East Carnegie Park, East Carnegie: 220 Alter Street
East Carnegie (population ~700) is located on the city’s western edge; a small part is residential, and a larger section is devoted to Chartiers Cemetery and the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh campus, but the biggest section is classified as “wild.” This designation makes it an ideal spot for the Pittsburgh Paintball Park (a private business, not city-operated).
Outside of people traveling to those three destinations, most folks might be hard-pressed to locate this area on a map. Still, it’s a neighborhood like any other, early 1900s wooden-frame homes on small lots, vehicles parked on the street and in narrow driveways, and dogs barking from front windows. There are older people and babies, families and teenagers. A neighborhood Facebook page posts announcements about holiday pageants, community yard sales, and back-to-school backpack distributions.
The playground occupies a block once occupied by the East Carnegie Public School. It is a relatively unadorned space that offers ample room to play, throw balls around, or learn to navigate on a bike, roller skates, or skateboard. While the school was closed in the 1970s and ultimately demolished, the World War I memorial at the corner of Alter and Doolittle was restored and remains in place. A group or individual has placed small USA flags in front of the memorial and around the park’s perimeter. The eagle that once spread its wings over the names of the 78 neighborhood residents who served is no longer present. I look at it and wonder what happened.
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.