Trip #169 Alvin Street to Kaercher Street, Greenfield, Pittsburgh took place on July 31, 2018, and was published on August 6, 2018.
When incessant chatter and sounds threaten to overwhelm us, we often desire silence. “I just want some peace and quiet!” we angrily demand. But silence isn’t silent. Even the quietest place imaginable is full of sounds – YOUR sounds. The rhythmic sounds of breathing, the thudding beat of your heart, the roar of blood flowing, and let us not forget the gaseous gurgles of digesting food or the “monkey mind” conversations inhabiting our brain. We can try to flee the noise created by the outside world, but we’ll always have the incessant chatter and sounds created by ourselves. The expression, “You can run but you can’t hide.” seems rather appropriate.
Field Notes: Wow! These neighborhood sidewalk steps have a view of Oakland, Cathedral of Learning… really pretty incredible!
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!!
