Trip #502 Merrimac Street to LaBelle Street, Mount Washington, Pittsburgh took place on October 1, 2020, and was published on October 16, 2020.
When we use words like “must” and “should” to describe how we want our lives to be, we’re setting ourselves up for misery and disappointment. “You must remember to get dried mango at Trader Joe’s before coming home!” or “I should be able to drive from Beechview to Polish Hill in 7 minutes. It’s a straight shot through the Liberty tubes and on to Bigelow!” The next time you realize you’ve created one of these scenarios think back to being three years old and banging your sticky hands on the tray of your high chair, wailing for more ice cream. Did you get more ice cream? No. Instead, someone came at your face and hands with a wet cloth, which was probably cold and smelly and nothing at all like ice cream (or dried mango for that matter) – and about as enjoyable as being stuck in an exhaust-filled tunnel for 40 minutes. It’s a harsh lesson to learn, but the world does not bend to our whims and demands.
Field Notes: This apartment building near Merrimac isn’t quite aligned with the architecture of the rest of the street but it does have a very distinct look and feel to it. With the sidewalk steps running alongside I can’t help but notice all of the straight lines, 90-degree angles, and precise spacing!
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.
