Pittsburgh: A guide to short-term rentals
Pittsburgh is known for its industrial history, but it should be just as famous for its cultural scene. A short-term rental is the best way to explore all that the city has to offer.
Kasa's short-term rentals in Pittsburgh
With short-term rentals in the city’s most exciting neighborhoods, Kasa offers comfortable and convenient accommodations no matter what brings you to Pittsburgh or where you need to go.
Kasa's short-term rentals in Pittsburgh
- 4.41 Total rating: 4.41 based on 367 reviews.
Apartment
Kasa South Side Pittsburgh
- Parking
- Pets allowed
- BBQ
Discover your ideal getaway in South Side Flats, an area near the Monongahela River known for its vibrant nightlife, cozy pubs, and unique stores....
See availability - 4.47 Total rating: 4.47 based on 1257 reviews.
Hotel
The Maverick by Kasa | Self Check-In & Virtual Front Desk
- City center
- Business center
- AC
Located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s budding East Liberty neighborhood, The Maverick is nestled amongst Steel City’s best attractions, eateries,...
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Discover Pittsburgh
After booking your short-term rental in Pittsburgh, here's everything you need to know for your trip.
The second largest city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia and the heart of western PA, Pittsburgh has two nicknames that describe its geography and history. It’s known as the “City of Bridges” because of the whopping 446 bridges that cross the three rivers that cut through the center of the city, as well cross its ravines and connect its many hills. And it’s known as the “Steel City” because of its hundreds of steel businesses, which tie the city’s present to its history as an industrial powerhouse from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century.
Before European colonization, the region that now encompasses Pittsburgh was inhabited by a number of Native American tribes for thousands of years. The region was especially fertile, thanks to the confluence of two rivers, the Monongahela and the Allegheny, which become a third river: the Ohio. The arrival of the first European traders in the eighteenth century devastated the indigenous population because of war and the spread of disease. The French and British, including Major George Washington, sparred over the area, with Native American groups allying themselves on both sides. When the British prevailed, they built Fort Pitt, named after the British secretary of state, and the name of the settlement followed.
Boat building was an early industry, as a means to transport goods by water. In the nineteenth century, manufacturing rose in Pittsburgh, and a train line arrived from the east. The city had almost one thousand factories, using great quantities of coal and iron. In the late nineteenth century, the economy turned to steel. Huge fortunes were made in Pittsburgh, like those of Andrew Carnegie and Charles Schwab.
When deindustrialization swept through the city in the middle of the twentieth century, Pittsburgh pivoted away from industry (although many steel businesses remain) toward healthcare, education, and technology, becoming a powerhouse of a whole new kind. Today, the city is rich in trendy restaurants, cocktail bars, and music, sports, and entertainment venues, and there are great short-term rental options near it all.
Pittsburgh is served by Pittsburgh International Airport, a busy airport about a 20-minute drive west of downtown. There’s easy public transportation from the airport to downtown Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh’s big universities, and other popular neighborhoods by bus. Taxis and rideshare services are also widely available at the airport and throughout the city.
Downtown Pittsburgh, the city’s surrounding neighborhoods, and its suburbs are served by a light rail system called the T. Downtown, the T is underground, and on the outskirts of the city it rises up to ground level.
Downtown Pittsburgh is a very walkable neighborhood, and that’s true of many of Pittsburgh’s most popular places to stay. Urban, industrial, and natural settings all blend into something distinctly local. Short taxi rides or rideshare trips can connect separate walkable neighborhoods throughout your travel days.
Biking in Pittsburgh is also great. Just remember that the city can be exceptionally hilly, so check a map or ask a local about your route before you commit to make sure you don’t have to pedal your way out of a ravine.
To experience the best of the exciting new city Pittsburgh has become, head to the Strip District. It’s a formerly industrial area located on the Allegheny River with old warehouses and railroad buildings that have become a hub of restaurants, art galleries, boutiques, and artisanal food stores. You could spend a good half day (or more) seeing everything the Strip has to offer, especially on a lively Saturday.
For a peek at Pittsburgh’s famed educational institutions, visit the Cathedral of Learning on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It’s a huge gothic tower and the second-tallest collegiate building in the world at 42 stories.
The Phipps Conservatory is a beautiful botanical garden, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History is a museum that both adults and kids will love.
For a fascinating view on the city, take the Duquesne Incline funicular railway up to the Duquesne Heights neighborhood. You can see out across the city and straight down the steep hill your cable car is climbing.
Some of the best casual yet gourmet eating in Pittsburgh can be found in the Strip District. You don’t have to arrive with an agenda. You can just wander around and see what looks and smells the best as you pass through the Strip’s many shops.
For a trendy, higher-end experience, head to Lawrenceville, where some of the best restaurants in the city (and, some say, the country) are serving up creative, unforgettable meals.
For something simpler, South Side has comforting mid-day options. And for top-notch Asian cuisine, make your way to Squirrel Hill.
The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is one of the best ways to see the city’s many sides. Its miles of paths wind along all three of Pittsburgh’s rivers and can be walked, jogged, or biked in sections, depending on what neighborhoods you want to be near. You’ll have views of greenery, bridges, and skyscrapers. Depending on the season, kayaking Pittsburgh’s rivers is another great way to get outside and see the city from another angle. And to explore a range of environments, visit 456-acre Schenley Park, where you’ll share the paths and grass with university students.
In the eighteenth century, it was common for farmers in Western Pennsylvania to distill the corn they harvested into whiskey. This wouldn’t just make the corn more valuable as a commodity. It would also make it easier to transport. Whiskey essentially served as a form of currency in frontier villages and made up an important part of local trade. When the federal government instituted a whiskey tax, farmers revolted and marched on Pittsburgh in 1794. However President George Washington used militias to put the “Whiskey Rebellion” down quickly.