Crystal

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OPEN NOW - Closes at 11:00pm

There's no doubt that Pittsburgh is a city of neighborhoods, bound together by the connections among close relatives and neighbors who, let's face it, are often one and the same. Most neighborhoods revolve around two all-important social hubs: houses of worship and houses of, well, the other kind of worship- that which involves a shot and a beer. Whether you're in Tony Shadyside, collegiate South Side or working-class Morningside, somewhere there's a place, if not five, to sit on a barstool next to the person who also lives next door. But our recent visit to Crystal raised a riddle: Is it possible to have a neighborhood bar without a neighborhood? Crystal is a little family-owned and run restaurant and bar glinting in the dark no man's land between the Strip District and Downtown. In a location removed from foot traffic and other retail activity, this tiny, unassuming place manages to attract a regular clientele so varied we couldn't think of a niche, never mind a neighborhood, they might all have in common.