June 2, 2021 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

PITTSBURGH’S ALTERNATIVE FOR NEWS, ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT SINCE 1991

Why are so many Black women talking about leaving Pittsburgh?

PGHCITYPAPER.COM PGHCITYPAPER PGHCITYPAPER PITTSBURGHCITYPAPER

JUNE 2-9, 2021

4 Smithfield Street, Suite 1210 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.685.9009 E-MAIL info@pghcitypaper.com

pghcitypaper.com PGHCITYPAPER

FIRSTSHOT BY KAYCEE ORWIG

PITTSBURGHCITYPAPER

JUNE 2-9, 2021 VOLUME 30 + ISSUE 22 Editor-In-Chief LISA CUNNINGHAM Director of Advertising JASMINE HUGHES Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD News Editor RYAN DETO Senior Writer AMANDA WALTZ Staff Writers DANI JANAE, KIMBERLY ROONEY 냖㵸蔻 Photographer/Videographer JARED WICKERHAM Art Director ABBIE ADAMS Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST Digital Marketing Coordinator DARYA KHARABI Sales Representatives ZACK DURKIN, OWEN GABBEY, HANNAH MORAN-FUNWELA Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH Featured Contributors REGE BEHE, MIKE CANTON, LYNN CULLEN, TERENEH IDIA, CHARLES ROSENBLUM Interns COLLEEN HAMMOND, KAYCEE ORWIG National Advertising Representative VMG ADVERTISING 1.888.278.9866 OR 1.212.475.2529 Publisher EAGLE MEDIA CORP.

GENERAL POLICIES: Contents copyrighted 2021 by Eagle Media Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Pittsburgh City Paper are those of the author and not necessarily of Eagle Media Corp. LETTER POLICY: Letters, or e-mails must be signed and include town and daytime phone number for confirmation. We may edit for length and clarity. DISTRIBUTION: Pittsburgh City Paper is published weekly by Eagle Media Corp. and is available free of charge at select distribution locations. One copy per reader; copies of past issues may be purchased for $3.00 each, payable in advance to Pittsburgh City Paper. FIRST CLASS MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $250 per year (52 issues), $150 per half year (26 issues), or $32 per six weeks. For more information, visit pghcitypaper.com and click on the Subscribe tab.

Cyclists ride through Lawrenceville during Pittsburgh’s Underwear Bike Ride on Thu., May 27.

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

COVER DESIGN: ABBIE ADAMS SEE STORY ON PAGE 4

3ULGH LV D VPLOH Pride isn’t just a celebration in the month of June. It’s a celebration of where we’ve been and hope for where we’re going. It’s a celebration of who we are and who we’re becoming. It’s a celebration of life every day of the year. :LWK ;ϙ QLW\ LWǺV 3ULGH DOO \HDU Visit [ϙ QLW\ FRP /*%74 to learn more.

NPA236021-0003 NED Q2 LGBTQ PRIDE V10

140388_NPA236021-0003 Pride is Smile ad 9.25x9.75 V10.indd 1

5/10/21 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 2-9, 2021

5:11 PM

THE BIG STORY

THE LONG GOODBYE 4

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Why are so many Black women talking about leaving Pittsburgh? BY DANI JANAE // DANIJANAE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

LACK PEOPLE LEAVING the city of Pittsburgh has been a huge topic of conversation. On March 23, award-winning author Deesha Philyaw, who recently signed a deal with HBO for her 2020 book The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, tweeted that she was leaving Pittsburgh for a “Blacker” city with a thriving arts and literature community. She later wrote a piece for Bloomberg’s CityLab explaining what she meant by Blacker, and giving reasons for wanting to leave. And since, a chain reaction of comments went off. Philyaw told Pittsburgh City Paper in an email that after her tweet and the CityLab article, many people reached out to inform her that she wasn’t the only Black woman looking to leave Pittsburgh. “Since my Bloomberg op-ed, I’ve had a few Black women reach out to me — some of them friends, some of them strangers — to share that they also long to leave or have plans to leave,” says Philyaw. “The city’s unchecked racism, housing issues, and poor career and dating prospects are the main reasons they want to leave.” During a recent special city council meeting regarding the departure of Black Pittsburghers from the city, one stat was repeated throughout the many testimonials of residents: from 2009 to 2018, the city of Pittsburgh lost 7,000 Black residents. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Black residents relocating out of Pittsburgh have left for cities miles away; many of the 7,000 reported moved to the suburbs surrounding Pittsburgh. This number has been called an “exodus” by many, with various groups arguing whether displacement (forced to leave through forces outside of their control) or ﬂight (choosing to leave for greener pastures or a change of pace) is the lead cause. The likely answer is a combination of both, among other factors. A 2019 Gender and Equity report commissioned by the city revealed Pittsburgh is one of the worst cities in the country for health and economic outcomes of Black women. Combine that with how media portrayals and lack of opportunities for Black people contribute to negative perceptions of Pittsburgh’s Black communities, and you have a recipe for a region that will never see Black growth unless something changes. A region that will continue to fail at retaining and attracting Black people who have the means to move. Pittsburgh City Paper spoke with three Black women who have left or are planning to leave the city about their reasons, and what life looks like beyond Pittsburgh. Joy KMT, a mother of ﬁve who once lived in Pittsburgh but left the city, says her decision to leave had to do with the

