Marmaduke Park, Brighton Heights: 3915 Oswald Street
The noon sun is assertive, and even from a distance, the deck hockey rink at Marmaduke Park hurts my eyes. The aluminum bleachers radiate with a white-hot intensity, and the playing surface, all neon yellow and royal blue, is painfully bright. A woman reclines near the top of the stands, smoking a cigarette and talking on her phone, her face tilted to catch every available ray. When you’re hundreds of miles from a tropical beach, you make do. Reptiles aren’t the only ones who seek out warmth.
While the sun spotlights the rink, the rest of the playground is ringed by shade trees and a grassy slope. It’s a shadowy and cool hollow, and in the middle is a young man in navy sweatpants and a matching hoodie blazing through a strength and cardio routine: jump rope, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and crunches. He stops, checks his watch, and begins the cycle again. Under the trees, it’s chilly, but he’s an internal combustion engine, fierce and intense, just like the noon sun.
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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.