hows the nightlife in Pittsburg PA?

I moved to Pittsburgh from Kentucky and was freaked out by the liquor laws. Still am. In general, here's how it works:

Wine and hard liquor can only be purchased at a state store. If you can't find something in the state store, they have a list of approved wines and spirits that you can order from, but you have to order a case. The liquor tax in the state is around 50%, I believe. If you want beer or hard cider, you have to buy it from a beer distributor. They are only allowed to sell by the case. A few have licenses allowing them to sell 12-packs, but most are only by the case. You can buy individual bottles to go from bars, but they jack up the prices. It's insane.

All that being said, there have been some small, incremental changes. Some grocery stores have obtained licenses to sell beer, although they usually have to be in a separate section of the store and use separate registers. They did have wine vending machines, but that was an epic disaster - you had to take a breathalyzer and talk via videophone to someone in Harrisburg. It didn't last. There has been talk of relaxing the laws for years, and the public is 100% behind privatizing the system. It's going to happen, the question is only how soon and whether everything will change at once or it will be incremental.

As for the nightlife, that depends upon the area you're in. Pittsburgh is a series of small towns and neighborhoods, each with its own character. Lawrenceville, for example, is full of hipsters. The South Side is full of bars and homeowners who are not afraid to shoot at anyone who gets drunk and urinates on their lawn. Squirrel Hill is full of college students, lots of Asian immigrants, and a huge collection of Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Shadyside has a lot of nightlife, but is fairly rich and the parking is insane. Bottom line is, investigate individual neighborhoods to find one that meets your needs. I'm in Regent Square - there's a beer distributor down the street from me, and a few bars, but it's mostly a quiet area with lots of university faculty and staff.

there is a large entertainment area by the river downtown with many things to do in Pittsburg.