Trip #15 Oberlin Street, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, Pittsburgh took place on July 9, 2017, and was published on August 7, 2017.
I’m sorry I startled you. I’m sorry my arrival caused you to run away, but through your departure, I found another way. That’s how it is so many times, right? All we see are the fences. The rusted chain link and the decaying wooden barriers. Keep something out. Keep something in. We don’t often stop to look for the gap, but once you find it, you almost don’t even see the fence anymore. Now there’s a way to get in, a way to get out. At first, I saw only one, but now I also see the other. Despite appearing hemmed in, you knew it was there, you travel between the two sides every day, and when you decided to run, you ran right through it.
Field Notes: Saw two deer here. They started coming up the steps in my direction (and for a moment I thought they were human-curious and heading toward me!). But no, their well-established path was just up a few stairs from where they stood. Hopes dashed!
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!!
