BY: MATT PETRAS
IMAGE: COURTESY OF ZILLO
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
CP PHOTO: ROMAN HLADIO
RENTAL ILLNESS (PART ONE)
After a “historic” deal to buy nearly 300 units in trendy neighborhoods, tenants accuse Riparian Management of hostility and greed
BY: COLIN WILLIAMS // CWILLIAMS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Housing is the hottest topic in Pittsburgh. It helped define the May mayoral primary and remains a buzzy topic on social media. Home prices locally continue to rise — bucking a nationwide trend — and this, plus disagreements over how best to keep homes affordable for longtime residents, has led to increasingly tense discussions about housing equity and gentrification.
It’s against that backdrop that Riparian Management LLC, a Baltimore-based company, made a “landmark” deal to purchase 297 properties owned, according to brokers with Colliers which oversaw it, by Wylie Holdings L.P. Wylie’s portfolio included a number of keystone properties along trendy Butler Street in Lawrenceville and in other neighborhoods. Brokers also called it “the most complex transaction we have worked on in brokerage so far” when the deal closed in August 2024.
“When we met the Wylie team, we were delighted to learn that their values and approach aligned largely with ours even as their portfolio would give us exposure to a vibrant and growing market like Lawrenceville,” Riparian’s managing principal and CEO, Kris Garin, tells Pittsburgh City Paper
Almost a year later, Riparian tenants, many of whom stayed on under leases that originated with Wylie, say they’ve faced utility problems, poor communication, and sudden notices to vacate. Some say Riparian seems to lack the staff necessary to address their issues. Garin acknowledges that the transition wasn’t as smooth as his company had hoped.
“While our entire team works incredibly hard every day and is deeply committed to delivering for our residents and the communities we serve, we must acknowledge that many of our new residents last year did not have the experience that we want for them — and that we have work to do to get those relationships where they need to be,” he says. Wylie reshaped Lawrenceville, especially the 10th Ward. (The company did not respond to emailed requests for comment by presstime.) Depending on what Riparian does next, it has the opportunity to do the same — for better or worse.
A MOUNTING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
Many buildings along Butler Street, especially above 51st, were once pieces of the Wylie portfolio. That’s been largely beneficial for the streetscape as the company renovated mixed-use buildings now home to a growing number of businesses.
In a Pittsburgh Business Times article covering the sale to Riparian, one business owner notes the company “took a chance” on Lawrenceville, one that ultimately paid off. (The terms of the sale have not been disclosed.)
amounts to an average landlord that also did important renovations to dilapidated properties, while other tenants complained of unaddressed problems and aggressive legal posturing, including cease-and-desist letters sent when they complained on social media.
“It was not great, but I think one of the biggest differences is that the entire team was local,” says one former tenant, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of legal reprisal. “When compared with Riparian, Wylie looks amazing. It was just more
“IT WAS SAID THAT THEY OWNED SOME 20% OF 10TH-WARD LAWRENCEVILLE.”
Residents differ on whether Wylie was a satisfactory landlord. City Paper spoke to seven current and former residents of Riparian properties on and off the record, the majority of whom had previously rented from Wylie. Some described what
of a small-town feel, and we — at least, I — got better maintenance.”
Even if it felt small-town, Wylie’s portfolio swelled over the years as the company bought houses and commercial properties in Lawrenceville and the broader East End. Many
mixed-use parcels along the nowbooming stretch of Butler Street north of Allegheny Cemetery were once Wylie properties and have since passed to Riparian.
“I never actually fact-checked this myself, but it was said that they owned some 20% of 10th-Ward Lawrenceville,” Pittsburgh City Councilor Deb Gross tells CP
Gross says Wylie eventually became the “800-pound gorilla in the room” in Upper Lawrenceville. As rent rose and the neighborhood gentrified, residents spoke out. This process led the Lawrenceville Corporation to create the city’s first affordable housing land trust, now the City of Bridges Land Trust.
Lawrenceville’s affordability worries have since become citywide concerns with an influx of real-estate companies from outside Pittsburgh. Large firms and LLCs owned by private equity have been buying and building an increasing share of the region’s housing. Mirroring the
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Riparian LLC
discussions in other cities, some have also been accused of predatory practices ranging from price increases to displacement.
In 2023, the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group found that corporate buyers had grown to account for nearly a quarter of the city’s home sales and some 18% of the county’s overall — in many cases, buying up properties in lowerincome areas en masse and turning them into rentals. Nationwide, corporate buyers owned around 574,000 single-family homes nationwide, or 3.8% of the nation’s supply, as of mid2022. A survey published in March found that 48% of American renters said they were leasing from a corporate landlord.
neighborhood is livelier. But residents who spoke with CP worry the pace of change is leaving behind the longtime residents who made Lawrenceville what it is.
The prices in the neighborhood may bear them out. On Riparian’s website as of July 17, the company listed 16 available properties in Lawrenceville, Garfield, Highland Park, and East Liberty with an average size of 1,208.75 sq. ft. Their average rent? $1,656.25 per month, close to the national average of $1,637 and over Pittsburgh’s mean of $1,384.
“ [I] raised my kids in and raised my kids to love Lawrenceville, and I’ve watched a lot of people leave it,” former Riparian tenant Erika Clark tells CP. “I’m not anti-progress, but I
“I’M NOT ANTI-PROGRESS, BUT I FEEL LIKE I’VE BEEN KICKED RIGHT OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I HAVE BEEN A PART OF FOR A VERY LONG TIME.”
