Trip #512 East Sycamore Street to Wyoming Street, Mount Washington, Pittsburgh took place on October 23, 2020, and was published on November 9, 2020.
One of the most frequent questions I’m asked about city steps is, “How big is the biggest flight?” (Answer: Raye Avenue in Brookline, with 378 steps). But every once in a while, an inquiring mind will follow that with, “Is there a size cut-off? Like, if there are only a few steps, does that still count?” The answer to the first part is no, there is no minimum threshold, and for the second part, it’s yes; as long as there is ONE step, it counts on the city’s roster. In Pittsburgh, there are ~101 public stairways with 13 steps or less. When you add up all of these together, their contribution nearly triples Raye Avenue. In our lives, it’s easy to get overly focused on manifestations of a grand scale. So take care not to overlook the cumulative contributions of smaller efforts. Remember, every little bit counts.
Field Notes: A little flight right at the intersection of East Sycamore and Wyoming streets. This is at the intersection very close to the Vinecliffe Street stairs and while it still has a great deal of vehicle traffic, so many of the houses are no longer present.
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.
