Trip #270 Johnson Avenue to Naomi Drive, Glen Hazel took place on March 29, 2019, and was published on April 5, 2019.
Some things hide in plain sight, and you don’t even know they’re there until you catch a glimpse of them in the rear-view mirror. There’s that jaw-dropping “Wait a minute!! What’s that???” and in an instant, you’ve thrown on the brakes and are running back to where you came from. Looking up the hillside, the revelation of a long-forgotten stairway emerges from its camouflage of fallen branches, dangling vines, and dead leaves. The unseen becomes the seen, and the shock of it all is enough to make you smile and laugh at loud because this one grabbed you at the last possible moment. #truestory #hidenseek
Field Notes: Finding this one was a real adventure! Johnson Ave is a main street but this section through Glen Hazel is pretty quiet. These stairs have long been abandoned and tree trunks and branches have fallen over it along the bottom. During the summer with all the greenery, I’m sure these are completely hidden – but they’re also hidden in the non-green months as the rusted rail totally blend in with the trees on the hillside.
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!!