The pace of corporate investment in Pittsburgh-area housing increased dramatically after 2019, one University of Pittsburgh study concluded, and coincided with findings showing that some 42% of county residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing. That’s in no small part because Pittsburgh rents have risen 47.9% since March 2019, outpacing the rest of the U.S., even as local housing is disproportionately old and in need of repair.
“The more of our housing stock that is owned by large institutions outside of the city, the more those rents are just getting vacuumed up and going elsewhere,” Gross says. “I don’t believe this is a healthy trend.”
Evidence of the quick pace of change is everywhere in Pittsburgh. Near numerous Riparian properties in the 10th Ward, Albion Lawrenceville, a 267-unit project of Chicagoland-based Albion Residential, is reshaping a longempty section of Butler Street. The
twice, she says. The second time, she says the company threatened to change her locks if she didn’t comply. Clark says she repeatedly tried to contact Riparian and took emergency time off work but was met with silence.
Kwamé Govine began renting from Riparian in early 2025. He says the company’s Pittsburgh team seemed “thin” and “overwhelmed” from the outset.
“It sounds like they ended up having to take care of a lot all at once,” he tells CP. “When it came to issues that came up, would I get a reply? Yes, but it was always a reply with, 'Let me check that.’”
On moving with his partner into a Riparian property, Govine says he noticed several issues, including a running toilet and non-functioning outlets. Meanwhile, the move itself was stressful. “In terms of prepped and ready for a move-in, you want to get in and forget about it,” he says. “I’ve moved a few times before, and this was probably one of the worst experiences.”
multiple employees they spoke to at different times, seemingly a sign of high staff turnover. Several say Riparian employees in Pittsburgh openly disparaged the company over the phone — when they answered.
“Spoiler alert: to this day, I’ve never spoken to anyone from Riparian,” Clark quips.
Other tenants highlighted a host of issues, including substandard maintenance, questionable certificates of occupancy, unfulfilled promises to return security deposits or defray moving costs, and sudden notices to vacate, in some cases after both Wylie and Riparian staff reassured tenants they could stay in their homes.
Clark, who lived in Lawrenceville for 15 years, was one such tenant. She says Riparian sent, and then rescinded, an offer to extend her lease.
feel like I’ve been kicked right out of the neighborhood that I have been a part of for a very long time.”
NOTICE TO VACATE
Wylie tenants say the announcement of the sa le to Riparian came suddenly — if at all. Clark initially reported the email she received about the transfer of assets as spam.
“On August 20, 11 days before rent is due, I’m told, don’t pay rent to the person you’ve been paying rent to for eight years,” she says. “I thought it was a phishing scam.”
Some tenants say they never got word of the sale. In at least one instance, a tenant continued paying rent to Wylie. Tenants also complained of infrastructure issues and long wait times for repairs following the sale.
Communication was sporadic. Clark says she was given less than 24 hours notice of a mandatory inspection, then the company’s representatives never showed. This happened
The running toilet contributed to a soaring water bill at the property — charges for using an average of 464 gallons per day plus a past due amount over $650 dating back to November 2024 for a total balance of $1,157.23. CP viewed the bill, which was notably addressed not to Govine, but to an LLC previously owned by Wylie. Given that the toilet issue predated their arrival, Govine resolved not to pay the balance and let Riparian know, but he struggled to reach anyone in Pittsburgh or Baltimore who could help. After his calls were transferred to an automated system, he says, Govine showed up in person at Riparian’s Pittsburgh office. Finally, he says, the issue was resolved and the balance of his water bill paid.
“It was very different than what I’m used to with any landlord or any company that has issues,” Govine says.
Govine wasn’t alone in dealing with utility problems and a lack of communication. Everyone CP spoke to on and off the record listed
“On March 12, I’m at the playground with my kids, and I’m checking emails in the evening, and the first thing I see is two new emails,” she says. “I opened the one from Riparian first. The subject line: ‘Pending lease document was canceled by Riparian Management.’” The second email was a 90-day notice to vacate. Clark says Riparian likewise issued one to all of her immediate neighbors.
“Our money is earned in this neighborhood. It is spent in this neighborhood. Our lives were lived in this neighborhood,” Clark says. “There were five homes in our row. All of us were vacated.” At considerable expense, Clark was able to move and keep her children in their previous schools, but she feels stung by the way Riparian treated its tenants, and says her family was forced to absorb a $1,000 rent increase.
“It feels like Baltimore was allowed to come into our neighborhood and just kick us out, and it was incredibly disruptive,” she says.
Rachel Schneider was another tenant who suddenly faced a notice to vacate after years of living in a Wylie property in Polish Hill. “I started scrambling and calling people and being like, how is this legal? I have
a fixed lease with them until next March,” Schneider recalls. Adding insult to injury, Schneider says Riparian then offered to sell her back the property for $180,000, a price she describes as “way too much.”
“This place needs a lot of work. It’s got mold issues. I just discovered the porch is falling off,” Schneider says. She, too, was eventually able to find another home after a period of extreme anxiety (“This has been literal hell for me,” she says). But Schneider and others were lucky — by the time Riparian tenants’ issues made it to Lawrenceville United, at least one tenant found themself without permanent shelter.
STRANDED ON BUTLER STREET
Dave Breingan, executive director of LU, says two tenants first came to LU and Lawrenceville Corporation with their issues.
“As we started hearing from tenants, their stories have been deeply disturbing. This is one of the largest property owners in Lawrenceville with both residential and a lot of our small business community,” Breingan tells CP. “Most disturbing has been the displacement of longtime community members and some of the maintenance issues we’ve gotten reported to us.”
