Trip #539 Industry Street to Climax Street, Beltzhoover, Pittsburgh took place on December 11, 2020, and was published on January 20, 2021.
We all have our personal collections of family folklore, with some families amassing enough to fill a library. These popular tales often start when someone clears their throat, takes a step back, and announces to those gathered around, “Did I ever tell you about the time…” These are the biggest fish and tallest tale stories, the wild and crazy adventures of youth stories, and the not-a-dry-eye-in-the-house fairy tales of love and loss. Folktales allow us to create larger than life personas: we become tougher, smarter, faster, funnier, and more radiant than our everyday lives. The telling and retelling of these stories provide comfort even when we’ve heard them a hundred times before. We gladly listen to them again and again, not so much for the story itself, but for the connection to time and place that our folklore provides.
Field Notes: This sidewalk flight (quite buried now but the railing still remains) is right up the block from the Welcome to Beltzhoover sign. It’s a quiet area that has had many homes removed – leaving behind lots of empty lots.
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.
