Trip #593 Highnote Way, Carrick, Pittsburgh took place on May 21, 2021, and was published on June 4, 2021.
Depending on your approach, the city steps either start or end at the neighborhood school. As I walk down and around, I think about formal education and the power it holds over our confidence and trust. While my attendance was spotty at times and test scores often resembled Pittsburgh’s landscape, there were teachers who encouraged me, acknowledged my potential, and accepted my weird, awkward manifestations. All these people parade through my memory, but I spend the most time looking back at a very tall man with shaggy brown hair whose name I cannot recall. He taught journalism and somehow convinced me I should pursue a career considered alien (and even foolhardy) to many others around me – writing and helping others communicate effectively. Through that doorway, an entirely new world opened, and for that, I am very thankful. I finish my travels back at the school and discover a serene, beautifully planted meditation garden by its side entrance. Suddenly, I feel very happy and hopeful for these children; someone here agrees that confidence and trust must co-exist with textbooks, tests, and homework.
Field Notes: This is a continuation of the Highnote Way from Trip #592 on the opposite side of The Boulevard (yes, that’s the name of the street). This segment goes past Romance Way – and I have to wonder how that name came about!
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.
