Trip #563 Waite Street, Arlington, Pittsburgh took place on March 14, 2021, and was published on March 19, 2021.
“Every house has its problems, but every house has its blessings” is an expression I keep in mind wherever I travel. It’s easy to fall into the trap of visiting an affluent, stylish neighborhood and thinking, “Wow! Life would be so perfect if only I lived here!” Conversely, it’s equally as easy (if not easier) to enter another kind of neighborhood and make a different sort of judgment, “dumpy,” “run-down,” “sketchy.” The internet is filled with Rust Belt porn, captivating and evocative images of decaying structures, hardships, and experiences we curiously peep at and then turn away from. I’m not always comfortable photographing a place that needs some TLC because I believe the blessings that come with a place are real. And so, the struggle to capture that essence is also very real. But sometimes, the Spectra colludes with the Sun, and together, they wash away the details and leave only the essentials.
Field Notes: This flight of sidewalk stairs is pretty beat up, you’d only know this was the spot because of the railings. I think it’s a combination of water/sewer line problems and empty houses.
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.
