Trip #6 North Lang Avenue, Homewood North, Pittsburgh took place on June 17, 2017, and was published on July 17, 2017.
I was so distracted by the abundance of red raspberries growing over everything that we were both startled when I came up on you crouched at the entrance of your home. Having great respect for creatures smaller than myself, especially those with poor eyesight and long claws, I backed away, thinking about last summer when one of your relatives messed up Kronos’ face. That dog had it coming for sure, chasing after a backyard interloper with all his deaf dumb and blind arrogance and stupidity… After a few minutes of gently spoken reassurance (for both of us?), I slowly moved up the stairs, and my courage was rewarded with the faded glory of a by-gone era. There are too many forgotten places, too many things you miss when driving through at 45mph.
Field Notes: Groundhogs have taken over the hillside and I had a bit of a scare on the way up – backed away and spoke out loud calmly for a bit to get it moving and then went back up. At the top is a historic register building that was a Negro Opera House – it’s in decay but still incredible to see.
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!!
