Trip #301 Habit Way, Fineview, took place on June 2, 2019, and was published on June 19, 2019.
The past is not dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past.
William Faulker’s quote about the American South feels oddly appropriate as I peer down into what is still visible of the Habit Way stairs in Fineview. Political leaders may come and go, but this place has been forever ruled by its terrain. We tend to think of Pittsburgh’s past as teeming twentieth-century streets, industrial mills filled with hundreds of thousands of workers, and suffocating levels of pollution, but our past is also rich in lush green vegetation, once life-nourishing springs and rivers, and a formidable terrain of grueling ascents and steep declines. Both of these histories become the present that I stand in front of right now.
Field Notes: This flight is 100% closed off and will so much warm-weather and rain growth on the hillside it’ impossible to see very far down.
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!!
