North Shore Riverfront Park
Encyclopedia
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
s across from Downtown Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a parcel of Three Rivers Park
Three Rivers Park
Three Rivers Park is an urban waterfront park along the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The park, under development since 2000, is intended to be a landmark that will join Frick Park, Schenley Park, Highland Park, Riverview Park, and Grand View Scenic Byway Park...
, the city's urban waterfront park along its rivers that provides a continuous green trail link between existing and future riverfront destinations. It is owned by the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County
Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County
The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County is a municipal authority that owns and operates public sports and entertainment venues in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and the City of Pittsburgh...
Established in 2001, North Shore Riverfront Park stretches about one mile (1.6 km) between the Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center
The Carnegie Science Center, located in the Chateau neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened in 1991.With a history that dates to October 24, 1939, the Carnegie Science Center is the most visited museum in Pittsburgh...
and the Three Sisters
Three Sisters (Pittsburgh)
A suspension bridge works by hanging a roadway from cables or chains under tension. Though a few unstiffened suspension bridges exist, a longitudinal stiffening truss or girder is usually added to prevent excessive movement of the deck. The cables pass over towers and are anchored at both ends...
bridges—Roberto Clemente Bridge
Roberto Clemente Bridge
The Roberto Clemente Bridge, also known as the Sixth Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, Andy Warhol Bridge
Andy Warhol Bridge
Andy Warhol Bridge, also known as the Seventh Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is the only bridge in the United States named for a visual artist....
, and Rachel Carson Bridge
Rachel Carson Bridge
Rachel Carson Bridge, also known as the Ninth Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Named for the naturalist Rachel Carson, a Pittsburgh native, it is one of three parallel bridges called The Three Sisters, the others being the Roberto Clemente Bridge and the...
. The park, which also skirts Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
and PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
, offers walking and biking trails with unobstructed vistas of the cityscape.
The park is designed with both a riverwall and riverwalk, which create a trail along the water’s edge. Boat tie-ups are located along the park to encourage water recreation. In front of each stadium is a large cobblestone quay that handles canoes and kayaks, as well as larger vessels that usually transport sports fans.
A second park level includes large open spaces of grass and native landscaping, crossed by paths running in a southwest direction, mimicking the river. The largest of these panels, called the Great Lawn, is approximately three acres of grass. An esplanade runs at the top level of the park and features a broad walkway.
Other features include Kayak Pittsburgh, the Water Steps (an interactive fountain), and the Market Street Pier. North Shore Riverfront Park also houses three memorials: the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
The park is a project of the Pittsburgh Sports & Exhibition Authority with help from the Riverlife Task Force.