Trip #273 Kilbourne Street to East Elizabeth Street, Hazelwood took place on April 2, 2019, and was published on April 12, 2019.
“Sometimes when it’s your brother you look the other way” comes into my mind as I walk along the stairs of Steele Court. It’s a line from Bruce Springsteen’s “Highway Patrolman,” a slow, somber song recounting the lives Joe and Franky, two brothers with wildly divergent and painfully intersecting lives. It makes me think of the generations of families who have called this quiet neighborhood home and the personal struggles that frequently occur behind closed doors. Addiction, abuse, depression, poverty, and incarceration rarely announce themselves to passers-by, but they can live on any street, including this one. Somewhere, somebody’s looking the other way, and they have reasons for it that you may never know.
Field Notes: A pretty flight that runs up and along a steep hillside street. There’s a nice old pine growing alongside that lent an air of tranquility.
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!!
