Trip #183 Sunnyside Street, Hazelwood, Pittsburgh took place on August 19, 2018, and was published on September 7, 2018.
Can we agree to call this the “Summer of Mr. Rogers”? Thanks to the media buzz about all things Fred and Friends, there have been many times during my stairway explorations I’ve burst into spontaneous humming (ok, maybe a little singing too) of “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” just because it felt right and fun. If Mr. Rogers taught us anything, it’s that outside appearances are less important than who we are on the inside. This message rings strong on streets that don’t look like an idyllic TV neighborhood: dumped furniture and tires, sidewalk trash and litter, windows and doors covered in plywood. But if you look beyond that, there’s so much beauty to be found. Bright yellow mushrooms growing on tree trunks, a vegetable garden protected by parking chairs, the Rose of Shannon blossoming pink and purple by a front door, two tiny grey squirrels watching me from a tree limb. There’s beauty on every street, in every neighborhood, and any day of the week is a good day to look for it.
Field Notes: A rapidly decaying flight off of Glenwood Avenue – but it is still passable and fiercely holding on to its fading beauty.
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!!