After learning of some Riparian tenants’ plights, LU began scaling up its response and setting out to gather data. LU enlisted the help of Pittsburgh’s chapter of Pa. United, a progressive community organizer, to
canvass tenants. Gross’ office also got involved. United eventually fanned out to Riparian properties, where they made contact with Clark, Schneider, Govine, and an older Riparian tenant whose family was forced to couchsurf after Riparian forced them to vacate.
Erik Oas, United’s mobilization director, says it was fortuitous that the older tenant, who was caring for multiple grandchildren, had existing relationships with LU and one of their canvassers. “I think it was last week that they had been placed in an apartment,” he tells CP.
But Oas worries that LU and United may have been “too late” to prevent other such occurrences or catch residents who had already vacated their Riparian-owned homes.
“Anytime you deal with evictions, it’s a very big red flag,” Oas says. “You have a lot of off-ramps to get to before it gets to that point because it also stays with people for their renting lives.”
Even so, United was able to survey 61 Riparian tenants and gain deeper insights into what they were experiencing. Among respondents, 15 said they’d received notices to vacate, and 16 alleged safety or habitability issues. A sizable majority of 53 said they’d experienced communication issues. Five said they were still waiting on their security deposit.
“Landlords in Pennsylvania must return deposits within 30 days of a lease termination, and we’ve gotten multiple reports of that not occurring,” Breingan says. “Tenants may be
able to sue for double the amount of the deposit plus interest, and we’ve heard from at least one tenant who has been successful in pursuing this.”
Breingan says LU has made progress in working with the company. LU recently had a “productive” conversation with Riparian’s CEO, in which Garin said the company had overhauled its practices. But broader questions about Riparian’s motives remain.
The anonymous tenant says they found “rodent shit” upon moveout. “I don’t know what qualifies as an absentee landlord, but that’s what I felt like I was dealing with,” they say.
“I don’t want to say [I was] upset, but I was more disappointed that people that I have to trust and I gave my money to are just actively not trying to help,” Govine says. “I felt like they were robbing me, essentially.”
“Obviously, it’s about money,” Clark says. To some extent, she’s frustrated with Wylie’s role in her and other tenants’ predicaments. “Wylie has done great things with rehabbing and renovating and making beautiful homes. But then, at what cost?” she wonders. “It very much feels like OK, thank you … for helping to grow this neighborhood. Your services are no longer required.”
“I would recommend people do some serious research on the management companies before renting and really go into apartments … with the mind of an inspector,” Schneider suggests.
Gross says similar situations will continue as long as corporate
landlords are able to capture a large portion of the Pittsburgh housing market.
“If you’re out there in the city of Pittsburgh reading this, and you wish you could buy a house, but you can’t, this is part of the problem,” she says. “They have more money than you, they can move faster than you, and they’re getting the houses.”
Garin acknowledges tenants’ issues and highlighted steps the company has taken to improve its practices, including hiring more staff, upgrading its telephone system and online tenant portal, and streamlining the handling of work orders. “Without making excuses, some of the underlying issues were driven by factors outside of our control that impacted our ability to staff the Wylie portfolio as planned, but that responsibility is ultimately ours alone,” Garin tells CP . “We’ve heard the concerns and have spent much of this spring implementing a coordinated program … to ensure they are resolved.”
So was the Baltimore-based company overmatched, having bought a massive real estate portfolio without an on-the-ground staff to manage it? Or did they inherit a mess from Wylie, a company with its own troubled legal history?
The answer is a little of both. In Part Two, we’ll explore Wylie’s past, Riparian’s present, and Lawrenceville’s future as the Baltimore-based company restructures its Pittsburgh portfolio. •
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
When school’s out, these local leaders help Millvale kids get the most out of summer
BY: ROMAN HLADIO // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
In Millvale, bike tracks and small shoe prints are just as numerous as the cars rushing through the borough’s slender streets.
It’s an idyllic borough, where kids commute to their friends’ houses each morning during summer break and explore alleyways until sunset.
But instead of shunning them off the street, community leaders open their arms to the crowd.
“We are a community where there are a lot of kids on their own for whatever reason — working parents, absent parents — and they just kind of become the children of Millvale,” says Melissa Mason, executive director of the Millvale Community Library.
CP PHOTO: ROMAN HLADIO Guitars inside You Be You Music in Millvale.
Even before its 2013 opening, the Library’s founders envisioned a hub for youth programming, which borough leaders had considered a gap in the community.
Now, it hosts summer camps, music classes, chess club, environmental education classes, community crafting in an adjoining makerspace, free summer lunches for residents 18 and under, and more.
Mason has been a Millvale resident, volunteer, and leader for over a decade, and has been the library’s director since May 2023. In that short span, the library’s role as a youth hub has diminished, but not because its list of programs is shrinking. Instead, the network of leaders helping raise “the children of Millvale” is growing.
“We’re still a hub for a lot in the community, but we’re in this transition where [we’re asking], ‘Is thi s “the” space for kids?’” she says. “It is ‘a’ space for kids, but as this community is growing and changing, there are so many other cool, great, wonderful things happening.”
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON You Be You Music in Millvale.
In April, music school You Be You and refugee support organization Be Our Neighbor settled into the storefront at 143 Howard St. While the pair’s core programming couldn’t be more different, they’re tied together by a shared mission: provide mutual aid and free events to Millvale’s kids.
Georgia English, the founder and director of You Be You, calls the organization a decades-old dream.
“It provides a space where every child can get what they need out of music,” they say. “For some, maybe it’s trying to get into music college or preparing for professional musicianship. For some, it’s a safe space to take a nap while they listen to their friends make music, and they can have a snack from our little community fridge.”