quality of life for herself and her children. KMT ended up relocating to Puerto Rico after initially leaving Pittsburgh, but she tried to come back. What she says prevented her from successfully returning to Pittsburgh was lack of affordable housing. “I spent 6 months AirBnb hopping, looking for housing,” she says. Eventually, she ended up settling down with her family in Virginia. She says that things have improved for her greatly. KMT says that her life growing up as a Pittsburgh native was beset by trauma. She talked about seeing her childhood home on the once popular and controversial TV show COPS while she was growing up. Pittsburgh neighborhoods considered historically or traditionally Black are often plagued by negative press coverage around crime rates. In a 2019 report by Columbia Journalism Review, media scholar Letrell Deshan Crittenden cited that people of color were more likely to be portrayed as criminals in news media in Pittsburgh than white counterparts.

“IT’S FAIR TO SAY I’VE ACHIEVED WHAT I’VE ACHIEVED DESPITE PITTSBURGH, NOT BECAUSE OF IT.” “People of color are overrepresented as criminals. People of color who are the victims of disasters, or who suffer from drug addiction are given less favorable news coverage than similarly impacted whites,” reads the report. “These stereotypes, in turn, have a negative impact on the perception whites have toward people of color in everyday life.” The racism Black women experienced in Pittsburgh was a big determining factor in why they are considering leaving, or have already left, says KMT. “Ultimately Black people just are not [supported], the power structures are put in place to reemphasize the status quo and that’s just what it is. Like people talk all a whole lot about equity and this and that,” says KMT. “But you CONTINUES ON PG. 6

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 2-9, 2021

THE LONG GOODBYE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5

Metro Community Health Center offers patients full mental health care services, with or without insurance, or the ability to pay.

• Same-day appointments • Therapy • Psychiatry • Diagnosis, management, and treatment of mental illness • Prescriptions • Care coordination • Linkage to services

HOURS

Monday, Thursday, and Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Tuesday and Wednesday 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM Call to schedule an appointment: (412) 247-2310

“Whole People, All People.” Metro complies with the highest COVID-19 safety standards, as outlined by the CDC, in everything that we do. 1789 S. Braddock Ave, Suite 410 Pittsburgh, PA 15218 metrocommunityhealthcenter.org

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM

sarah huny young

know, I come back to Pittsburgh and ride through East Liberty, and it’s painful. I can remember being a teenager on the South Side and seeing recruitment ﬂyers for the [Ku Klux] Klan.” Another big factor that came up in City Paper’s conversations with Black women about their decision to leave was clear: racism on a systemic level affects the interpersonal relationships of Black people. Photographer, DJ, and creative director sarah huny young moved to Pittsburgh from New York City in April of 2014 after her cousin, Pittsburgh writer Damon Young, suggested she come to the city and pursue opportunities in artist funding. You’ve probably heard her name before, or been to an event that she was curating, so while young has certainly made a name for herself in the city, that doesn’t always translate to happiness and a drive to stay here. Young and other interviewees echoed statements Philyaw included in her Bloomberg piece about a lack of funding for Black people. “It’s fair to say I’ve achieved what I’ve achieved despite Pittsburgh, not because of it,” wrote

Philyaw. young and others also add that pursuing artistic endeavors creates hostility in those communities. “I think when you have a lack of resources and a lack of opportunities that it creates a competition, not a healthy competitiveness because I’m a competitive person,” says young. “I think that is how I survived in New York, but there is an unhealthy, toxic competition thing that happens here because of lack of resources. The way that I phrased it before is we’re sitting here ﬁghting over crumbs instead of addressing why there are only crumbs.” In a 2016 study by the POISE Foundation, Pittsburghers were asked questions about the region’s attractiveness under a variety of categories, including how open they perceived the city to be to diversity. In the survey, 8.9% of Non-African American participants said they “strongly agreed” that Pittsburgh welcomes diversity, compared to 3.1% of African Americans, and, even lower, 1.2% for young professional African Americans. Both African Americans and young professional African Americans were more likely to “disagree some-

what” with the statement (43.8% and 43.9% respectively). The perception that the city isn’t a place that champions diversity comes across to some in what projects are funded by nonprofits and corporations in the city, as well as the general job market and what positions Black people are able to fill. “I think that a lot of people fight over the same small allotment of resources, being that this is one of the largest, if not the largest nonprofit city in the world with a large amount of nonprofit dollars,” says KMT. “It seems ridiculous to me, the small amounts, small pools of money that people fight over in order to do their work. It’s not even just the nonprofit world. It’s like, even if you’re trying to get a job or anything like that, the amount of resources and opportunities that are available to people that are Black in the city is minuscule compared to the amount of resources and the opportunities that are actually available.” All of the Black women that CP spoke to happen to be mothers, and that was a deciding factor in both why some are

