Trip #412 Girdley Way to Staab Street, Spring Hill-City View, Pittsburgh took place on February 23, 2020, and was published on March 13, 2020.
I try to live intentionally, so when it came time to visit the long-forgotten “ghost stairs” of Staab Street, I intentionally enlisted the help of two friends. Together, we launched ourselves over the CLOSED bar at the base of Girdley Way and cautiously climbed a thoroughly destroyed flight with no steps, only railings and concrete side-supports. When our eyes weren’t focused on where our feet needed to be, they scanned the hillside looking for old foundations and other signs of the people who once lived here. A cluster of daffodil greens made us pause – was that once someone’s yard? When we could go no further, I set a silent intention of fellowship to all the people who once called this hillside home. I don’t know anything about you, but perhaps you were a bit like us. Friends who laugh, tell stories about our lives, and look out for one another as we navigate these forever-changing hillsides.
Field Notes: So this is a sub-flight that runs off of the CLOSED stairs of Girdley Way that connect Royal Street to Brahm Street near St. Boniface Church in Spring Hill-City View. Girdley Way has lots of collapsed concrete steps (why it’s closed) but the sides and the rails were strong so we were able to climb up to where the connected stairs are. We couldn’t get all the way to the top due to a very large fallen tree. Hard to believe these stairs were built because lots of people lived on this hillside – there’s not a house left today.
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!!
