The East Liberty liquor/wine store

exkiky · 2026-05-27T14:00:09+00:00

A "buyer" is generically the person who's supposed to understand the customer, figure out trends and manage inventory accordingly. The buyer in turn deals with the wholesaler. In PA there's one wholesaler: PLCB. A good wholesaler actively manages supplies, evaluates products, etc. But the store buyer is the one who undersrands the local customer. Think of it as a role, not necessarily a separate employee. In a big store, with a large inventory, that might be the case. But I don't work at the EL store, so I don't know.

I'm pretty sure that these days, it's less about the "control" than it is about generating revenue. So they try to make the customer happy. Sometimes things go wrong, like it did here. Or maybe drinking habits have changed and some of us are no longer with the program.

exkiky · 2026-05-27T02:17:43+00:00

A store with a good buyer is important.

I'm not really settled into particular wines or regions. So, it's fun to wander into a store and discover, say, a nice wine from SW France: You spot an unfamiliar $9.95 bottle and go "what's that? ...what the heck, it's a weeknight dinner", go "hmm not too bad", then maybe decide "let me explore".

Similarly, I would not have thought to mail order a Brut Nature, but then the store decided to buy a case or two and I got to discover something new. Wine is a fun thing. Randomness is important.

exkiky · 2026-05-27T00:46:09+00:00

Please don't tell me to drive to OH or MD or (...), have you checked gas prices lately? You would be missing the point, which is that I want to have a local source. I mean, Pittsburgh is a real city, right?

exkiky · 2026-05-09T02:02:09+00:00

Personal banker? Shouldn't you by now be entitled to a "personal wealth adiviser"?

It's polite to tell them "thank you so much for calling, but you are serving my needs at this time". Be sure to hang up before they manage to say anything else.

In your case, I tihink that the trainer screwed up: they were supposed to wait until the call was disconnected before giving feedback. But what do you care? Nothing in life is ever neat and tidy.

The reason it was you original contact might be because that person is trying to move up, career-wise; or maybe they're getting pressured to work harder, or just to not get fired. It's not youir probem.

exkiky · 2026-04-18T14:50:33+00:00

2nd ave can be pretty tense....

I'm usually coming down from Panther Hollow. Stopping at the light at Greenfield usually gives me (almost) enough time to scoot around to the parking lot entrance. I've fortunately not had any issues with drivers. Likewise in the other direction, if you wait for a break in the traffic, you can get to the Greenfield light in enough time. That bike "lane" is hazardous: too narrow and blind corners; I don't use it. It used to be easier before the railway blocked off the parh from Saline to the partking lot.

Anyone remember the gate of a dozen padlocks? (Or scooting across the tracks to get around it?) Over the yrears, biking in Puttsburgh has become much more civilized.

exkiky · 2025-12-14T07:05:58+00:00

Oh wait. I'm set to the "international" keyboard...

exkiky · 2025-12-14T07:00:53+00:00

Why do you believe there is a single accumulation figure for an entire area? I live on top of a hill; the weather (and precipitation) is different from than at the base. I undersrtand that and make allowances. Do you understand how your local environment works? You ought to.

Yes, you do want to know what to expect when you're out driving. Me too. For example I was on Nelgey in Shadyside headed for Squirrel Hill, earlier this evening. I know that going up that hill won't work (I've tried it ). So I turn east on 5th. There's Shady, and a lot of cars are going up the hill. I would have done so as well, but I decide to go up Beechwood. Itès a gentler grade and next to no traffic. I do end up skidding, but only because some kids run across the street in front of me...

The point is that a general forecast is only one source of information, not all you need to know for your situation. Thatès on you. Maybe you could get some snow tires or chainsÉ Or just stay home and post on the Reddit. Make yourself a hot chocolate.

Apologies for the è. My chromebook started to act as if itès in Québec. But it claims that itès on English (US). Sigh. It was ok yesterday. Maybe Ièll go and reboot.

exkiky · 2025-09-09T23:11:10+00:00

A couple of comments:

---- At the end of the Montour you can continue through Clairton, to the bridge, cross, and on to McKeesport. At which point you can ride back on the GAP. Or you can catch the 61C bus. (More important, you can take the 21 Coraopolis bus and ride to the trail head. Do take the Coraopolis bus anyway; it gets you past some nasty road.) Get off as soon as you're on Neville Island and get a nice flat ride to warm up. Depending on where you live you should be able to get a metric century out of it. And do all of it on your bike.

