Trip #665 Waltham Street, Beechview, Pittsburgh took place on November 8, 2021, and was published on November 24, 2021.
Sometimes, visits to city steps remind me of people and places I’ve not thought of for many, many years. This trip to Waltham Street was one of those unexpected and curious trips. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, I suddenly had a flash of being eight years old and visiting my Uncle Albert and Aunt Anita and their three children. Albert Junior and Cheryl were already “grown-ups,” and Dawn, the youngest, was well into her teenage years. In my mind’s photo album, Dawn is forever preserved as a vision in corduroys and Izod shirts, thick black mascara, and long blond hair perfectly curled and feathered. Beyond this snapshot image, I know little about her life: she went to college and moved away from her working-class mill town. I have no idea if she pursued a career, an independent life, and the kinds of adventures young women of the 1980s envisioned. I imagine holding this memory in my hand and studying it for clues. What was she was thinking about as we sat around the kitchen table, eating sandwiches and popsicles, talking about the upcoming holidays and what we hoped the new year would bring?
Field Notes: The area around Waltham Street has changed quite a bit compared to the old maps from 1923! Today, this area is pretty isolated – sandwiched between West Liberty, Saw Mill Run, and the Busway. However, if you use Google Maps, and navigate to this area, select the “Street View” and you’ll see images for several areas that aren’t on current-day roads. Tom Bartroney (a Google Maps contributor of images for trails, stairs, and former roads) has some footage of him walking through this area – it’s quite fascinating!
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.
