Revisiting North Lang Avenue, Homewood North, Pittsburgh, took place on August 4, 2022, and was published on August 5, 2022.
When I first visited the North Lang Avenue city steps in June of 2017, I didn’t know a thing about what I was looking at. All I had was the landscape in front of me: an overgrown flight of crumbling concrete stairs on a hillside overrun with wild raspberry bushes and groundhogs and an old Queen Anne house that looked straight out of “Grey Gardens.” It was dilapidated yet beautiful and so very out of place on a street of modest, 1970s-era brick homes. This location was visit #6 on my journey of retracing Bob Regan’s travels throughout Pittsburgh’s 739 public stairways, and in retrospect, I’m thankful it started in the East Hills and Homewood. My travels around their stairs and streets raised many questions I wanted answers to. At that time, I knew little about the highs and lows of Pittsburgh’s economic trajectory and nothing about its social and racial attitudes and actions. As I crossed Apple Street to read the words on the historic designation roadside marker, I realized some much-needed education was about to begin. And now, after five years of questioning, reading and thinking, walking and talking, it was great to make a return visit and see the start of this long-awaited transformation.
Field Notes: People have been waiting decades to restore this property. It’s incredible that it’s finally being cared for and will hopefully become an awesome performance space and museum.
Love city steps? Get yourself the latest and FINAL issue of Mis.Steps: Our Missed Connections with Pittsburgh’s City Steps! Each copy is unique and features 10 randomly selected “trading cards” of the 739 public stairways referenced in Bob Regan’s Pittsburgh Steps book. Visit the Mis.Steps online store to see all issues and place your order.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping and trash were abundant in the area? Please take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! Grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling. Thank you!!
