The Monongahela Incline runs from Carson Street at the south bank of the Monongahela up to Grandview Avenue on Mount Washington — a rise of about 400 feet on a 35-degree grade. The ride takes less than two minutes, but the view from the top is one of the best in Pittsburgh: the entire downtown skyline, the three rivers, and the hills beyond spread out below you. The observation deck on Grandview Avenue looks directly across the Monongahela toward the Golden Triangle.
The incline is a working piece of public transit as well as a tourist attraction — it costs the same as a bus ride and commuters use it daily. The wooden cable cars are beautifully maintained originals from the Victorian era. The nearby Duquesne Incline, a few blocks west, is equally historic and offers a slightly different viewpoint; most visitors do both in an afternoon. Grandview Avenue itself has a string of restaurants taking advantage of the view, making sunset here a reliable pleasure.