Housing the amazing talents of artists and successful for-profit businesses, the neighborhoods of Friendship and Garfield have witnessed residential and commercial growth and redevelopment over the last decade, with much more on the way.  These East End neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, which share Penn Avenue as a thoroughfare, are located between Children’s Hospital to the west, and Negley Avenue and East Liberty to the east; both also share borders with Bloomfield. 

The arts come alive along Penn Avenue in the façades of The Clay Penn at 5111 Penn, which is covered by fanciful characters made of glass tile mosaics, and of Red Star Iron Works at 4810 Penn Avenue, with its swirling iron gates and gallery window.  Another favorite is The Bride Mural at 5437 Penn Avenue, by the late Judy Penzer and Jill Watson; the mural features a bride walking up steps to a house, which blends right in with the homes fronting the mural! 

Housed in the only 'green' LEED certified building of its type in the country, the Pittsburgh Glass Center draws artists to Pittsburgh from all over the country that want to work in or near this first-class facility.  The Showroom Building, home to Dance Alloy, Evolve Environment Architecture, Carney Fireman Design, and Friendship Development Associates, also has lofts available exclusively to artists. 

Also along the major thoroughfare, one can taste the vegan and vegetarian specialties at The Quiet Storm, view the progression of construction on The Children’s Home, or develop Asian cooking skills at the recently opened cooking school of Chop, Wok, & Talk. 

Two organizations playing a major role in the growth and redevelopment of the area are the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (BGC) and Friendship Development Associates (FDA).  The BGC was founded in 1975 to handle the issues facing the community, and the FDA was established in 1989 to address matters encountered by the neighborhood of Friendship.  Both organizations continue to be successful today, with active neighborhood participation and completion of various projects that create a positive impact for the communities they serve.

For more information concerning the development of these two neighborhoods, contact the BGC at (412) 441-6950 or the FDA at (412) 441-6147.

Links

Friendship Development Associates (FDA)

Penn Avenue Arts Initiative (PAAI)

Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (BGC)

Cool Space Award Winners

Imagebox Productions/4933 Penn Ave (2007)

EDGE Studio (2005)

Pittsburgh Glass Center (2005)

Penn Avenue by Pho Minh

Vietnamese Cuisine

The Clay Penn at 5111 Penn Avenue

The Bride Mural at 5437 Penn

Pittsburgh Glass Center

EDGE Studio