Ever wonder why your Mom calls it Aldi’s or your Dad calls it Panera’s?

Or why everyone in Pittsburgh seems to know everyone else?

Same here.

So we tracked down the answers as part of our Peculiar Pittsburgh series.

What do you wonder about Pittsburgh? Tell us, so we can find the answer.

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Here’s how it works.

Use the form above to submit your questions. Ask us about the things that you wonder about Pittsburgh and our region, light-hearted or serious. Here are a few tips:
- Pick an issue you think is unique to Pittsburgh or our region, and ask an open-ended question about it, not something that can be answered with a simple yes or no.
- Ask questions that spark conversation.
- Any answer can teach even longtime residents something they didn’t know.
We’ll select a question to answer, or we’ll ask Incline readers to pick their favorite.
Once a question has been selected, a reporter from our team will hunt for the answer, sometimes asking the question-asker to join the search. (You’ve been warned.)
We publish an article about the answer.

A few questions we’ve tackled so far:

“As I drive around the North Side, I see an overabundance of cemeteries. Why does it seem like the North Side is roughly 60% cemeteries?”
“What is the blue and white ‘billboard’ Downtown? It faces the Allegheny River, can be seen from PNC Park and appears to project random blue and white triangles.”
“Why does Sixth Avenue take me toward the Seventh Street Bridge and Seventh Avenue takes me toward the Ninth Street Bridge?”
“Why did Pittsburgh only create light rail for the South Hills? Why was it never created in other suburbs?”
How much trouble is it for firetrucks to navigate the narrow streets on the Slopes?”
What’s with the steam coming off that old Heinz plant in Pittsburgh?
Why can parked cars face both directions on the same side of a Pittsburgh street?
The dinosaurs around Pittsburgh — Who are they? Where did they come from? Where are they? Why?
What’s the story on the primary colored house on Mount Washington? Why was it built? Was it actually for “The Real World?”
Are younger people really staying in Pittsburgh?
There is a boat capsized on the Allegheny River along River Avenue, across the river from 21st St. (approximately). What’s the deal?
What is the future (and the past) of the Skinny Building, located Downtown?
Why is the area around the Waterworks Mall part of Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, which is also across the Allegheny River?