Mellon Park, Shadyside & Point Breeze: Multiple entrances along Fifth Avenue, Bakery Square Boulevard, Shady Avenue, and Penn Avenue
Mellon Park straddles both sides of Fifth Avenue. For better and for worse, having a major thoroughfare slice through the park means that while it’s one park in name, it’s two parks in atmosphere and amenities. The side closest to Shadyside and Bakery Square, with its many apartments, and The Ellis School, is home to the spray park, playground, athletic fields, and the tennis “bubble” where indoor play and lessons are offered year-round.
The Point Breeze side offers a different experience. Formerly known as “the Mellon Estate,” much of the land was offered to the City in the early 1940s for use as a public park. Shortly after, the adjacent property, which included the C. D. Marshall mansion, was also offered to increase the park’s size. Today, the Marshall mansion hosts CitiParks Community Enrichment programs, and the Mellon mansion is home to the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media and its many classes and workshops.
While there’s no shortage of public art in Pittsburgh, not all of it is immediately apparent. This is certainly true of the 150 “stars” embedded in the lawn of Mellon Park’s Walled Garden. Created as a memorial to Ann Katherine Seamans, the pattern of lights recreates the night sky over Pittsburgh at the moment of Ann’s birth on November 20, 1979. During daylight hours, one can explore the lush grass, searching for each stone marker and reading the unique, short phrases engraved on them. For those who visit as dusk deepens, the field gradually illuminates with starry lights, offering the viewer a tender blend of magical beauty.
“Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this wish I wish tonight.”
Happy New Year!
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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.