We (2 parents, 3 kids) stayed over a long weekend in Pittsburgh as first time visitors, and were delighted with our accomodations at Ben's beautiful and airy property.
Super cool property that is converted warehouse space from a long gone department store. We were mostly out and about but the place was great to come back to. Ben was a phenomenal host, really above and beyond. We had a later than intended arrival (~11pm on Fri) but Ben was waiting to greet us and orient us to the place and surroundings. He had also very generously stocked the place with a start up array of groceries and a loaf of the most incredible artisanal bread, all of which was HUGE bonus the next morning.
Your mileage may vary [literally] but we found the location to be the perfect jumping off point - we only used our car once when we had to make a buzzer-beating dash to get late dinner. Other than that, we walked everywhere: Heinz History Center, Fort Pitt Museum, Duquesne Incline, PNC stadium.
Because we had a relatively short stay, we didn't avail ourselves of everything the apartment had to offer (there's a washer/dryer, dishwasher, and every cooking appliance you can imagine - none of which we used). There are great views of the city (over the freeway) from one bedroom and the livingroom.
We're city savvy and had no concerns about the surrounding area. One recommendation - if morning light bothers you, bring a sleep mask. We didn't, but that was great for getting us up and out for our stay.