Trip #652 Belasco Avenue, Beechview, Pittsburgh took place on October 17, 2021, and was published on October 25, 2021.
Maintaining commitment is easy when everything unfolds in your favor, but it’s much harder when inevitable changes and decay appear. Unfavorable situations may prompt us to re-evaluate our promises and intentions in light of their current impact. If we decide to double-down and stay the course, we know we’ll likely be walking uphill, in sticky mud, with rain forecasted for an indeterminate amount of time. In the past few months, I have found myself on a journey of this nature: compounding camera and film issues have increasingly irritated me; thoughts of the soon-coming end of this project fill me with uncertainty; and, as I grieve the death of Avi, my feline companion of 15 years, I struggle to find anything meaningful to say or feel during my travels. Still, my heart and head tell me to continue despite the uncomfortable weights because this experience is universal and unavoidable. If you’ve read this far, you’ve likely journeyed through a similar place and can bring those days to mind. You also know that acknowledging the universal nature of suffering doesn’t make it much easier when you’re in the thick of it all. So, for now, I’m going to keep walking toward a drier path and clear skies.
Field Notes: Belasco Avenue is divided by Goldstrom Avenue but the hillsides are so steep that the city steps were the only way (at the time) to connect the two sides. Unfortunately, many of those stairs are closed or infrequently used today. Some reminders of the old days are still apparent though.
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.
