Trip #526 Eureka Street, Mount Washington, Pittsburgh took place on November 20, 2020, and was published on December 11, 2020.
The nature of light changes our interpretation of the landscape. When the day is grey and cloudy, the hillsides look somber and quiet, and the streets imposing, or even ominous. There’s a feeling of foreboding or uncertain anticipation in the most ordinary of places. But when the sun bursts out, it’s like changing channels from a gloomy historical documentary to an upbeat rom-com. We bask in the brightness and highlights, our eyes open wide as definition appears and subtleties emerge. All of these qualities co-exist regardless of atmospheric conditions, but what we see and how we interpret it may depend on the forever-changing light. We see our surroundings differently every day, whether we’re aware of it or not.
Field Notes: This L-shaped flight at Eureka Street has an interesting retaining wall in front of it that looks much older than the 1980 date that’s given in Bob Regan’s book. I really do love those solid, granite block features – very distinctive (and too bad the Polaroid didn’t come out better…).
Love city steps? Get yourself the latest issue of Mis.Steps: Our Missed Connections with Pittsburgh’s City Steps! Each copy is unique and features 10 randomly selected “trading cards” of Pittsburgh’s 739 public stairways. Visit the Mis.Steps online store to see all issues and place your order.
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.
