Trip #378 A Street, California-Kirkbride, Pittsburgh took place on November 17, 2019, and was published on December 20, 2019.
I’m thankful that Google’s Map-mobile has been documenting Pittsburgh’s streets since 2007. Street View shows that the wooden stairs built into the hillside of A Street were dismantled, along with nearby houses, shortly after 2012. But a 2011 virtual “drive” through the area shows short concrete flights and railings dotting the hillside – eerie reminders that people once lived in close quarters. Fast forward to my arrival in late 2019, and this neighborhood pocket has almost entirely returned to nature. You might not recognize the remains of the road if it wasn’t for the presence of a guardrail. Down on B Street, two girls are playing outside, and they’re keeping an eye on me. I can see how wandering into a wooded, deserted area might arouse suspicion, so I try to make a show of taking photos while searching for clues. However, their persistent surveillance rattles me, so I decide to pack it in – but not before spotting a big pile of wooden planks. And these may, or may not, have once been the A Street stairs.
Field Notes: This wooden flight is long gone that ran up A Street in California-Kirkbride is gone. When I look back on Google Maps, you can see that in 2011 there were still a few houses that lined Lamont Street and the flight was still there.
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!!
