Mold Remediation in Sewickley, PA

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Jessica Lee and Rick Gallagher at the Rodeo Lounge, Sewickley

Jessica Lee - vocals; Rick Gallagher - keys

Earlier Event: April 26

Maria Becoates-Bey - Jazz at Eddie V's, Downtown

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Lucas, James and Das - Breezeway Home, Point Breeze

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Two Western Pennsylvania towns have ranked among the Top 5 in USA Today’s latest list of the “10 Best Small Towns in the Northeast.”

Sewickley and Ohiopyle were among the selections first nominated by an “expert panel” and then voted on by readers asked to consider attributes like “gorgeous scenery, historic charm, local cuisine, and cultural attractions.” The list comprises towns with populations below 25,000.

Voters placed the Ohio River valley suburb of Sewickley, with a population of just under 4,000, in the No. 2 spot, behind only Castine, Maine.

Ohiopyle, the small town within Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County, had an official population of 38 as of the 2020 census. It landed at No. 4 on the list.

In 2024, Ohiopyle ranked No. 1 and Sewickley No. 4.

”Our variety of small businesses, neighbors, and patrons make Sewickley the sophisticated historic gem you know and love,” a message from the Sewickley Chamber of Commerce said in petitioning voters in March.

“We may be small, but we’re mighty,” Go Laurel Highlands wrote in support of Ohiopyle. “Mighty scenic, mighty adventurous, and mighty unforgettable.”

Pennsylvania towns made up almost half of the list, with Gettysburg finishing eighth and New Hope in the 10th spot.

The entries for both towns highlighted some of their most apparent qualities.

Of Sewickley, USA Today said the Pittsburgh suburb was “known for its leafy streets and upscale boutiques. Featuring well-preserved architecture, the town seamlessly blends historic charm with modern sophistication. It has a thriving cultural scene, spearheaded by the Sweetwater Center for the Arts, which offers hundreds of classes to the community and adds an enriching layer to this tranquil destination along the Ohio River.”

Ohiopyle’s entry was similarly complimentary, describing it as a town that’s “situated along the meandering Youghiogheny River and draws adventurers of all ages with its rugged charm and variety of natural wonders. Famous for Ohiopyle State Park, this area invites outdoor enthusiasts to experience many diverse activities, including first-rate whitewater rafting, rock climbing, wildlife spotting, and incredible waterfall hikes.”

First Published: April 10, 2025, 6:46 a.m. Updated: April 11, 2025, 11:51 a.m.

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Two western Pennsylvania communities have been named among the best small towns in the northeast.

Sewickley and Ohiopyle made USA Today's Readers' Choice list of best small towns in the northeast. Sewickley came in at No. 2 and Ohiopyle ranked fourth.

Castine, Maine, took the top spot and following Sewickley, Montpelier, Vermont, helped round out the top three.

Of Sewickley, USA Today wrote, "A Pittsburgh suburb, Sewickley, Pennsylvania, is known for its leafy streets and upscale boutiques. Featuring well-preserved architecture, the town seamlessly blends historic charm with modern sophistication."

Ohiopyle, which won best small town in the northeast last year, was described as an area that "invites outdoor enthusiasts to experience many diverse activities, including first-rate whitewater rafting, rock climbing, wildlife spotting, and incredible waterfall hikes."

Two other Pennsylvania towns, Gettysburg and New Hope, also made the list.

All of the towns featured have a population of fewer than 25,000. They were nominated by a panel and voted on by readers as the best for their scenery, historic charm, cuisine and cultural attractions, USA Today said.

Madeline Bartos

Madeline Bartos is a digital web producer for CBS Pittsburgh who has worked with KDKA since 2019.

Stephanie Wein

The removal of the Woodland Dam at Little Sewickley Creek is a great example of reconnecting aquatic habitats. The Little Sewickley Creek in western Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County is categorized as a “High Quality” stream by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection[1], one of the highest rankings for a stream’s water quality and ecological value in the state. Little Sewickley Creek and its watershed are popular for fishing, hiking and bird watching, providing valuable recreational and educational opportunities in an otherwise highly developed region[2].

The health of this a stream is especially notable given it sits within the highly developed environment of the Pittsburgh suburbs, where its forested watershed[3], keeps the shallow stream cool enough to support trout and other species of native fish – but wildlife can only utilize habitat they’re able to access. A direct tributary of the Ohio River, the nearly 18 miles of Little Sewickley Creek were historically connected to a vast watershed ecosystem.