Deesha Philyaw (left), Tara Fay Coleman (right)

still in Pittsburgh, and why they are planning to leave. Taking children out of school systems they’ve been ingrained in, have already made friends and connections in, is often a very tough task for mothers, and keeps them in a city they perhaps aren’t thriving in personally. young says her exit strategy is in place for 2023, when her daughter graduates from high school. Tara Fay Coleman, a local artist and curator, is also raising Black children in Pittsburgh. “I know how difﬁcult it was for me to come to the city and adjust to going to an all-white school where people were openly racist,” says Coleman. “And if I’m experiencing that level of racism, even looking how I look and my proximity to whiteness because I’m biracial, I don’t want to put my fully Black-presenting daughter through that.” Coleman also echoed concerns and criticisms about the lack of opportunity for Black people in the city. “You’re pouring money into this more

well-known organization and thinking, like, ‘Oh, we’re supporting Black arts.’ No, a Black arts sector in Pittsburgh is a huge ecosystem that could thrive with adequate support,” she says. “And when we look at equity, we have to look at, like, are the funds being fairly allocated? Is everybody getting a piece of the pie? Are people being built up to stand next to one another? And that’s not how things are in this city.” The POISE foundation study also found that young professional African Americans were least likely to remain in their current neighborhoods (42%) and most likely to move out of the Pittsburgh region altogether. When Philyaw’s tweet went viral, it highlighted another problem with Pittsburgh that the POISE study echoes. The city not only is doing a poor job of retaining its Black residents, it also isn’t attracting new Black residents to the area from other cities, despite being touted as “most livable” and relatively affordable compared to bigger cities like New York City and Los Angeles. The study

found that Black residents are less likely to recommend their community as a place for others to live. Andre Perry is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and author of Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities. He grew up in Wilkinsburg, and noted many Black Pittsburghers like himself who left had the resources to do so, which is a big problem for Pittsburgh because this means a continued loss of talented Black people. “When people leave, they probably have the resources to leave, and they are also probably the risk takers that you need in the city,” says Perry. “You don’t just lose talent. You lose a mindset. When Black women and college-educated folks leave, it really hurts the city more than just a loss of a person.” And for the Black women who have left Pittsburgh, how have things changed? “My levels of stress decreased. I was able to think, breathe. I wasn’t constantly

retraumatized or in crisis,” says KMT. “My housing is more secure, but I think that’s a personal blessing because housing is tough down here [in Virginia], too. There are community conﬂicts, but it’s not as deeply bitter about resources. There are more Black people, even in many of the rural areas out here.” Back in Pittsburgh, the city has just elected its likely ﬁrst-ever Black mayor in May’s Democratic primary election, with Rep. Ed Gainey beating a two-term incumbent after running a campaign on progressive issues like the Black Lives Matter movement, a sign that the city might be moving in a direction open to change. But for many Black women in Pittsburgh, there’s still a lot more work that needs done. “I just don’t want to die here,” says Coleman. “I feel like I talk so much about how Black women’s quality of life is affected just living here, but that’s not a cause I want to die for. I have people that need me. I can’t be a martyr. It’s not fair for any of us.”

•

Follow staff writer Dani Janae on Twitter @figwidow PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 2-9, 2021

CP PHOTO: KAYCEE ORWIG

Casey Droege

.ART.

A NEW CHAPTER BY AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ASEY DROEGE HAD an idea to create an arts economy in Pittsburgh. The artist, curator, and consultant started Small Mall, a storefront concept selling affordable works by artists and designers living within 100 miles of Pittsburgh. It was settled in Lawrenceville, followed by a second, scaled-down location in the front of the Casey Droege Cultural Productions space in Wilkinsburg. Then the pandemic hit. CDCP closed its Wilkinsburg space in March 2021 after the landlord planned to raise the

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

rent. Then in May, Droege announced that she sold Small Mall to Kerri and Paige Fetzer-Borelli. The move marks a new chapter for Droege, who says that while closing the Wilkinsburg space was unexpected, she had always planned on eventually moving on from Small Mall. “I think after the sort of craziness of the year, it just felt like it was the time to try to start doing that,” says Droege. Despite these challenges, her dedication to the Pittsburgh arts community has not waivered.

Droege decided on selling to Kerri and Paige, saying the two understand the mission of Small Mall as a project of CDCP, an artist-run, woman-owned, for-proﬁt business trying to expand economic opportunities for working artists. Kerri and Paige are currently selling local art and hosting virtual events in Small Mall’s Lawrenceville location, and Droege says they also intend to “keep all the employees on board and keep everything moving forward and, hopefully, grow it.” “From all of our conversations, I think

they want to kind of keep things going as-is for a while so they have a better understanding of what’s happening in Pittsburgh in general because they’re new to Pittsburgh as well,” says Droege. “I’m sure they’re gonna come up with some really cool ways to expand and bring in new artists and programs.” In the short time since Small Mall changed hands, Droege has stayed busy. CDCP recently launched the annual PGH Photo Fair series, which Droege says features “incredible curators and collectors speaking from all over the world.”

“THE MISSION WILL STILL SAY THE SAME.”

