Armstrong Playground, South Side Flats: 1218 Sarah Street
Armstrong Playground came to life at a time when many South Side residents worked in steel mills or other industrial enterprises. Surrounded by narrow, crowded streets, it was (and still is) a safe place for children to run around and socialize. While the mills are gone, the need for public spaces for families with children is still strong: backyards are rare, and existing ones tend to be small.
It’s hard to imagine the time before Armstrong was created. A time when playground advocates had a much harder job, a time when elected officials, school leaders, and landowners didn’t always see the value in neighborhood play spaces. The nay-sayers fought hard, but fortunately, wiser minds and kinder hearts prevailed.
Today, scattered throughout Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods, residents have access to nearly 150 neighborhood parks and playgrounds. And for places like Armstrong, it’s a playground with generations’ worth of memories. While the names of individual advocates have largely disappeared from the collective knowledge, residents today live surrounded by their legacy.
Love Pittsburgh’s City Steps? Get a Copy of the NEW Book!
City Steps of Pittsburgh: A History & Guide explores the history of the steps and the neighborhoods in which they were built. It also includes 13 guided walks and 20+ locations worth visiting—all with detailed descriptions, directions, and resources for creating your own urban hiking adventure. All areas of Pittsburgh are represented: north, south, east, and west. The book is available through all online shops (including our publisher) and local and independent bookstores.