A series of meso-pyridyl substituted BODIPY molecules has been synthesized, characterized and their optical and electrochemical properties compared. By utilizing ethanol and dichloromethane during the initial condensation reactions, there is a significant increase in the isolated yields compared to standard protocols. The properties of the highly fluorescent BODIPYs could be tuned by modifying the substituents of the pyridine, leading to pyridyl BODIPY as prospective ligands for future metal complexes. Furthermore, the presented BODIPY derivatives are shown to be applicable for fluorescence pH sensing over selective pH ranges.