CASEY DROEGE CULTURAL PRODUCTIONS caseydroege.com

Droege also became the first artist to showcase work for a window display at BOOM Concepts’ Garfield space. CDCP and BOOM are both part of the Small Pittsburgh Arts Coalition for Equity, or SPACE, a group of eight small visual arts organizations that banded together as a way to withstand the pandemic and address inequality in the Pittsburgh scene. The CDCP website describes SPACE members as “collectively sharing resources and ideas, advocating for each other, and fostering new collaborations.” In April, SPACE received a $100,000 grant from the Arts Equity Reimagined Fund, used to develop the coalition and the SPACE Fellowship, a soon-to-launch, paid arts leadership training program for BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and other marginalized candidates in the field. Droege says SPACE has been a “lifesaver” for her. “While I collaborate with tons of different organizations and businesses, I’m really out here on my own, and having this sort-of brain trust of all these great peers is really valuable, and just having a place where we can connect with each other and support each other has been just amazing after the fear of constant obstacles and changes,” says Droege. Overall, Droege says she will focus her efforts with CDCP to continue providing community programming and offering art consulting services. “The mission will still say the same,”

says Droege. “So the goal is really, we want to build our economy, which means we want to pay artists, we want to get money to our fellow arts organizations, to all the different arts workers in town, and just help build the ecosystem a bit.” She currently works with The Salon, a womxn-only networking group with a studio space in the Lawrenceville-based Arsenal Motors building, to produce Art Circle, a collection of talks, tours, and other offerings exploring the many facets of the Pittsburgh art scene. “And that’s, you know, sort of looking behind the scenes with the arts community and talking with different organizations and different folks,” says Droege. Droege says CDCP will also hold virtual talks in the summer and fall. She hints that they are also in the early stages of planning some pop-up events. As for moving into a new physical space, Droege says CDCP is in no rush to put down roots, an unsurprising development given that Small Mall moved around a lot before ﬁnding a permanent home. She adds that she and her small staff are content working remotely from home for the foreseeable future. “I think we can continue to do without having a physical space where we show and sell art,” says Droege. “And, and in some ways, focusing on consulting work allows us to do it in a more streamlined way where we can focus on big projects with bigger budgets to really, hopefully, make a bigger impact.”

•

Follow senior writer Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 2-9, 2021

.OUTDOORS.

GET AHTSIDE BY RYAN DETO RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

AYAKS ARE BACK, Pittsburgh! After a year-long hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the nonprofit Venture Outdoors is bringing kayak rentals back to Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Venture Outdoors CEO Valerie Beichner says the kayaks were a sorely missed asset, and she is proud to announce their return will coincide with the nonprofit’s Big Day Aht festival on Sat., June 5. The festival starts with a sunrise paddle on the Allegheny River, followed by dozens of other events, including outdoor chess, hiking, and even poetry among more than 30 pop-up events across the region. It’s all meant to celebrate the organization’s 20th year anniversary, and to remind Pittsburghers just how far the region has come in terms of exploiting its natural beauty. “Even 20 years ago, it was not prevalent,” says Beichner of Pittsburgh’s desire for outdoor recreation in nature. “People used to say, ‘Pittsburgh is hell with the lid taken off.’ People were still struggling to realize the region’s potential.” That has changed now, and it’s becoming commonplace to see Pittsburghers enjoying hiking on trails, biking throughout the city and suburbs, and even paddleboarding on the three rivers: the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio. But this didn’t come from nowhere. Venture Outdoors is far from the only organization in Pittsburgh to encourage and promote outdoor recreation, but they are one of the movement’s pioneers. Over the last 20 years, the group has been successful on multiple levels, but they are looking to the future, too. And one that is more inclusive and intentional about reaching out to people of color in Pittsburgh. “We updated our mission statement within the last few years and it’s now ‘we remove barriers and create access to outdoor experiences,’” says Beichner. “That is our future.” In 1991, Venture Outdoors was started by Mike and Darlene Schiller and was driven by a group of dedicated and passionate volunteers. “The first thing that we really have to

PHOTO: COURTESY OF VENTURE OUTDOORS

Kayaking with Venture Outdoors

acknowledge is that nothing would have started without the dedication of our volunteers,” says Beichner. From there, Venture Outdoors started to dedicate programs to making the outdoors more exciting, including being the first to offer kayak rentals near Downtown on the three rivers and at North Park lake in the suburbs. The group also used to have a climbing wall that would travel around to different locales just to get people jazzed about being outside. Beichner says the mindset of the organization was about helping people in groups get into the outdoors safely, even if they didn’t know where to start before. And things have only taken off from there. Venture Outdoors has since grown into a fully staffed nonprofit and has run more than 800,000 events. This energy didn’t stop during the pandemic, even though the nonprofit had to stop in-person events for some time, due to COVID restrictions. Beichner says her team transferred everything to virtual in a matter of weeks, and were mailing members kits and other activities

to help them get outdoors, even if that just meant their front porch. Moving forward, Venture Outdoors hopes to continue to expand, but in a more equitable fashion.

