Group takes in rare tour on roof of Downtown's U.S. Steel Tower

Holly Dunlap didn't know where to look first as she stepped out onto the roof of Downtown's U.S. Steel Tower on Saturday, overwhelmed by the majestic views that stretched on for miles.

“Oh, my goodness,” the 29-year-old North Side woman breathed, stepping toward a barrier along the roof's edge so that she could peer down at the Golden Triangle. Within moments, she was thrilled to get a picture of PNC Park and Heinz Field in one frame, saying, “I love my ballpark.”

About 60 people were expected to take rare walking tours atop Downtown's tallest building on Saturday, nearly 850 feet above Grant Street. The event, sponsored by the Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership, was part of last month's events designed to showcase Downtown but was delayed by rain.

A brilliant sun bathed Downtown skyscrapers, with just a light cover of haze visible in the distance.

“Being above the BNY Mellon sign, I'm kind of freaked out a little bit,” said Patrick Feth of South Park, who took the tour with his wife, Stephanie. The couple noted that other than those on Mt. Washington, there are no observation decks at the height of the tower's roof.

The last time the general public had access to the view from the Steel Tower was in 2001, when the Top of the Triangle restaurant closed. That space is now offices for UPMC.

“It's a view of Pittsburgh unlike any other,” said Doug DeFrank, 33, of Mt. Lebanon. “Down on the ground level, the buildings near the Point look so huge, and when you're up here on the roof, everything looks so much more miniaturized in scale.”

Doug Bell, the tower's property manager, said the peregrine falcon that makes its home at the nearby Gulf Tower sometimes visits the U.S. Steel Tower, raising hopes of the first of three groups to tour the roof that it would get a peek at it. The falcon, however, didn't make an appearance.

For Paul and Kathy DeSerio of Lake Milton, Ohio, who have a Downtown apartment they use on the weekends, the view from high above gave them a better perspective of the places they've visited many times.

“The views were phenomenal,” said Paul DeSerio, 66. “We've been to all the little parts of Pittsburgh, but you could see where they all tied together. That's really cool.”

Bill Vidonic is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5621 or bvidonic@tribweb.com.