Trip #23 Louisa Street, West Oakland, Pittsburgh took place on July 29, 2017, and was published on August 25, 2017.
In-between places are places connecting one thing to another thing without belonging to either. Like a bridge, or a stairway. Right now, I am in that in-between place. There is a feeling of impermanence, transience. This is a place that is necessary for moving from one thing to another thing, without any permanent connection. Like taking a bus or a cab or an Uber. It gets you where you need to go without having to ponder the whys or hows behind it all.
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Except that now, Uber drivers seem to attract a greater deal of attention than those who drive buses or cabs – at least as far as Missed Connections are concerned. Impermanent connection. In-between places.
Field Notes: I wonder what this area looked like before the steps were built. Was it just a wall or a slope? This is the first bike-track sluiceway I’ve seen, but it makes sense here as it’s in the middle of PITT student housing.
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!!
