Pittsburgh is a great place to retire and retirement can mean catching up on hobbies for a lot of people. Pittsburgh is a fantastic city and your opportunities to pursue those hobbies are seemingly endless, in the city and its surrounding communities. Here are just five!
5. Get Your Art on
Pittsburgh is the home of some wonderful art galleries and museums. You can check out the Andy Warhol Museum or one of the other three Carnegie museums. The three other Carnegie museums are the Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, and the Carnegie Science Center. Or check out the contemporary art at the Mattress Factory, where there are more than thirty artists in residence, many of whom have permanent exhibits in the space.
If you want to talk about or make some of that art, then you’re in good company. The Carnegie Museum of Art has several adult programs. These include exhibitions and symposia. There is even a special tour for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. A similar program is offered through the Warhol, called Silver Creations. They also have tactile reproductions for the visually impaired.
For a more informal setting, there is also the Art School at the Monroeville Public Library. Plus the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts offers adult classes in
4. Sports and Fitness
Do you prefer your hobbies a little more physically active? Then have you ever thought about skeet or trap shooting? The Castlewood Rod and Gun Club, in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania, offers sporting clays courses along with lessons if you want to hone your skills. Senior members do skeet shooting on Fridays between 9 AM and 11 AM and the public is of course welcome. They also have archery if guns are not your thing, with a challenging outdoor walking range open from April to November.
So would you want to get and stay in shape? The Chris Anthony Fitness & Health Club offers a supportive atmosphere and a wide variety of activities including cooking classes. And Greater Pittsburgh Wellness has a partnership with Nova Care Rehabilitation and offers physical therapy in addition to physical fitness. They also offer personal training, spin classes, and yoga. The Health Club at Southpointe in Canonsburg boasts massage therapy, Pilates, functional strength training, and special senior fitness classes (Silver and Fit, and Silver Sneakers).
Or you can get out in the fresh air and feel the human to animal partnership you can only get with horseback riding at Rolling Hills Ranch in Bridgeville. They offer Western trail riding, including moonlight rides. And if you prefer English style riding, there’s Stride Away Equestrian for lessons.
3. Crafts
Do you want to get crafty? Then be sure to head on over to Rockler Woodworking and Hardware in Pittsburgh. Rockler offers several woodworking classes via
Or would you prefer knitting? The Carnegie Library hosts Carnegie Knits and Reads, where you can bring in your needlecraft projects, including knitting and crocheting, and engage in lively discussions of recent films seen and books read.
Several locations offer various crafts and classes in crafting. Work on a preexisting project, start a new
2. Books, Books, and More Books
The Monroeville Public Library offers author talks and book discussions. There is even a workshop for science fiction and fantasy writers. There are reading and writing groups, plus an intergenerational book club. The Carnegie Library also offers author talks. The Mount Lebanon Public Library boasts an extensive array of options for seniors. They offer information on genealogy, travel, and legal matters, and even a number of informational resources about senior living options in the area. The Northland Public Library has a choice of several book discussion groups, plus a pair of film series, offering travel films or foreign films. The Brentwood Public Library has programs in adult coloring, book chats, and film series. Plus they offer Wise Walks, which they bring inside during the colder weather months.
Carlow University offers Madwomen in the Attic, a combination writing workshop, poetry reading, and even (at times) book signing. The Writing Pittsburgh Project is dedicated to creative nonfiction, allowing Pittsburgh writers to share their works with a national audience.
Do you prefer writing over reading? NaNoWriMo stands for November is National Novel Writing Month, and Pittsburgh has a lively contingent, offering kickoff and TGIO (thank God it’s over) parties and write-ins. NaNoWriMo also sees activity in April and July for Camp NaNoWriMo. It costs nothing to participate, and you just might get a published novel out of it or at least the tools for getting there.
1. Games, Sports, and Activities
Fancy some chess? Then make the time to head on over to Carnegie Library for weekly community chess classes with the Pittsburgh Police Chess Club.
The Iceoplex at Southpointe in Canonsburg has public skating, hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, and softball for all ages.
The area also boasts several senior centers, including those in Allegheny County, which offer their own various programs.
Your hobbies are only limited by your imagination when you retire in Pittsburgh.
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