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ZOE LUCKY'S GUIDE TO OAKLAND
Pittsburgh, PA, is a jewel and Oakland is its shining stone. I hope you will visit Oakland, the cultural suburb and home of the University of Pittsburgh. Is is a remarkably charming town filled with Gothic cathedrals, libraries, museums, concert halls, mansions and memorials built by the captains of industry such as Carnegie, Mellon, Westinghouse, Heinz and Frick) and the people of Pittsburgh. Oakland is a treat to tired eyes and minds and makes one want to forget the major US cities that invite much press and bring little warmth to the soul. By the way, Oakland was named for its towering oak trees that line most of its streets. How can you surpass that for grandeur.
Oakland is not a 'high-fallutin' town, so it has its share of joints and 'hang-out bars.' Don't miss the wonderful cafes and ethnic restaurants sharing treats ranging from Chinese, Japanese, Thiland, African and Indian to Polish brauts, cheese-stuffed hot dogs and just 'like Momma used to make' hamburgers and meatloaf.
Because of Carol Coffey's love of 'The Burg' (Pittsburgh, PA), ZOE LUCKY and the Green Gables' Mystery is set in her favorite suburb, Oakland.
Carol Coffey, the author of the book, Zoe Lucky and the Green Gables' Mystery, attended TAM O'SHANTER Art Classes at the Carnegie Library of Oakland from grade school through high school. After classes she and classmates would roam the library, museums and music hall of the Carnegie Complex. The University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning being right around the corner, they would visit the exotic nationality rooms, search for hidden passageways and peek at the peregrine falcon's nest outside the top steeple.
It was natural for Carol to bring Oakland to light in her book,
ZOE LUCKY and the Green Gables' Mystery.
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Cathedral of Learning
Cathedral of Learning , the 46-story high gothic structure on the main campus of PITT - University of Pittsburgh.
THE MANY SECRETS IN THE CATHEDRAL
* On the 40th floor a pair of Peregrine Falcons builds their nest that overlooks the Oakland area. Usually in the spring of the year there are new hatchings.
* The Croghan-Schenley Ballroom on the first floor has a hidden passageway through its fireplace to connect the rooms.
* The Early American Classroom has its own ghostly presence who awaits your visit. You may notice its shadow in the picture you home to show your relatives and friends.
* The Nationality Rooms. See the African Nationality Classroom listed below. For additional information, check out Zoe Lucky's Tour of Oakland blogs to learn more about the Nationality Rooms.
 to the Cathedral of Learning Nationality Rooms VR Tour!
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Art museums, history centers, prestigious universities, grand architecture, quaint coffee shops, international cuisine, arcades, art cinemas, live entertainment, and two main thoroughfares all describe the hustle and bustle that is Oakland. In short, Oakland is the cultural, medical, educational, spiritual, and technological center of Pittsburgh, boasting many world-renowned institutions and attractions. Moreover, it is the entrance to the charm and natural beauties of expansive Schenley Park.
Many Oakland residents are students at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, or Carlow College, creating a diverse student/residential body that is comprised of individuals from at least 90 nations. Long considered the cultural center of Pittsburgh, Oakland also houses the Carnegie Library Main Branch, the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, Carnegie Music Hall, and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall.
If it's shopping and dining you're after, be sure to cruise the Craig Street business district. Once the sun goes down, grab your favorite beverage in one of Oakland's many nightclubs, or catch The Rocky Horror Picture Show or another classic movie at the Beehive at King's Court Theater.
Memories of Roberto Clemente and Honus Wagner remain strong in Oakland, where the outfield wall of Forbes Field still stands. The landscape is dotted with the architectural genius of Henry Hornbostel -- Rodef Shalom synagogue, and all visitors must be sure to visit Phipps Conservatory.
Fifth and Forbes avenues, Pittsburgh's two main east-west traffic arteries, pass through Oakland, with bus stops on nearly every corner. Most Oaklanders get around by bus or by foot, lending a true "city" closeness and atmosphere.
Oakland is represented by three City Council Districts: District 3(Central Oakland), District 6(parts of West & South Oakland), and
District 8(North Oakland & parts of West Oakland).
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One of the Cathedral of Learning's nationality classrooms is featured in Carol Coffey's book, Zoe Lucky and the Green Gables' Mystery. Zoe attends a class in THE AFRICAN HERITAGE CLASS ROOM with Paki (her African Grey Parrot sidekick) and Toby (her new love).
AFRICAN HERITAGE
CLASS ROOM DOOR
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Click for African music
Click below to learn more about the Classroom
Classroom History
Room Concept
Room Symbols
Click below to learn more about the Committee
About the Committee
How to Join
Scholarships
Queen Mother.
Contact us at
African Heritage Classroom Committee,
c/o Nationality Rooms,
University of Pittsburgh
Cathedral of Learning, 12th floor,
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260 Tel: 412-624-6150
Learn more about the University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms Program |
AFRICAN HERITAGE CLASSROOM
Special Noticesand Current Activities
THEHERITAGE OF AFRICA
Africa's status as the birthplace of the human race is unchallenged. Skulls millions of years old, discovered in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya, mark the dawn of mankind. Eons later, the spiritual and cultural ferment of Africa's ancient civilizations left indelible evidence of their existence.