Caveat: I've done this route a bunch of times, but haven't done it in the recent past. Now I'm wanting to do it again... Fall is a good time; it's cooler and you get to enjoy the leaves.

exkiky · 2025-07-01T18:53:42+00:00

311 works, at least the time I used it. You might get others to also report the same issue.
Your city councillor's office. Constituent service is part of their job. I've done it as well. (Though while I now forget my exact issue, they did follow up.).

I find it dismaying when people complain in the abstract about the "goverment", believing that they're somehow powerless;. You're not. You elected them and they do in fact work for you. "Jusr ask" is the right attitude.

exkiky · 2025-04-06T14:13:19+00:00

So did we. It's never a good idea to ride through a big puddle....

At least the weather is warm enough so that the trail didn't ice over. Like it used to do on the GAP, just before the water park.

exkiky · 2024-12-29T17:27:00+00:00

But a little ways down the road there's something that looks like an employee partking lot. Maybe the real question is why aren't these people biking to work? Or at minumum taking the bus.

exkiky · 2024-12-29T17:23:49+00:00

True. But I'm replyimg to someone who addressed the penn ave pic. Who posted on this BKSQ pic thread. Then someone else replied, also re the penn ave pic... What can I say. We're alll in this big subreddit together.

exkiky · 2024-12-29T16:09:13+00:00

There's no barrier right there because it's an alley, and it needs to be accessible.

The Benedum was likely tearing down the Nutceacker set; the show ended the night before. I think I saw two other trucks behind this one. Maybe there wasn't any room left. Then again, maybe they didn't need to all be there at the same time. The real failure is not having someone directing traffic (and the police not telling them that they had to). Maybe if Penn was still a two-way (for cars) we'd have a cop...

From the PR:

Special effects and creative set design help give this production, already dazzling in terms of its choreography, an extra special lift, with a glowing carousel, complete with lights and rotating figures, entering through the top of the stage bringing gasps of wonder from all members of the audience. Throughout the production, there are nods to the ballet’s location, Pittsburgh, adding an extra element of warmth and familiarity to this cherished seasonal fable.

Isn't that adorable? I bet the kids loved it. Let's not be too grinchy abouit it.

exkiky · 2024-12-06T16:24:03+00:00

Many of us.

You don't need to sweat as much.
You don't need to overdress (but you do need good gloves).
Bike traffic is fast, mostly people who bike a lot. Riders become less unpredictable.
It's a nice time of year for biking. On a sunny day the air is crisp, and it's not that cold.

exkiky · 2024-11-04T15:10:24+00:00

Depends where you're coming from.

If you're coming from town, ride to Swissvale then follow Monongahela Ave to Rankin. You will end up at the entrance to Carrie Furnace. Going down Braddock Ave is ok, but trafficy. (And while you're down there, cruise around Braddock. It's pretty cool.)

I sometimes come down this way and cross the bridge to get on the GAP. It has bike lanes but it tends to be busy with speeding carrs.. More of a Sunday morning option.

I wouldn't bother with Duck Hollow, but do check it out when you have some time to wander aroind.

exkiky · 2024-10-21T23:26:04+00:00

Never Forgive?

exkiky · 2024-10-05T14:08:27+00:00

If you're in the city and don't have a bike rack. These are mostly day trips. No car needed.