BIG DAY AHT 5 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sat., June 5. Multiple locations. Prices vary. ventureoutdoors.org/bigdayaht

“When I was hired in 2019, it was really about taking a deep look at the organization and what we are going to look like in the next 20 years,” says Beichner. “We celebrate what we have done, but we are also looking at what we haven’t done well, like serving the Black and Brown community.” Venture Outdoors’ new mission is to reach people of color in Pittsburgh and meet them where they are at, listen, and have intentionality with the new relationships they hope to form. The

Follow news editor Ryan Deto on Twitter @RyanDeto

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

nonprofit has been working with several partners — like the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Grow Pittsburgh, and Bike Pittsburgh — on an Outdoor Inclusion Coalition, which includes improving diversity within the organizations and outside them with events. “It’s about hearing and listening. It is not about swooping in and saying ‘ta-da we are here,’” says Beichner. “I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I am doing a lot of learning with some amazing partners.” Venture Outdoors hopes to have some of that new spirit on display at the Big Day Aht, complete with hikes, kayaking, urban jogs, classes on camping, and even an outdoor film screen at Carrie Furnaces as part of the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour. “People need the ability to get outdoors and get moving again,” says Beichner, noting the region’s success in vaccinating people. “We are fielding calls constantly, people are really anticipating getting back to the activities they enjoyed pre-COVID.”

•

FRESH CONTENT Every Day. pghcitypaper.com

CP PHOTO: RYAN DETO

Unagi donburi bowl, seaweed salad, and tacoyaki octopus balls

.FOOD.

BOWLED OVER

FEATURED ON INK MASTER :ANGELS

BY RYAN DETO // RYANDETO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

ONBURI IS A JAPANESE rice bowl

dish that is known for its namesake oversized bowl. In that bowl is everything a hungry diner could want. A well-cooked and often marinated protein, pickled vegetables for some crunch, ginger for some sour notes, and wasabi for some nasal heat, all over a warm bowl of rice ﬂavored with a savory, but not overwhelming sauce. This dish is relatively unknown to Pittsburgh, but a new restaurant in Lawrenceville is serving up the satisfying bowls, and doing so with gusto. Oishii Donburi opened early this year on Butler Street in Upper Lawrenceville and serves donburi bowls, curry, bibimbap, salads, and more. I ordered take-out, but the space has a sleek and clean feel, with a modern bar and soft lighting. The take-out took nothing away from the donburi, however, which was one of the best take-out meals I have had during the pandemic. I started with a tacoyaki, aka battered and fried octopus balls. They were gooey, chewy, rich, and with a surprisingly big chunk of octopus. No skimping. Which is great, I want to know I am eating octopus, and it was well

cooked too, and not overly chewy. The balls were a bit soggy, but that’s probably because I had a 20-minute ride home after picking up my meal. The tacoyaki were a nice start, but my donburi was the star. I ordered the unagi bowl, which came with an appetizing portion of barbecue eel. Some might scoff at the idea of eel as a main dish — or as a dish at all — but they shouldn’t. Cooked eel is succulent, meaty, slightly salty and sweet, and absolutely delicious. Oishii’s unagi checked all those boxes. It was sublime.

OISHII DONBURI 5227 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Tue.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. oishiidonburi.com

The ﬁsh was fatty and rich and sliced perfectly. Barbecued in a soy sauce base known as kabayaki, which is similar to teriyaki, it was salty and a tad sweet. It falls apart easily just with a slight push of your chopsticks. Dissecting each bit to my liking was a breeze. The black skin of the eel was loaded with ﬂavor. Whenever it felt like the eel might

be too much — too rich, too sweet, or too fatty — I just grabbed a tiny bit of yellow pickled root vegetable, pink ginger, red chutney, or lime green wasabi. The sour, sweet, or hot brings the palate back into balance, not to mention providing a satisfying crunch. All of that was laid over some slightly al-dente steamed rice, marinated in that soy sauce base. Bright colors were everywhere. I ordered the seaweed salad as a side, which was neon green and beautiful. The salad also worked as a great palate cleanse with a refreshing ﬂavor of the coast. Like walking over a tide pool. And the meal all together kind of looks like that too. If you don’t like eel, there are more than a dozen donburi options, including shrimp tempura, salmon sashimi, sliced beef, fried tofu, and more. I tried a few bites of my girlfriend’s katsu pork, which was crispy and tender, if a little bit dry. But that was made up for by being covered in a thick, spicy, and almost cinnamon-brown sugar-like curry sauce. Non-sushi Japanese food is trending a bit in Pittsburgh, and there are plenty of great spots, but not all of them satisfy. Oishii Donburi does, easily. It’s one of my new favorite spots in the city.

