Trip #310 Norwood Avenue, Perry South, took place on June 29, 2019, and was published on July 10, 2019.
It’s only natural to want a quick and easy solution to the problems knocking at the door. Just get it over and done with so you can move on to the next thing that’s clamoring for attention. Some problems can be solved in a way that requires minimal thought, like putting a band-aid on a superficial cut, but others need the long-view and sufficient time for digging around to unearth the root cause. In those cases, the proverbial band-aid isn’t going to help and may even worsen the situation. Taking time to understand when and how the issue came to be is not the easiest way, and it’s certainly not the fastest, but it’s the only way to ensure the solution stands a chance of remedying what is ailing us.
Field Notes: The Norwood Ave stairs are a somewhat forgotten old flight in a quiet neighborhood that has seen better days. The big old houses must have been something back in the day – before they were sectioned off into apartments and left to slowly fall into decay.
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!!
