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FeedHave It Your Way, 'Burgher Kings (and Queens)
Living. Working. In the 'Burgh.
Illustration by Patrick Neil
As the formerly anonymous PittGirl, writing The Burgh Blog,that phrase was actually a large portion of my extremely brief bio. Being anonymous, I couldn't reveal much - that I had children, that I was married, or who my employer was. Instead I went with a general description designed to give away nothing of importance.
Living. Working. In the 'Burgh.
Not long after revealing my identity roughly a year ago, I saw a comment on Twitter that basically said, "Call me crazy, but I thinkPittGirl should at least live in Pittsburgh."
And that's where it began for me. That was the first time I realized that there are some 'Burghers who don't feel as if I can really consider myself a Pittsburgher if I'm not living within the city limits, or at the very least, inside the county line. That I certainly can't call myself a 'Burgher while living (gasp!) 5 miles from the county line (horrifying zombie-movie scream.)
I brushed that Tweet off and carried on. You are a 'Burgher, I told myself:
You have never worked anywhere but downtown Pittsburgh, except for that summer stint in high school when you worked in (gasp!) Monroeville (horrifiying prom-massacre-movie scream.) You own a restaurant in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. You can name every bridge. You can give out-of-towners directions to their desired destinations in a way that allows them to completely avoid the sight of an orange cone-and that takes serious 'Burgh-smarts. You have kicked enough 'Burgh pigeons that they know your name in the pigeon-hood, and they call you 'Burgh-Satan.
But that little Tweet didn't end it. Here and there, small comments appeared on my blog hinting that I shouldn't care about Pittsburgh's mayor if I can't even vote for him.
Then, following his medical scares, Poison singer Bret Michaels appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," the Holy Grail of worldwide awareness, and proudly called himself a "Pittsburghian." OK, give him half a gold star for that word, but a million more gold stars for considering himself a 'Burgher! Yes! (Opening chord to Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" rock-concert scream.)
But some readers of my blog begged to differ. "He's not a 'Burgher; he was born in (gasp!) Butler." ("The call is coming from inside the house!" movie scream.)
Just a few weeks later, I referred to Quaker Valley High School graduate and Hollywood actor Wentworth Miller, who still visits the city once a year as "Pittsburgh's own." In a post I was immediately reprimanded me with, "He was born in England, raised in Brooklyn and spent one year in Pittsburgh. Bit of a stretch to call him a 'Burgher."
Then I mentioned on my Pittsburgh magazine blog that I just discovered a Thai restaurant and was criticized by, "It's been open for three years. I suppose it is hard to keep your finger on the culinary pulse of the city when you live in Westmoreland County."
And that's when I was all, "Forehead, meet desk."
When did Pittsburgh become elitist? When did we start having rules for the classification of a 'Burgher?
You can't be a 'Burgher if you live outside Allegheny County, the haters say.
You can't be a 'Burgher if you lived here two years but then moved to Arizona.
You can't be a 'Burgher if you lived here for 20 years and then moved to California 15 years ago and have never set a toenail in the city since.
You can't be a 'Burgher if you reside more than 1 mile outside the county line.
I beg to differ.
You, Bret Michaels, are a 'Burgher. You, Wentworth Miller, are a 'Burgher—who should call me.
I'm a 'Burgher; they're 'Burghers. Would you like to be a 'Burgher, too? Wish granted.
I have long said that being a 'Burgher isn't about real estate; it is a state of mind. Regardless of where you live, whether it is right smack in the center of the 15222 ZIP code or on the outskirts of the 15235, if you've been shaped by the city of Pittsburgh-its culture, its sports teams, its employers, its universities or its rivers-you have my permission to call yourself a 'Burgher.
If you sleep in 15146 but work in 15219: 'Burgher.
If your child goes to school in 15642 but you own a business in 15213: 'Burgher.
If you live and work in 90210, but live and die by the score of the Steelers' game: 'Burgher.
If you live in 75703 but left your heart in 15222: 'Burgher.
Now don't get me wrong. If Prince Charles wakes up tomorrow, throws on a Troy Polamalu jersey and holds a press conference to say, "I ahm a Pittsburgh-ah, n'at," I'm going to call shenanigans on him.