•

PYRAMID

TATTOO & Body Piercing

PYRAMIDTATTOO.COM

BRIDGEVILLE, PA

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 2-9, 2021

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH PHOTO: JURASSIC QUEST

^ Jurassic Quest Drive Thru

THU., JUNE 3 ART • VIRTUAL Many writers have heard the truism “write what you know.” In a virtual exhibition at BoxHeart Gallery, guest curator Cindy Lisica presents a turn on the phrase in What We Know, a show featuring Stephanie Gonzalez from Houston, Tobia Makover from Savannah, and Claudia Parducci from Los Angeles. The artists work in a variety of media, from abstract paintings and graphic design to carving and torching. Their work explores what they know and moves viewers through the unique space created by their art. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Continues through Wed., June 9. In-person reception with artists on Sat., June 5. Free. boxheartgallery.com/exhibitions

FRI., JUNE 4 FESTIVAL • HYBRID It’s time once again for the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, kicking off today in Downtown Pittsburgh. After

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

being canceled and moved online last year, festival organizers are ready to return to in-person events, most of which are free and open to the public. Check out live performances at the Dollar Bank Main and Riverside stages, look for unique items in the Artist Market, and visit various gallery shows in the Cultural District. There will also be plenty of offerings for those only comfortable experiencing the festival virtually. Continues through Sun., June 13. Various locations. traf.trustarts.org

EVENT • IRL Get inspired to make the world a more environmentally friendly place with the Go Green at Market Square celebration. The two-day event will include live music from local performers like The Nox Boys, Nina Sainato, Elias Khouri, Deryck Tines and the Lemington Gospel Choir, and Scott Blasey of The Clarks. There will also be educational booths highlighting green initiatives like electric vehicles and home gardening. 12-6 p.m. Continues Sat., June 5. Market Square, Downtown. Free. pittsburghearthday.org

SAT., JUNE 5 EVENT • VIRTUAL Support the work of Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania during its virtual Spring Gala. The reproductive and sexual health nonprofit will present Let Laughter Bloom: An Evening of Humor and Heart, an event hosted by Ophira Eisenberg of the NPR program Ask Me Another and featuring a lineup of New York-based comedians. There will also be a raffle. 7:30-8:30 p.m. $150. Click on the Upcoming Events tab at plannedparenthood.org/ planned-parenthood-western-pennsylvania

EVENT • IRL Celebrate Pride with Trans YOUniting and the Pittsburgh Pride Group during the Pittsburgh Pride Revolution Parade. The community march will begin Downtown in front of the City-County Building and cross the Andy Warhol Bridge to Allegheny Commons Park West, where there will be a mini-fest with food trucks, music and performances, and organization booths. The march and mini-fest are part of a larger

slate of Pride events over the weekend, including a Rocky Horror Picture Show singalong and International Whores Day with Sex Workers Outreach Project. 12-6 p.m. Begins at 414 Grant St., Downtown. Free. lgbtqpittsburgh.com

SUN., JUNE 6 FESTIVAL • IRL Discover the biodiversity of a beloved Pittsburgh park when Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens presents its BioBlitz Family Fun Festival. Head to Schenley Park for a day full of nature-themed activities like nature walks, yoga, and botanical drawing classes, all led by scientists and community organizations. Visitors are also encouraged to download the free iNaturalist app to record and share their progress through the day. Face masks required. 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Registration required. phipps.conservatory.org/calendar/ detail/bioblitz

DRAG • IRL Check out one of Pittsburgh’s newest craft breweries when Trace Brewing welcomes

Drug & Alcohol Addiction Treatment 24/7 Admissions | Masters-Level Clinicians Evidence-Based Treatment ARTWORK: STEPHANIE GONZALEZ

^ Transmutation by Stephanie Gonzalez, part of What We Know at BoxHeart Gallery

local queens for its Drag Brunch. Presented in partnership with S&S Productions, the event will include performances by Luna Skye, Indi Skies, and others. Tickets get you a table reservation for one of the two shows. Food by Soul Biscuit and drinks from Trace will be available to purchase. 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. 4312 Main St., Bloomfield. $15. tracebloomfield.com

MON., JUNE 7 MUSIC • VIRTUAL Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music. Hear another rendition of it when the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents violinist Joshua Bell, who will perform his signature interpretation of the piece. The orchestra’s cello section will also be featured in Piazzolla’s “Primavera Porteño” (Spring) from “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas” (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires), as well as Bell’s new arrangement of Chopin’s “Nocturne in B-Flat Minor.” The program will close with “Verano Porteño” (Summer) from “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas.” 7:30 p.m. Available through Sat., June 20. $15. pittsburghsymphony.org/calendar

with a locally made offering. The monthly screening event will present Macabre Manor, a horror comedy series about a local TV station still operating after a global zombie pandemic, and the rivalry between the station’s morning news crew and late-night scary movie show host. A press release says the series creators were inspired by zombie films and late-night horror movie series such as Pittsburgh’s own Chiller Theater. The event will take place on the Film Kitchen Twitch channel. 7 p.m. Free. jumpcuttheater.org

WED., JUNE 9 EVENT • IRL Remember that scene in Jurassic Park when the T-Rex attacked the kids in the car? Now you can live that experience — minus the fear of death — at the Jurassic Quest Drive Thru. The interactive adventure, taking over The Pavilion at Star Lake, dares families to drive past animatronic dinosaurs displayed in realistic scenes. Highlights include a 50-foot Spinosaurus and the gigantic Megalodon shark. 1-8 p.m. Continues through Sun., June 13 with extended times Thu.-Sun. Closed Mon.-Tue. 665 PA-18, Burgettstown. jurassicquest.com •

TUE., JUNE 8 FILM • VIRTUAL Halloween is months away, but Film Kitchen just can’t wait to creep out viewers

The expert, caring team at Recovery Centers of America (RCA) at Monroeville is dedicated to helping all adults achieve sobriety and recovery through best-in-class, evidence-based treatment. This includes a specialized program for ﬁrst responders and military personnel. For individuals who have experienced relapse we offer a program designed to inspire, help, and reconnect patients to the road to recovery.

