Trip #575 Buffington Avenue, Beltzhoover, Pittsburgh took place on April 7, 2021, and was published on April 19, 2021.
Every place has the power to shift from ordinary to extraordinary. Buffington Avenue may be the perfect example. At one time, this residential street contained a set of wooden stairs that carried passengers to the trolley tracks below. People of all ages walked to and fro without a second thought. The view was familiar, the routine ordinary, and the experience shared and commonplace. But now, the trolleys are gone, the stairs are gone, the houses are gone, and so are most people. Even Buffington Avenue as a legal street is gone, the victim of a landslide. But despite all the loss and destruction, it’s still possible to see one hundred years of fences trying their best to keep renegade pedestrians from tumbling down the hillside. A trolley-rider from the 1940s would likely be astounded to see how their route to work or school or shopping had shifted into something nearly unfamiliar. Extraordinary, even.
Field Notes: Buffington Avenue is closed to most car traffic now but it is possible to walk down it. There has been a landslide that washed part of the street away. Bob Regan indicated he found wooden stairs here but they are long gone. Once, I guess people could go down them to the trolley line but that’s been replaced by a train.
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.
