If it feels like the grossest summer in city history, you’re not wrong. And that could affect air quality in the Mon Valley after the explosion at Clairton Coke Works. Incoming college freshman will be moving in next week – to Oakland and also Downtown – and a lot of them will find themselves in hotels instead of dorms. And we’re talking about a bunch of wins for Pittsburgh this week, like an impromptu All-American Rejects concert at Sheetz, the return of the beloved Terrible Trolley, and megastar chef Thomas Keller noshing at Casbah – plus registration is open for the 2026 Pittsburgh Marathon and the Garbage Olympics this September.

Vote for us for Best Podcast in City Paper’s Best of the Burgh contest every day through Aug. 22. We’re in the People & Places category.

We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City swag.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Do you have a flooding horror story or a hack to keep all your stuff safe? Call or text our FLOOD HOTLINE at 412-212-8893.

We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey — it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and City Cast City swag.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 15th episode:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!

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Pittsburgh has so many beautiful parks — 176 to be exact! — and each one offers something a little different. If you're looking for the perfect spot to soak up the last few weeks of summer, we've got you covered. City Cast producer Sophia Lo is with Matthew Hileman, the director of operations and visitor engagement at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, to talk about the best parks for gorgeous views, a romantic date night, birdwatching, and more.

**This episode originally aired April 17, 2025.

Vote for City Cast Pittsburgh for "Best Podcast" in City Paper's Best of PGH contest! You can vote for us every day through August 22nd. Find us under the "people and places" category. 

We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey — it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and City Cast City swag.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 11th episode:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Overlook Maps

Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

It's Restaurant Week! When places all over the city offer special menus with three or four delicious courses. But choosing where to go can be tough – this week and any week, really – because there are so many great options. So we're tapping in food writer Emily Catalano, who's tried more than 80 spots for Pittsburgh Magazine, to share her personal favorites – most surprising, most perfect, where the chefs go, most splurge-worthy, best bang for your buck, and more!

We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City swag.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 13th episode:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? 

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An explosion at Clairton Coke Works in the Mon Valley killed and injured workers yesterday. We're talking about what we know and what questions still remain. Plus, we're sharing ways to support your neighbors as ICE raids pick up in the region and celebrating something we think Pittsburgh does surprisingly well.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Vote for City Cast Pittsburgh for "Best Podcast" in City Paper's Best of PGH contest! You can vote for us every day through August 22nd. Find us under the "people and places" category. 

We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City swag.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 11th episode:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Overlook Maps

Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

If you're at a Pirates game, the highlights are taking in the gorgeous view, eating some hot dogs, and cheering on your favorite pierogi. But most of us aren't actually expecting the Pirates to win. After all, it's been 45 years since we fielded a team that could make it past a single playoff series, and some Pittsburghers contend that it's all because of Bob Nutting.

You've seen the billboards calling for Bob to abandon ship and maybe even heard the chants at PNC Park yourself. Host Megan Harris is sitting down with a few of the rabble-rousers behind Our Team, Not His who say the time is now to convince Pirates owner Bob Nutting to sell the team. Not just for fans, but for taxpayers and anyone else who wants to see the whole city succeed.

Thanks to our guests Gabe Mazefsky, Marc Datz, and Canyon Swartz.

**This episode originally aired on April 3, 2025.

Notes and references from today’s show:

We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City swag.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 11th episode:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Overlook Maps

Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? 

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

Downtown is in flux — a high and growing office vacancy rate, but also big goals for building conversions, more residential housing (market and affordable!!), and stunning new art. Your household bills like water and electricity are likely to rise soon, but it’s not too late to invest in solar. And a bunch of companies headquartered here in Pittsburgh have found themselves in the news, from THAT American Eagle Sydney Sweeney ad to PNC making Project Runway more “boring.” Plus, some celebrities were spotted at Kennywood! City Cast’s Megan Harris and Sophia Lo are talking about some of the biggest stories of the week.

Can someone please get their hands on this Heinz x Smoothie King ketchup smoothie collab and tell us how it tastes??! Leave us a voicemail on the KETCHUP SMOOTHIE HOTLINE at 412-212-8893.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 8th episode:

Fulton Commons

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Barrel & Flow

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!

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Pittsburgh's the birthplace of American whiskey, and hundreds of years later, our local distilleries have branched out to make all kinds of spirits. While you can enjoy local brands at bars all over the city, you can also go directly to the sources themselves for samples and tours. Host Megan Harris is joined by City Cast team member Zack Durkin, who is sharing more about Pittsburgh's distilleries tours, from the big multi-million dollar facilities to the small mom-and-pop operations.

Still feeling thirsty? The PLCB's running a lottery for the chance to buy top-shelf whiskey. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 7th episode:

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Barrel & Flow

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? 

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Can a city truly go broke? City Controller Rachael Heisler has been sounding the alarm on Pittsburgh’s “unsustainable” budget for months. Too much overtime. No more savings. It’s happened before: In the early 2000s, City Council voted to let the state take over our budget through a process called Act 47, and it took us 15 years to crawl our way out. Are we headed there again? Heisler’s here to talk about what’s gone wrong and what that means for everyone who lives here.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 6th episode:

Fulton Commons

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Barrel & Flow

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

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Will Pittsburgh sweep the Emmys this year? This year's hottest new medical drama, "The Pitt" is up for 13 Emmy nominations, and Season 2 started filming this summer. While the City Cast Pittsburgh team doesn't get a say in the awards process, we can judge the show on how well it captures our city.

The City Cast Pittsburgh team is sharing our favorite local homages and Easter eggs, guessing which neighborhoods the characters might live in, and discussing the authenticity of nurse Dana's yinzer accent. Plus, a local healthcare worker tells us whether the show feels true to life.

**This episode originally aired on April 24, 2025. 

Notes and references from today’s show:

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 5th episode:

Fulton Commons

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Barrel & Flow

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? 

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Pittsburgh backyards aren't exactly known for being spacious, but there's still room to plant a bountiful garden, raise some animals, or build a deck. But there's a lot of rules about how many animals you can have, whether you can build, and what exactly requires a permit if you want to upgrade your home. Host Megan Harris is with newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco and prize-winning gardener Kaydi Gratzer to run through what's allowed and what's off limits in your Pittsburgh backyard.

Need a refresh? We've put our do's and don'ts up on our website, and head over to OneStopPGH to apply for a permit for your next DIY. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 4th episode:

Fulton Commons

Overlook Maps

Barrel & Flow

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? 

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.