The Brooklyn
of Pittsburgh is
Lawrenceville.

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Live music Indie film Craft beer Coffee culture Emerging Vintage
The case for Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville is the coolest neighborhood in Pittsburgh for Morcilla's Spanish plates, Saturday record shopping, and craft beer at The Forge.

Lawrenceville feels like it was built by steelworkers and inherited by ceramicists, and Butler Street tells that whole story. It runs from old rowhouses and tattoo shops on one end to wine bars and design studios on the other. Saturday mornings are for coffee and record shopping. Weeknights are surprisingly quiet, which is part of the charm.

In 2019, Lawrenceville's historic core earned National Register Historic District status, official recognition that this remains one of Pittsburgh's most intact 19th-century streetcar communities, its rowhouses and storefronts still standing.
Close contenders

Other cool neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.

Bloomfield

Pittsburgh's Little Italy, except now the red sauce joints share the block with Vietnamese restaurants and craft beer spots. Liberty Avenue on a warm evening is the move.

East Liberty

East Liberty went from rough to reinvented faster than anyone expected. Penn Avenue has serious restaurants now, and the Ace Hotel crowd changed the energy entirely.

Deutschtown

Just across the Allegheny from downtown, Deutschtown is a few blocks of old German architecture, small galleries, and bars where a beer still costs what a beer should cost.

See the full shortlist, ranked →
Three sides of the neighborhood

Where to go in Lawrenceville.

01
Stay in Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville never got its own boutique hotel, so the honest play is The Maverick in East Liberty: a converted YMCA ten minutes away with self check-in and the Hey Babe bar downstairs.
02
Eat & Drink in Lawrenceville

Butler Street feeds you from morning to midnight.
03
Do & Shop in Lawrenceville

Thunderbird Café is Lawrenceville's live music room - small enough to feel the bass in your chest, worth checking the calendar before any visit.
All 22 spots mapped out

Lawrenceville, corner to corner.

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Our 22 top picks

The Lawrenceville guide.

Practical info

Good to know.

The boring numbers that decide whether you stay three days or four.

CurrencyUSD
LanguageEnglish
Cost level $$Moderate
Best monthsSeptember and early October, plus May to June
Local time UTC-4
Plug type US plug · 120V/60Hz
Emergency911
Local tip
Walk the full length of Butler from 34th to 62nd. The neighborhood changes character every ten blocks and that's the whole story.
North America · USA

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Head to head

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Common questions

Things to know about Lawrenceville.

What is the Brooklyn of Pittsburgh?
The Brooklyn of Pittsburgh is Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville feels like it was built by steelworkers and inherited by ceramicists, and Butler Street tells that whole story. In 2019, Lawrenceville's historic core earned National Register Historic District status, official recognition that this remains one of Pittsburgh's most intact 19th-century streetcar communities, its rowhouses and storefronts still standing.
What is the coolest neighborhood in Pittsburgh?
Lawrenceville is widely considered the coolest neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Lawrenceville feels like it was built by steelworkers and inherited by ceramicists, and Butler Street tells that whole story. It runs from old rowhouses and tattoo shops on one end to wine bars and design studios on the other. Saturday mornings are for coffee and record shopping. Weeknights are surprisingly quiet, which is part of the charm.
Where should I stay in Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh?
The boutique hotel to know in Lawrenceville is The Maverick by Kasa. A 63-room boutique hotel in a converted East Liberty YMCA building with individually decorated rooms and an on-site bar called Hey Babe. Self check-in, coworking spaces, and a quietly stylish atmosphere that feels more neighborhood than corporate.
Is Lawrenceville in Pittsburgh safe at night?
Yes. Lawrenceville is one of the more walkable and well-trafficked neighborhoods in the city, especially Lower and Central Lawrenceville along the Butler Street spine. Use normal urban awareness at night on quieter residential blocks. The neighborhood is fine to walk after dinner, and rideshare coverage is reliable for getting back from other parts of town.
Is Pittsburgh expensive?
Pittsburgh sits at the mid-priced end, and Lawrenceville fits that. A rideshare from the airport runs $35-50 for the 18-mile trip. Tip 18-20% at sit-down restaurants. If cost matters, come in January or February, when hotel rates drop 30-40% versus October peaks.
When is the best time to visit Pittsburgh?
September and early October are Pittsburgh at its best - highs in the 70s, low humidity, and fall color starting along the rivers. May and June work well for patios and festivals, just expect afternoon thunderstorms. Avoid July and August, which turn humid and often hit 90F, and winter, which runs overcast and damp with low-30s temperatures and occasional snow.

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