Trip #475 Ryan Street, West End, Pittsburgh took place on August 2, 2020, and was published on August 12, 2020.
If there’s any one thing COVID-19 is teaching us, it’s that we cannot escape ourselves. Before the pandemic, it was easy to find distractions through work, family responsibilities, and social activities like going out to eat, the movies, or shopping. The number and variety of “important” events we kept ourselves busy with were seemingly endless. But now, we’re in a world where it’s not so easy or safe to be absorbed into a sea of others: and we may be chafing under the persistent proximity of the people around us – and ourselves. Our escape mechanisms are limited. Our entertainments are curtailed. We can focus our attention on what we cannot have or do, or we can embrace who we are and the life we have to live right now. The sun will set and rise, regardless of which option we choose.
Field Notes: This flight is across Steuben Street from the city steps flight that goes up to Attica Street. This flight goes to South Main Street and is rather overgrown at the bottom in the summer. There aren’t many houses left of that section of South Main so I can see how this flight might not get much use anymore.
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
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.
