Trip #257 Stella Street, Southside Slopes, Pittsburgh took place on February 23, 2019, and was published on March 6, 2019.
Crookedness. There is plenty of it in the natural world and plenty of it in the human world. In the built environment, crookedness appears due to stress and strain, impediments or obstructions, whereas, in human behavior, crookedness implies someone is not following the ethical path or willfully abusing their societal position. Like the tree growing around a boulder or an old stairway sagging from erosion, perhaps human crookedness has similar causes. Or not. Either way, making the discovery, and identifying the reason, can help us figure out if we need remedial efforts or a full-scale teardown.
Field Notes: Crooked little flight that you almost don’t even see because it’s right alongside a house that is below street level.
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!!
