Our very own city (home of the World Champion Steelers & Penguins) ranked 18th in the Brookings Institution listing that ranks 100 metropolitan areas based on the strength of local economies.

"The most interesting thing about Pittsburgh, and the reason it is doing so well is that its economy is based on 'eds' and 'meds,' and parts of manufacturing that are not hugely affected by auto manufacturing," said Howard Wial, one of the authors of the Brookings study.

Pittsburgh was also one of 38 cities in the study that did not see a decline in housing prices from the first quarter of 2008 to the same quarter in 2009. In fact, the average home price went higher!

Click here to read the entire article by the Post-Gazette!