The Northside Chronicle staff looked back on 2020 (Good riddance!) to curate a list of our most popular online stories, COVID-19 headlines, and more. This is what we found.

Compiled by Ashlee Green

Photo: “Northside Glow,” the holiday show of lights in Allegheny Commons East Park, was on display for most of December 2020. Put together by the North Side North Shore Chamber of Commerce, the show served as a stand-in for their annual holiday gala. By Annie O’Neill

15 Most Popular Online Stories:

1. “Artist Jeremy Raymer paints new Mac Miller mural in prep for Northside listening party”
2. “Buhl Planetarium’s pioneering past”
3. “Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh expands curbside services throughout Northside”
4. “The long, hard road to equity”
5. “Red Door Thrift Shop in Troy Hill gives back to Northside community”
6. “Northside Comfort Inn now officially open”
7. “Is it decay, or is it transformation?: An interview with photographer David Grim”
8. “National Aviary now bringing its birds to you”
9. “Better signage, wetlands wanted at Riverview Park’s Grand Ave. entrance”
10. “Northside Christian Health Center amps up behavioral health services”
11. “This nurse’s ‘pie in the sky’ is to revamp homeless women’s health care in Pittsburgh”
12. “YMCA offers free access to new online programs”
13. “Pittsburgh’s Northside celebrates Juneteenth with presentation at Avery College historical marker”
14. “Defund the police: What does it mean and can it work?”
15. “Right now is the perfect time to start a meditation practice”

5 New & Notable Business Stories:

1. Happy Day Dessert Factory: “Northside ice cream shop opens amidst global pandemic”
2. The Farmer’s Daughter Flowers: “Northside small business flower shop offering no-contact deliveries for Easter”
3. Flavors Famous Street Food: “Owner of Flavors Famous Street Food aspires to make the place a household name”
4. The Coop Chicken and Waffles: “The Coop Chicken and Waffles now has a permanent roost in the Northside”
5. M&A Tax Accounting and Notary: “Tax filing deadline extended, but independent contractors still face unique challenges”

10 Most Popular COVID-19 Stories:

1. “Northside business models adapt in the face of COVID-19”
2. “Hemolung: A gentler alternative to the ventilator?”
3. “North Side Christian Health Center now operating ‘coronavirus response line’”
4. “Pittsburgh doctors on the evolution, myths of coronavirus in the region”
5. “‘Tour de Quarantine’ the brainchild of Pittsburgh cycling commentator”
6. “Owner of Troy Hill salon donates over 500 handmade masks to area hospitals”
7. “Deutschtown Music Festival organizers cancel over coronavirus concerns”
8. “Safety protocols a must, customers say, for Northside business success in ‘new normal’ times”
9. “Northside ballpark and sports bars remain empty amid start of baseball season”
10. “New electrostatic drones could disinfect Heinz Field in three hours”

9 People to Know in the Northside:

1. Sara McAlee: “Soup fanatics, meet the Northside’s own @brothmonger”
2. Chi Ilochi: “Northside stylist aims to change lives with fearless fashion”
3. Warren Jones: “Century-old sign company has true grit”
4. Suz Pisano: “Suz Pisano takes the wheel”
5. Master Sgt. Sara Keller: “Northsider stationed in Colorado wins Air Force award”
6. George Martin: “Northside Elks Lodge bartender celebrates 92 years by serving 92 drinks”
7. C.B. Perry: “On comic books, controversy, and collaboration: An interview with artist C.B. Perry”
8. John Porter: “World War II Veteran now a ‘pillar’ of Northside’s Tabernacle Baptist Church”
9. Ray Ward: “Lifelong Northsider earns a name for himself in hospitality industry”

15 Northside Community Stories:

1. “Northside German club accepting offers for painter’s historic home”
2. “Northside Bicycle Summit raises key questions about citywide mobility”
3. “‘Compassion Hub’ now open at Allegheny Center Alliance Church”
4. “Northsiders to reenvision Grand Ave. entrance to Riverview Park”
5. “The Magic Yarn Project creates Disney-themed wigs for children with cancer, hair loss”
6. “The Children’s Museum is hosting a virtual neighborhood singalong, and you’re invited”
7. “Little House, Big Art celebrates eight years in Spring Hill”
8. “Iota Phi provides thousands of healthy snacks to children in the Northside”
9. “Mummies ‘bind’ local officers and students together at Carnegie Science Center”
10. “Fans honor Mac Miller in Pittsburgh’s Northside”
11. “Northside Mattress Factory exhibition unites Americans and Iranians through music”
12. “Northside Mardi Gras kicks off small business flavors, sounds of New Orleans”
13. “Northsiders respond to coronavirus crisis with online community support groups”
14. “Community Land Trusts hold promise for the future of affordable housing in Pittsburgh’s Northside”
15. “Tamburitzans folk ensemble make a new home base in the Northside”