homestead Neighborhood Report

Table of Contents
History of Homestead
Real Estate Market Report
Emergency Resources
Top Homestead Restaurants
Top Homestead Shopping Locations
Annual Neighborhood Events
Neighborhood Parks
Neighborhood Gyms
Schools and Universities in Homestead
Access to Highways and Other Major Roadways
Homestead-Based Contractors

Although Europeans first settled in Homestead in the 1770s, the town wasn’t chartered until the 1880s. Soon after, the town exploded with activity as the railroad, glass factory, and iron mill all popped into existence. 

The town enjoyed years of prosperous growth until 1892, the year of the infamous Homestead Strike. After workers refused to accept a reduction in wages at the Homestead Steel Works, Henry Frick, on behalf of Andrew Carnegie, locked the workers out of the factory. As the workers showed up in droves, Frick called in guards from the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. After a tense standoff, the workers and guards erupted into battle. Eventually, the Pennsylvania governor called in the National Guard to seize control of the scene. The fight resulted in a powerful blow to unionization in the steel industry—a blow that workers wouldn’t recover from for decades.

Although the Homestead Strike is a blemish on the neighborhood’s past, it has managed to reinvent itself in recent history. The steel industry eventually died down, and the Homestead works was demolished in the 1990s. However, the massive Waterfront Shopping Mall popped up in its place in 1999, once again making Homestead a popular daytime destination.

Homestead sits approximately six miles southeast of Downtown Pittsburgh. It’s bordered by the Monongahela River to the north, Munhall to the east and south, and West Homestead to the west.

Police Station
Homestead Borough Police Station
221 East 7th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-1344

Fire Station
Homestead Volunteer Fire Dept. 
212 East 9th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-1342

Hospitals 

While Homestead itself doesn’t have a local hospital, there are many within driving distance. Two of the closest:

UPMC McKeesport
1500 5th Ave., McKeesport, PA 15132
412-664-2000

UPMC Presbyterian
200 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-647-2345

Doctor Offices

Prime Care Internal Medicine
220 East 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-7220

8th Avenue Medical Center
330 East 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-462-6001

South Hills Family Medicine
495 East Waterfront Dr., Suite 250, Homestead, PA 15120
412-833-6176

Allegheny Podiatry Foot and Ankle
495 East Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-1108

Mental Health

Steel Valley Wellness Group
1803 West St., Homestead, PA 15120
412-368-3535

Turtle Creek Valley Mental
1800 West St., Homestead, PA 15120
412-462-9901

Eye Care

Eyepolis
167 East Bridge St., Homestead, PA 15120
412-464-2020

MS Vision Care
360 East Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120
412-464-2514

While the Waterfront has a wide selection of restaurants and bars, Homestead itself has a vibrant mix of eateries. Here’s where you’ll find some of the best spots (according to Google reviews):

Eighth & Hays

Address: 130 West 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-326-0009
Google Rating:4.7
Description: Enormous windows, high ceilings, a fireplace, and a hint of industrial design. The only thing prettier than Eighth & Hays’s interior is the meals they serve up—a wide selection of gourmet pizzas, paninis, and more.

Voodoo Brewery 

Address: 205 East 9th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-368-8973
Google Rating: 4.6
Description: Fun and vibrant, Voodoo Brewery offers award-winning beers in a relaxed environment.

DiSallas’ Pizza Parlor

Address: 948 East 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-462-5070
Google Rating: 4.6
Description: A neighborhood favorite for decades, DiSallas’ serves up pizza by the slice or pie.

Honest John’s Bar and Restaurant

Address: 216 East 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-205-3448
Google Rating: 4.6
Description: If you’re looking for a hand-crafted cocktail in Homestead, Honest John’s is the place to be. But they don’t stop there. A diverse menu means you can fill up on everything from tacos to eggplant parmesan. 

Hook Fish and Chicken

Address: 605 Amity St., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-461-4665
Google Rating: 4.6
Description: Hook Fish and Chicken is famous for keeping it simple. Catfish, shrimp, and chicken wings dominate the menu. This simplicity makes them some of the best at what they do! 

