Trip #38 Croessus Way, Polish Hill, Pittsburgh took place on September 23, 2017, and was published on September 29, 2017.
The tiniest of mosquitoes is buzzing near my ear, tickling the skin before plunging in for a bite. And now, the train is coming. Metal shrieking, thumping, rumbling, this one’s not fast like the passenger trains, it’s slow and heavy. A stream of closed freight boxes covered in graffiti, and open containers filled with stone and earth. I look to the side and see the remains of a stone foundation. Had it been a house? A barn? A shady subterranean refuge? Among the stones and rubble, rusted old appliances meet their final resting place. The fate of once useful things whose time has passed. Sinking into the earth. Covered in branches and leaves. Listening to the sounds of insects and freight trains.
Field Notes: This flight essentially runs through someone’s backyard – overgrown a bit, but passable. At the bottom is an old stone foundation or walls. The entry indicates the flight goes to the buss-way, but it doesn’t go that 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!!
