Trip #32 Mystery Flight, Polish Hill, Pittsburgh took place on September 9, 2017, and was published on September 15, 2017.
I can easily count 16, and I see what maybe looks like another 6 or 7 after that. This place is not the location of the Mystery 13 – an entry in Appendix A of Bob Regan’s “Pittsburgh Steps” of a flight of stairs with 13 steps but no listed connecting streets or dates of construction. As the entries above and below it are in Polish Hill, I assume it’s in this neighborhood, but where? Certainly not this one. ~
But one unanswered question leads to another. What are these stairs? The Melwood Parklet is below, Bethoven and Bernie’s Garage is above. Were they a public flight? When? Or did they go to a house that is long gone, covered in knotweed? The crows are cawing, and they may know the answer, but I can’t understand the language. 13. Lucky 13. Unlucky 13. I don’t have any answers. It’s a mystery.
Field Notes: Went to the destroyed stairs on the corner of Bethoven by Bernie’s Garage. Thought this might be the mysterious “13” but after counting close to 17 visible steps this is probably not it. I do wonder what this flight was all about though – was it public or did it lead to a house that’s long gone?
UPDATE: Bernie confirmed that the remains of the stairs at one time went down to a house that was demolished decades ago. Mystery solved!
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!!
