Trip #686 Wabash Street, West End, Pittsburgh took place on January 2, 2022, and was published on January 26, 2022.
A man, bundled in a winter coat, stands near the corner of Wabash and Steuben. As I come up the stairs, he sees my camera and eyes me with skepticism, turning his back and looking away.
Or maybe that’s not it at all.
A man, bundled in a winter coat, stands near the corner of Wabash and Steuben. The cold wind blows in his face, making his eyes water. He turns away as I approach. He doesn’t want me to think he’s crying.
Or maybe that’s not it at all.
A man, bundled in a winter coat, stands near the corner of Wabash and Steuben. He’s annoyed because the bus is running late again, and he has to get to work. He doesn’t even notice me as I round the corner.
Or maybe it was something else, any number of something elses, an unlimed number of scenarios, thoughts, motivations.
All I know is that a man, bundled in a winter coat, stood near the corner of Wabash and Steuben and that I saw him as I walked around the corner with my camera in hand. He turned, I took my photos, and when I was done, he was no longer there.
Field Notes: This little corner sidewalk flight is right across the street from some of the larger flights of city steps I had visited back in 2021. The West End is such an interesting neighborhood and I love its little “downtown” area. I hope that the revitalization that had started before Covid is able to continue. Some buildings still need plenty of TLC, though!
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.
