Let's be realistic for a moment.
Pittsburgh Public transportation is not like New York. I'm from Manhattan and have been living in Pittsburgh for 10 years.
The taxi cab system here is one of the worst I've ever seen. It's expensive, slow, and not reliable.
The bus system here is decent, but since Pittsburgh has so many great little neighborhoods that are so close to each other, busses can be a pain in the you know what, while a car can get you everywhere fast. Then again, there's always FLEX CAR!
I could not imagine being in Pittsburgh without a car. When i went to Carnegie Mellon, all the freshmen would take busses their first year, then bring their cars their sophomore year, even though we got a free bus pass.
Don't judge our city though by our lack of public transport. Remember, I'm from Manhattan, but I love Pittsburgh because it's so easy to get around with a car. Parking is incredible, as long as you're equipped with quarters, and nothing in Pittsburgh takes more than 15 minutes to get to.
Bottom line, if you're coming to Pittsburgh, you NEED a car. You'll have lots of fun driving to the cute little neighborhoods spread throughout. (Shadyside, Oakland, Sq. Hill, South Side, Lawrenceville, Strip, Mt. Wash, Downtown, Regent Square, I can go on and on ... )... more