The NFL Draft is taking over Pittsburgh, and even if you're not a football fan, there's still probably something up your alley. We've got concerts, brunches, happy hours, block parties, and so many more activities, and there's even plenty to do beyond Downtown and the North Shore. To help you navigate it all, content creator Brenasia Ward-Caldwell created the Pittsburgh Draft Week Guide. Brenasia tells host Megan Harris which events she's looking forward to the most, what's free to enter, and what she hopes visitors will take away from the big weekend.

If you enjoyed today's interview with  Chelsea Kovak Senior Manager at Taskrabbit, learn more here.

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Pittsburghers, what do you do when your night life starts to dwindle? Nightlife is a huge economic driver for cities, but city offices are often closed when those businesses need help. That’s why Portland is considering hiring a Night Mayor. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Portland podcast host Claudia Meza about what this new position would do, and if it is the answer to the pandemic’s enduring negative impact on walkability, small businesses, and nightlife in cities everywhere. Plus, should your city be weirder?

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The Michelin Guide is coming to Pittsburgh! The timing is kind of hilarious, since we just did an episode about why our city doesn't have — or need – Michelin star restaurants. Host Megan Harris and City Cast contributors Colin Williams and Hal B. Klein chat about this development, laugh about our clairvoyant conversation, and share which restaurants they think might (or might not) get a star. Plus, executive producer Mallory Falk joins to discuss a Washington Post editorial chiding Pittsburgh Public Schools for going remote during the NFL Draft. The team also gets into concerns about how our unhoused community might get treated during the draft, PA's first underground state park, and more bad news for Pittsburgh's brewery scene. Then, in a members-only fourth segment, we unpack a juicy profile of the Block brothers and share the latest gossip about the future of the Post-Gazette.

Come celebrate Pittsburgh with us on 412 Day! We'll be at Southern Tier Brewing on the North Shore on Sunday, April 12 from 11am-2pm. Find all the details about the free event and RSVP here. We'll be cheering on everything we love about our city.

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While we have a growing number of delicious pizza joints in and around the city, our pizza scene just doesn't compare to New York — at least not yet. City Cast contributor and Post-Gazette dining critic Hal B. Klein is telling host Megan Harris how new technology and our collaborative culture makes Pittsburgh a "rising pizza powerhouse." Plus, Hal's sharing his favorite pizza places in Western Pennsylvania, including one inside a Greensburg Shop 'n Save.

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Pennsylvania is one of the few states with a split legislature, which makes it extra hard for a bill to become law. The Democratic-controlled House recently passed a whole slew of bills, including ones to gradually raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15, require data centers to give more information to the state, and codify same-sex marriage. But do any of these proposals stand a chance in the Republican-controlled state Senate? Host Megan Harris and City Cast Philly’s Trenae Nuri are turning to Ian Karbal, government reporter for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, to get the details about what the relationship between PA's House and Senate look like and where these ideas might land.

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Rivers of Steel finally figured out who the Carrie Blast Furnace was named after! Roman Hladio, chief reporter at NEXTpittsburgh, joins host Megan Harris to spill the tea about Carrie Clarke's life, and explain the "polite sexism" behind naming local blast furnaces after women. Plus, they discuss why we just had a record-breaking year for film and TV spending in Pittsburgh, and how space exploration could lead to medical breakthroughs here on Earth, all thanks to a new research lab at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Kennywood's almost open, and we're not talking about your fly! The amusement park's first day of the season is April 18. To celebrate, we're revisiting a conversation between host Megan Harris and historian Mark Houser about Kennywood's long and storied history. How did a picnic grove turn into the attraction we know and love today, and how do its stewards tow the line between preservation and modernization?

Special thanks Pittsburgh Magazine for sharing their work and our guest Mark Houser for bringing Pittsburgh’s past back to life. Sign up for one of his June skyscraper tours, and listen to Mark and Megan's self-guided audio tour of Downtown.

And check out the Kennywood episode of Defunctland here. It’s super fun and weird.

Come celebrate Pittsburgh with us on 412 Day! We'll be at Southern Tier Brewing on the North Shore on Sunday, April 12 from 11am-2pm. Find all the details about the free event and RSVP here.

**This episode originally published April 19, 2023.

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Both Denver and Pittsburgh wanted, but didn't get, a WNBA team. While more and more people are embracing women’s sports, Denver is only the second city in the U.S. to build a stadium specifically for women’s soccer. Will betting on women’s sports drive Denver’s economy or will Denverites be left paying the price for another stadium? City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Denver podcast host Bree Davies about why Denver has invested so much into having sports downtown, how Denver has capitalized on repurposing old industrial spaces, and how bad traffic gets when all your sports are downtown. Plus, is it better to have a Mayor with or without aims for a greater political office?

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The $tadium Game: Inside the lucrative world of Colorado’s pro sports stadiums [⁠The Denver Post⁠]

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City Council's getting in on the NFL Draft action. They've approved security agreements with 18 law enforcement agencies — and that includes bringing in lots of bomb-sniffing dogs. Council is also thinking about increasing the hourly rates for street parking while we have an influx of visitors. Contributor Colin Williams is here with a very hot parking take while host Megan Harris and producer Sophia Lo are excited about snagging free trees. Plus, they're talking about space exploration missions with a Pittsburgh connection and saying goodbye to Fat Head's. 

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We've got so many fantastic restaurants in the city, and our local chefs are regularly recognized by the James Beard Foundation. But the Michelin Guide hasn't made it to Pittsburgh, and City Cast Pittsburgh contributor and Post-Gazette dining critic Hal B. Klein thinks it should stay that way. Hal's telling host Megan Harris why Pittsburgh's dining scene doesn't fit neatly within the Michelin Guide's parameters and the accolades like StarChefs Rising Stars Awards we can point to instead.

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