Trip #544 Habermann Avenue, Beltzhoover, Pittsburgh took place on December 12, 2020, and was published on February 1, 2021.
The word resolution has two common associations. The first is frequently intoned at New Year’s and quantifies our desires to do or not to do something. How much weight will be lost? How often will exercise happen? How many days shall pass without a cigarette, alcohol, or candy bar? This model plays it by the books: all facts and figures, yes or no. The second kind of resolution focuses on quality. Consider the intensity and nature of your internal resolve. Is it more like a blurred and distorted image stretched beyond its capacity or one that stays detailed and crisp through both expansion and contraction? When we reach the point of wanting to turn dreams into reality, we need to incorporate both models to move us forward. And with that in mind, we now usher in the longest shortest month of the year. Can we keep following the path we started traveling on 31 days ago? With dual-action resolution powers, we can best the February challenge and make it to March!
Field Notes: These stairs were certainly NOT built in 1990 but perhaps they were rehabbed then? Or who knows, maybe they really were built then and they’ve just had a rough 30 years. Although with Beltzhoover being so severely depopulated it’s hard to believe the city would have built stairs in a place where people were leaving and homes being demolished.
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.
