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Some local bloggers are partnering with the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce in a cross-blogging experiment to highlight the things that make Pittsburgh great as we head into the important Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday. We were asked to write a little something about Mt. Washington. Please visit The Primary Pittsburgh Project site to read about how residents of other communities feel about the places they call home.

I don’t think about the view much. It’s the first thing people comment on though when I tell them I live in Mt. Washington. The view of Pittsburgh’s skyline and three rivers from Grandview Avenue has become one of the most recognizable visual symbols of our city. In fact, it’s been the backdrop for a lot of the national news coverage leading up to the Pennsylvania primaries on Tuesday.

The view is spectacular but it represents Mt. Washington less and less for me the longer I live here. There is so much more that a lot of people don’t see. Family-owned restaurants, neighborhood bars, and coffee shops all within walking distance. A 280-acre park encircles our community and provides green space that is unprecedented in an urban environment. Aside from all of that, it is conveniently located. It takes minutes to get just about everywhere from the Southside and downtown to the airport, Lawrenceville, and Oakland.

The things that mean the most to me about living in Mt. Washington cannot be quantified. While it’s true that we struggle like other city neighborhoods with issues like population loss, vacant storefronts, and dilapidated housing; the passion and dedication behind the efforts to improve the quality-of-life here make me want to be a better citizen. For every abandoned home, there is a property owner buying and fixing up a house. For each fast food bag tossed onto the street, there is a resident sweeping up leaves on the sidewalk. And each time you walk through the neighborhood, someone honks their horn or shouts out a hello.

Here in Mt. Washington we can’t ignore the view. We don’t want to ignore it. It’s part of us. But it’s not all of us. Everything we are doesn’t fit neatly in a 32″ screen. Just something to think about when you’re watching the returns on Tuesday.