Trip #55 Lilac Street to Rosemoor Street, Squirrel Hill South, Pittsburgh took place on October 14, 2017, and was published on November 8, 2017.
The sign says “Closed to the Public,” but these mysterious secret garden stairs tempt me to duck under the rail. They’re a little sunken, a little overgrown. Cool and shady, with a touch of colorful graffiti. I sit in this hidden nook and hear the sounds of cars driving down, turning around, and heading back the other way. For a dead-end street, there’s so much traffic! With this flight, at one time you went straight through from Caton to Rosemere. If you walked, you could avoid the dead ends. But not today, not in your car. This is a dead-end street. Turn around and drive back the way you came.
Field Notes: Closed on both ends but I snuck in and got some photos anyway! It’s quite interesting and well cared for despite being closed off.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
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. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