IRL = IN REAL LIFE EVENT VIRTUAL = STREAMING OR ONLINE-ONLY EVENT HYBRID = MIX OF IN REAL LIFE AND ONLINE EVENT

Residential Inpatient & Outpatient Services including Teletherapy

NOW OPEN & SERVING THE GREATER PITTSBURGH AREA Call today: 844-939-3317 recoverycentersofamerica.com

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 2-9, 2021

Explore cannabis as a support for what ails you.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM Become a medical cannabis patient. We provide low-cost certifications and expert assistance, over the phone. $125 - New Cannabis Card Certification $75 - Card Recertification $75 - New Certification for Veterans/SSI/Disability

ACROSS www.herbalcarerx.com • 215-554-4044 • HELP@HERBALCARERX.COM

PGHCITYPAPER.COM

1. Sends an Evite for 7. White on some white meat 10. Animal mouth 13. Most preciously twee 14. St. Matthew Passion composer 15. Copying in the kitchen 16. Movie scenes involving dancers in toe shoes 19. Education acronym 20. Subjects in audience research 21. Boozy and bawdy sitcom on the 14-Down 24. Long-winded, angry monologue 25. Brown truck company 28. Kashi ingredient 29. You’re the Worst actress Cash 31. Treats like dirt 33. Frozen treat company with a mint leaf in its logo 37. They’re often cast from overseas 40. The general public 41. Dirty clothes basket 42. “___ With Cold Beads of Midnight Dew” (Wordsworth) 43. 5 p.m., in memo lingo 44. Betweenalbum releases 45. Turn droopy 48. Hydrocarbon group 50. The Rise and Fall of

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars opener 53. “Duh!” [eye roll] 57. Resting period for some Mariners 60. Org. that offers a Telehealth Implementation Playbook 61. Website with a Certified Refurbished section 62. 32-card card game 63. Trevor Lawrence, for short 64. Tierra Whack’s genre 65. Super-hunk

DOWN 1. B-2 Spirit’s homes: Abbr. 2. Parking spot? 3. 49ers head coach Shanahan 4. Alabama city where Bloody Sunday took place 5. Lao-___ 6. Streaming TV option, for short 7. Lists for screened answers, briefly 8. “Mad as ___ snake” (Australian slang for “furious”) 9. Will Shortz’s newspaper’s nickname, at least before they ran color photos 10. Burgundy wine 11. Indigenous person who wears parkas made from seal guts 12. Nasty buzzer

14. Where 21-Across was first shown, with “the” 17. “Time’s a-wasting!,” briefly 18. Org. concerned with magazines? 22. Total Eclipse of the Heart singer 23. “Time’s a-wasting!” 25. The world’s largest economy by nominal GDP: Abbr. 26. Banned pollutants 27. Neither bad nor good 29. Certain trader, briefly 30. “Whatever, dude!” 32. Short time off? 33. Halo singer, to fans 34. Shade provider 35. Rock climber’s tool

36. Bit of instruction 38. Saison ensoleillée 39. Students who checked out back in Feb. 43. Disney princess who sings “The cold never bothered me anyway” 45. Prehistoric redhead 46. ER drip source 47. Grazing spot 48. Taken to wearing a beret, say 49. Dr. Seuss character who “speaks for the trees,” with “The” 50. Key with one flat: Abbr. 51. Luther actor Idris 52. “Time’s a-wasting!,” briefly 54. Ice block 55. Man, in Mexico 56. Plan on it! 58. Legal thing 59. Letters used in ancient dates LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

R A T S

A L O E

A M P S

H A I L

T E B O W

O X I D E

J A H A Z I N E N Y S L A G A L X T O M E A S I N U M E E T O P E A L E D R O I E F U F I G O T I C T O A O I M P D S E E S

V A S T I P P Y P P E R L I I F L O M I N P J S E I N A L A C O R H T E R I P A S T I N E I G P S E

T W O S O M E S

O N T H E W A G O N

T A S E R

C H A R S

S L U E

H E R E

P C T G R A Y R O N K R N I E

FINANCIAL SAVE BIG on HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/ year! Call 844-712-6153! (M-F 8am-8pm Central) (AAN CAN)

LEGAL

MARKETPLACE

Need Help with Family Law? Can’t Afford a $5000 Retainer? Low Cost Legal Services- Pay As You Go- As low as $750-$1500Get Legal Help Now! Call 1-844-821-8249 Mon-Fri 7am to 4pm PCT (AAN CAN) https://www.familycourtdirect. com/?network=1

MASSAGE M2M Massage by Lee 24/7 • 412-628-1269

PERSONALS Female Companion wanted 30-40 y.o. Waist length hair and/or cornrows a PLUS PLUS! Permanent Position 724-223-0939 Wash. Co

To place a Classified ad in Pittsburgh City Paper, call 412-685-9009 to speak to one of our representatives.

