Trip #647 South 4th Street, South Side Flats, Pittsburgh took place on September 30, 2021, and was published on October 13, 2021.
It’s easy to be grateful when good things happen—a financial windfall, a new job or educational opportunity, or feeling better after an illness. But we often forget to be thankful for the ordinary moments of everyday life. Cooking dinner on the stove or in the microwave. Turning on the heat when the temperature drops. Taking a shower or bath with water that’s just the right temperature. All of these quickly passing moments help determine who we are and what we’re able to accomplish every day. Our individual successes are less attributed to the big wins than to a steady accumulation of ordinary supportive events. Our gas, sewer, and electric. What we sit on, stand on, lie down on. All of the things we rarely give a second thought to contribute to who we are and the people we can become.
Field Notes: This flight is kind of hidden in plain sight. It’s at the far northern end of the South Side Flats in an area that’s still very industrial and commercial, While the official date of the flight is 1931, I imagine there may have been wooden steps in this area before that time. There are only two flights of city steps in this neighborhood (not surprising as it’s “flat” 😉 and this is one of them.
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.
