Trip #236 Isis Way, Central Oakland, Pittsburgh took place on January 1, 2019, and was published on January 16, 2019.
I’m a child of the 1970s, so when I hear the word “Isis” I think of the Saturday morning live-action superhero show. Every time the main character, a science teacher with mousy brown hair and big glasses, needed to transform herself to right wrongs and battle evil, she’d passionately recite the magical incantation, “O zephyr winds which blow on high / Lift me now so I can fly!” While saying these words never transformed me, it always worked on TV, and that was good enough. With her white, bejeweled dress and a giant crow by her side, Isis was my favorite in the crime-busting triumvirate which also included Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman. Nowadays, when you hear the word Isis something very different comes to mind, and I’m sure the O.G. (original goddess) is none too pleased with any of it.
Field Notes: This is a photo of stairs that are very close to Isis Way, but I’m uncertain if they are the “official” city steps or simply stairs that go up to the new housing that constructed in recent years. In all possibilities, the original stairs were demolished for the 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!!
