Kaitlyn Hughes | news editor

Christine Andrews’ husband has owned the Culture Shop in the South Side since the mid-90s.

Through the years, the couple has seen the atmosphere in the neighborhood fluctuate from a blossoming area with an influx of business and a vibrant art scene to a street with vacant storefronts, minimal foot traffic and a reputation for crime.

“I would call it a quieter time in the South Side,” Andrews said. “All the empty storefronts speak for themselves.”

In 2025, business closures in the area include Bonfire Food & Drink, Nakama Japanese Steakhouse and Emiliano’s Mexican Restaurant & Bar. Also, Starbucks’ South Side location closed last month, which was part of a series of nationwide closures at coffeehouses that could not meet the chain’s physical standards — or where there was no future of financial performance.

Revamping reputations

Although there have been business closures within the neighborhood, Susan Anderson, the East Carson Street business district manager for South Side Community Council, said that the amount of vacant storefronts has decreased from 23% to 17% within the area since she began the position in January.

Anderson, who manages the businesses between 10th and 28th streets, said that there are a total of 77 food and beverage places and 39 retailers. There have been 24 new businesses this year.

Anderson works everyday to bring success to the business owners that line East Carson Street.

“My focus is supporting our local businesses and really working on revitalization efforts so that we can make East Carson Street this vibrant, vital destination for people to live here, visit here, also invest in the area,” Anderson said.

One of the programs Anderson has started is called Art on Carson. It consists of putting art in vacant storefronts, such as the former Schwartz Market building, to get rid of dark patches on the road and create interest in the area. Along with the art installation initiative, Anderson has also gifted business owners plants to put outside their storefronts.

“It really is unfortunate that that narrative is overshadowing all the positive that goes on on the street,” she said.

Crime is down

Crime in Zone 3, which includes several neighborhoods in the south of Pittsburgh including South Side Flats, South Side Slopes, Allentown, Mount Oliver and Mount Washington, has decreased since 2024, according to the Pittsburgh Monthly Incident Dataset.

During this time last year, there were 6,234 crimes reported in Zone 3, and this year there have been 5,198 crimes reported.

Pittsburgh Police have increased their presence in the area over the weekends through the South Side Entertainment Patrol, which is made up of a team of two sergeants and 10 officers. The team, which is trained in entertainment district policing, works Thursday through Sunday 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. to manage crowds.

“[It has] brought order to the street and significantly improved safety in the district,” Anderson said.

Some people in the area think public safety changes still need to be made.

Richie Cupka has been the owner of Cupka’s Cafe II since 1992. He has seen the neighborhood change over time and said he thinks that recent years have been worse when it comes to crime. He said the area still needs more police.

“Nothing will matter until we get public safety and more police over here,” he said.

Other business owners and residents think the area is safe.

Malorey Boyce, assistant general manager at The Urban Tap in South Side, said as a resident of South Side who has been working at the restaurant for four years, she thinks the neighborhood has gotten safer over time.

She added that at The Urban Tap they rarely experience any of the “craziness” in the South Side because it is a family-style restaurant.

“I can count on my hand how many times I’ve had to call 911 to get someone out of the building,” Boyce said.

Although Andrews is not in the neighborhood at night, she does not see the South Side as a violent place.

“I think sometimes things are sensationalized,” she said. “I find it kind of sad because it makes people afraid to come here … There are still great places that exist. I think there is a lot that South Side still offers.”

The ups and downs of the market

Steve McClain has been the owner of Slacker, which sells second-hand jewelry, toys and clothes, since 2005. He said lately business has been “hit or miss.”

“I solely depend on how busy the streets are,” McClain said.

On Monday afternoon there were no customers in the store.

McClain plans to stay open until he retires one day, unless the atmosphere experiences a negative shift.

“I don’t see it getting that dire,” he said.

Staci Offutt, director of the center for excellence in entrepreneurship at Duquesne, said an important aspect for business owners to keep in mind is to ensure they are meeting the needs within a specific community.

“It makes them more frequented and more important for that neighborhood,” she said.

Boyce said since The Urban Tap attracts all different demographics, the business continues to be successful.

She said in past years the servers would worry about having to get a second job during the summer months when business is slower, but Boyce said no one was concerned about that this year.

She credits the restaurants continuous success to their participation in local events such as bar crawls and their consistent engagement on social media.

“We have been trying to do what we can to build an attractive business and be on the forefront of everyone’s mind,” she said.

Anderson said her goal as business manager is to continue fostering the growth that has already occurred among businesses in the community.

“We also know that East Carson Street’s reputation didn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t change overnight,” Anderson said. “Being consistent about it and taking these visible steps to change the reality, change the perception of the street …. That’s what really is making a difference,” she said.

Kaitlyn Hughes can be reached at hughesk10@duq.edu