Mexican War Streets House & Garden Tour taking place Sept. 7
The Mexican War Streets Society will hold its annual House & Garden Tour on Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This is the 53rd iteration of the annual tour, which showcases restored homes as well as private and community gardens. James Bachota, the chair of the House Tour committee for the Mexican War Streets Society, said there will be 10 houses and one garden on the tour this year.
As a special addition to this year’s tour, the Allegheny YMCA will be featured as a stop, giving residents a chance to check out the Y’s ongoing renovation project, which is set to complete next January.
According to Bachota, the tour is the “largest fundraising effort of the year” for the Mexican War Streets Society, enabling them to reinvest the money into supporting the community. Projects the society has contributed to include the Allegheny YMCA’s renovations and donations to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for care of Allegheny Commons Park.
Tickets for the tour are available online only at mexicanwarstreets.org/events/2025-housetour. Tickets are $30 per person, and no tickets will be sold on the tour day.
The tour is held rain or shine and is never cancelled.
Riverview Avenue temporarily closed
Riverview Avenue in Riverview Park due to landslide rehabilitation work along the roadway.
The closure began on Aug. 25 and is expected to last until Nov. 7. The Pittsburgh Department of Mobility and Infrastructure seeks to address landslides 1 and 3, which are located along the road.
A total of 10 landslides have been identified in Riverview Park. A map of all the landslides can be found at engage.pittsburghpa.gov/riverview-park-landslide-remediation.
Remediation work was already completed on landslides 6, 8 and 9, while the remaining are under monitoring. According to DOMI, remediation on those landslides will begin once funding for such work is identified.
During the closure, Riverview Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic beyond Allegheny Observatory and the Riverview Park Activities Building entrances to Locust Grove. Locust Grove and the remaining portion of the park loop will be accessible from Mairdale Avenue, and cyclists and pedestrians will maintain access for the duration of the project.
Motorists traveling south to north on Riverview Avenue from Riverview Drive may continue to do so, but admittance will no longer be permitted to the Riverview Loop.
Community Garden at Allegheny Commons holding party
The Community Garden at Allegheny Commons will hold its 5th annual Garden Party on Sept. 13, at 240 Stockton Ave.
Created in 2018 at the site of three derelict city tennis courts, the 17,000-square foot garden has 54 planting beds tended to by volunteers. Last year, the garden yielded more than 550 pounds of produce and 500 pounds of organic compost. Additionally, 80 gallons of honey were made by the garden’s three beehives, some of which was used at Allegheny City Brewing.
At time of writing, tickets for the party are sold out. However, interested attendees can sign up to be notified if tickets go on sale at deutschtown.org/friends-to-garden- dinner/#tickets.
Proceeds from the party support the construction of additional garden beds, beehives and honey spinners, soil lead screenings for home gardeners and free community events like the annual Kids Easter Party and Halloween cookout.
To apply for a raised garden bed, visit deutschtown.org/community-garden-at-allegheny-commons. Interested gardeners will be added to a waitlist in the order applications are received.
