Trip #537 Science Street, Allentown, Pittsburgh took place on December 11, 2020, and was published on January 15, 2021.
As I stand in the middle of Science Street, a dead-end street where the old smashes up against the new, I wonder who gets to have a say and who gets to have “their way” when it comes to housing developments. Whenever I see residential construction sprouting up from flattened hillsides or cleared lots, it’s hard to put aside the impression of intentional discordance to the surroundings. In this instance, it’s several sleek and modern residences that appear to incorporate the Grandview Park water towers as both an architectural inspiration and landscape accessory. Perhaps community members were on-board with this plan and eager to trade an overgrown hillside for an influx of affluent new residents. Maybe they weren’t even consulted. But I can’t help but wonder if unity and cohesion in a community suffer when the visual “vibe” given off by buildings creates such an unmistakable mark of separation.
Field Notes: The sidewalk steps that travel along Science Street have seen better days and are somewhat covered over from new paving and car parking. The lower part of the street is “old construction” while at the top, near the water tower, are these modern buildings – it’s kind of crazy looking! You can see what it looks like by visiting my Flickr photo albums.
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.
