Trip #680 Bernhardt Way, Upper Hill, Pittsburgh took place on December 2, 2021, and was published on January 10, 2022.
The new year is a popular time for liberating ourselves from the many things we’ve accumulated over the years. We rummage through closets and boxes, drawers and cupboards, bagging up all the ill-fitting clothes, broken appliances, books read long-ago, and fragments of half-completed projects that failed to gain traction. Off it all goes to Goodwill, FreeCycle, blue bins, and garbage bags. Whether we remove a lot or a little, it’s always easier to proudly proclaim “We are not our things!” when the objects no longer have a claim on us. But what are we to do when something still resides in our hearts or minds but no longer has a place in our lives? Say goodbye and let it go. Let it go and have a new life elsewhere. You will always have it with you in memory and spirit.
Field Notes: Here’s another flight in “my neighborhood.” 🙂 The home they were next to was demolished a few years ago, and the white and pink home, which was once occupied by an older man with small yippie dogs, has been empty for years. As I walk around Pittsburgh I see so much abandonment in other neighborhoods, but I also have it here, in my backyard. I also took a Polaroid Spectra version of this flight which came out pretty well despite the significant failings of the camera and film.
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.
