The Waterfront is Homestead’s answer to revitalization attempts of what used to be steel mill dominated land. Opened in 1999 on the former land of the Homestead Steel Works, The Waterfront spans nearly 2.5 miles. It aspires to be the premiere retail and entertainment center for the Monongahela Valley; however, some of its efforts may have been overambitious and lacking creativity. This can be seen through the massive 16 screen Loews theater, and the sad attempt for “The Town Center” on the commercial property. If you hoped to see more than a large suburban strip mall, you are in luck; there’s more to The Waterfront than meets the eye.
The most common way of accessing The Waterfront is via car due to its limited walkability; its proximity to busy highways and vast parking lots make walking from one side to the other difficult for most. However, to capture the whole sense of the area, a car is not the ideal form of transport. The Great Allegheny Passage is a 150-mile bike trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland that connects to Washington D.C. Former industrial railroad tracks have been transformed into the majority of the trail. Homestead’s industrial history, specifically along the river, made it a perfect place for a section of the trail. The Union Railroad, once teeming with railcars of coke, raw iron, and finalized steel, is now lined with dedicated bikers. As bikers ride along the former railroad, they can see remnants of the Homestead Steel Works dotting the landscape, preserving the town’s unique history.
At its peak Homestead Steel Works employed 15,000 people, making it the largest in the world. Biking the length of the mill allows you to experience the scale in a way that a car could never do. Upon entering The Waterfront, one can see the 12 large red brick smokestacks come into view. The stacks kept the western section of the mill from overheating. The trail runs along the sidewalk for roughly half a mile until it turns onto a gravel path along the river. For the next mile the commercial wasteland will be on the cyclist’s right. On the left, abandoned piers and docks hint at The Waterfront’s industrial past. Smells of food float through the air dominating your senses in a similar way that the mill used to. The only difference, now it's enjoyable.
After the mile of wasteland, a train bridge and an older looking building comes into view. A labyrinth walkway, artfully displaying the names of local steel and coke works, hides in the brush to the left before the bridge. The trail turns onto the road in a protected bike lane. On the left is the Homestead Pump House, where the infamous Homestead Strike took place 125 years prior. This building was preserved as a small museum dedicated to The Waterfront’s history. Visit the historic site as a part of a guided tour, or stop by to enjoy one of the many poetry readings, lectures, movies and other programs that are offered throughout the year.