This is a weekly series sharing places and experiences that we love.
One of my favorite #LivablePittsburgh moments is the opportunity to walk through PNC Park as part of my regular exercise route on days when no baseball games are scheduled.
The entrance gates — at Mazeroski Way and the Roberto Clemente Bridge along the Allegheny River side of the stadium — are wide open. There are no guards; in fact I rarely see any PNC employees during my walk through the park. You don’t have access to the field, of course. All the gates to the corridors are closed with benches and some vendor booths stored behind them.
It’s fun to watch the park change through the seasons — with the field covered with snow in the winter and work crews preparing the grass for Opening Day.
One day I encountered a group of riders touring with Pittsburgh Segway. They had stopped to take plenty of pictures — including of the sculpture of the bronze hands of Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner gripping a Kiner-model Louisville Slugger. It’s located in a corner of PNC Park's left-field rotunda.
I’ve also followed dog walkers into the park.
The Three Rivers Heritage Trail follows along the front edge of the stadium along the Allegheny River. But I prefer the walkway through the stadium above — to be inside the park with a higher view of Downtown.
Virginia Linn: vlinn@post-gazette.com.
First Published: January 2, 2020, 5:00 a.m.