Trip #289 Mackey Street to Lawn Street, South Oakland took place on April 27, 2019, and was published on May 20, 2019.
Ghosts are everywhere in this city – and I don’t mean the haunting, frightening kind that supernatural stories and horror films specialize in. The faint, shadowy traces of days gone by reveal themselves on the oldest of the city steps and the once bustling but now isolated neighborhood streets. Changes in industry and transportation permanently altered this area of South Oakland, but if you look carefully, you can still see the remains of old buildings, stairways, roads, and walls. If you listen carefully, the wood and stone speak their stories as you travel through.
Field Notes: This old wooden flight that connects Mackey to Lawn Street will soon be completely overtaken by knotweed!
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!!