The school sees about 200 students per week between its six instructors. It’s home to children’s choirs, a beat-making club, youth rock bands, and private lessons for guitar,
ukulele, piano, and more.
In total, 80% of its offerings are free, and 25% of local kids taking private lessons receive scholarships.
“This isn’t a place where parents drive and drop [kids] off and pick them up,” English says. “They’re out on their bikes and then they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s Wednesday, I have to go to this beat-making thing.’”
“It’s cute. We’ll have little bikes lined up against the walls.”
education into practice by hosting all-ages lessons and music clubs out of the library — programs that continue to this day.
In the spring of 2023, they launched You Be You with the express goal of reaching kids with a music therapy framework called “Community Music Therapy,” which enables its participants’ pursuit of craft alongside community connectedness.
In a town as musical as Millvale, the first part is easy.
“THAT SMALL AMOUNT OF EXTRA CAN REALLY MAKE THIS RIPPLE EFFECT FOR THESE KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY.”
A San Francisco native and practicing musician, English and their husband moved from Nashville to Pittsburgh in 2022 so that English could pursue a Master’s of Music Therapy from Duquesne University.
At first, English was putting their
“We hosted the youth stage at the Millvale Music Festival, so we had a bunch of our students perform,” English says. “We hosted local teen punk bands. We really integrate our students who want to get into that larger scene. And, I mean, we’ve got Attic Records,
Georgia English plays guitar at You Be You Music in Millvale.
we have Mr. Smalls, we have bar music — live bar blues bands pouring out of windows.”
When English obtains their master’s, the space will be able to host clinical therapeutic work as well. Until then, Be Our Neighbor is the arm through which it mobilizes resources to community members.
Even though moving into You Be You’s storefront this past April solidified Be Our Neighbor’s place in the borough, the organization’s work dates back nearly four years.
In 2021, Jess Landolina was the manager of Abeille Voyante Tea Co. on Grant Avenue. After the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August of that year, Millvale’s population began to shift.
“By September, October, we started to see Afghan families settling on Grant Avenue of Millvale, which was just so different for us being a small town, 99-point-something percent, multi-generational white community,” she says.
Many of the refugee families were placed in Millvale by Jewish Family Children Services — one of the only resettlement agencies in the area. Landolina speculates that the borough’s mostly rental housing stock and relative affordability compared
to other parts of Pittsburgh made it a prime spot for families arriving with next to nothing.
“We were having people from all over the world that were now settling in our town, coming to the tea shop, and finding something to connect with, but then, that was the avenue to communicate what they needed, especially for their children,” Landolina says.
For its first two years, Be Our Neighbor was simply Millvale natives connecting their new neighbors with doctors, dentists, clothing, furniture, and other community resources.
With a background in psychology and social work, Landolina’s goal was to find a job that allowed her to serve her community, and the pieces had all lined up. Be Our Neighbor was formalized under the Millvale Community Development Corporation (MCDC) in June 2024.
Currently, she estimates that the organization is connected with 150 individuals — at least 50% of them minors — and its programming seeks to reduce trauma inherent to their refugee status by building a positive community around them.
“We do monthly community meals and
craft nights, where we’ve been going to Pamela’s P&G Diner,” Landolina says.
Events spill out into the streets as well. Last year brought an international holiday night and the celebration of Nowruz — Persian New Year.
Come the summer, it tugs on that network of “children of Millvale” supporters to fill gaps left by the school break.
“MCDC has gotten a grant program funded by Eden Hall that helps us get multiple kids into summer camps, helps fund this summer camp here, connects kids with scholarships to the Boys and Girls Club, [and] get field trip money for … the kids that can’t get into those camps,” Landolina says.
Landolina hopes to eventually grow the framework to other parts of Greater Pittsburgh, but the hardest part to replicate will be Millvale’s web of leaders who are endlessly willing to reinvest in their kids.
“The rest of us are privileged enough to have a little bit of extra that overflows our cup,” Landolina says. “That small amount of extra can really make this ripple effect for these kids in the community.” •
CP PHOTO: ROMAN HLADIO
Books and a play area accessible to local children at You Be You Music
COURTESY OF INDEPENDENT FILM COMPANY
Dominique Jackson (left) and Tomas Matos (right) in Queens of the Dead
QUEENS OF THE DEAD
Tina Romero puts a queer, comedic spin on her late father’s filmmaking legacy
BY: AMANDA WALTZ // AWALTZ@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Pittsburgh takes pride in being the Unofficial Zombie Capital of the World, a self-imposed title related to late director George A. Romero shooting his Night of the Living Dead films in and around the city. Archives, zombie walks, city-wide celebrations, and even a museum — located in Monroeville Mall, the site of Dawn of the Dead — have demonstrated how much Romero means to horror fans both here and abroad.
Now, Romero’s daughter, Tina Romero, has taken up the undead torch with her distinctly LGBTQ directorial debut.
Independent Film Company (IFC) and the horror streaming platform Shudder
recently acquired the North American rights to Queens of the Dead , a horror comedy directed by Tina Romero, who co-wrote it with comedian Erin Judge. An official synopsis for the film — which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film — reads: “a zombie apocalypse breaks out in Brooklyn on the night of a giant warehouse party, where an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies must put aside their drama and use their unique skills to fight against the brain-thirsty, scrolling undead.”
“Independent Film Company and Shudder couldn’t be a more perfect home
for Queens of the Dead ,” Tina Romero said in a press release. “I’m honored to partner with such a kickass and creative team of people who really love movies, and I’m so grateful for their belief in giving indie darlings a moment on the big screen because I think this is a film people will want to see together. With popcorn. Dressed in zombie couture.”
