🇺🇸 Pittsburgh: The Little Chongqing of North America?

Walking along Grandview Ave with its steep ups and downs really took me back to the 8D vibes of Chongqing! 🏙️↗️↘️ Finally visited Pittsburgh! Why here? Three reasons: 1️⃣ Dream school CMU 2️⃣ Writer Wang Xiaobo 3️⃣ Duolingo HQ 😍 I explored it all in one weekend. Here’s my useful guide: 📲 Get the Ready2Ride App – a $7 day pass gives you unlimited public transport. Take the 28X bus directly from the airport to downtown, CMU, or Pitt. You can even use it for the Duquesne Incline! Save $$$ and time. 🏞️ Highlights: Duquesne Incline: Vintage red cable car 🚠 – perfect at dusk with dreamy gradient skies. Grandview Ave: Walk west to east – start at Points of View (sunset + three rivers 🌅), then Grandview Overlook (city lights 🌃), and end at Shiloh St & Grandview Ave (Wang Xiaobo’s iconic photo spot!). CMU: Compact campus ⚡—you can walk through quickly. The SCS building felt full of geniuses 👩💻. Pitt: Try their self-guided tour! The Cathedral of Learning is stunning inside—totally Hogwarts vibe 🏰. Duolingo HQ: Green bird-themed café serving tasty Mexican food 🥑! Must reserve ahead. Sometimes the CEO eats there too 😉📍5906 Penn Ave. 🍽️ Food: Chaykhana Pittsburgh: Uzbek cuisine – delicious and affordable (~$30/person). Their noodles are great (ask for chopsticks 🥢!). Skip the Samsa if you’re not into heavy dairy. Duo’s Taqueria: Duolingo’s themed spot! Try the nachos with chicharrones (crispy pork rinds 😋). Tacos al pastor were a win 🌮! 🏨 Stay: Stay Pittsburgh: Self-check-in apartment. Surprisingly nice, clean, and modern—a bit dated but super affordable! Booked a whole apartment for just $48/night during a promo. Even had an extra bed… already bragging to my friends 😂 #SoloTravel #PittsburghDiaries #CMU #Duolingo #BudgetTravel #ChongqingVibes #TravelHacks