It's very rare that a large city can re-invent itself as roundly as Pittsburgh has. Indeed, for most of the 20th century, few North American cities -with the exception of, perhaps, Detroit - better typified the '9 to 5' ethics of blue collar labor than Pittsburgh, which by 1911 was responsible for close to half of the steel production in the US. The rapid industrial growth came at a cost, and by World War II, thick clouds of smog enveloped the city. Over the next several decades, though, Pittsburgh pulled an amazing about face by firmly focusing on raising its general standard of living. Once known as the Steel City, sometimes even the 'Smoky City,' Pittsburgh is now a vibrant, flourishing metropolis that's routinely rated among the most livable cities in the United States. It's a place that's firmly established as a leading center of health care, biomedical research and development, robotics, finance and, yes, even tourism. | 
