The Pittsburgh Historian

Tony

Lawrenceville - Eclipse Lounge

Tony is a musician. I met him while I walked into this interesting looking bar called Eclipse Lounge in the heart of Lawrenceville where he works as a bartender. He told me his story as he walked behind the bar cleaning the place up. His family is from Morning Side and he's a first-gen to not work in the steel mill. From the half hour chat I had with him - this guy knows his history of Pittsburgh!

I ask for advice for someone moving to Pittsburgh: "Drive."

Really? "Unless you understand the streets, you learn which are the smart ways to go where you need to go."

What's your favorite part about Lawrenceville? "I'm invested in the 'east end' so I love everything about it. There's a lot of history, some great and some not so much. 10 years ago this was a red light district, and 15 years ago it was a family area. It shifts. It's knowing that my family spent a lot of time down here."

If you would want to share something about Pittsburgh what would it be? "My feelings go in many different directions. It's a big town, not a city. So in one sentence - For better or worse, built on history."