Sources:  National Geographic Traveler, Financial Times, The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, Travel + Leisure Magazine, 2011 Mercer Quality of Life Ranking, Politico.com, Allegheny Conference, Washington Post

Whether Pittsburgh is being recognized by Forbes.com as Americas Most Livable City, paid tribute in the Financial Times ft.com Rust Belt video feature for emerging  as one of the most robust and dynamic economies in the country, or being honored as the Most Secure Place to Live in the USA by the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, home to one of the safest airports in the United States by Travel + Leisure Magazine or rated Among Top 50 Cities For Quality of Life Around the World by the 2011 Mercer Quality of Life Ranking, the proof is in the pudding, Pittsburgh is a great place to live, work and play.

“Starting with the great Mayor Richard Caliguiri’s incredible vision of Pittsburgh’s Renaissance plan, Pittsburgh has completely transformed itself from a smoky (but friendly) industrial capital to a world class city featuring an incredible standard of living; constantly-improving natural resources and river landscape; diverse and strengthening economic drivers; and population growth and low unemployment,” said Gregg Broujos, managing director and founding principal at Colliers International | Pittsburgh.  “Pittsburgh’s high tech, banking, financial services, healthcare and manufacturing firms, as well as our world-renowned universities, have combined to make our region a premier city.”

The Pittsburgh market is among the regional clusters that can spark growth, showing through reinvention that it is a city ready to compete in today’s global economy.  More than 30 years after the collapse of the steel industry, a diversified knowledge base is growing.  Once abandoned steel plants now house innovative robotics companies.  Web 2.0 and technical careers, professional business services and leisure/hospitality positions have replaced the manufacturing base, with healthcare, banking, advanced manufacturing  and higher education boosting its economic portfolio.  During the first half of 2011, the Allegheny Conference reported that as year-over-year job change began to slow, Pittsburgh still outperformed the nation and its 14 benchmark communities in all but one month, breaking the region’s 36-month streak of outperforming national employment growth rates.

According to an On Numbers analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the Pittsburgh region is in select company, one of only five of the top 100 major metropolitan areas in the United States to hit their highest employment levels in a decade in October 2011.  The job market is healthier than at any time since the end of the Great Recession and more small businesses plan to expand the work force.

The revitalization of waterfront, and miles of surrounding trails have also made Pittsburgh a model for recreational enjoyment.  National Geographic Traveler has named Pittsburgh one of the 20 places in the world to visit in 2012.  The magazine said The Steel City has “a natural setting that rivals Lisbon and San Francisco, a wealth of fine art and architecture, and a quirky sense of humor.” It’s one of only two U.S. cities to make the list; the other is Sonoma, Calif.  Pittsburgh is also poised to offer a new type of lifestyle, as The Washington Post adds Pittsburgh to the “in-crowd” for 2012, pushing out Portland Oregon . Pittsburgh’s bike routes, microbreweries, organic food markets, art and lush scenery, along with one of the best skylines in America helped position it as the “in-city” to visit in 2012. And don’t forget that Pittsburgh is home to one of the country’s manliest sandwiches, named by Men’s Health Magazine, and featured on the Man v. Food sandwiches segment on The Travel Channel.