“I THINK THIS IS A FILM PEOPLE WILL WANT TO SEE TOGETHER. WITH POPCORN. DRESSED IN ZOMBIE COUTURE.”
In a press release, Adam Koehler, the director of acquisitions and productions at IFC and Shudder, said, “We’re beyond thrilled to bring this wildly original vision to audiences — a fearless, glam-drenched ride that’s as funny as it is ferocious. With razor-sharp direction and a fierce cast, Queens of the Dead is a thrilling new chapter in a legacy of horror royalty.”
The film stars cast members from across the LGBTQ spectrum, including Katy O’Brian, star of Rose Glass’ lesbian romance thriller Love Lies Bleeding ; transfemme actor Tomas Matos, who appeared in the 2022 gay rom-com Fire Island; Dominique Jackson of Pose fame; Jack Haven, a nonbinary actor known for I Saw the TV Glow; and stand-up comedian/LGBTQ icon Margaret Cho, among others. The film also features Nina West, who
competed on season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and New York City drag artist Julie J.
While the film continues her father’s horror legacy, Queens of the Dead marks a departure from George A. Romero’s works, widely regarded for their sometimes bleak commentary on the political and social upheavals of Vietnam War-era America, crass consumerism, and other issues. Despite its comedic leanings, however, Queens of the Dead stands out for its dedication to showcasing LGBTQ talent, especially in a time when the rights of queer and trans communities are under attack.
No release date has been set for Queens of the Dead. •
COURTESY OF INDEPENDENT FILM COMPANY/SHUDDER
Margaret Cho in Queens of the Dead
COURTESY OF INDEPENDENT FILM COMPANY/SHUDDER
Katy O’Brian (left) and Jack Haven (right) in Queens of the Dead
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Velum Fermentation's pinball machines
MACHINE HEADS
The past, present, and future of pinball play out in Pittsburgh, where the scene attracts a diverse array of players and serious competition
BY: MATT PETRAS // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
To Dan Hosek, the more than 300 machines at his museum and arcade, Pinball Perfection, live and breathe. Dressed in a yellow T-shirt advertising his business, and a ponytail poking out of a hat, the 63-year-old tells Pittsburgh City Paper they’re like family. A Superman machine used to be in his son’s bedroom. A Super Mario Bros. machine came from the now-closed Chuck E. Cheese off McKnight Road.
And then there are the visitors.
“Every different kind of person you can imagine comes through this door, and from fucking everywhere,” he says. “You name it. China, Canada, Sweden, Australia — it just goes on and on. And they come here as a destination. ‘We had to come to Pittsburgh for whatever, this is why we had to come here, to see all this stuff.’ It’s weird.”
But to some, he says, pinball is “a lifestyle.”
“People are really into it.” he laughs. “Their life revolves around pinball and pinball things.”
Pinball doesn’t have nearly the same cultural caché it did in decades past, but in some parts of the country, enthusiasts maintain thriving scenes. Nostalgia drives a lot of it, but Pittsburgh’s working-class roots and bar scene contributed to making it one of the nation’s top pinball hot spots.
The city boosts its pinball clout with serious competitions. From Wed., July 23-Sun., July 27, hundreds of players will descend on the Pinburgh tournament in Bridgeville for the chance to win more than free games — the event touts over $42,000 in prize money. According to the Pinburgh website, tickets quickly sold out for the event, and many hopeful players are now relegated to a waitlist.
“PEOPLE ARE REALLY INTO IT. IT’S A LIFESTYLE. THEIR LIFE REVOLVES AROUND PINBALL AND PINBALL THINGS.”
Dan Hosek, owner of Pinball Perfection, with his puppy, Lilly.
The data analytics firm InterWorks and Pinball Map, a crowdsourced directory of the world’s pinball machines, cites Pittsburgh as the U.S. city with the most pinball machines. In total, Pittsburgh boasts a total of 1,158 machines.
Pinball Perfection, located in West View, has a lot to do with that. Other notable spots boast a respectable number of machines, including Pins Mechanical, Victory Pointe Arcade, Velum Fermentation in the South Side, and Verdetto’s Bar and Restaurant in the North Side.
Pinball has historically been a boy’s club, but that has changed over the years. Elizabeth Cromwell started the Pittsburgh Women’s Pinball League about 13 years ago after joining the Pittsburgh Pinball League with a boy she liked.
“Back then, we basically had to do a bar crawl
down the South Side, because this bar would have one machine, and this bar would have one machine … and there were some people that made it not the most inviting place,” Cromwell tells City Paper. “So I decided to start a women’s league so that women could get together, learn how to play pinball, get more confident, and build a community.”
The general pinball scene in Pittsburgh has become more inclusive, she says, but she still maintains the group to foster community. She believes having dedicated places stocked with machines to hang out with other pinball fans has helped make the space more welcoming for women.
Still, her experience with the Pittsburgh Pinball League wasn’t all bad — Cromwell ended
up marrying that boy, Doug Polka, who is still involved in the city’s competitive pinball scene and the owner of the repair and rental business Pittsburgh Pinball, for which she does office management work. Polka and his business partners distribute coin-operated machines to businesses around the tristate area and, as he puts it, “make our money one quarter at a time.”
A ‘90s kid, Polka found that a few dollars could get him far if spent on pinball.
