Brian Bird, Lawrenceville resident and creative technology director for Deeplocal, reflects on moving to Lawrenceville… by way of New York City.
Moving to Lawrenceville Perfectly Blends Brooklyn Energy and Pittsburgh Identity
I visited Lawrenceville for the first time in May 2004. The spring semester had just ended at Indiana University, and I was determined to make the most of the time back home before a summer internship would take me to New York City.
My knowledge of Pittsburgh was limited; I grew up in the South Hills and had only recently started to appreciate the city beyond my suburban bubble. A bartender friend invited me to check out his workplace, and the promise of free drinks was enough to pull this broke college kid into “The City.”
Driving down Main Street into Lawrenceville was my first glimpse of a side of Pittsburgh I had heard about but never experienced. The tightly packed brick homes felt worlds apart from the development where I grew up. Their narrow facades and shared walls hinted at the neighborhood’s blue-collar past. Butler Street had a business district even then, but it wasn’t the destination it is today. “For Sale” signs filled storefront windows, and long stretches were quiet and underused.
My destination sat just past the cemetery on the left: Ray’s Marlin Beach Bar & Grill. It felt delightfully out-of-place — a quirky, twostory beach bar tucked into Upper Lawrenceville.
Inside, the crowd was eclectic. Twenty-somethings mixed with middle-aged yinzers, and the laid-back atmosphere made it easy to strike up conversations with strangers. I spent quite a few evenings there over the following weeks.
Eventually, though, my New York internship began. What started as a short adventure turned into a career in tech that carried me through my 20s and 30s.
Back to Pittsburgh, Again
Fast-forward 16 years, and I was in the midst of planning a permanent return to Pittsburgh. The pandemic was unfolding; like many people living in New York City, I felt a pull to be closer to family. As I considered where to land, I knew I wanted to keep some of the things I loved most about Brooklyn: historical homes, walkable streets and a progressive neighborhood built around community.
Lawrenceville immediately came to mind.
When I returned to take another look, I was stunned by what I found. The vacant storefronts I remembered had transformed to create a vibrant business corridor. Butler Street was buzzing with restaurants, boutiques, galleries and coffee shops. The neighborhood felt both distinctly Pittsburgh and surprisingly reminiscent of the Brooklyn neighborhoods I had come to love.
I knew almost immediately that this was where I wanted to live.
Experiencing Neighborhood Life in Lawrenceville
My first apartment was above Franktuary on Butler Street — the space that now houses William Penn Tavern. Living above a restaurant in the center of the neighborhood felt like the perfect way to immerse myself in Lawrenceville life.
Directly across the street was Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream, which became an unexpected symbol of normalcy during the early months of the pandemic. In the spring and summer of 2020, when much of the world felt paused, people still made their way to Millie’s. From my living room window, I watched neighbors, couples and families share a few simple moments over ice cream. In a time defined by isolation, it was a reminder that neighborhood life was still happening.
I later bought a red brick house on Main Street, complete with a fenced-in back yard for my dog, Sophie (something that would have been a fantasy in New York).
Walkability as a Non-Negotiable
What ultimately sold me on Lawrenceville, though, was how easily life works here.
Walkability was non-negotiable when I moved back to Pittsburgh, and Lawrenceville delivers. Within a few blocks of my house are a dozen(!) locally owned coffee shops. Some weekends I’ll head out for a long stroll through the Strip District, across the David McCullough Bridge and back over the 40th Street Bridge. Other days, I’ll rent a POGOH bike and follow the river trail to Point State Park, or cross the bridge to the stadiums.
Lawrenceville’s location also makes it easy to wander into nearby neighborhoods: Bloomfield and the Strip District are both within walking distance; Oakland, Shadyside and the North Side are a car ride away.
And the food scene, of course, is hard to ignore.
Food, Culture, and Everyday Energy
Umami reminds me most of Brooklyn: casual DJ beats in the background, a lively happy hour crowd and a sit-down bar where you can usually grab a stool if you arrive early. Pusadee’s Garden has become my go-to for special occasions. (Show up around 4:40 p.m. and you can often snag a walk-in table without a reservation.)
Restaurants such as Morcilla and Poulet Bleu bring Spanish and French flavors to the neighborhood, while Oishii Donburi satisfies when I’m craving chicken katsu or sake-don.
Beyond the food, Lawrenceville has a creative energy that keeps me inspired. Pittsburgh’s burgeoning tech scene, buoyed by Robotics Row, has a tangible presence here. Repurposed warehouses now house startups and creative studios alongside art galleries and music venues. The neighborhood attracts makers, builders and thinkers, and that energy is infectious.
A Neighborhood That Balances Change and Identity
What strikes me most, though, is how Lawrenceville manages to honor its roots while embracing what it’s become. Long-time residents still frequent the same corners, and the yinzer spirit I encountered at Ray’s all those years ago hasn’t disappeared — it’s just sharing the sidewalk with a broader crowd now.
I came to Lawrenceville looking to recreate my Brooklyn experience in Pittsburgh. What I found was something better: a neighborhood with all of the walkability, culture and character I loved about New York — but grounded in a community that feels like home.
Story by Brian Bird
Photo by Keith Recker