Gooski's was where all the cool punks hung out when I first moved to Pittsburgh, but I've heard through the grapevine that it's lately become popular with the wrong kind of skinheads.

That's easier than it sounds, though. A lot of private contractors are booked solid, they don't return calls, and they don't want to do a smaller job. At least with a company like Molyneaux, there's more accountability than with the guy that your neighbor's cousin recommended.

I see those commercials for the West Shore bathtub replacement in a day, and am tempted, because even if it's more expensive, it just seems easier. I'm not handy, and I don't want my only bathroom torn up for a week.

I was going to say the Carnegie Library, but it looks like the latest some branches are open is 7pm. I don't how the security is at the universities and if a non-affiliate can just walk in and grab a spot, but their libraries are open later.

If they like sports, the Heinz History Center in the Strip has a sports museum as part of their collections. It's also a pretty solid local history museum with hands-on/interactive displays that probably wouldn't be too deadly for preteens.

I'm wondering too, if the OP means "downtown" as in the Golden Triangle, or "downtown" as in the city in general. Some people who live further out talk about anything relatively urban as "downtown."

We've never left Pittsburgh outside of our annual vacation to Myrtle Beach.

There's always the guy who randomly screams the name of the most popular song, as if it's not going to be the encore. I doubt many acts change their set lists because of some drunk in the balcony.