Picking a place for the perfect Pittsburgh party
These three Pittsburgh places promise patrons great spaces and customizable offerings
A bat mitzvah in a barn may be Instagrammable, but a perfect venue needs more than photographability. Three Pittsburgh places promise patrons great spaces and customizable offerings for a big blowout, small affair or anything in between.
Franklin on Penn
Franklin on Penn, a former bank blending modern and early 20th-century charm, is regularly used for weddings, but the Strip District-based space can handle events “across the board,” owner Melissa Crawford said. “We’ve done corporate galas. We’ve done fashion shows. We’ve done bridal showers and baby showers.”
Located at 2815 Penn Ave., the one-time Franklin Savings and Trust Company is adaptable. If both the main and mezzanine levels are used, Franklin on Penn can seat 250 guests. If a “more cocktail style” is desired, the venue can hold up to 325, Crawford said.
One of Franklin on Penn’s biggest draws, its owner said, is that clients can bring their own alcohol.
For kosher-conscious clients the venue is a plus. Franklin on Penn partners with DiAnoia’s Eatery, and though the family-owned Italian restaurant handles most events, if a client wants to use another caterer due to dietary restrictions such as kosher, they can do so without a buyout fee, Crawford said.
Franklin on Penn is a larger space but has a more intimate story. Its owner, who also spent 13 years as a wedding planner and coordinator, told the Chronicle, “We are a small business. I am not a hotel run by a corporation. It’s me. I have a team of people, so when you choose to book an event at our space you are supporting me and my team. It’s how I take care of my family, how I am able to keep people employed and promote people, and give people other opportunities.”
Magarac
One needn’t know the legend of Joe Magarac to have a legendary event. Magarac, located at 4071 Liberty Ave., pays homage to a late 19th-century tale. Born in an ore mountain, Magarac was 7 feet tall and worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in the steel mills, according to Jody Walter, Magarac’s owner and event coordinator.
Situated between Bloomfield and Lawrenceville, Magarac boasts a unique setup honoring the area’s history. Along with a small museum and gallery of industrial furniture there’s a party space complete with a bar, high top tables, flat screen TV and 18-foot communal dining table.
“The layout of the place is long and skinny, so you can have 20 people in there and it doesn’t feel too cavernous, and you can have 90 people in there and it also feels great,” Walter said.
The furniture, which keeps with the industrial aesthetic, is made of reclaimed Pittsburgh steel and was built by co-owner John Walter of Iron Eden.
Along with a three-season outdoor courtyard, Magarac’s food and drink policy is a selling point for many patrons: It’s all BYO. The venue has an on-site kitchen for prep but cooking must be done elsewhere.
For those seeking to do a kosher affair in a place that “tells a little bit of a Pittsburgh story,” Magarac is a perfect option, Walter said. “It has a Pittsburgh vibe but not black and gold, and it gives a nod to the history of the city.”
Sunken Bus Studios
Comedians are frequent guests of Sunken Bus Studios, but the venue is no joke. Located at 3312 Babcock Blvd., Sunken Bus can seat 200 people “very comfortably,” said its owner Steve Hofstetter.
Along with boasting a dance studio, outdoor patio large enough for food trucks and numerous customizable spaces, the venue has its own parking lot.
In the five months since receiving its occupancy permit, Sunken Bus has grown.
“We’re constantly adding to the place, constantly improving,” Hofstetter said. “Our space is three floors and there is an entry to each floor.” The flexible venue is ADA compliant, which runs counter to some older Pittsburgh places “where you have to worry about stairs.”
Inside Sunken Bus is a smaller room that seats 14. Usable as either a green room or bridal suite, the space can function independently or in tandem with an event occurring elsewhere on site.
“There’s something interesting almost everywhere you look,” Hofstetter said. There’s an art gallery, flexible lighting, iconic doors and a recording studio that can “hold a chamber orchestra.”
Because Sunken Bus is so new, “we have technology that a lot of other places don’t have,” he added.
The venue is routinely used for live shows and rentals. Apart from office space, there’s also a film production studio for set building and filming.
Hofstetter, a Jewish comedian with more than 200 million views on YouTube, hopes patrons get creative when considering Sunken Bus.
Pittsburgh has its fair share of barns, country clubs and museums; this place is uniquely different, its owner said. “Because we don’t have a kitchen, bringing in kosher catering is easy. You don’t have to worry about what else has been there.”
Years ago, the North Hills space operated as Melwood Church.
Hofstetter, who also converted a Stanton Heights church into a live/work/play environment for comedians, said he’s proud of offering Pittsburghers a new and interesting venue: “It’s a little extra fun to throw an event in a former church owned by a Jewish guy.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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