“I basically fell in love with pinball because when I would go with my family somewhere, and my mom would give me a couple bucks to go play in the arcade, I learned that, at pinball, you could win free games, and none of the other arcade games could do that,” Polka tells CP. “So I could take my two or three dollars that my mom gave
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Connie Stauber plays a Batman-themed pinball machine at Pinball Perfection in West View on July 17, 2025.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Velum Fermentation's pinball machines
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Art Kreisel, right, drops off a slot machine for Dan Hosek at Pinball Perfection in West View on July 17, 2025.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Pinball Perfection in West View
me and play until she was done shopping at the mall or whatever.”
More businesses can now offer several coin-operated machines due to greatly relaxed regulations in the City of Pittsburgh, according to Polka. In 2021, the City imposed annual $150 fees for each machine. In 2022, the City wiped out that fee.
“A lot of places put stuff like that in place because the coin-op industry had a lot of connections to organized crime, because it was an easy way to clean money,” Polka says.
Hosek expands on this, saying that, as far back as the 1950s, pinball equated to gambling.
“You could put your whole paycheck in this game to win extra balls, to buy extra balls,” Hosek says. “And it’s two randomizers, so it could be 10 dollars to buy a second fucking extra ball. Ten bucks back in the day, you might have made $22 for a week’s pay.”
Pinball Perfection merges the now and then of pinball, and Hosek keeps up with the latest machines in the scene. But he also has a strong connection to the pastime’s bygone days.
When asked if he’s nostalgic, Hosek laughs and facetiously says “no.”
“Of course I am,” he says. “I think that’s half my problem, I can’t let go of things.” •
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Pinball Perfection in West View PINBURGH
SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH
BY CP STAFF
THU., JULY 24
MUSIC • BURGETTSTOWN
Times like these call for a little nostalgic soft rock, and The Pavilion at Star Lake is more than happy to deliver. Toto, Christopher Cross, and Men At Work join forces to chill out audiences with hits that helped define the 1980s, including “Africa,” “Sailing,” “Who Can It Be Now?,” and more. Don’t miss these giants of mellow music during this special event. 6:45 p.m. 665 PA-18, Burgettstown. Tickets start at $55. burgettstowntheater.com
MUSIC/PARTY •
DOWNTOWN
Mad About Movies with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 7 p.m. Heinz Hall. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $25 pittsburghsymphony.org
FILM • DOWNTOWN
International Art
House Classics: Stray Dog 7:30 p.m.
Continues on Sat., July 26. Harris Theater. 809 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $10-13. trustarts.org
SAT., JULY 26
TALK/TOUR • RANKIN
Homestead 1892: Exploring the Lockout and Strike with The Frick Pittsburgh and Rivers of Steel 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Carrie Blast Furnaces. 801 Carrie Furnace Blvd., Rankin. $30-55. thefrickpittsburgh.org
MARKET • LAWRENCEVILLE
Lawrenceville Vintage Market 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Lawrenceville Market House. 4112 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Free. instagram.com/ lvmarkethouse
FESTIVAL • SOUTH SIDE
Goat Fest. 12-4 p.m. Arlington Ballfield. 2000 Julia St., South Side. Free. All ages. fosspark.org/goatfest2025
PARTY • STRIP DISTRICT
This Ain’t Texas Block Party. 12-8 p.m. Coop De Ville. 2305 Smallman St., Strip District. Free. instagram.com/coopdevillepgh
FRI., JULY 25
ART • DOWNTOWN
Downtown comes alive with free activities, new exhibitions, and more when the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents its latest Gallery Crawl. Create collage masterpieces, attend opening receptions at various galleries, and check out the Art Mart, a oneday-only pop-up fair featuring prints, comics, ceramics, and more. Stay late , a showcase of techno, experimental, house, and avant-garde music at Wood 3 p.m.-12 a.m. Multiple locations, Downtown. Free. crawl.trustarts.org
THUR., JULY24
PARTY • POINT BREEZE
Summer Fridays at the Frick: Make Music Pittsburgh 5 p.m. The Frick Pittsburgh. 7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze. Free or $5 suggested donation. All ages. thefrickpittsburgh.org
FESTIVAL/MUSIC • CHESWICK
The Kip London Memorial Pittsburgh Blues and Roots Festival. 7 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 27. Pittsburgh Shrine Center. 1877 Shriners Way, Cheswick. $35-60. pghbluesfestival.com
MUSIC • MIDLAND
Pure Black and Gold Oldies: Doo-Wop and Pop 7:30 p.m. Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center. One Lincoln Park, Midland. $18-25. lincolnparkarts.org
FILM • DOWNTOWN
Day of the Dead 40th Anniversary Screening. 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 27. Harris Theater. 809 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $17. trustarts.org
BURLESQUE • STRIP DISTRICT
The Dog Penn After Dark: Furlesque with The Velvet Hearts. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. The Dog Penn. 2614 Penn Ave., Strip District. $15-60. Vaccinated dogs permitted. instagram. com/velvetheartsentertainment
