Churches of Pittsburgh, Part I

(Another slightly unrelated intro) Long-distance runners need strong motivation, for they put massive amounts of time and energy into training. Usually motivation comes from two games of numbers: workout parameters (mileage, pace) and racing results (times, places). I call these "games" because of their overall meaninglessness, but this is a topic for a separate post. Anyway, I decided to set up my own game that would complement running. A task of taking photos of churches while running seemed both substantial and doable.


So here I present you my first batch of 29 worship places (desperately trying to generalize the narrow word church) of Pittsburgh. I like awkward numbers, too.
The primary focus here is on the building architecture. I don't care much if a building is used for services, just meetings, or even not used at all. If it looks like a church for me I put it here.


1. First Church of Christ Scientist, Center for [some] studies. 
The scientific flavor of this church is manifested in a clock, at least for me.

2. The First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh
Everyone wants to be the first.

They like "meeting new people".

3. Heinz Memorial Chapel
"Very gothic" - from here. It stays on the UPitt ground, and nobody gives a crap unlike the case of Moscow State.

Need more vampires in this picture.

4. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral
If I had to come up with the least visually impressive Greek cathedral, I couldn't do worse than this one.

5. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral - Community Center
The pillars basically scream, "Greek!"

The cathedral is accompanied by a community center.

6. St. Paul Cathedral
It's a huge one on Fifth Ave. For a long time I didn't know it's the one that can be seen from almost any point in Oakland.

7. Pittsburgh Chinese Church Oakland
So yes, they read the Bible in Chinese, as if it wasn't confusing enough... both are confusing actually.

Can see St Paul Cathedral in the back.

8. Church of the Ascension
I often cut my runs several meters short through this church's territory. Nobody has shot me yet, so I guess it's a nice place.

9. Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church

Byzantine design rules! It's cheerful and positive.

10. Rodef Shalom Congregation

The Jews know how to not look depressed, too.

11. Shadyside Presbyterian Church

I like how solid it looks. I bet that if the Bolsheviks started a revolution in Pittsburgh, they'd rather use this church as a fortified ammo depot than destroy it.

12. Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh

Just like their Chinese friends, these guys aren't making Christianity simpler. But at least they have a playground for kids, which I hope is an alternative to forcing kids to stay in for a mass.

13. Third Presbyterian Church

I wonder if folks from the first two don't hang out with these.

14. St Andrew's Luteran Church

I guess either St. Andrew or the architect had a sad life. There's no other justification for choosing this color/texture.

15. First Unitarian Church

If "organized secularism" means supporting gay rights, it's both cool and entertaining to think about.

16. Albright United Methodist Church

This color is just another way of saying, "religion is no fun".

17. First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh

Although situated in 100 yards from the previous one, this church remains separate. Probably couldn't agree on methods.

18. East Liberty Presbyterian Church

Another huge cathedral. Useful to navigate around the city.

19. Eastminster Presbyterian Church

Not much to say hee: it's a standard-looking Pittsburgh church.

20. Roadman Street Missionary Baptist Church

It's an interesting architecture: a house with a huge cross slapped on top. Looks distinctive in Pgh.

21. Pentecostal Temple Sound
It's closed.  Competition for people's souls is a hard business.

22. St. Paul Baptist Church

Standing on an intersection of the major traffic arteries of Pittsburgh (Fifth, Penn, and Washington Bl), it manages to remain bright and clean. 

23. Waverly Presbyterian Church

Also, a sandcrawler.

24. Mary S. Brown-Ames Memorial United Methodist Church

This church gets a hammer and a sickle for the most red doors I've ever seen in my life.

25. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

It's a byzantine rite church, which is noticeable from its architecture.

26. St Rosalia's Church

Once I was running past this church, and someone yelled that I should slow down in front of a holy place. Haha.

27. St Regis Church Hall

These guys have fully embraced the virtue of meekness.

28. St George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral

This cathedral is so Mediterranean that it can be confused for a mosque.

29. Bellefield Presbyterian Church

If something resides in the middle of UPitt, it looks like UPitt. Cannot say I adore the colors.

Bonus: other religions

In Pittsburgh there are many followers of St. Patrick, who is apparently a saint of excessive amounts of Guinness, dancing, and (0, 255, 0). These followers gather once a year, celebrate, and then disappear among normal boring people.

I claim that consumerism is the leading religion in the US. Here's one of their now-popular temples -- Target.

Finally, some religions are of unknown origin and content. Yet, I would gladly join the one about geese if an opportunity arises.

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Take-aways:

• Red doors (which remind me of this) are typical in Pittsburgh.
• Large bulletin boards (to be visible from cars?) with service schedule are almost ubiquitous. I guess it's part of the American religious tradition.
• The religious architecture of Pittsburgh revolves around the contrast between the Gothic, Byzantine, and Greek styles.

Here's a map of the churches I've captured (updated in real time).

Upd: Part II is up.
Upd: Part III is up.