Observatory Hill

A Park-Like Setting
Observatory Hill features many stately homes with large yards in a wide range of architectural styles bordering Riverview Park. Today, families and individuals are restoring these historic homes to their original splendor. Convenient to Interstate 279, residents are just five minutes from downtown Pittsburgh and the McKnight Road shopping area.

Something for Everyone
Riverview Park, a favored attraction for residents, features tennis courts, horse and bike trails, a ball field, picnic groves, a super playground, swimming pool, and the Allegheny Observatory, after which the community is named. People occasionally glimpse deer and wild turkeys while jogging, walking, biking, walking pets, and meeting their neighbors there.

The houses, of Observatory Hill come in all shapes and sizes, from magnificently restored mansions to charming, craftsman style bungalows. Residents are proud of the mix of long-time and new residents, and the many skilled and professional workers of various ethnic backgrounds.

A quaint business district also serves residents. Educational institutions in the neighborhood include Byzantine Catholic Seminary; Perry, a magnet high school; and Incarnation Academy, a K-8 Catholic elementary school with a progressive teaching method. Its churches include Riverview United Presbyterian Church, Incarnation of the Lord Parish, Mt. Zion Luthern Church and the Pittsburgh Chinese Church.

A Splendid Past
At the turn of the century, this was home to some of the City of Allegheny's wealthy business owners, bankers and industrialists. Many lived in mansions overlooking Riverview Park, an area still referred to as "Judges Row". A trolley service shuttled residents to the City of Allegheny. In 1894, Samuel Watson, namesake of Watson Boulevard and Watson's Cabin in Riverview Park, sold the land which became Riverview Park to the City of Allegheny.

Today, Observatory Hill is home to nearly 5,000 residents. Caring neighbors and Observatory Hill, Inc., a community development corporation, drives current housing iniatives, development, and historic renovation.

Community Involment and Pride
In the spring of the year, the Observatory Hill House Tour draws thousands of people to see the renovated mansions. Summer Movies in the Park program offers free entertainment to residents gathered on the hill in front of the Observatory.

For information on homes for sale by the Observatory Hill, Inc. click here

For more information, please contact:
Observatory Hill, Inc. (412) 231-2887
P.O. Box 7651
Pittsburgh, PA 15214

Northside Leadership Conference (412) 231-4714
North Side Chamber of Commerce (412) 231-6500

Sponsored by Councilwoman Barbara Burns through the Neighborhood Needs Program