But otherwise, it pleases me that people want to associate themselves with this wonderful city. I'm not going to slam the door on Bret Michaels or Wentworth Miller or Dennis Miller, and I'm not going to slam the door on you.
Not even if you live in (gasp!) Philadelphia. ("Oh, sweet Lord, he's got a chainsaw!" movie scream.)
Reader Comments:
"If you sleep in 15146 but work in 15219: 'Burgher."
Are you stalking me? Because if so, I'm okay with that!
What if you own a property within the city limits that you haven't lived in for ten (because you reside in the suburbs) and use that address as your residence so your child can attend CAPA?
Ten years, that is.
I grew up in L.A., moved the the 'Burgh when I was 20, stayed for 5 years, then moved again & still refer to Pgh. as my home and myself as a 'Burgher. I grew up (figuratively), got married, owned a home & went to college in Pittsburgh; I bleed black & gold and always feel warmth in my heart when I pop out of the Fort Pitt tunnel and into view of the incredible skyline, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm more of a 'Burgher than many others.
Being a 'Burgher is something in your soul, not in your zipcode.
*waves* That's me! Although I don't live there (nor will be going to college there, but that's a whole different story of how PA's state schools make me want to punch a pigeon or two), I still love that city more than any other city in the USA. Most of my family lives (as you would say, gasp!)40 minutes south in Washington County, but when I have to describe it to someone, I say "near Pittsburgh," and that suffices. I live and breathe Steelers season, I follow happenings that go on closely because (gasp!) even though I don't live there, I care about the place and want to see it thrive. So I don't live there. So sue me!
P.S. Ginny, you are one HELL (pardon my French, but it was seriously needed there) of a 'Burgher. You're more of one than me, I'd bet you're more of one than half of the 'Burghers who actually live within the city limits...and honestly, I personally rate you as more of a 'Burgher than most (if not all) of those who RUN Pittsburgh. You care about that place more than anybody I know - enough to call things out about it that are wrong, but enough to always find the positives about the place as well. You do a crap-ton of good for that city, they should be HONORED to call you a 'Burgher. :)
-Michelle D.
Who the heck wants to admit they actually have the right to vote in A) the city of Pittsburgh B) Allegheny County ????
With this (and past) slate of crooks, idiots, crooks??
I've gotta say I side with Anonymous #1 here and say that there are exceptions to this rule *cough*santorum*cough*, and I would even go as far to say, yeah, if you don't live in the city limits, you can call yourself a "'Burgher", but you're not FROM PITTSBURGH. You may be from the Pittsburgh area, you may be a Pittsburgher, but you lack that added je n'sais quoi that comes with living IN the city. I think it's a little unfair to say that people who lived here a long time ago but gave up on the place have as much "pittsburgh" in them as Nana on Polish Hill who's lived here all 86 years of her life.
I'm a college student who's lived in ^1 Pittsburgh all my life, and yet I know that it's presumptuous of me to parade around like I own the place when I don't go to college here, and because of that, it irritates me when others transgress like that. It boils down to experience. If you haven't lived that life, don't try and tell people who /have/ lived it what it's like. By all means, brag to outsiders about our magnificent city ^2, but please don't brag to ME about it, just as I wouldn't brag to Nana on Polish Hill about it.
^1 Bloomfield all 20 years, baby
^2 Keep doing this! Please! We love this city, and the world should, too.
can we at least slam the door on Sienna Miller?
You are a 'Burger. I am a 'Burger. I was just on vacation in Atlantic City and saw over five people wearing Steeler "gear" I asked them if they were from Pittsburgh and they all replied yes and when I said I also was they opened up about the REAL town they were from.
If you bleed black and gold you are a 'Burgher! (Although, I'm pretty excited to say that I live in the same county as PittGirl! Squee!)
I'm proud to say I'm one of those people who can't stand people saying they are from Pittsburgh or they are a Pittsburgher or whatever other reference they want to use, when they live outside of the city limits and/or want nothing to do with living in the city. I live in the city and don't even consider myself a "Pittsburgher", but rather, a resident of the City of Pittsburgh.
If you're so proud to say you're from Pittsburgh, if you want to "wrap it up in your arms" like you say on your blog.....if you even half heartedly consider running for mayor, then why not move to the city you supposedly love so much? You've even mentioned you've never heard of certain city neighborhoods.