Randyland is one of the more original sites you will see anywhere. Randy Gilson survived homelessness and poverty early in life. He purchased the property on a credit card for $10,000. Along with his companion, the late Mac McDermott, Randy coped with his past trauma by starting to paint recycled materials and his home in 1995. It’s been part of the cultural rejuvenation in Pittsburgh.
This section of the Central Northside is known for the Mexican War streets – streets that were originally named after battles and generals of the Mexican–American War. It’s an old section of the city that had been in decline with the collapse of the steel industry, but has been rejuvenated with Randyland, and with its neighbors City of Asylum and Mattress Factory It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
