Saturday, December 1, 2007

PITTSBURGH CELEBRATES 250TH BIRTHDAY

That's what the organizers of Pittsburgh's 250th birthday celebration are hoping that people from here -- and around the country -- will do next year. The city plans to mark the anniversary of its naming with a yearlong series of events in 2008 that don't just commemorate the past but also celebrate the present in hopes of changing the way Pittsburghers, and others, perceive the city.

"I think there's a wonderful opportunity for us, as well as the people who don't live here, to recognize Pittsburgh for what it is," said Jim Rohr, head of the Pittsburgh 250th Anniversary Commission and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

Rohr said tourists who visit the city realize it's no longer a smoky steel town but a city with a thriving cultural district, world-class universities and an impressive vista. Pittsburghers, ironically, are most in need of convincing that their hometown has a lot more to offer, he said.

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