Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States. It is the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It is the economic, cultural, academic, transportational, and service hub of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and the Pittsburgh Tri-State. Built on the land between the confluence of the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers and the surrounding hills, Pittsburgh features a skyline of skyscrapers and dozens of bridges.

Once an industrial center, the collapse of the United States steel industry has had a lasting impact on Pittsburgh's economy and identity. However, in 2005 in The Economist, Pittsburgh shared with Cleveland the top spot for most liveable cities in the United States, and tied for 26th on cities world-wide. In response to the collapse of the steel industry in the 1970s and 1980s, Pittsburgh has become a nationally-known center for medicine, education, art education, technology, and financial services([1],[2]).

Pittsburgh is the home of several prestigious universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Carnegie Mellon University, among others. The city also hosts several nationally acclaimed sports teams, including the five-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, five-time World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates, and the two-time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition, Pittsburgh is home of many top-rated medical institutions, such as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Allegheny General Hospital. Although still facing a declining population, Pittsburgh remains the chief city of the eastern Ohio River Valley.

After placing No. 4 and No. 1 in the first two editions of "Places Rated Almanac," Pittsburgh went on to finish third in 1989, fifth in 1993, 14th in 1997 and 12th in 2000. While that gives the impression of a moderate decline, primary author David Savageau noted Pittsburgh is the only place to finish in the top 20 of every edition. In the 2004, 820-page book by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander, "Cities Ranked and Rated," Pittsburgh came in at #28.