Trip #406 McNaughter Street, Fineview, Pittsburgh took place on February 15, 2020, and was published on February 28, 2020.
Standing in front of the stairs, I look up and see a house with a large picture window. On the other side of the glass, a profusion of plants wind and climb over a multi-tiered rack. A grey and white cat reclines on the window sill, and an elderly man wearing a red cardigan tends to both – snipping leaves and offering head scratches. I’m captivated by this scene of ordinary intimacy and wonder how many years’ worth of moments have passed just like this one. A man and his plants and his cat spending time together, enjoying the new day and some much-needed sunlight.
Field Notes: This is the shorter of the two city steps on McNaughter Street. This one is right in front of a house with a large picture window filled with plants. A bit of a cheery reminder that the insides of homes are often quite different from what one sees on from the street.
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!!
