Trip #122 Stanton Avenue to McCandless Avenue, Stanton Heights, Pittsburgh took place on April 6, 2018, and was published on April 18, 2018.
When you look at city steps, it’s easy to see a lot of lines. Horizontal lines, vertical lines, parallel and perpendicular lines. It brings back memories of high school geometry class. But the ones I enjoy looking for are the outlines and inlines, and here at Stanton and McCandless, you get plenty of both. If you’ve ever watched Project Runway, you know Heidi Klum is fond of saying, “One day you’re in and the next you’re out!” and while the perception she’s referring to is social instead of visual, it does apply to how we see and analyze objects in the landscape. The parts that are “in” and the parts that are “out” depend upon your focus and the position of your point of view. So, it’s entirely possible that one day you’re out, but the next, you could be in!
Field Notes: These stairs are right on the main road from Lawrenceville to East Liberty and from the top, you can see downtown! The giant metal retaining walls are starting to rust and several of the individual steps are crumbling – careful footing is needed.
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!!