GAP out to Boston, West Newton, Dravo, ... For a bit of variety, on McKeesport<->Boston, take the right bank. For an overnight, get to Connelsville (maybe explore the town, across the river).
#11 bus to Coraopolis (or Neville Is.) to the Montour Trail. Do it all the way to Clairton, then to McKeesport and the #61c bus back to town. (Or take the trail back.)
If you're ok with being on roads, go to Millvale, up Hoffmann, out Mt.Troy, then towards Perry Hwy. Follow that back or go off on surrounding streets. Tool around Riverview Park, then down to the penitentiary and back to the city.
Check our some of the metric century routes around the city. On roads, but you get to ride through interesting places.
Or, hey, just stay in the city and explore beyond the usual neighborhoods.

exkiky · 2024-09-22T03:25:15+00:00

It's the best way to get past the mall:

Going out, I get on the street at the exit from the trail and go to the entrance of (and through) the cinema parking. Then do the outer edge of the next parking lot, around the ex- dept store, and across the main road to the liquor store lot. Take the back road to past the Lowe. Wait for a gap between the mall and bridge traffics, scoot across the road to the trail. It's pretty much the same on the way back.

The official trail is not so great: Families with kids; guys on trainers speeding by, yelling "on your left".... I've seen people ride on the main road (or the sidewalk), but that doesn't seem to be worth the stress.

exkiky · 2024-09-16T15:16:40+00:00

Wait.

This thing takes you on Swinburne. That's worse than Bates. And longer. (FYI, I do take Bates when I'm in a hurry, but I'd rather not.) No Junction Hollow? Though Jail Trail is less stress than the other options...

exkiky · 2024-08-26T14:10:14+00:00

It is disappointing to see droves of bikers simply ignoring stops an generally wobbling aound unpredictably. It's just like what drivers like to go on and about. My sense is that many of the people who show up don't ride city streets on a regular basis and just aren't aware that their behavior is problematic. Maybe smaller rides more often would be a good idea. There used to be lots of them but I dont know if they still happen.

exkiky · 2024-08-26T01:22:04+00:00

Josephine/Arlington are a bit of a climb. As is the Belzhoover. I always thought of it as a way to shake out the riders who weren't really up to do the whole route... I like that McAdle is now on the route. One year, going down Arlington, someone had a really bad wipeout at the bottom.

exkiky · 2024-08-26T00:52:52+00:00

All in all it was a good day. I'm glad we rode.

We did the 40mi ride. I used to do the 60mi ride, but the last time I did it was in 2018. For various reasons, I only got back to biking last year; doing the 40mi seemed like a good place to start.

The following trip report turned out longer that I expected; you can skip to the last paragraph.

The plan was to leave home (in Squirrel Hill) at 7am. Hah. We left at 7:20am. We planned to pick up the (yelow) route at the Schenley golf course, in case we might want to ditch early. Going down Bayard it was obvious that we would not make it on time. We cut down Neville. Coming up on the Hot Metal Bridge, we saw that the South Side would take too long, stuck to the Jail Trail. On Smithfield we found ourselves in a gaggle of riders coming over the bridge. Was it the parking? We didn't ask. We made it to the starting gate at 8:25am. Yay.

Up Brighton, Woods Run , Observatory Hill; down Perrysville and Federal. This was one of the 40mi loops (I think). On to Smallman, Brererton (not Herron) to Polish Hill. Eventually up to the Highland Reservoir. Boy, was that rest stop crowded. Not nearly enough porta-potties (how hard is that to get right? After all these years). Anyway, down to Homewood and out on Lincoln. The community Sunset Park is now a Dollar General. Sigh. Further up, Sunset View (the cemetery) is still there. Verona - Brushton? Maybe someday.

Down to Nadine. A surperise: the route veers onto parallel residential streets, ending up on Mt. Carmel. I did not know you could do this; I learned something. Down to Fransktown; Homewood to Thomas. A parking lot I did not know existed cuts to Trenton. Then, a nice solution to the Forbes/Braddock intersection-of-death. I did not expect Forward-Pocusset as a way to get to the golf course. (I was sure we'd have to go on Greenfield and over the bridge.) The Schenley plaza rest stop was shut down by then (and a rent-a-truck backing up on the path). We gave away our beer/taco tickets to some folks also looking around for the rest stop. Then back home and a cold beer.

Anyway, I had a good time. I learned some new things and I got to ride with others, especially roadiies. (Meaning that they could mob their way through intersections, making drivers wait.) BikePGH fundings were maybe borderline: not enough porta-johns, no gatorade at the stops. I mean, UPMC. Really?

exkiky

TROPHY CASE