You were walking along the North Shore and saw it, didn’t you?
A big, floating platform tucked along the riverbank near the Sister Bridges. There’s a blue shipping container on it. People lounging in a net over the river. Some music. Some art. Shells being hung that catch the wind.
And we know what you’re thinking:
What is that thing?
Well, we’re glad you asked.
That Thing is Shore Thing, and it’s Riverlife’s newest floating destination. Equal parts gathering space, creative experiment, and summertime hangout, Shore Thing is a bold way to bring people to the river in unexpected, joyful ways.
Let us break it down:
First: It floats.
Shore Thing is made up of ten steel barges, each 40 feet long and 10 feet wide. If that sounds industrial, it’s because it is. These were once working river barges, lightly used, and built to haul up to 75,000 pounds each. They were brought to Pittsburgh from Dubuque, Iowa, another river town with serious character, and pinned together in a configuration that looks like a traditional industrial barge, but with some flexibility built in for a little bit of extra play.
And yes, it’s safe. Those barges are anchored in place with six giant steel piles, called spuds, driven straight into the riverbed, and backed up by additional anchors for good measure.
It’s not going anywhere. Except into your summer plans.
Next: It’s powered by the sun.
On top of one of the barges sits a converted 40-foot shipping container, lovingly reimagined into a solar-powered hub. It houses Riverlife’s guest welcome area, a concession stand operated by BG Brewing (more on that in a second), and a stack of batteries that soak up power from 20 solar panels mounted on the roof. Thanks to our partners at ZeroFossil, this Thing practically hums with energy, even when the DJ isn’t spinning.
Food, drinks, murals, and river net naps? All of it.
BG Brewing is serving up a full menu of bites and beverages with a theme inspired by their roots: Pittsburgh to the Pacific.
There’s a custom-painted mural by Pittsburgh artist Janel Young flowing across the surface of the barges.
And yes, there’s a net suspended over the river where you can lie back, look down, and feel the breeze on your face. We dare you not to smile.
Yes, that is Pittsburgh’s newest chandelier.
If you visit Shore Thing early in the season, you might catch The Pittsburgh Chandelier in the process of becoming.
This evolving art installation, designed by artist Fran Flaherty and co-created with her students at Carlow University and the Pittsburgh community, is both functional and symbolic. When complete, it will provide shimmering shade made from more than 20,000 Capiz shells, each one representing a story, a memory, and a labor of love.
Inspired by Fran’s Filipino heritage and Pittsburgh’s working-class history, the chandelier is a celebration of community, migration, and collective making. It’s also a reminder that art doesn’t always arrive finished: it invites participation.
So if you see scaffolding or strings of shells slowly appearing above the platform, you’re witnessing something rare: a public work of art in motion.
So why did Riverlife build this?
At Riverlife, we believe that Pittsburgh’s riverfronts belong to everyone.
For years, we’ve been working to Complete the Loop—a vision of connected trails, parks, and public spaces that bring people to the water and to each other.
Shore Thing is part of that mission. It’s a pilot program that we hope will inspire other creative river and riverfront experiences. It’s a big swing, a bold move, that we look forward to connecting to the community and inviting in collective dreaming about what this space–and the riverfronts–can be.
Shore Thing is a place where you can stretch out, cool down, dance, listen, reflect, and just be. A reminder that the rivers aren’t just something we look at—they’re something we can live with.
Come see for yourself.
Shore Thing is open through October. You’ll find it just off Allegheny Landing on the North Shore, with programming like free fitness classes, DJ nights, art workshops, and live music happening all summer long.
It’s unlike anything else on our rivers. It’s free. It’s open as often as we can staff it. And it’s Shore to capture imaginations.
But hey—you already knew that.
You just needed to know what to call it.
