Trip #632 Boustead Street, Beechview, Pittsburgh took place on August 22, 2021, and was published on September 8, 2021.
We often find ourselves angry and disappointed by decay. Despite all our big-brain knowledge, we remain obstinate creatures who prefer to deny the passage of time. We know our favorite pair of jeans will gradually fray and tear. We know our bike or vehicle will one day need replacing. We know our homes will need new roofs or windows or pipes. And we know our bodies will wrinkle and sag and ache and deteriorate a bit more every year. When the things we hold near and dear (or essential and required) enter a state of decline, we’re confronted head-on with the life span every natural and constructed object has. Even if our head is in the sand, our heart isn’t, and perhaps this disconnect contributes to the anxiety and fear we experience. While our brain can rationalize and fantasize, the heart innately knows that nothing can stay the same.
Field Notes: Boustead Street is long and steep. I photographed a lower section of these stairs last year and this time around it’s the top part (which is nice as I didn’t have to walk the whole way down and up again!) I really love the utility pole with its old, rusty nails, and how the stairs flow around it. 🙂
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.
