A Tourist in Your Own City : Randyland

Hello friends, 

This past week was Bryan's birthday, he turned 30 this year!! He took some time off of work and we spent that time bopping around the city, exploring a little further from our normal stomping grounds and relaxing at home. It was a really nice and chill week, just the way he wanted it! 

There are a few places in Pittsburgh that neither one of us have been to. Bryan is kind of obsessed with Google Maps and he poked around and found a few tourist-y spots that we had never seen and one of those happened to be Randyland.

"Randyland is the actualization of planting small dreams – watering and cultivating them like a garden. In 1995, when the property was purchased at  auction for $10,000, Randy wasn’t sure what the place would become. But “too many people think with their brains, not with there hearts. Whatever you want to be in your heart love will open the path.” He didn’t plan what he’s created but trusted that he’d figure it out along the way. The grounds became a place for Randy’s passion and intelligence to run wild. Now, it is a place to get inspired for creativity, where many energies overlap as each guest brings some gift of themselves. All the bricks of Randyland are gathered from nearby houses being torn down. He believes in the energies of those bricks and in the stories of the lives they held."

**Taken from https://randy.land/about/

Randyland is one of those places that genuinely brings joy to you the second that you see it. The moment we walked up to the gate and saw all the color, I couldn't stop smiling. This place really does radiate happiness! Randy is now a Pittsburgh staple and from everything I've ever heard about him, he's one of the nicest guys in town. Sadly, we did not get to meet him that day, but I have every intention to go back and meet this amazing man who created this small world of color that takes you away from the normality of the rest of the city. And it's free! All they ask is for a small donation so that the creation and art can continue to grow and spread. There is a small gift shop at the bottom entrance and if you donate, you can grab a button or some other small gift. It's a really nice little selection. 

If you have the time and are looking for a super fun, wallet friendly, kid friendly place to check out in the city, I HIGHLY recommend that you check out this Pittsburgh gem, Randyland is truly a Steel City treasure!! 

xo. h.