Trip #681 Pace Way, Upper Hill, Pittsburgh took place on December 2, 2021, and was published on January 14, 2022.
There’s wisdom to be gained when we look upon our world, our neighborhoods, or our lives, with an open, unattached mind. Releasing our preconceived notions of “had been like this” or “should be like that” allows us to see both beauty and brokenness without pride or shame. Growth and decay walk together, hand in hand, through the past, present, and future. When we release the narratives we’ve been told and the stories we tell ourselves, surprises abound. You never know what you’ll see when filters are dropped, and the natural state reemerges.
Field Notes: This flight was closed and in bad shape when Bob Regan noted it during his travels to map all the city steps of Pittsburgh nearly 20 years ago. However, the stairway does show up on historic maps from 1923 and the markings of a street (which could have been stairs or a dirt path) called Venus Way are clear going back to 1890. Found a “tree face” while I was looking around! I love these. 🙂
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.
