My Favorite Pittsburgh Thing To Do With Kids from @AnnieGetYourGum

Annie Kurzweg wears multiple hats in her hectic life.

“I’m a lawyer with the best job I could imagine, working part-time for a wonderful Federal judge downtown,” says Annie. She moved to Pittsburgh from New Jersey to attend Carnegie Melon University. “I stayed for law school, fell in love with Matt and this city, and stayed.

Annie is the mom of three kids – Abe, 18; Naomi, 16; and Tabitha, 14 – and lives in Squirrel Hill with her hubby.

During her free time, Annie posts her mom-of-teens cartoons on Instagram at @anniegetyourgum. Her funny posts are instantly relatable to anyone who has lived with a teen and survived to tell the tale.  Self-described as a “depicter of everyday household complaints and lunacy,” her Insta has been featured on Huffington Post and is wildly loved by her followers.

Annie’s favorite thing to do with kids is equally complicated.

“When we had three kids under the age of four, ‘low stress was the most important quality that I looked for in a family outing,” Annie says. “Phipps Conservatory on Friday nights always felt like a hidden gem. It’s peaceful, beautifully lit in the evenings, and the café is great for kids of any age and adults alike.”

A stroll in the neighborhood to Forbes and Murray avenues is another popular pastime.

“Within a short distance, we could get ice cream or Rita’s, have a delicious meal to suit any taste, stop at the friendly Squirrel Hill branch of the library for books, and go to Wightman Park or the Rehabilitation Institute playground,” she says.

“Even though hanging around upstreet with their parents isn’t my kids’ first choice of how to spend their time nowadays, we still enjoy going to Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods — like the Strip District or around the Schenley Plaza in Oakland — to wander and see what we can find to do.”

Annie jokes that eating is usually the common goal, which often takes them to Hidden Harbor, the Independent Brewing Company and Lorelei. Matt, a practicing attorney, is an owner of these other three “favorite places to go with kids!”

Time together is hard to come by with busy teens, “but it feels extremely important to touch base as a family unit — it’s grounding for all of us,” Annie says. “I’m also acutely aware that my kids will all likely be leaving home within the next four years, and I’m savoring the little chunks of family time we have now.”