Pittsburgh, the city that emerged from the French and Indian War to become one of the richest industrial cities in the world and then one of the first major ones to go bankrupt, is commemorating its 250th anniversary this week.

PITTSBURGH — George Washington and Gen. John Forbes looked out over the strategic fork of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers. Behind them, Fort Duquesne smoldered after being burned down by the French who fled hours earlier down the Ohio River.

"Let's call it Pittsboro'," the Scottish general told the future first president of the United States on Nov. 25, 1758, hours after the victory that ensured English would be spoken from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains.

This week, the city that emerged from that battle to become one of the richest industrial cities in the world and then one of the first major ones to go bankrupt, commemorates its 250th anniversary. And it's as much an occasion for celebrating as it is for soul-searching.

Today, that point where Washington and Forbes stood is home to a newly renovated state park. Behind is a skyline of glass and steel majestically rising over rivers crisscrossed by an array of bridges — a view whose beauty is shocking, mostly because it is unexpected.

Many outsiders still picture the city as it was years ago — smoke and soot-filled, made up of mostly blue-collar factory workers. Now, there is a high percentage of professionals living in the relatively clean city made up of 88 colorful neighborhoods, vibrant cultural centers, top-notch universities and a renowned medical institution.

"Pittsburgh over the last 250 years has been ... a microcosm of American history. You find everything that is good about America, and a lot of what's not so good about America here," said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Heinz History Center who has overseen the production of a new exhibit celebrating Pittsburgh's history.

But Pittsburgh remains an anomaly. Its residents — even the newcomers — scorn it, but secretly love it.

Old-timers are gloomy naysayers who brighten up only when talking about Pittsburgh's "better" days — when streets were packed with shoppers, the steel mills spouted smoke and fire 24 hours a day and money flowed like the city's three rivers.

They still give directions based on where things used to be — no matter that Alcoa hasn't owned the "old Alcoa building" for 15 years or so — and are fiercely proud and defensive of a city that has often been the butt of jokes.

And then there are the tens of thousands who make up the "Pittsburgh diaspora," created by the exodus that drained the city of its population when steel collapsed in the 1980s and jobs were scarce. Since 1990, the city's population has dropped from nearly 380,000 to just over 311,000 in 2007.

Many who have left are scattered nationwide, and even across the globe.

They long for their hometown and remain fiercely loyal not only to the city, but to its sports teams. On game days, you can find these fans donning their black-and-gold jerseys at Steelers' bars in places as far-flung as Ireland and London.

For now, they impart their love of Pittsburgh to their children and their grandchildren, promising the city's three sports teams — the Steelers, the Pirates and the Penguins — a strong fan base for decades.

"There's an almost biblical story here of people who were thrown out of their homeland, which they had a great attachment to," said Carl Kurlander, who grew up in Pittsburgh, went to Los Angeles to write movies like "St. Elmo's Fire," but came home in 2001 with his wife and young daughter.

Most anyone in the city can tell you that Pittsburgh was named the nation's most livable city in 2007, when Rand McNally released the 25th anniversary edition of the "Places Rated Almanac." Many will note that Parade magazine rated the view of the city from Mount Washington — a hilltop across the river from downtown Pittsburgh — the best in the country.