plus guests on your list. Armstrong Farms Established in 1816, Armstrong Farms is nestled into the historic town of Saxonburg. Just 22 mile

Anyone who has pets can tell you about the comfort they provide when times are tough, and as the daughter of a veterinarian, Grace Coleman has seen the healing power of an animal’s touch more times than she can count. Yet it wasn’t until a little boy met her rescue dog, Penny, that she realized how useful the human-animal bond could be in her work at Crisis Center North (CCN). “The Paws for Empowerment program began in 2010, when I started bringing Penny to work because our t

The local housing market is hot right now, and lots of buyers are taking advantage of low mortgage rates to make the move to a new space. Buying or selling a home often necessitates home repairs, though, which can be a daunting prospect. Homeowners are wise to have the numbers of a good electrician, plumber, roofer and general maintenance person handy. Read on for apps that can help homeowners connect with service providers to tackle any project. Thumbtack helps people connec

For those old enough to remember, it may seem hard to believe that 2021 is the 20th anniversary of the attacks of September 11th. For those too young to remember, many feel this anniversary serves as an important opportunity to teach and learn. “As we move further from the actual date, I feel it is our mission to educate as many people as possible so that they can learn about this important day. There are 75 million Americans who were not alive on that day,” said Donna Gibson

In today’s world, we’re often reminded of the importance of spending time outdoors. When we head to the parks for a walk, we take advantage of outdoor furnishings such as park benches, litter receptacles and bicycle racks. But have you ever stopped to think about what goes into the designing and manufacturing of those outdoor furnishings that we use so often? Keystone Ridge Designs, Inc. (KRD) has been focusing on those fixtures for more than 25 years. “Outdoor spaces have re

As Pittsburgh has continued to grow as a tourist destination, new hotels have been opening up to meet the demand. One of the largest areas of industry growth has been seen in boutique hotels; smaller hotels located in more urban areas that feature approximately 100 rooms or less. According to The Boutique Hotel Report 2020, pre-COVID, boutique hotels were the fastest growing sector of the hotel industry, outpacing extended stay and upscale hotels. It adds that one of the reas

From September 17-19, the City of Bridges will be inundated with world-renowned jazz musicians here to entrance audiences during the 11th annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF). The festival will be split between two venues: The Benedum Center and Highmark Stadium. This differs from years past, when the festival was held at The August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), which is also the organizer of the festival. This year’s festival was curated

Since 1984, Angels’ Place has been changing lives. Through a holistic program that provides quality childcare along with support for single parents, this incredible nonprofit organization works toward breaking the cycle of poverty which opens up greater opportunities for future generations. We spoke with Beth Banas, executive director for Angels’ Place, to learn more about this worthwhile organization she refers to as one of the community’s best-kept secrets. North Hills Mont

Once a bustling, industrial neighborhood, the Borough of Etna lost some of its shine when the mills began to close, and it lost some of its visibility once Routes 8 and 28 were constructed. But today, Etna is undergoing a revival. Even native Pittsburghers may be surprised to learn that the small, one-square mile borough was the first in the country to be certified as an EcoDistrict, a neighborhood that engages in sustainable development. Though only approximately 3,400 peopl

While you can expect to see any number of interesting sights driving along rural New York state roads, one of the most startling has got to be the surreal steel structures that tower above the grassy fields alongside Rohr Hill Road in Ashland Hollow, NY. These massive sculptures, which range from a woman in mid-stride to something resembling a large bird, a giraffe and other, more abstract pieces, are part of Griffis Sculpture Park, a 400-acre preserve featuring 250 large-sca

These days, school is about a lot more than just reading, writing and arithmetic. Experiential learning, in which students learn by doing, is growing in popularity as a way to introduce students to new concepts and to help them develop skills that will allow them to be successful in and out of the classroom. To this end, Sewickley Academy recently introduced X-Block, an experiential learning curriculum in which middle school students take part in everything from building a ka

Lehman Joins Donahue Real Estate Advisors Alexander L. Lehman has joined Donahue Real Estate Advisors’ tenant advisory and representation team, where his responsibilities will include Pittsburgh office market research, financial analysis, development of real estate strategies and lease negotiations with building owners on behalf of clients. Lehman brings with him a wealth of corporate real estate experience, having spent five years at the Pittsburgh office of CBRE, most recen

Summer is winding down, but Pittsburgh’s business community isn’t! There are a variety of new businesses in the area to visit this August. Necromancer Brewing— 2257 Babcock Blvd, Ross Township Necromancer Brewing, opened March 1st, is brining back forgotten beer styles to the ‘Burgh. This eclectic brewing company has can pours on site as well as 4 packs to go. The current beer selection varies from A Hop With No Name, a hazy IPA with experimental hop, to All In, a rye imperia

By Max McCrory I’d been anxious to try Della Terra, located in Zelienople, for quite some time and it was definitely worth the wait. The restaurant is located on the town’s charming main street in an old bank, so when you first walk in you’re met with high ceilings and navy blue walls decorated with Dutch masters style paintings. The space is modern yet cozy, which also reflects in the food. It was so hard to pick just a few things to sample off of the menu, because every sin

Remember the early days of COVID? We were counting or singing the Alphabet Song to be certain we washed our hands long enough. Every surface we touched required a deep clean. Hand sanitizers and household disinfectants were nowhere to be found. And if toilet paper appeared on your shopping list, forget about it. The entire world suddenly needed to be sanitized…immediately! Fortunately, things have settled down a bit and some things have returned to pre-pandemic normal. Of cou

Jeffrey Ammon, 48, of Valencia was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 10. Though he relies on insulin to maintain his health, his kidneys have begun to fail and as a result, he is looking for a donor while also waiting on the national transplant list. “Unfortunately, there are not enough donors available—it could take years to get a kidney,” explained Ammon’s sister, Carol Jeuther. “That puts the onus on the person needing the kidney to find a live donor, which is why we

Like much of small-town America, traditional main street businesses took a hit as a result of the rise of shopping malls in the 1980s and the introduction of online shopping. But in recent years, due in part to the pandemic, people have gained a greater awareness of how shopping locally benefits the economy and provides unparalleled personalized service that you just can’t get at big box stores. As a result, more people are rediscovering the charms of Main Street America—and

Summer Restaurant Week is back in Pittsburgh! This event allows foodies to try out seasonal menu items or limited time-only dishes at new and established restaurants around the city—often at a discounted price—and this year it will run for not one, but for two weeks from August 9-22. The event was first started in 2012 by local food blogger Brian McCollum as an effort to highlight the wide-ranging dining options that Pittsburgh has to offer and to allow restaurants to feature