Trip #629 Coast Avenue, Beechview, Pittsburgh took place on August 15, 2021, and was published on August 30, 2021.
What is beauty, and how do you discern it from all that surrounds (and at times, bombards) you? When driving up and down this long steep street, nothing in the landscape would reveal itself as beautiful. Nothing would appear but litter and cracked sidewalks, broken railings, and weeds. But walking allows the opportunity to see beyond the surface and connect with the extraordinary in every street corner, alleyway, and tenacious native plant. Pristine, perfectly arranged views may tantalize my eyes, but it is the everyday places that hold my heart. Everywhere you turn, divine beauty waits for you in the most ordinary of places.
Field Notes: Coast Avenue climbs (or descends) a long steep hill in Beechview – although it feels like ALL of the streets in this neighborhood are long and steep! 🙂 The stairs are necessary here as vehicles tend to drive very fast in either direction. Most of the flight is clear except for this final section near the top but the “native plants” are quite pretty right now. 🙂
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.
