Trip #687 Dartmore Street, Overbrook, Pittsburgh took place on January 2, 2022, and was published on January 28, 2022.
When looking down on Saw Mill Run Boulevard from this infrequently used hillside sidewalk, it’s easy to think negatively about drivers and passengers. From my perch, I witness vehicles grossly exceeding the speed limit, running red lights, and disembodied hands flicking cigarettes and litter out of windows. The view is unsettling, even threatening, and I can only imagine the challenges of living in a place surrounded by this non-stop mania. But the agitation abates as I wander back to my Honda Fit and ease out onto that very same road. In moments, I’ve gone from spectator to participant in the miasma of Route 51. This hypocrisy is noted while stopped at a red light, but when the person behind me lays on the horn the instant it turns green, I refrain from offering a single-finger salute. For the rest of this trip, I will hold myself to higher standards.
Field Notes: This flight connects a row of homes further up the hillside to an access road that runs along Saw Mill Run. Some of the homes have residents while others appear empty. While this area is likely overgrown with knotweed in the warmer months, in January the brown landscape allows a bit of insight into what “lies beneath.”
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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.