MARKET • ALLENTOWN
Undead Format Fest Vendor and Swap Fair. 1 p.m. Bottlerocket Social Hall. 1226 Arlington Ave., Allentown. Free. bottlerocketpgh.com
DANCE • NORTH SIDE
Legacy Arts Project presents Dance Africa: A Moment In Time. 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Continues through Sat., July 27. New Hazlett Theater. Six Allegheny Square East, North Side. $35-60. newhazletttheater.org
PHOTO: COURTESY FO TAURUS ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY
Day of the Dead 40th Anniversary Screening at Harris Theater
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE SHYNE NETWORK Legacy Arts Project presents Dance Africa: A Moment In Time at New Hazlett Theater
PHOTO: COURTESY OF 21ST CENTURY ARTISTS, INC. Christopher Cross at The Pavilion at Star Lake
PARTY • MILLVALE
Enbeatz presents Sad Horny Angry and Indie Sleaze 7 p.m. Harold’s Haunt. 142 Grant Ave., Millvale. $10 after 9 p.m. queerwitches.com/pages/events
MUSIC • BLOOMFIELD
Slow Mass, Edhochuli, and Genital Shame. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Brillobox. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $15. brilloboxpgh.com
SUN., JULY 27
OUTDOORS • LAWRENCEVILLE/ STRIP DISTRICT
OpenStreetsPGH: Lawrenceville and the Strip District. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Multiple locations, Lawrenceville and Strip District. Free. All ages. openstreetspgh.org
MARKET • SOUTH SIDE
Find that special second-hand something when Velum Fermentation hosts Days Gone By: A Vintage and Creator Market
Presented by The Closet PGH and Monarch Studios, the event features more than 30 local vendors selling vintage clothing, memorabilia, jewelry, antiques, art, and more. Shoppers can also get new ink from Kült Tiny Tattoo Studio, enjoy food and bevvies, and more. 12-6 p.m. 2120 Jane St., South Side. Free. All ages. velumfermentation.com/events
OUTDOORS • OBSERVATORY HILL
Galactic Family Adventure Day 4-10 p.m. Riverview Park Visitor’s Center. One Riverview Ave., Observatory Hill. Free. All ages. pittsburghparks.org
MUSIC • NEW KENSINGTON
Show Me The Body with No Guard and NYC Shootout 6 p.m. Preserving Underground. 1101 Fifth Ave., New Kensington. $28.97. preservingconcerts.com
MON., JULY 28
FILM • NORTH SIDE
Ocean Paradise 12:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Continues through Sept. 1. Carnegie Science Center. One Allegheny Ave., North Side. $8-10. carnegiesciencecenter.org
TUE., JULY 29
TALK • STRIP DISTRICT
Scheana Shay: My Good Side Tour (A Live Memoir Experience). 7:30 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. City Winery. 1627 Smallman St., Strip District. $40-60. citywinery.com/pittsburgh
MUSIC • GARFIELD
Pyre with ruth e. toothless and I Love You, I Love You 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Mr. Roboto Project. 5106 Penn Ave., Garfield. $12. therobotoproject.com
WED., JULY 30
LIT • ALLISON PARK
Riverstone Books and Mystery Lovers
Bookshop present An Evening with Author Shari Lapena 6:30 p.m. Hampton Community Center. 3200 Lochner Way, Allison Park. $7.13. mysterylovers.com
MUSIC • MILLVALE
Maria, etc…, Julianna Warner, and Jennica Tamler. 7:30 p.m. Poetry Lounge. 313 North Ave., Millvale. $5. poetrymillvale.com
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE SHYNE NETWORK Legacy Arts Project presents Dance Africa: A Moment In Time at New Hazlett Theater
MARKET PLACE
SERVICES
Piano with Kate Virtual lessons $30/half hour. 10 years of experience, excellent references. Have experience teaching ages 4-adult! Email kate.oczypok@gmail.com for more info!
HELP WANTED AUTOMATION QA ENGINEERS
Pittsburgh, PA & various unanticipated locations throughout U.S.: Invlv in test strtgy prep, test plan dvlpmt, case crtn, exectn & bug trckg. Excut & test client server arch & webbsd apps. Dvlp automtn scrpt for IOS, Android apps u/ Appium, Java. Bld accptnc drvn auto u/ robot frmwrk & python. Implmt sw test auto frmwrk to dvlp test scrpts u/ Selenium WebDriver (TestNG). Crt test pplns u/ Jenkins & Maven. Prfm Smoke, Functional, Regression, Cross Browser & UAT to ensure sys adheres to req’d specs. Master’s in Sci, Tech, or Engg (any) is req’d. Mail resume: HR, iMinds Technology Systems, Inc. 1145 Bowerhill Rd, Ste 102, Pittsburgh, PA 15243
HELP WANTED CHARGE SCENIC ARTIST/SHOP/ PROPS MANAGER (ADJUNCT
FACULTY)
Seton Hill University has a part-time temporary opening for a Charge Scenic Artist/Shop/Props Manager. This position is responsible for all of the properties and painting elements for each production for the Department of Theatre & Dance, while overseeing student workers in the PAC Scene Shop which includes the Paint/ Props Shop labs. They monitor all work for safety and quality and encourage student workers to expand skill sets allowing them to grow into leadership roles in the production process and oversee work study and enrolled students engaged in carpentry, scenic painting, props work and manage the operation of the paint and prop areas. The hours will occur during the traditional undergraduate semesters, including exam week, and one week prior to the semester’s start. Total hours would be in the range of 25 hours per week, for 16 weeks. Those interested should apply at careers.setonhill.edu.
