Trip #679 Colmar Street, Upper Hill, Pittsburgh took place on December 2, 2021, and was published on January 7, 2022.
As I was sitting on the stairs of this dead-end street, a car pulled up alongside me, and the driver’s side window slowly powered down. My first thought was that the person inside must be confused and looking for directions. I smiled and waved and said, “Hey there, are you lost?” To my surprise, the young man said he was fine. He said he saw me sitting there with my backpack and wanted to make sure I was ok. The temperature was turning colder, and rain was on the way. Holding up the Polaroids, I explained I was taking photos and writing about the city steps, to which he laughed and gave a thumbs-up sign. We smiled and said goodbye as the car window closed. I sat for a while, reflecting on how, in our modern world, a person sitting alone on the steps can cause concern. This thought brought me some sadness until I realized that if places were reversed, I, too, might stop and ask the same. Perhaps that inclination is Pittsburgh nebbiness, but it also might be people who believe in looking out for one another.
Field Notes: This flight is right down the street from my house and I’ve been waiting for years for it to show up on Bob Regan’s list. The flight one block above was listed in the very beginning (Trip #45) but I wonder why he visited this one so much later. ?? Anyway, here’s the Polaroid of the flight that finishes the connection to Lisbon / Balboa Street. There’s an imprint of RF & M Co on the railings of the city steps. I’ve looked at lots of railings over the last few years but this is the first time I’ve spotted a manufacturing imprint.
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.