Lower Egyptian rulers erected massive pyramids to proclaim their immortality. Rebellious Pharoah Akhenaten and his Queen Nefertiti developed the first known form of monotheism in the 13th century B.C. Farther south along the Nile, the ancient kingdom of Nubia/Kush inscribed its history on stelae and pyramids in what is now Sudan.
During the 14th century A.D., Jenne and Timbuktu in Western Africa flowered as study centers for writers and philosophers. The 16th-century kingdom of Benin, near the present-day nations of Nigeria and Togo in West Africa, gave rise to artists who fashioned superb bronze sculptures.
Across broad swatches of the continent, wood carvers created marvels of abstract design that still influence Western art. In villages throughout Africa, builders designed shelters of grace and efficiency which incorporated decorative symbols reflecting the relation of human beings to one another and to the universe.
For millennia, African scholars wrestled with cosmic mysteries and developed theories that advanced the sciences of astronomy and mathematics. The fertile talents of African poets and musicians continue to inspire the world.
To suggest the history, wealth, and diversity of African culture is the purpose of the African Heritage Classroom |
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Carnegie Library and Museum Complex
of Oakland, PA
In the Carnegie Museum, Zoe Lucky meets Dippy the Dinosaur (who watches over the outside of the museum) and Buffy the buffalo (who stands on guard in the North Amerian Gallery)
Carnegie Museum of Oakland
Carnegie Music Hall
Andrew Carnegie
Industrialist and Philanthropist
(1835 - 1919)
Andrew Carnegie
from the Pennsylvania Department, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
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OTHER REASONS TO VISIT (OAKLAND) ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING TOWNS IN THE USA
Oakland is where Dr. Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine, Dr. Thomas Starzl performed the first liver transplant, Andy Warhol spent his childhood days, where a man known as “Mr. Rogers” instilled lessons of self-confidence and compassion into generations of young television viewers and where the music of America’s great composer Stephen Foster is preserved. Here, you will find plenty of stimulation for intellectual pursuits at cultural institutions such as the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Soldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and the Miller Gallery of Carnegie Mellon University to name a few. |
Top Travel Guides call Pittsburgh a hip destination
Long considered the cultural center of Pittsburgh, Oakland is home to a variety of galleries and museums all within an easy walk from great shops and restaurants.
 Art lovers must see the collections at the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, one of the first museums built by the steel tycoon and native Pittsburgher Mr. Andrew Carnegie www.carnegiemuseums.org. A true Mecca for artistic talent, the Regina Miller Gallery millergallery.cfa.cmu.edu and the Frick Fine Arts Gallery vrcoll.fa.pitt.edu/uag showcase new talent emerging from the prestigious art and architecture programs of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Art lovers can find public art throughout Oakland. In the heart of the business district, a unique art project called the Doors of Oakland celebrates art on the commercial doorways of nine prominent businesses located along Forbes and Fifth Avenues, Atwood and McKee streets. Stroll thru the Pitt and CMU campuses and you will find a variety of public art as well form sculpture to land art www.publicartpittsburgh.org. The Kraus Campo landscape is a public garden on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University an example of recently installed public art project www.cmu.edu/cfa/aboutgarden.html.
If you are looking for an evening of gripping drama in Oakland, The Carnegie Music Hall www.carnegiemuseums.org, the Pittsburgh Playhouse www.pointpark.edu, and the Stephen Foster Memorial www.pitt.edu/~amerimus/museum.htm offer a variety of theater performances throughout the year. While visiting the Stephen Foster Memorial, a must see is the one of a kind Center for American Music museum housing the world’s largest musical collection of Pittsburgh native Stephen Foster.
 Architecture lovers, you can not miss the grand classical architecture styles lining Fifth Avenue and juxtaposed throughout Pitt’s campus. Breaking from the neo-classical tradition, the Cathedral of Learning, the world’s 2nd tallest tower of classrooms, brings back the beauty of Gothic architecture. Of course, do not miss the interior architecture and unique multi cultural classroom designs known as the Nationality Rooms www.pitt.edu/~natrooms. Located on the same grounds is the beautiful Heinz Chapel, the blending of the spiritual and the aesthetic wonderment www.heinzchapel.pitt. edu. CMU’s campus, designed by architect Henry Hornbostel,
celebrates the timeliness of the Beaux Arts style.
If you are looking for an evening of gripping drama in Oakland, The Carnegie Music Hall www.carnegiemuseums.org, the Pittsburgh Playhouse www.pointpark.edu, and the Stephen Foster Memorial www.pitt.edu/~amerimus/museum.htm offer a variety of theater performances throughout the year. While visiting the Stephen Foster Memorial, a must see is the one of a kind Center for American Music museum housing the world’s largest musical collection of Pittsburgh native Stephen Foster.
 Architecture lovers, you can not miss the grand classical architecture styles lining Fifth Avenue and juxtaposed throughout Pitt’s campus. Breaking from the neo-classical tradition, the Cathedral of Learning, the world’s 2nd tallest tower of classrooms, brings back the beauty of Gothic architecture. Of course, do not miss the interior architecture and unique multi cultural classroom designs known as the Nationality Rooms www.pitt.edu/~natrooms. Located on the same grounds is the beautiful Heinz Chapel, the blending of the spiritual and the aesthetic wonderment www.heinzchapel.pitt.edu. CMU’s campus, designed by architect Henry Hornbostel, celebrates the timeliness of the Beaux Arts style.
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St. Benedict the Moor Church in the Hill District of Pittsburgh
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