Trip #105 Morningside Avenue to Duffield Street, Morningside, Pittsburgh took place on February 25, 2018, and was published on March 9, 2018.
I sit here, alone but surrounded by bird songs. It feels unique and special at this moment because I am the outsider here, but I know these birds sing their songs every day or nearly every day. It’s happening today, as it happened five years ago, 20 years ago, as long as there have been trees here, there have been birds. I look at the stairway rails and see history in the layered coats of paint. There’s red-brown, blue-grey, and turquoise, all peeling, faded and mottled. It looks like the color of a bird’s egg. It’s a peaceful place, and the birds know it. And now I know it too.
Field Notes: The railings here have been painted so many times – the patterns made by the flaking and fading reminds me of a Robin’s egg. Shades of turquoise blue and flecks of reddish brown.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
