I Came to Pennsylvania for College; Here’s Why I Stayed
Learn why this state is a great place to plant roots post-grad.
The Keystone State is home to some pretty spectacular colleges and universities. But while this is a great spot to obtain a top-notch education, it’s also a prime place to build a life. In fact, many people fall in love with Pennsylvania while here for school and then decide to find a permanent address within its borders.
One example is Wendy Parkulo, who came to Pittsburgh for graduate school and stayed post-grad. Read on to learn more about her decision as well as what her life has become since turning her tassel.
Wendy Parkulo
Where did you go to college, and where are you from?
I’m originally from Jacksonville, Florida, where I attended Florida State for my undergraduate degree. I went on to pursue my graduate degree at Carnegie Mellon, and I graduated from there in 2021.
Were you planning on staying in the area before graduating?
When I was in school, I really enjoyed Pittsburgh, but most of my time in school was during the pandemic, so I feel like I didn’t get to know the city that well. Toward the end of school when I was able to experience the city more, I realized I really wanted to stay, and I started looking at a lot of jobs in the area.
What about the area made you want to stay?
The arts scene is definitely at the top of my list, but another thing I really love is that there’s still a lot of nature nearby, particularly a lot of hiking trails within a close drive. The city also does parks really well. We have a really cool park called Point State Park — the main part of Pittsburgh is between two rivers that merge to form the Ohio River, and Point State is right there.
Pittsburgh is a really pretty city, and we have the second-most bridges in the world after Venice. Some people have an incorrect assumption that it’s dingy from the steelwork that used to be here, but the city has changed completely and dramatically. Now, the biggest entities are the universities — there are more than 29 colleges and universities throughout Pittsburgh — and there’s a really young population because of that.
I feel like there’s been a trend recently where they’ve opened up more fun, adult-friendly concepts, too. Adult playgrounds, like Pins Mechanical or indoor mini golf, seem to be popping up everywhere. Post-pandemic, there’s definitely been a lot more activity-based things coming to town, and there’s always something going on.
Another thing the city does really well is festivals. The Three Rivers Arts Festival is a 10-day arts festival, and we have great music festivals, with various neighborhoods having their own smaller events showcasing local talent. During the holidays, there’s Light Up Night as well as a New Year’s celebration. There’s definitely never a dull moment and always something fun to do here.
Is it affordable and easy to get around?
Pittsburgh is definitely an affordable city, and rent is a lot less expensive than in other cities like Chicago or D.C. Pittsburgh is made up of 90 different neighborhoods and each one has its own different feel, and a lot are very walkable. I can walk to a coffee shop or a lot of restaurants from where I live. I can also get basically anywhere I want within a 20-minute drive, so everything is pretty close. I used public transportation a lot when it was free through school and still use it a little bit; it’s much more reliable than in Jacksonville.
What are some fun things to do in the area?
Naturally, I spend a lot of my time doing art stuff. We have a lot of gallery crawls and even a theater dedicated solely to magic and magicians, plus a lot of awesome organizations, like the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, that are working to revitalize downtown.
Outside of the arts, we have tons of breweries and professional sports to support, like the Pirates or Steelers or Penguins, and it seems rare to have a city where the sports and arts are both top tiers.
There are tons of great museums; Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, so the largest museum dedicated to a single artist — The Andy Warhol Museum — is here. There’s also a lot of old railroad and oil money here, so we also have the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Science Center, plus a ton of smaller, independent galleries.
Are there particular groups or organizations that helped you plug into the Pittsburgh community?
Pittsburgh Young Professionals has been a great way to meet a lot of different people. It does tons of events, and I’m actually now chair of its social committee.
It helped me build up leadership skills and meet lots of new people. The cool thing about our happy hour events is that we plan them all over the city and in different neighborhoods, so there’s lots of exposure, and no matter where people are, they have the opportunity to attend.
Do you see yourself staying for a while?
I’d like to stay here for a while. The main downside is not having family super close by, but other than that, I really like being here and several other people in my grad school class stayed here, so I feel like I’ve got a network that I’m close with, plus my coworkers. It’s really started to feel like home.
This article was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
