Where to stay for a PNC Park visit

North Shore: TSI’s Top Lodging Zone for a PNC Park visit

Distance to ballpark: directly across the street
What’s there: PNC Park, Acrisure Stadium, Rivers Casino, Carnegie Science Center, bars, restaurants, breweries, Stage AE concert venue

The North Shore is just that — the north shore of the Allegheny River, right across the bridge from downtown Pittsburgh. It’s home to both PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium (home of the Steelers), as well as a bunch of bars, restaurants, and other things to do in between the two stadiums.

If convenience is your main priority, then there’s no question that the North Shore is the choice for you. At any of the four hotels that immediately border the ballpark, you’ll be less than a five minute walk to the gates, and then just a few more minutes to your seat. And you’ll be able to pop out of your hotel room and hit all of the pregame and postgame spots as well. There are some great bars with fantastic outdoor spaces, and you’ll see a ton of locals as well, because this is where they hang out.

For even more to do, Rivers Casino and Hotel is about a 15 minute walk away, and even though it isn’t exactly Caesars Palace in Vegas, it’s got a lot of going on.

But note: with the bars comes a lot of people… and noise. This is an area that is always buzzing when baseball is going on, so if you’re not interested in the crowds and the noise, this may not be the spot for you.

Pros

• Right at the ballpark, no transit required
• Very safe area
• Lots to do before and after the game
• Easiest for seeing a game on the same day that you’re traveling
• All of the hotels here have free breakfast and reasonable parking rates

Cons

• Hotels can be a little pricier on game days
• Lots of crowds, noisy

Downtown Pittsburgh

Distance to field: from .3 to 1.5 miles
What’s there: Market Square, Point Park, Strip District, PPG Paints Arena (Penguins), theaters, Duquesne University, local bars & restaurants.

Downtown Pittsburgh is comprised of everything north of the Monongahela River and south of the Allegheny River, and is where both home and work are for many Pittsburghers. So when you’re staring out of PNC Park across the Allegheny River, you’re staring at downtown Pittsburgh. And like other mid-sized cities, it’s made up of “districts” rather than distinct towns. 

To the west is Point Park, home to the historic Fort Pitt and where you’ll find most of the green space in the city. To the east of that is Market Square, where you’ll find hotels, bars, and restaurants, including the famous (but not the original) Primanti Brothers sandwich shop.

The center of downtown is the business district, where amongst the typical corporate skyscrapers you’ll find many of the city’s best hotels. Still moving east is the Cultural District, which is the artsy side of Pittsburgh. Along Penn Ave, you’ll pass performing arts centers that host various types of shows. 

Even further east is the Strip District. The Strip, as us Pittsburghers call it, is a great local neighborhood with a variety of shops, bars, and restaurants, including the original Primanti Brothers. 

In terms of where to stay, most of the hotels in the downtown district will be located in the center of downtown and around Market Square. There’s a variety of options, including most of the names you’d know, and most will be within walking distance to PNC Park, or within walking distance of a light rail station that can connect you to the ballpark.

The Light Rail provides free transportation to the North Shore and has two main stations downtown: Gateway and Wood St Station. The ride from Downtown to North Shore takes about 10 minutes from either of these stations, while the walk over the bridge is between 10 and 25 minutes depending on where you are coming from. If you’d rather walk, then it may be a better idea to pick a hotel that is closer to the Clemente Bridge.

Pros

• Free transportation via light rail
• Less crowded than North Shore
• Hotel rates may be cheaper
• Closer to areas like the Strip District, which is fun to check out, and Primanti Bros, which is way better in the restaurant than it is at the ballpark.

Cons

• The light rail can be pretty busy on game days, so you might have to wait for the next train. 
• Homelessness. There’s someone with a sign at just about every street corner. Violence isn’t a concern, it’s just an unfortunate reality in the city.

Station Square

Distance to the PNC Park: 1.5 miles, accessible by light rail or ferry
What’s there: Sheraton, Gateway Clipper (ferry), Highmark Stadium (USL Soccer), Hard Rock Cafe, various restaurants.

Station Square is located in the South Side of Pittsburgh, which is south of the Monongahela River. It encompasses a few blocks of restaurants and is primarily for dining, as there isn’t much nightlife or shopping along this strip. 

In terms of lodging, the only hotel here is the Sheraton Pittsburgh hotel, which has been a staple of this spot since 1981. But while the hotel is perfectly safe, with a great glass wall lobby that faces downtown, the Station Square area (and the area to the south of downtown in general) are dicey in terms of safety. There have been recent shootings and violence in this area that has prompted greater police attention. 

While it wouldn’t be an area I would frequent on my own, on game days there are a lot of people around, making it less likely that anything negative should happen. 

As for getting to the ballpark, you can take the light rail from Station Square to PNC Park.  But note: because this stop is outside of the free downtown transit zone, each ride will cost you $2.75. But it’s quick (10 minutes once you’re on the train) and easy (it’s just a 10 minute walk from the Sheraton to the station, and less than a five minute walk from the North Shore Station to the ballpark.)

But another option is the ferry! The Gateway Clipper runs from the South Station Dock right outside of the Sheraton and docks about a three minute walk away from the back entrance to PNC Park. Service starts 1.5 hours before first pitch, and returns to the South Side from the 7th inning up to 30 minutes after the game .

If you’re taking the ferry during daylight hours, it’s a really nice tourist experience. You’ll pass right by the PIttsburgh skyline, and also by Acrisure Stadium. At night, you obviously won’t be able to see as much, so at that point it just becomes more about transit. The fare is $8 one way, and $15 round trip, so it’s more than taking the light rail ($2.75 each way), but kids six and under are free. A rideshare from the hotel to the ballpark could cost as little as $15, or as much as $40 … it’s hard to gauge with variables like rush hour and gameday traffic. So it’s all about the type of experience you want and what price you’re comfortable with.  

(Editor’s note: I’ve stayed at Station Square several times over the years, and have never had a problem.  But it’s been a few years, and lots of things have changed post-Covid. I would suggest that if you’re staying at the Sheraton, and taking either a rideshare or the ferry to/from the ballpark, there’s not a lot of reason to worry. The safety issue might come on the walk from the hotel to the light rail station, which is a little sketchy at night due to the lack of adequate lighting and a missing sidewalk. But a rideshare usually won’t cost a lot of money, and the ferry is a flat fare, so if one of those works for you, Station Square should be fine.) 

Pros

• The ferry is a fun way to experience the city!

Cons

• The Light Rail is not free from South Station
• Safety is an issue after dark