Brookline Monument Park, Brookline: 1017 Brookline Boulevard
Like its companion in Beechview, Brookline Monument Park is on a busy road lined with retail shops, small restaurants, service-sector businesses, places for worship, and a smattering of houses and apartments. With so much hustle and bustle, it’s easy to overlook this triangular slice of land despite its visually commanding World War I artillery cannon. And it’s this unnoticed quality that makes it an ideal place to slow down and be still for a little while.
Seated on a tree-shaded red, white, and blue bench with a hot beverage and sweet pastry, I take in the circulating urban panorama and its dozens of people making brief yet harried appearances—until I notice an elderly man pulling a small utility cart with a plastic grocery bag inside. I watch him gradually make his way down the block, wait for the crossing signal at the intersection, and then enter the park. He nods at me and smiles as he takes the bench next to mine. “It’s a nice place to sit, isn’t it? I like to come here after my errands.” I return the smile and agree, and as I slowly finish my coffee, we silently watch the activity of people coming and going together.
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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.