Remember Lums?

Lum's was a chain restaurant that had a location on the corner of 7th and Liberty. It opened in the middle 1970s. Not sure when it closed. It was one of those sit-down places with a wait staff that was an alternative to fast food, but still with fairly modest prices.

The house specialty was a hamburger called the "Ollieburger," named after the chain's founder. The key to the Ollieburger was the secret sauce. On the way to looking up something else, I stumbled across the recipe for the Ollieburger. It's available here:

http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/ubbs/archive/SANDWICHES/Beef_Lums_Ollieburger.html

for anyone who might want to create the Lum's experience. It appears the whole chain has gone out of business.

Downtown used to have a bunch of those "middle" places which were a step above the fast food locations with plastic trays, but a notch or two below the spots that gave you concern about the cost. Some of the others I remember along those lines were Palmer's, Stouffer's and Sweet William.

Market Square

Good to see them shut down a barber shop in Market Square that was believed to be a site for drug dealing.

Now what else can they do with the Square? It's been suffering for some time, mostly because the homeless congregate there. It should have places to sit and relax, but that becomes an open invitation for people who have nowhere else to go and nothing to do. There are still some businesses hanging in there, like the Oyster House, but the whole area is very fragile right now. How many places have tried and failed in the space that used to be G.D. Ritzy's?

Not sure what the plan to re-route buses away from the Square will do. It's clearly an area that depends on foot traffic and some of the businesses that used to help generate that -- like G.C . Murphy and the National Record Mart -- are long gone. Sad to see salvage stores and their downscale wares occupying what used to be solid retail spaces.

Hookers and crack

If you're looking for either, there's an open air market every night at Liberty Avenue and Smithfield Street. Just look for the parking lot on the corner and the independent businessmen who operate there.

This goes on in full view of everyone. Meanwhile, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is out stalking Tiger Woods.

Is this any way to run a city?

Be careful

Here's a story that comes from a tenant in the Clark Building.

There was an early evening not too long ago when a fight broke out among some of the kids who congregate in front of the Wood Street T station. Nothing huge, just usual teenage stuff. A security guard from the building stepped outside to see if he could do anything to help.

One of the kids lifted his shirt far enough to show the guard he had a gun. That's the degree of the problem the city has there, and it isn't being addressed by anyone.

Someone wake up Mayor Luke's puppeteers and tell them that quality of life issues matter. People don't go where they don't feel safe. Clean it up.

What we're doing here

We're talking about Downtown Pittsburgh -- what happened to make it the pathetic hellhole it is today and what can be done to change it.

We welcome your input on good spots, bad spots and the overall state of what was once one of the most vibrant downtown areas in any mid-sized city in the USA.

Let's start with one trouble spot -- the area around the Wood Street T station at the corner of Liberty and Wood. Used to be a problem in the late afternoon because of kids congregating around the bus stop after school. Now it's pretty much trouble around the clock. Wendy's closed its location there, and Dunkin Donuts followed. McDonald's posts anti-loitering signs in its windows, but they don't seem to help. Some high-priced condos are going in around the corner, so perhaps a clean-up will become a priority. For now, though, one of the busiest intersections in the city is also one of the worst.