Southern exposure sheds light on a vibrant South Side

Some neighborhoods have a definite personality while the appeal of others is their mixture of elements. Pittsburgh's South Side encompasses both upscale gentrification as well as proudly anything-but-tony urban vitality.

A day in the South Side will be a day with variety, which is perfect for a group date in which friends' varying interests will be indulged in turn.

The people you'll pass on the street might sport tattoos and body piercing or wear the latest styles. Shopping can run the gamut from used books or electronic media to upscale boutiques. Similarly, dining options extend from excellent pizza shops to fine restaurants.

Finally, South Side might offer the strongest entertainment options in Pittsburgh outside of Downtown.

Dress comfortably because much of the day will be spent on your feet. There is ample street, lot and garage parking. If you use a metered lot be sure to gauge your time accurately because the parking enforcement officers are active.

11 a.m.

Start out the day with a little shopping. Lower South Side, the streets numbered in the teens, is a bargain hunter's delight.

Music lovers and others will want to check out Dave's Music Mine (1210 East Carson St., 412-488-8800) which sells used CDs and DVDs, all guaranteed to play. Many a long lost but still fondly remembered old recording has been found at Dave's. The DVDs include both movies and television shows, single discs and boxed sets.

City Books (1111 East Carson St., 412-481-7555) has an extremely impressive collection of publications spread over two floors, mainly high quality books in literature, history and many specialty fields. The shop is unusual for offering items of academic quality.

12:30 p.m.

Take your lunch break at Pizza Sola (1417 East Carson St., 412-481-3888), a small chain which also has outlets in Oakland and East Liberty. It uses stone ovens to bake New York City-style thin crust pizzas, usually sold by the slice. In addition to standard pies, Pizza Sola's specialties include "The Vendetta" with homemade pesto sauce, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and the "Margherita" with sweet basil and fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese.

1:30 p.m.

Drive less than a mile out to South Side Works, at the foot of the Hot Metal Bridge.

Shops at South Side Works include national chains, such as American Eagle Outfitters and Kay Jewelers, as well as an array of specialty stores for diverse ages and tastes.

Shop 412 (420 S. 27th St., 412-586-7507) calls itself an urban lifestyle store and has particular appeal for younger people. It carries three dozen brands of clothes including nicely emblazoned T-shirts, jackets and sneakers, as well as headphones.

Beware that the luscious aroma of Roberta Weissburg Leathers (527 S. 27th St., 412-488-8008) might weaken self control, but the selection of jackets, coats and handbags is impressive on its own.

Consider breaking up the shopping afternoon by visiting deStefino Southside (2751 Sydney St., 412-488-4418) for a facial or the hair salon. The shop also sells hair- and skin-care products as well as jewelry and handbags.

And no shopping jaunt would be complete without checking out Sur La Table (2681 Sidney St., 412-431-4675) for kitchens utensils, gadgets, cook ware and knives.

6 p.m.

For drinks and dinner options for all tastes, walk to McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant (412-432-3260) at SouthSide Works, which also serves poultry and beef. The menu is printed every day to reflect what's fresh. The restaurant serves fish from several north Atlantic areas, Alaska, Japan and South America. The bar food is fresh, too.

7:45 p.m.

To wrap up the day take in one of the shows which add a special element to South Side's personality. Club Cafe (56-58 South 12th St., 412-431-4950 or www.clubcafelive.com) presents rock and other popular music in a high energy though intimate setting. City Theatre (1300 Bingham St., 412-431-2489 or citytheatercompany.org produces a wide variety of plays all year. And South Side Works Cinema (425 Cinema Drive, 412-381-7335 or here ), right across the street from McCormick and Schmick's, offers multiple film choices. Deciding which to choose is a natural topic for dinner conversation.