President Obama surprised a lot of people -- many of them here -- when his press secretary announced that the G-20 summit would be held in Pittsburgh.
A major global financial summit in Pittsburgh?
It's not like no one has heard of the place.
After all, Steelers fans and Terrible Towels are everywhere.
But somehow we've slipped off the national radar when it comes to something other than sports teams.
What people have missed -- and what the President apparently wants to highlight -- is that Pittsburgh has remade itself.
It took decades. It took vision. It took grit and determination to shift this city and this region from a manufacturing-based economy.
There are fewer of us here than there used to be -- but we're still here -- and we're thriving.
When the world comes to Pittsburgh in September, some may still expect to see rusting mills, crumbling neighborhoods and unemployed, hopeless people.
Instead, they'll see high-tech industrial parks, restaurants, shops, apartments and medical complexes where the old steel mills stood.
They'll see how we've transformed beautiful old buildings into apartments and condos that sit next to "green" buildings like the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and PNC-3.
They'll see parks -- and green spaces -- and biking and hiking trails along our rivers.
They'll see hardworking people who are proud of their town -- and ready to show it off.
This is a rare opportunity for Pittsburgh to shine for the world -- without a referee in sight.
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