Frazier Park, South Oakland: 3200 Dawson Street
South Oakland is very residential, especially the hilltop area off Frazier Street. Bounded by Junction Hollow on one side and I-376 on the other, its warren of one-way and dead-end streets offers no “short cuts,” greatly reducing the vehicular traffic that plagues other sections of the city. As a result, Frazier Park and its athletic fields have a hyper-local feel. On a Saturday afternoon, a youth group sits in a circle on the field’s green grass, and a handful of elders putter around in the adjacent community garden. Attached to the field house is a bulletin board with various city notices and helpful information. The people I pass on the sidewalk smile and say hello: it doesn’t feel like a perfunctory gesture, but an authentic acknowledgment of my presence, not as a stranger but as a visitor. That’s a good feeling.
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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.