Trip #373 Sedgewick Street to Oriana Street, California-Kirkbride, Pittsburgh took place on November 14, 2019, and was published on December 9, 2019.
A ruddy-faced man in a backhoe clears the hillside; the word MISTICK etched into the machine’s steel bucket. A brisk wind sways brass chimes hanging on the porch of a house that likely pre-dates these stairs, and the overlapping metallic sounds are deep and calming. Each sound, in its way, welcoming the people who will someday live on this space that has witnessed over a hundred and fifty years of established residential development. A vision of success is necessary to bring about change, and I hope there is a vision for this once vibrant neighborhood. I wonder what this place will look like come next year.
Field Notes: A long, impressive flight along Sedgewick Street starts as raised sidewalk stairs then connects with flight #374. Lots of changes happening in this section of the neighborhood – looks like new houses are going to be built?? The hillside is under massive amounts of construction.
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!!
