Trip #683 Eldridge Street, Squirrel Hill South, Pittsburgh took place on December 14, 2021, and was published on January 17, 2022.
People, places, and memories that “push buttons” gain your attention! Unfortunately, it’s always in a manner we resent or find annoying. While we don’t want to get stuck in a negative feedback loop of constantly replaying those moments and their associated emotions, it’s helpful to look at those experiences and discover what triggers the avalanche. What were we doing or feeling in the moments before and during the interaction? Response patterns can become like letters and numbers etched in wet cement; they hang around long after we remember why we needed them in the first place. Maybe it’s time to fill in the grooves or smooth out the uneven surface. Perhaps it’s time to tear out the concrete and replace it with something else.
Field Notes: Over the years, this four-step flight has been reduced to two (thanks to repairs and upgrades to the sidewalks), but it still counts as an official flight of city steps! It’s on a corner of Forward Avenue, so there’s a fair amount of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. There are some old concrete etchings that are easy to overlook!
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.