Unfortunately, since 1928 the Woodland Dam (originally constructed to provide water for a nearby estate) had disconnected the majority of the creek from the Ohio River Watershed into which it had flowed. This has prevented fish from migrating up and down the stream to forage for food and to spawn. The consequences of this barrier for fish biodiversity were dramatic: while over 29 species were present just below the dam, only 7 species were present above the dam[4], despite being a cool-water, high-quality habitat. The problem was clear: the dam was a major hindrance to species mobility.

Removing the barrier created by the dam allowed the return to the free-flowing state that the creek originally enjoyed. When heavy rains brought high water levels the following spring, the flooded creek was able to carry additional fish species upstream.

Within two months of the dam’s removal, spotfin shiners and rainbow darters, absent before, were seen a half-mile upstream of the former dam. A mile upstream, smallmouth bass were now being found in addition to shiners and darters. Fifteen months after the dam removal there were nine new species seen a mile upstream–more than doubling the fish biodiversity present before the dam’s removal. The returned species include the spotted bass, rainbow and green sided darters, longnose dace, bluntnose minnow and the bluegill[5]. This rebound is in line with what has been seen following dam removals across the United States.

Reconnecting Little Sewickley Creek not only gave numerous fish species renewed access to habitat, but their arrival also increased the health of the entire upstream ecosystem[6].

When streams are reconnected, recolonization by additional fish species with a variety of diets helps stabilize macroinvertebrate populations, reducing the population of some previously common insects and creating space for other species to increase and flourish[7]. In a small stream like the Little Sewickley Creek, a midsize fish like the smallmouth bass is an apex predator[8], and the return of apex fish can have a profound impact on an aquatic environment by stabilizing populations of smaller fish and macroinvertebrates alike, enhancing biodiversity and creating a more varied and resilient ecosystem.

References

1. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Little Sewickley Creek: Water Quality Standards Review & Stream Designation Evaluation Report, February 2016.

2. Little Sewickley Creek Watershed Association, About The Watershed, accessed at: https://www.lscwatershed.org 5 February 2025.

3. Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., Little Sewickley Creek Watershed report assessment summary, August 2018.

4. Little Sewickley Creek Watershed Association, Woodland Dam Removal, 27 March 2022, accessed at: https://www.lscwatershed.org/?page_id=489, 5 February 2025.

5. Ibid.

6. Eric Chapman, Director of Aquatic Science, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, personal communication, 22 November 2024.

7. J. Ryan Bellmore, “Conceptualizing Ecological Responses to Dam Removal: If You Remove It, What’s to Come?” Bioscience 69(1):26–39. doi: 10.1093/biosci/biy152, 10 January 2019.

8. Marine Invasions Lab, Smithsonian Institute, Micropterus dolomieu, accessed at: https://invasions.si.edu/nemesis/species_summary/550562, 5 February 2025.

PITTSBURGH, PA — Two Western Pennsylvania communities have been rated among the best small towns in the northeast in a USA Today Reader's Choice Awards list.

Sewickley was ranked second, behind only Castine Maine. Ohiopyle in Fayette County was ranked fourth.

Here's what USA Today said about Sewickley:

"A Pittsburgh suburb, Sewickley, Pennsylvania, is known for its leafy streets and upscale boutiques. Featuring well-preserved architecture,the town seamlessly blends historic charm with modern sophistication. It has a thriving cultural scene, spearheaded by the Sweetwater Center for the Arts, which offers hundreds of classes to the community and adds an enriching layer to this tranquil destination along the Ohio River."

Here's what USA Today said about Ohiopyle, which last year was ranked first among northeast towns:

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"In southwestern Pennsylvania, Ohiopyle is situated along the meandering Youghiogheny River and draws adventurers of all ages with its rugged charm and variety of natural wonders. Famous for Ohiopyle State Park, this area invites outdoor enthusiasts to experience many diverse activities, including first-rate whitewater rafting, rock climbing, wildlife spotting, and incredible waterfall hikes."

All of the top 10 towns on the list have a population of less than 25,000. They were nominated by a panel and voted on by readers as the best for their scenery, historic charm, cuisine and cultural attractions.