2023 is almost in the books, and with it, so is my first year at Pittsburgh City Paper! My favorite articles to work on were ones where I got to better know the people driving change in Pittsburgh's politics, arts, and cultural spaces, and ones where I dug into the ways our city has grown and changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.


Fiasco founders Noelle and Ben Tolman hope to be part of Observatory Hill’s renaissance // Aug. 2, 2023

Fiasco feels like a product of a bygone era, when Pittsburgh artists had cheap access to repurposed spaces and played a key role in stabilizing neighborhoods. Though the Tolmans are still in the process of navigating Pittsburgh's bureaucratic "quirks," Fiasco has the potential to blossom into a sustainable institution serving Observatory Hill and beyond. On a purely aesthetic level, it's also an explosion of color and creativity that playfully inverts the building's history as a Catholic school.


After tragedy, Garfield leaders say they need housing resources // Sept. 15, 2023

The late August shooting that rocked Garfield was audible from my house. It shook up our peaceful corner of the East End, which, in spite of rising housing costs, remains a racially mixed and socioeconomically diverse part of the city. Local leaders were clear about what was needed in the aftermath of the gun battle: resources for stable housing. Among the key takeaways for me were the complexity of public-private partnerships, the pernicious effects of house-flipping, and — most critically — the importance of leaving a will to ensure your property passes to the people, family or otherwise, that you want it to.


Bhutanese refugees bring a "Himalayan Highway" of unique food and culture to the Route 51 corridor // Oct. 18, 2023

Pittsburgh has long been a city of ethnic enclaves. Historically, most immigrants hailed from European countries, but recent years have brought residents from other parts of the world, including a vibrant community of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees seeking safe harbor after years of oppression and ethnic cleansing. These Pittsburghers have since settled in and brought unique cuisine and cultural traditions to the Route 51 corridor. It was rewarding to learn and share so much about their community history while getting to sample a variety of momo dumplings, which are one of the Lhotshampa community's mainstay dishes. Everyone benefits from an appetite for different cultures in the ’Burgh.


What happened to Pittsburgh’s nightclub scene? It's complicated // Nov. 15, 2023

I was frankly surprised by the response to this story, which clearly evoked fond memories for many readers and sparked strong reactions to Pittsburgh's changing nightlife. It was also clear from talking to sources that COVID effectively ended the Golden Age of clubs in the city for good or for ill. I spoke to numerous sources who corroborated this shift, including photographers, club owners, and former club staff. One of the biggest takeaways for me as a writer was that social habits around drinking and partying are shifting quickly — the closure of nightclubs has also had a disproportionate impact on Black partygoers, who told me the demise of club-centric districts came bundled with more limited hours, stricter dress codes, and fewer options for live hip-hop. This is another story that, in my view, underscores the way change can exacerbate inequity if it happens too quickly.


Meet the diverse Pittsburghers calling for peace in Gaza // Dec. 6, 2023

The war in Gaza has combined humanitarian disaster with sectarian tensions for many around the world. In Pittsburgh, it's freighted with additional implications as the city heals from the worst antisemitic attack on U.S. soil and subsequent trial. I wrote an op-ed calling for a ceasefire that (in addition to some hate mail) drew strong agreement from members of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, as well as student activists, whose voices I was grateful to amplify alongside area politicians including U.S. Rep. Summer Lee. As the conflict wears on and global sentiment coalesces behind peace, it's heartening to see an inclusive coalition of people calling for a durable ceasefire, especially when doing so can present personal and professional challenges.