HELP WANTED
GLOBAL KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER & SALES MANAGER COATINGS & DISTRIBUTION NA LANXESS Corp. seeks a Global Key Account Manager & Sales Manager Coatings & Distribution NA in Pittsburgh, PA to manage the Global Key accounts and an Int’l Account in all regions (NA, LATAM, EMEA, APAC). BS Business, Int’l Business, Chem Eng, Chemistry or rel field, 3 yrs exp and special skills reqd. Remote work available from Pittsburgh metro area. To apply send resume to deena.sterry@lanxess.com
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 880 Saw Mill Run Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15226, August 6, 2025, at 1:15 PM. Eric Kimbo 1094, Kevin Fancher 1141, Melissa McGhee 2045, Clayton Holloway 2060, Shatera Linnen 2168, Jemel Potter 2201, Floyd Allen 3066, Paul Curges 3157. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s Lien at the location indicated: 3200 Park Manor Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on August 6, 2025 at 1:00pm. 1067 Mitchell George; 1182 Karina Ott; 2068 Munavvar Mardiqulov; 2274 Elias Kazas; 3004 Nicholas Kouvaras; 3275 Shaun Kantz; 4020 Shaun Kantz. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 141 N Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh PA, 15208 on August 6th, 2025 at 11:00 AM. 1027 Lanita Rankins, 1039 Khalil Ridgely, 1108A Chris Rudd, 2066 Natausha Davenport, 2100 Maurice Anderson, 2213A Yvette Hernandez, 3188A Aaron Gittings, 4040 Kevin Tyler, 6070 Tamar Reed. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a Public Auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extras Space’s lien at the location indicated: 902 Brinton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 on August 6th , 2025 at 11:30am. Sil Won 3127, Dominique Chrisler 2199A, Davina Young 2086, LeeAnn Hlavac 2002. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse and bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the property
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 111 Hickory Grade Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017, August 6, 2025 at 12:30 pm. Andrew Henry 1033, Alex Shaffer 3069, Heather Davidson 3220, Liana Sittler 3361. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.
Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 110 Kisow Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15205. August 6, 2025 at 11:15AM. Reginald Irish 280, Clifford Monegan 330, Lawrence Gelormini 317, Terrance Berry 304. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.
Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 6400 Hamilton Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206. August 6, 2025 at 1:45 PM. Marla Glover-1031, Lehta Robinson-2090, Alexander Mazen-4021, John Spriggs-4028, Cassiee Russell-4051, Emotions Whitfield-5073, Sherrie Wadley-L088. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 700 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. August 6, 2025 at 12:15 PM. 135 Alexandria Wilson. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.
Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: NO. GD-25-006873, In re petition of Hsin Ming Chao, change of name to David Hsin-Ming Chao. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 20th day of August, 2025, at 9:30 a.m, as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for
APARTMENTS FOR RENT IN PITTSBURGH
For more information on the available properties and locations, please contact us at 412-626-6111.
ESTATE NOTICE
ESTATE OF WENNERSTEN, DONALD, A, DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA No. 022403207 of 2024. Lisa Wennersten Extr. 406 Caruthers Lane, N. Huntingdon, PA 15642 or to Panza Legal Services (Atty. Kari Panza). 454 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA, 15229
ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF TORLIDAS, THEODORE A/K/A TORLIDAS, THEODORE ANGELO, DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA No. 022504277 of 2025. Iphigenia Torlidas and Maria Reina Extr. 5821 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232.
We are an equal rights and opportunity school district. RFQ/P is available at the Pittsburgh Public Schools website, https://www.pghschools.org/community/ business-opportunities/rfps or by email request to LFornataro1@pghschools.org, at no charge.
PERSONALS
White male, 56, health conscious, non-smoker, non-drinker. I’m very caring, talkative and loving. I enjoy oldies, nature, animal-lover. The simple things in life make me happy. Desire a girl with similar interest. 412-781-5989, best time 7p.m.-8:30p.m.
PERSONALS
A happy guy who loves good food, great conversation, and even better company — just looking for someone who enjoys the same interests! Give me a call at 412-313-4320 —and if I miss your call, leave a message and I’ll get back to you soon!
“BEAT THAT”
BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM
ACROSS
1. Sells steeply
7. Alpha bro 11. Future exec’s deg. 14. Along with everything else
15. Debt, so to speak 16. Dinghy propeller
17. Words of permission
18. Start of a quote by Stephen King 20. Standing near home, say 21. The Storting’s nat. 22. “I’m game for anything”
48. President nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready”
50. What to do
52. Quote, part 4
58. Lovebird noises
60. It looks good on paper
61. Cut from the script?
62. End of the quote
64. “This doesn’t look good!”
65. Silent
66. Spice rack selection
67. Shortly
11. Place for a dip on the side of the highway
12. Thai cabbage
13. One of the Twelve Olympians
19. ___ Alderson (Mr. Robot protagonist)
24. Crude dudes
25. “Mos def”
26. “Totes adorbs”
29. Mode who says “No capes!”
30. Colored
31. Quick as a wink
32. Sailing
41. “Swans Reflecting Elephants” painter
44. Fish eggs
46. Swim meet assignment
49. Cancel, as a law
51. The former New Tokyo International Airport
53. Home Alone actor 54. Executed, as a contract
55. “At Seventeen” singer Ian
56. “I can help”
57. Zero things
23. Quote, part 2 27. Bank take back 28. Navigated through Tinder
31. Red tape and pork, e.g.
34. Takes some time off
37. Animated cowboy of movies
38. Starting from 40. Quote, part 3
42. Essay’s vibe
43. Title with a tilde
45. One of three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star Game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year
47. Boy from Birmingham
68. Inits. on an inner tube
69. Lost traction
70. It may contain a sugar bowl
DOWN
1. “Let me get in there,” from a doctor
2. Bennie
3. Uzo of Painkiller
4. Actress with a patent
5. Slab of vinyl
6. Really sneaky
7. Items in a hutch
8. Hostess treats similar to Swiss rolls
9. Smartphone settings
10. Video game maker, for short
33. Longtime guitarist for Black Sabbath
35. Element #50
36. Had a nap
39. Sociable and friendly
58. Album with tracks from lots of different artists
59. Real hardship
63. X words, for short?
64. Spot on the face
READERS’ POLL 2025 TO NOMINATE!
BEST OF PGH nominations are only open till July 26th! It’s your last chance to show some love to your favorite local spots and the incredible people in your life! Check back in for the voting round on Aug. 1st!
