Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is one of America's great comeback stories — a city that was the steel capital of the world, suffered devastating deindustrialisation in the 1970s and 1980s, and has reinvented itself as a technology, healthcare and education hub (Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh) while maintaining the authentic, working-class character and fierce civic pride that steel built. The Carnegie Museums (Museum of Art and Museum of Natural History) are both excellent and together form one of America's finest museum complexes. The Andy Warhol Museum, dedicated to Pittsburgh's most famous son, is the largest single-artist museum in the United States — seven floors of work, film and archive are outstanding. The Mattress Factory (large-scale installation art) and the Heinz History Center are both worth visiting. Pittsburgh's geography — 90 rivers, bridges and hills creating neighbourhoods that feel distinct from each other — is its most compelling feature. The Duquesne Incline and Monongahela Incline funicular railways give the best views of the famous three-river confluence and the downtown skyline. The Strip District food market is excellent on weekends. Lawrenceville, Bloomfield (Pittsburgh's Italian neighbourhood) and East Liberty are the most vibrant for restaurants and independent culture. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers (baseball and American football) are beloved.