Are you a service industry worker who does not have health insurance? Metro Community Health Center is here for you. Metro offers a complete set of health care services to everyone, regardless of identity, insurance status, income or the ability to pay. Make an appointment by calling 412-247-2310 and visit our website, www.metrocommunityhealthcenter.org, to learn more.

FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISEMENT, CALL 412-685-9009 ext. 106 REHEARSAL

SERVICES

Rehearsal Space

AT&T TV - The Best of Live & On-Demand On All Your Favorite Screens. CHOICE Package, $64.99/mo plus taxes for 12months. Premium Channels at No Charge for One Year! Anytime, anywhere. Some restrictions apply. W/ 24-mo. agmt TV price higher in 2nd year. Regional Sports Fee up to $8.49/mo. is extra & applies. Call IVS 1-877-350-1003

starting @ $150/mo. Many sizes available, no sec deposit, play @ the original and largest practice facility, 24/7 access.

412-403-6069 HELP WANTED

SERVICES

WANTED! 36 PEOPLE to Lose Weight. 30-day money back guarantee. Herbal Program. Also opportunity to earn up to $1,000 monthly. 1-800-492-4437 www.myherbalife.com

DISH Network. $59.99 for 190 Channels! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today! 1-877-857-5995

CONSTRUCTION

FINANCIAL

KEITH KARTMAN CONSTRUCTION

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowners Relief Line NOW for Help 1-855-4395853 Mon-Fri : 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Sat: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm(all times Pacific) (AAN CAN)

“We are First and Still the Best” Since 1972. Specializing in Commercial/Residential, Railroad Tie & Versa-Lok, Retaining Walls, Decks, Planters, Carports, Walkways, Steps, Waterprooﬁng, Landslide Repairs. Free Estimates, Insured. We work all winter. 412-571-2500. PA#045874

FINANCIAL Struggling With Your Private Student Loan Payment? New relief programs can reduce your payments. Learn your options. Good credit not necessary. Call the Helpline 888-670-5631 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Eastern) (AAN CAN)

1789 S. Braddock Ave, #410 Pittsburgh, PA 15218 To make an appointment: (412) 247-2310

Need Help Getting Social Security Disability Benefits?

Free confidential testing HIV • stD • hep c

We Can Help!

Dr. Stacy Lane, D.O. • 412-515-0000

HELP HEal all WITH NO JUDGEMENT

FIGHTING FOR YOUR

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR OVER 25 YEARS!

You Could Be Eligible To Receive:

$ Steady monthly income depending on your paid in amount

A lump sum payment of benefits owed from back-pay

Annual cost of living increases

• We simplify the process & strive for quick claim approval • Starting the process is easy and takes only minutes to complete

855-447-5891 Helping thousands get the benefits they deserve

Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 NW St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County Florida. Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states.

your body & soul

are welcome

• ALL INSURANCES ACCEPTED • WALK INS WELCOME • tRANSPORATION PROGRAM • NO INSURANCE? WE CAN HELP North Shore - 127 Anderson Street - Suite 101 Timber Court Building, PIttsburgh, PA 15212 Phone: (412) 322-4151 washington, pa - 95 Leonard Avenue Suite 203, Washington PA 15301 Phone: (724) 249-2517 beaver county - 2360 hospital drive Suite 1, aliquippa, pa 15001 Phone: (724)707-1155 Erie - 3104 State Street, Erie, PA 16508 PHONE: (814) 619-4009 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER JUNE 2-9, 2021

LOVE COLORING? Love supporting local artists? Purchasing this coloring book supports Pittsburgh City Paper journalism and 50% of the proceeds are split among the 35 Pittsburgh artists who have illustrated for this coloring book:

Only

$25 +shipping & taxes

Also available as a DIGITAL DOWNLOAD for $20

• Howard Bender

• Christina Lee

• Berry Meat

• Pat Lewis

• Jeff Brunner

• Nathan Mazur

• Jerome “Chu” Charles

• Emily McGaughey

• D.J. Coffman

• Maggie Lynn Negrete

• Cathy Connor

• Angela Oddling

• David Coulson

• Ashley Olinger

• Vince Dorse

• Sophia Marie Pappas

• Lucy Engelman

• Jayla Patton

• Kirsten Ervin

• David Pohl

• Trenita Finney

• Harley Skibicki

• Kim Fox / workerbird

• strawberryluna

• Amy Garbark / garbella • Joyce Swope • Brian Gonnella

• Emily Traynor

• Nils Hanczar

• Marcel Walker

• John Hinderliter

• Wayno

• Natiq Jalil

• Joe Wos

• Xiola Jensen

Visit pghcitypaperstore.com to get your copy today!