Trip #617 Mifflin Road to Cox Place, Lincoln Place, Pittsburgh took place on July 23, 2021, and was published on August 2, 2021.
One hundred years ago, the city steps were Pittsburgh’s first mass transportation system, designed to bring hundreds of thousands of people from the “hills to the mills.” But, because many of these once-familiar walkways now receive infrequent use and care, they hold more than a bit of mystery and allure. That’s why I intentionally seek out attention-grabbing aspects and features that fix each location in my mind. For the Cox Place stairs, finding that unique identifier was easy: a year-round “haunted house” at the top of the flight. Complete with bold KEEP OUT! signs, a skull positioned at the mailbox, and a sensor-targeted garage door that began to open as I turned away (and refrained from looking back at), I wondered what neighbors on this otherwise sedate street thought about this curiosity. As I’m more concerned with unleashed dogs than roaming “spirits,” trading in a novel adventure for something a bit more familiar seemed prudent. Thankfully, Page Dairy Mart was just a few minutes away!
Field Notes: This flight is right at the bus stop on Mifflin Road and leads up to a little, tucked-away neighborhood above. Cox Place dead-ends at the city steps and the house that is found there is quite mysterious!
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.