Blue Dust

Address: 601 Amity St., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-461-6220
Google Rating: 4.5
Description: Named after the fine, soft gains that sometimes covered the iron ore in the Homestead factories, Blue Dust is a neighborhood favorite for its events, wide selection of beer, wine, and spirits, and its delicious variety of savory meals. 

Dorothy 6 Blast Furnace Cafe

Address: 224 East 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-464-9023
Rating: 4.4
Description: Reveling in Pittsburgh’s unique melting pot of cultures, D6 offers a menu that’s as eclectic as the people who make up our city—with 20 beers on tap to wash it all down.

Homestead is well known for the Waterfront shopping center, which actually spans along the river from West Homestead all the way to Munhall. The Waterfront offers a huge selection of shopping and activities, including:

• Groceries

• Medical offices

• Restaurants

• Movie theater

• Hotels

• Sandcastle Water Park

The Waterfront is located at 149 West Bridge St., Homestead, PA 15120.

Pittsburgh Irish Festival

Date: Second weekend of September
Location: The Lots at Sandcastle (1000 Sandcastle Dr., West Homestead, PA 15120)
About the event: A celebration of Pittsburgh’s rich Irish culture, as well as marking the halfway point to St. Patrick’s Day on the calendar, the Pittsburgh Irish Festival pulls together food, drinks, and entertainment in one fun experience.

Apples and Honey Fall Festival

Date: September of each year
Location: Waterfront Town Center (149 West Bridge St., Homestead, PA 15120)
About the event: A celebration of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, the Apples and Honey festival features apples, honey, crafts, activities, and many other forms of entertainment.

Frick Park 

Not to be confused with the larger Frick Park north of the river. Frick Park in Homestead offers playgrounds, bike and hiking trails, and a community garden for educational and sustainability use.
Address: 1008 Amity St., Homestead, PA 15120
Easiest Access: Take Amity Street to the park. 
Park Features:

• Playground

• Grassy fields with lots of shade

• Paved walkways

• An old turret

• A marble slab of the ten commandments

Charlie Batch Playground

Address: 1511 Maple St., Homestead, PA 15120
Easiest Access: Travel southeast on West Street, then turn left onto 16th Avenue.
Park Features:

• Playground

• Basketball courts

Sullivan Playground

Address: East 9th Avenue and Amity Street
Easiest Access: From West Street, turn northeast onto East 9th Avenue. Travel one block to Amity Street.  
Park Features:

• Playground

• Basketball court

McLean Playground

Address: West 12th Avenue and Sarah Street
Easiest Access: From West Street, turn southwest onto West 12th Street. Travel one block to Sarah Street. 
Park Features:

• Playground

• Basketball court

Local Motion
207 East 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-407-7863

Crunch Fitness
340 East Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-2759

Universities

Propel Charter School - Homestead (K-12)

Address: 129 East 10th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-323-7305

Barrett Elementary School (K-4)

Address: 221 East 12th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
Phone: 412-464-3600

Route 837
Travel northwest on West Street, then turn onto 8th Avenue.

Route 376
Travel northwest on West Street to cross Homestead Grays Bridge onto Browns Hill Road. Follow Browns Hill Road onto Beechwood Boulevard, then take the Boulevard to 376.

Here’s a list of contractors based inside Homestead:

Landscaper

Ackerman Tree Services
915 Forest Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-521-1938

#1 Gutter Guys
1201 Ravine St., Homestead, PA 15120
412-721-6446

Peak Landscape Management
1925 Forest Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-7460

PLUMBER

Proudfoot Plumbing, Heating and Air
229 West 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-2198

Hruska Plumbing, Heating & Air
1811 McClure St., Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-1515

CONTRACTOR
Extreme Restoration
301 West 8th Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-462-8898

John D. Caruso, Inc. 
1029 Forest Ave., Homestead, PA 15120
412-476-3060

ELECTRICIAN

Fey Electric
358 W 11th Ave, Homestead, PA 15120
(412) 368-1605

Sullivan Electric
(412) 401-3530