Things to Do in Monroeville

Although conservation is important to the course managers at Cherry Creek Golf Club, it never comes at the expense of challenging play. Throughout the scenic 18-hole course, golfers will come face-to-grass with meticulously planned layouts that incorporate ponds, bunkers, and vistas bordered by gentle rolling hills. The first two holes epitomize the club’s course design; hole one's curving terrain and four sand bunkers require precise aim to avoid, and hole two's flowing stream adds an extra level of difficulty to an already nerve-testing approach. Course managers also take care to protect the natural setting and wildlife that inhabit the grounds, taking eco-friendly measures such as building blue bird nesting houses and improving water quality by reducing the use of harmful chemicals. Their efforts have earned the course Audubon International's Cooperative Sanctuary certification, an honor awarded to a select group of earth-minded golf courses around the country.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course
• Total length of 6,147 yards from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

Moonglow Yoga's team of certified yoga instructors guides students through a collection of heated and nonheated classes to hone strong bodies and minds. The studio's schedule boasts classes for students of all experience levels, including beginners Vinyasa classes, in which newbies learn foundational poses, breathing techniques, and how to weave baskets from sticky mats. Teachers dial the studio temperature up to a balmy 95 degrees during Hot Vinyasa sweat sessions, challenging savvy stretches with advanced poses such as half moon, wheel, crow, and robot.

At Pittsburgh Improv, comics lure laughs from bellies in the hopes of following in the footsteps of standup legends such as Ellen DeGeneres, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dave Chappelle, all of whom have graced the Improv club stages. The calendar schedules comedians as often as six nights a week, alternating between big-name headliners and up-and-comers who tickle funny bones with fresh material, abundant energy, and feathered reflex hammers. Audience members munch on their choice of a savory appetizer, such as spinach-and-artichoke dip or buffalo wings, while sipping a cocktail to avoid eye contact with the giant rubber chicken sitting at the next table.

With more than 700 public stairways, Pittsburgh ranks among the most-stepped cities in the United States, and the highest concentration of these antique escalators may be found in the South Side Slopes. Every autumn since 2001, the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association has organized a walking celebration of the approximately 2,700 steps that make up the neighborhood’s pedestrian paths. Streets in the area are prone to change suddenly into tangled, narrow passageways and hard-to-spot hidden corridors, confounding drivers and fostering an old-time vibe underlined by the residents’ liberal use of the word “malarkey.” While exploring these paths with the help of a narrative program book, the curious enjoy a heart-healthy exercise and soak up historical tales such as those about the 1849 cholera epidemic or the home lives of workers at the local glass factories and steel mills.

Guests feast their eyes on the impressive athleticism on display at the Consol Energy Center, home to the NHL's Penguins, arena football's Power, and countless other events. Two LED rings circumscribe the seating bowl, and 800 high-definition televisions of varying sizes pepper the building, ensuring attendees don't miss a single slam-dunk, slap shot, or black eye. Comfy seating cushions rapt fans, boasting widths of up to 24 inches to accommodate wild, celebratory gyrations and pockets filled with packing peanuts.

The Madison Club’s 18-hole, championship course develops over rolling hills and winds through trees for a layout engulfed in a spectacular setting that incorporates the natural landscape into course play. Multiple water hazards characterize a large chunk of the course, as highlighted on the challenging par 3 17th, a hole that forces golfers to carry a short-iron tee shot over open water and has been lauded as one of western Pennsylvania’s best public holes by both the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the fish that cheer on golfers from the green-protecting pond. Though the course cuts through topsy-turvy terrain, the greenskeepers maintain relatively level fairways so accurate tee shots don’t end up on unfavorable, sloped lies. After a day at the links, guests can unwind with a light meal from the course restaurant or toast to the memory of broken golf tees with a drink from its full-service bar.