Local News

Pittsburgh, Pa. The flagship location of Primanti Brothers, an iconic eatery established in 1933. (Photo by Rachel Crick/UW Election Eye)

Iconic sandwich shops have become a metaphor for Pennsylvania’s second largest city not just surviving — but thriving — in America’s struggling economy.

PITTSBURGH — The sight of eight exhausted Harley Davidson motorcycle riders rolling into Primanti Brothers in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Strip District may seem unremarkable just past quittin’ time on a muggy April afternoon, but a closer look at the backs of their jet-black, patch-covered jackets reveals a metaphor for this city’s revitalized downtown.

These self-described rednecks from little London, Kentucky were not just killing time after clocking out for the night. No, they were in town because all they’ve heard about these past few years is how downtown Pittsburgh is both fabulously entertaining and immune to the recession.

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