As 2024 draws to a close, Pittsburgh City Paper‘s editorial staff members select their favorite stories from the year. Relive our Audience Engagement Specialist, Stacy Rounds’ 2024 highlights below:
This can’t-miss breakfast sandwich is hidden away at a Dormont coffeehouse // May 21, 2024
Isn’t it lovely when a rough morning transforms into a beautiful day? This May, that magic was delivered between toasted bagel halves at the Potomac Station Coffeehouse. As a person who loves breakfast foods but hardly ever eats before noon, indulging in a breakfast sandwich of this caliber was a rare and wonderful experience for me. I think I moaned. Get your butts down there and try Best in the Burgh sandwich.
Dumping X for Bluesky: A guide for Pittsburgh users // Nov. 26, 2024
As a person who is Very Online™ for a living, my social media teflon is fairly impenetrable. But post-election, X (formerly Twitter, formerly good) is just the absolute worst. The pro-fascist ads, plus its algorithm’s love for all the trolls, bots, misinformation, and overall toxicity make me want to avoid this platform like polio — which is apparently making a comeback.
Bluesky was originally slow to build (we had a whole 184 followers before the surge). Over the past several weeks, its become a light in the darkness of the social media sludge, and I couldn’t be happier. Our now 6K fans are really engaged with our content, and we’ve been able to make some cool connections.
However, mass-blocking yucky people has been the best part. Does that mean we’re in an echo chamber? No, because we still get to engage with plenty of differing opinions and ideas from the academic, political (independent et al., progressive, non-MAGA conservative, and democratic) journalistic, and scientific communities without some uneducated hate-mongering bumpkin chiming in about how trans people are the devil or whatever.
Who is behind the ‘Trump Dumps’ that keep appearing Downtown? // Aug. 29, 2024
Speaking of dumping…
One sunny morning, I was walking from our office to Le Gourmandine to grab a prosciutto and pickle sandwich when I stumbled upon some poop on the sidewalk. But this wasn’t just any poop. This pile of fecal matter was decorated with edible patriotic sprinkles and labeled with cupcake flags: “Trump Dump” and “Trumpin’ n’ Dumpin.’”
Who is this label-maker carrying turd tagger? We don’t know. But what we DO know is that they stopped by our Best of PGH celebration on Sept. 20, apparently incognito.
Where to find the most eclectic vending machines in Pittsburgh // June 28, 2024
This was the most fun I’ve ever had doing research for work. My family and I made a day of it: grabbing international snacks and drinks at Vendor Bender and then heading over to Ross Park Mall to purchase a Sanrio toy bubble from the Gashapon vending machine.
Dating outside the apps in Pittsburgh doesn’t have to suck // Feb. 7, 2024
Dating apps are on the decline. This isn’t simply word of mouth or conjecture, it’s a fact that the big, publicly traded apps have had to publish. No matter. There are dozens of other ways to meet singles in the Steel City. And in 2025, one local paper may be bringing back personal ads and may be hosting some single and mingle events. Nothing concrete yet, but stay tuned…
This article appears in Dec 18-24, 2024.
