Hazelwood is located east of Downtown Pittsburgh, surrounded by the Monongahela River, Greenfield and Squirrel Hill. The ethnically diverse neighborhood is located minutes away from suburban shopping areas and is home to numerous parks and green spaces. Hazelwood was home to the city of Pittsburgh's last operating steel mill, the Hazelwood Coke Works, which closed in 1998.
The community of Hazelwood, which lies along the Monongahela River, once flourished with an abundance of hazelnut trees for which it is named.
One of the area's earliest settlers was John Woods, a politician who built his 'Hazel Hill' estate in 1784. That house still stands, the second oldest stone building in Pittsburgh (the oldest being the Fort Pitt Blockhouse). Eventually, large farms were cut out of the wooded hills attracting more residents and supplying the area with further wealth.
The Hazlewood neighborhood was a beautiful place to live in the nineteenth century and attracted some of Pittsburgh's oldest and wealthiest families, who built magnificent homes there. But the coming of the railroad and industry changed the neighborhoods. The wealthy departed, and the "good life" was redefined, as working-class men and women moved in to tend the furnaces and the coke. By the end of the 19th century Hazelwood was a bustling town, and by the 1950s the neighborhood was home to over 200 businesses.
When the steel industry began to decline in the 1980s, businesses and people began to leave the area and Hazelwood began to decline.
It is now a neighborhood undergoing revitalization. Many abandoned buildings have been razed, and new energy-efficient, affordable housing is being constructed in their place. The Hazelwood Initiative in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority is working to replace abandoned storefronts along Second Avenue with new businesses.
Hazelwood is a family-oriented neighborhood, with many community activities focusing on youth programs. The neighborhood is noted for its numerous churches of many denomination and the active role they play in building community spirit and pride. Hazelwood is represented by Pittsburgh City Council District 5.
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--Neighborhood description courtesy of the City of Pittsburgh. All rights reserved.
The community of Hazelwood, which lies along the Monongahela River, once flourished with an abundance of hazelnut trees for which it is named.
One of the area's earliest settlers was John Woods, a politician who built his 'Hazel Hill' estate in 1784. That house still stands, the second oldest stone building in Pittsburgh (the oldest being the Fort Pitt Blockhouse). Eventually, large farms were cut out of the wooded hills attracting more residents and supplying the area with further wealth.
The Hazlewood neighborhood was a beautiful place to live in the nineteenth century and attracted some of Pittsburgh's oldest and wealthiest families, who built magnificent homes there. But the coming of the railroad and industry changed the neighborhoods. The wealthy departed, and the "good life" was redefined, as working-class men and women moved in to tend the furnaces and the coke. By the end of the 19th century Hazelwood was a bustling town, and by the 1950s the neighborhood was home to over 200 businesses.
When the steel industry began to decline in the 1980s, businesses and people began to leave the area and Hazelwood began to decline.
It is now a neighborhood undergoing revitalization. Many abandoned buildings have been razed, and new energy-efficient, affordable housing is being constructed in their place. The Hazelwood Initiative in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority is working to replace abandoned storefronts along Second Avenue with new businesses.
Hazelwood is a family-oriented neighborhood, with many community activities focusing on youth programs. The neighborhood is noted for its numerous churches of many denomination and the active role they play in building community spirit and pride. Hazelwood is represented by Pittsburgh City Council District 5.
Next Pittsburgh Neighborhood > Point Breeze
>> Back to Index of Pittsburgh Neighborhoods
--Neighborhood description courtesy of the City of Pittsburgh. All rights reserved.
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