MEET VAL
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Hello! My name is Val (short for Valentina). Originally from the Italian Alps, I lived for over 10 years in Germany. After studies in Munich (Germany) and Rome (Italy) I got my Master's degree in art and architectural history. I also spent some time in NYC where I met my future husband, a real Pittsburgher. After many years of a long-distance relationship, we finally decided to declare Pittsburgh as our new home. I was so surprised of the rich history and culture this city has to offer that I decided to study and share it with people in a different and sustainable way: on bikes! Since I used to be a daily bike commuter with urban biking being a substantial part of my daily life, I became a passionate advocate of cycling! So Bike the Burgh Tours was my first endeavor that I launched in May 2015.
After two successful summers of showing hundreds of people around, I wanted to settle for more. In order to reach a broader community, including elderly, people on wheelchairs, mothers with strollers and simply non-bikers, I decided to walk the Burgh. Taking the time to look closer at intricate details of all the magnificent architectural icons Downtown Pittsburgh has to offer, has a enormous value in itself. Also, not only biking by but actually walking through a beautiful building or square can be so enriching. |
Please come and walk with us! I promise, you will be overwhelmed by the beauty of the Burgh!
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MEET CORRIE
Corrie was born and raised in Pittsburgh and is currently living in Allison Park. One of Corrie's earliest memories is waving a terrible towel and chanting "Here We Go, Steelers!"
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She loves everything about this amazing city, especially the people who call the Burgh their home, no matter where they lay their head down to rest. Corrie says, they call us the Steel Nation for a reason—no matter where you go. She is convinced that Pittsburgh values never leave you!
She has always been an avid reader and history buff - which led her to become a high school English and History teacher after undergrad. Wanting to continue working with children and families, she decided to pursue a law degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Since then she has been an advocate in Juvenile Court and works with people from all over Allegheny County. A connoisseur of wings and local beer, you can usually find Corrie pairing the two with a Steelers or Penguins game. She takes a great deal of pride in sharing the story of her beloved City, and she is very excited to be able to do that through Walk the Burgh. |
MEET PAM
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Surrounded by history and genealogy from a young age, Pamela has long appreciated the richness that learning about your heritage and ancestors can bring. After years of travel around the world and marketing everything from cat litter, frozen food and 3D printing kiosks, Pam decided to focus on bringing history to life.
With Walk the Burgh, she shares her passion for Pittsburgh past and present with visitors and locals alike. When she’s not showing off the city, she’s deep into genealogy and historical translation (German, Danish or Swedish anyone?) helping people learn about their family history with her own business called "Unlock Your History". Pam is originally from Asheville, NC, and has lived in Pittsburgh for almost 20 years. Back in the days, she was also a walking tour guide in San Francisco. We are so happy she's guiding around our curious customers, when she's not sitting in archives, digging out fascinating family documents. |
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MEET DAVE
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Dave moved to Pittsburgh in 1995 from Williamsburg, Virginia after growing up in another steel town: Gary, Indiana. He loves cycling, and you might see Dave climbing hills early in the morning on his vintage Motobecane. In fact, he's a Bicycle Educator in the League of American Cyclists, and also works as a tour guide for Bike the Burgh Tours. Curious by nature, he loves to learn and is a big reader. He holds a Masters in Science teaching, and he has joined the team in 2016.
We love having Dave on the team—he's a fun person to be around, very relatable and knowledgeable. He will be showing you around a lot this year, so ask him every question you have: he's got this town down! |
MEET CHRISTINA
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Christina grew up in the Pittsburgh area but yearned to see more of the world. She attended university in Spain and then lived in a variety of locations (Spain, Los Angeles, North Carolina) before recently settling back down in the Burgh with her wife. After way too many years at a desk job (creating Spanish subtitles), she decided she wanted to continue the exploration that she started when she was younger, so she became a certified Tour Director.
When she's not off seeing and showing people the world, she can be found right here showing people around one of her favorite places - Pittsburgh! Christina takes turns manning (womaning?) the shop and is conducting our Black & Ghost Tour as well as Bikes and Brews Tour with our sister company Bike the Burgh Tours. On her off days, you may run into her at any fun local event, unless she's relaxing at home with her wife, a coffee, and a crochet hook. |
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MEET AARON
Aaron was born in Western Pennsylvania and grew up in Northern New York, but returned to the area in 2008 to study history at Geneva College and public history at Duquesne University.
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He lives in Edgewood with his partner, Carrie, and their 18-pound Maine Coon, Theodore Roosevelt.
After receiving his MA from Duquesne, Aaron started working at the Heinz History Center as an exhibit technician and collections aid. Though now at the University of Pittsburgh’s Division of Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement, he was unable to leave history entirely and continues working for the History Center part-time. In 2015, he discovered he has a passion for whiskey just as strong as history and has been a tour guide at Wigle Whiskey ever since. Aaron loves Pittsburgh and considers it his home, in particular appreciating the city’s small town feel and big city amenities. He believes that until you learn the stories that make a place unique, you aren’t really connected to it. He is excited to create meaningful connections to our city for locals and visitors alike through Walk the Burgh! |
MEET LAURA
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Laura has lived in three "P" cities: Providence, RI; Poughkeepsie, NY; and most recently, Pittsburgh, PA. Her city steps documentary project, Mis.Steps: Our Missed Connections with Pittsburgh's City Steps, attempts to recreate the journey undertaken nearly 20 years ago by Bob Regan in his books "The Steps of Pittsburgh: Portrait of a City" (2004) and "Pittsburgh Steps" (2015). She published Polaroids and short stories inspired by Pittsburgh's 739 public stairways - more than any other city in the United States - to the Mis.Steps blog, Instagram and Twitter.
Originally built during the city's industrial heyday in the early-to-mid twentieth century, Mis.Steps attempts to portray the heart, soul, and history of these decaying structures. As of mid-2020, Laura has photographed 450 stairways - surpassing the halfway mark! For Pittsburgh, this is a time for hopeful feelings of growth and prosperity, and many life-long and new residents are embracing the city's public stairways and wondering how they might be restored and preserved. |
She looks forward to showing you some of her favorite city steps in the Troy Hill and Spring Garden neighborhoods.
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MEET RACHEL
Rachel grew up in Pittsburgh and has logged thousands of miles walking through the neighborhoods of the city.
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It is her favorite way to discover the hidden corners and rich history that make Pittsburgh so captivating. Despite the many streets traveled by foot over the decades, she notices something new every single time and loves sharing her discoveries - the fascinating, the informative and the quirky - with others. She once described Pittsburgh as a “historian’s playground” because the city’s storied past, both known and yet to be discovered, is endlessly fun!
Trained as an archivist and museum curator, Rachel worked for almost 20 years at the Heinz History Center before joining her second-generation family business located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. As recent empty nesters, Rachel and her husband spend their downtime in search of a good locally crafted IPA, enjoying a meal with their lifelong friends and, of course, taking neighborhood walks. |
