Trip #43 Alpena Street, Upper Hill, Pittsburgh took place on October 1, 2017, and was published on October 11, 2017.
The flowers are long gone, feathery skeletons remain. A breeze comes in, lifts the light whiteness into the air. Like little boats they float and drift on invisible currents. I watch them launch, follow their journey for a bit, but cannot see where they land. I’ll know next year when the weeds that look like flowers and flowers that look like weeds return to the hillside.
Field Notes: The Alpena Street flight is the utilitarian cousin of the “fancy” historic-looking flight right around the corner. The two are kind of like the front door and then the servants’ entrance. ;-). One leads right into the center of Schenley Farms and the other, to the side.
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!!
