A new identity for Troy Hill?

Check out what Baltimore has adopted to help market one of its neighborhood business districts.

“Pigtown Main Street is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to improving Pigtown’s Washington Boulevard commercial corridor. We do things such as help strengthen and promote existing businesses, seek to recruit new businesses, encourage façade improvements, work with Department of Public Works to keep the street clean, put on the annual Pigtown Festival, and much more.”

Next year is the Troy Hill Citizens organization’s 40th Anniversary. We also have a pig story that is close to our hearts. For those of you who don’t know, Rialto Street’s nickname is Pig Hill. The pigs would run up from Herr’s Island (now Washington’s Landing) up Rialto Street and then down to Spring Garden to slaughter. A colleague of mine mentioned that we should block off a street and devote a weekend to all things pig – and have a running of the pigs to kick-off or end the event – as a celebration of the neighborhood. Does this sound interesting to anyone out there? Could we pull it off? I did some research and found the Baltimore Pigtown Festival (a fundraiser for the aforementioned organization) that could serve as a guide for what to do and do well. Let me know if this pigs your interest.

B-more’s Pigtown Festival 2010

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Kids Summerfest 2010

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Jan Loney – Neighborhood Service Honoree

Troy Hill Citizens selects Jan Loney as our 2010 Northside Neighborhood Service Honoree.

Jan Loney was a Troy Hill resident for the past four years, and owned the lovely Victorian home, formerly known as Dr. Thom’s house with her husband Larkin Werner and two young children, Jack and Lilli.  Jan is an artist by education and trade, but a civic-minded catalyst by nature.  Jan embodies a creative, innovative spirit and light-hearted attitude, and has cultivated many wonderful projects and relationships in Troy Hill.

During her four years in Troy Hill, she immersed herself in the community, and helped to re-energize the Troy Hill Citizens organization by attracting new participants to the group with her incredible gift of enthusiasm and inclusiveness.  She was able to make our residents feel like an important part of the neighborhood, and that their contributions and ideas were welcomed and appreciated.

Jan dedicated much of her time as Chair of the Beautification & Recreation Committee, and offered her home as a community meeting place whenever possible.  Jan was an integral part of the TreeVitalize effort to plant new street trees in Troy Hill, coordinated the Citizen’s Park flower plantings each year, and organized the annual Plant Swaps.  She was also responsible for several grant awards to our organization for the Heart of Troy Hill plan (of which she was a Steering Committee member) and the Citizen’s Park plan.  As our organization moves toward realizing these goals, we will keep in mind that Jan was an important part of our successes in the neighborhood, and we will always be grateful for her generous contributions to our community.

Jan, we thank you, and we will truly miss you.

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The Pharmacy is OPEN!

Troy Pharmacy, located at 1612 Lowrie Street, is open for business once again. Our new Pharmacist is Vicki Williams and she is ready and available to serve customers. Along with essential prescription-filling, they have a wide array of greeting cards, snacks, newspapers and other health essentials. The phone number is 412-904-2231 and the email address is troypharm@hotmail.com. Please stop in today and support your local business. It’s so convenient!

Hours are 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, no weekend hours yet.

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Penn Brewery is Brewing!

From the Penn Brewery website: Penn Brewery announced today (December 8th) that at 10:20 am they “mashed in” for the first brew since the brewery discontinued production in January. The first beer being brewed is Penn Pilsner, the company’s flagship brand.

Tom Pastorius, President and founder, said “After about 2 weeks of cleaning and tightening up, the brewery production is on schedule. This batch of Penn Pilsner will be ready in about a month and will be for draft packaging. We’re looking forward to shipping our beer from our own brewery again. It’s great to be brewing. We are all very excited.”

The restaurant will reopen as soon as the beer is ready.

From an interview with the Northside Chronicle, Pastorius said the brewery will begin three brews this week, two of Penn Pilsner and one of a new American-style pale ale. Those interested in the new beer should check the Penn Brewery website for updates on a possible “sneak preview” event. All of the Penn brands will be brewed at the Pittsburgh Northside brewery from now on.

With Iron City no longer brewed in Lawrenceville, this really will be Pittsburgh’s big hometown beer. “The Northside is now the beer capital of Pittsburgh,” says Mark Fatla, the Northside Leadership Conference’s executive director. (… East End Brewery, we love you too.)

GO TOM!

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One Way to Burn Off Those Turkey Calories…

For the 26th year in a row, on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, the Dirty Dozen bicycle race/ride descended upon Troy Hill and Rialto Street. A baker’s dozen actually, the ride hits the 13 steepest hills in Pittsburgh, and 50 miles of pedaling. This year the ride had 181 participants, and was documented by the folks at Global Ride for a training video, proceeds which will go towards Live Strong, Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research.

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When Are the Two Best Times to Plant a Tree?

1. Twenty years ago.
2. Right now!

A great big THANK YOU to the fifty-two volunteers, young and old, who showed up to help plant trees in Troy Hill on Saturday, November 14. And thanks to everyone who coordinated, recruited help, provided supplies, food or anything needed to make this planting a success. It was a great day and couldn’t have happened without the wonderful folks at Western PA Conservancy, TreeVitalize, Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest and the amazing people of Troy Hill.

Fourteen trees were planted, including: 4 Turkish Filbert trees on Ley St., 1 Cherry Dogwood on Sundeman St., 2 gingko, 3 Japanese Lilacs and 4 Hedge Maples on Harpster/Froman Sts. Additionally contract planting will happen sometime between now and the end of 2009, adding 9 more trees in front of UniMart, and along Lowrie Street near the office. Wow.

This is the second straight year of tree planting in Troy Hill. Let’s keep it going.

Why trees? Trees are good for communities. They provide shade and beauty, increase property value, and have even been show to have increased business on main streets. Not to mention they clean the air and help with soak up rain water. They are a gift to your children and their children and to their children.

Want a tree in front of your house or business? It’s FREE. Applications are available in the THC office.

More photos from the planting can be seen at the flickr Troy Hill gallery. It’s an open group. Join up and start adding those neighborhood memories.

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The doctor will see you now…

Halloween is coming to one of the best candy neighborhoods in the city–Troy Hill. And check out this Trib story on our famous “Halloween House.” Thanks Rick!

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A Tree Grows in Troy Hill

Through the generous TreeVitalize Pittsburgh program Troy Hill is having a second community tree planting!

Saturday, November 14th. 9AM-1PM

Meet at the corner of Harpster and Froman Streets. Supplies and refreshments provided. Dress for the weather–rain or shine! We’re going to get those trees in! Questions? Contact the Troy Hill Citizens office at 412.321.2852.

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Clean Up Day. November 1st.

The last CLEAN UP DAY of the season is this Sunday, November 1st. A great way to get out in the fall sunshine, meet your neighbors, find left-over candy from the night’s before Trick-or-Treaters, and and make the neighborhood clean to boot. Meet at the Troy Hill Office, 1619 Lowrie St. 9 AM-noon. Supplies provided.

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