Shopping in Munhall

An independently owned lingerie boutique for more than 40 years, The Pussycat outfits ladies in sophisticated underpinnings, legwear, and well-fitting bras from brands such as PrimaDonna, Spanx, and Hanky Panky and lines imported from Paris and other far-flung locales. The shop's knowledgeable staff answers a variety of questions, helping shoppers find undergarments ranging from bustiers to soft-cup bras. Shapewear helps sculpt and slim lower halves, and boyshorts marry comfort and style. Customers can cover up legs in fashionable printed tights or step into tantalizing fishnets designed to make waves on subway cars.

Painters, graphic artists, and architects have found the tools of their trade at the one-stop Top Notch Art Centre since 1971. A floor-to-ceiling picture window beckons passersby on Craig Street, where shade trees shelter a block of historic buildings and small businesses, including a rare bookshop and a cobbler for broken dreams. Inside, the staff leads 2-D artists toward the right brush for watercolor or oil from their selection of Winsor Newtons, or printmaking papers from Arches Cover and BFK Rives lines. The store also makes an effort to seek out artisanal brands, such as Gamblin Artists Oils and Mt. Vision Handmade Pastels. Bookbinders can pick up screw posts and glue, and drafters can run their fingers over delicate, smooth vellum and curl them around the curves and angles of nine types of stylus guides. Past the tall, narrow aisles, a framing shop encases completed works of art in glass and caution tape to prepare them for display.

A party just isn't a party until someone recites "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" in a top hat shaped like a beer mug. With today's hard-partying Groupon, $15 gets you get $30 worth of party supplies and Pittsburgh-themed merchandise at the legendary Mike Feinberg Company in the heart of the Strip District.

Typhoon Lighting especially specializes in everything light related: repair services, refurbished antique lighting fixtures, and classic and contemporary new designs to lustrously illuminate any roost. The company's domestic fixtures include pendants, chandeliers, sconces, and lamps that, when nicely light-bulbed, scare ghosts and shed light on ping-pong balls' hidden hideaways (prices vary, depending on limited items and specialty lines). Luxurious lampshades are available to enhance any immodest bare bulb ($30 to $50 on average). The radiant retailer also stocks a wide selection of accessories, including finials and hard-to-find antique bulbs (average $50–$200). If you already have an item that needs fixing or you would like to have a unit customized or embellished with a handmade lampshade, Typhoon's friendly, experienced staff is also eager to lend a hand ($70/hour). All repair and fabrication services are done in-house by highly skilled craftspeople, ensuring special attention and glowing service.

The Book Cellar escapes the curse afflicting many book fairs of being littered with endless copies of Dianetics and Windows 95 for Dummies through support from vivacious readers whose donations have created an intriguingly eclectic selection of literary milestones, pulp-fiction treats, and fascinating non-fiction. With the store's pleasant pricing, your $10 voucher could have you walking home with shelves' worth of material. Kindle and iPad owners can pick up analog copies of their digital favorites, since coverless tablets offer no way to broadcast to your coworkers that you're reading Nabokov.