Trip #662 Tonopah Avenue, Beechview, Pittsburgh took place on November 7, 2021, and was published on November 15, 2021.
In some locations, the city steps are like aged creatures. And like all living creatures, we know their time is limited. Over the years, we see them fail, falter, become solitary in contemplation or rumination, preparing for the end of one existence and the start of something new. As witnesses to the dissolution and decay, it’s natural to want to stop it, preserve the status quo, prolong the inevitable, repair the weaknesses, and renew the outside face, but ultimately, it all disintegrates. What comes from the tree returns to feed the tree, and the playing days, working days, and giving days will cycle to an end and leave this quiet hillside as it once stood.
Field Notes: I almost didn’t find this one! It’s at the very end of Westinghouse Avenue (which feels more like a Way in this age) and the wooden flight doesn’t appear to have been used in a long long time. Some treads are missing but it’s still climbable. The maple leaves are looking quite pretty this time of year!
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.
