Trip #130 Alger Street to Neeb Street (Coleman Street), Greenfield, Pittsburgh took place on April 21, 2018, and was published on May 7, 2018.
On the surface, all public stairs are pretty similar, but individually, they’re also different, even when you compare flights found in the same neighborhood. I think this holds true whether you’re looking at stairs or roads or houses, animals or humans. For those who remember Mad Libs, give this a try… “Many (INSERT FAVORITE PLURAL NOUN) look quite similar, but they can still be very different.” and “Even (INSERT ANOTHER FAVORITE PLURAL NOUN) that look very different have common features.” Whether you’re looking for similarities or differences, we’re all part of the giant network of our communities. We can embrace our uniqueness and individuality, and we can also celebrate our similarities and connectedness. Call me crazy, but I think life’s way more fun and interesting when we get to have both curly-q cobblestone stairs AND concrete sidewalk steps with railings (plus all the other variations in-between)!
Field Notes: Another sidewalk stairs connector for Alger and Neeb Streets. While this fancy curved stairway is probably what was installed in 2000, the rest of the flights have been modified over the years. The original build date was probably 1950 like its counterpart one street over.
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!!
