BERLIN -- Last May, when White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced that Pittsburgh would be hosting the upcoming G-20 summit, there were audible snickers from the White House press corps.

One reporter asked "Why Pittsburgh?" But what the reporter really wanted to ask was, "Pittsburgh -- seriously?"

Mr. Gibbs, according to the official White House transcript, replied: "I think it's an area that has seen its share of economic woes in the past but because of foresight and investment is now renewed -- giving birth to renewed industries that are creating the jobs of the future. And I think the president believes it would be a good place to highlight some of that."

It was obvious that most of the reporters in the room did not recognize Mr. Gibb's description. Most of them probably have not been to Pittsburgh recently, if ever. Otherwise they would understand how much the city has changed in the decades since the steel industry disappeared. They would understand that new jobs have been created and that the city has developed a renewed identity for itself separate and apart from the Steelers (well, not that separate).

So if people in a city 246 miles away from Pittsburgh could have such outdated notions of what the city is like, I began to wonder: What do people 4,204 miles away think?

Since late July, I've been living and working in Berlin, Germany. I've been writing about American politics for a newspaper here but have made it a point to casually ask people, both inside and outside of the newsroom, what they know about Pittsburgh.

Many of the views are similar to those held by the Washington press corps. Pittsburgh, in the minds of most of the people I've spoken with in Berlin, is still a Rust Belt city that has yet to recover from the collapse of the steel industry. People have described images of soot-stained buildings, high crime and chronic unemployment. Some even have expressed concern that world leaders might not be safe in such a place.

Few people I've spoken with know anything about the Steelers, a team that defines Pittsburgh in the United States. Those who did recognize it as a sports town recognized it for the Penguins. Ben Roethlisberger could likely walk down the streets of any European city unmolested. Evgeni Malkin wouldn't be so lucky, at least not in hockey-mad Central and Eastern Europe.

Of course, the majority of those who hold these views know the city only from the small snippets of Pittsburgh Americana that manage to make it to European shores. And many people I spoke with had only impressions of the city, not an outright bad opinion of it. For instance, some people know about the confluence of the three rivers, while others know there is a large German immigrant population.

All of this illustrates the unique opportunity the G-20 provides to a city trying to redefine itself away from a history dominated by heavy industry and environmental degradation.

Pittsburgh was chosen by President Barack Obama because, unlike Cleveland or Detroit, it has adapted and allowed new industries, such as health care, higher education and high technology, to thrive. For a few days in September, Pittsburgh will have the opportunity to recast itself in the eyes of the world.

Most foreign dignitaries who attend the summit will focus on the important issues facing the G-20. They will care much more about coming to agreement on ways to keep the world economy moving forward and whether bankers' bonuses should be curbed.

But the estimated 2,000 members of the foreign media, some of whom visited Pittsburgh for a city-sponsored press junket last week, will have more of a chance to explore the city's neighborhoods, sample its restaurants and meet its people. Ultimately, if the European view of Pittsburgh is to change to better reflect current realities, it will be these people, the opinion makers, who will be responsible for changing it.

So over this past week, I've been telling a German colleague on the Pittsburgh press tour where to go, whom to meet and how I would portray an accurate picture of 21st-century Pittsburgh.

Initially, she was skeptical about the choice of Pittsburgh for the G-20, believing it was an attempt to win over voters in a traditional swing state. She wondered whether Pittsburgh's success was being overstated, pointing out that other Rust Belt cities have had few successes.

After three days in Pittsburgh, my colleague seemed pleasantly surprised. She had great things to say about the city, its people, its economy and its diversity. She praised its expansive green spaces and its cultural attractions and many museums. Official delegations from German steel towns were so impressed that they asked city officials for information on how Pittsburgh recovered, she added. I suspect that, after her experiences, her article on Pittsburgh will look kindly on the city and accurately reflect its transformation.

That's one reporter down. Only 1,999 to go.