iStock International
Due to the hundreds of steel structures crossing the city's three rivers, Pittsburgh is known as the City of Bridges. The metropolitan area, a French trading post in the 18th century, claims many firsts, among them the first ferris wheel, World Series, banana split, and gas station. Today, Pittsburgh remains an industrial city, albeit one that's blossoming into a unique tourist destination full of science museums, universities, sports venues, art galleries, and cutting-edge restaurants.
The capital of western Pennsylvania enjoys a reputation for science as much as it does for culture – and in recent years, the city has been consistently ranked as one of the nation's "most livable."
