pittsburgh: how long does it take to drive from University of Pittsburgh to downtown Pittsburgh? Is the campus close to the city? how is the night life there?|||The campus is in the city it's just in Oakland which is the East End as opposed to downtown. It's less than 2 miles away from downtown and provided there isn't traffic it should only take you a few minutes to drive. The nightlife downtown is much more of a happy hour and after dinner or theater crowd. More adults as opposed to college kids. The Oakland nightlife is mostly bars that cater to the college crowd. The heart of Pittsburgh nightlife is really the South Side which is just over the river from Oakland and Downtown. Here you'll find over 100 bars ranging from upscale lounges and clubs to dive bars.