Trip #691 Rosetta Street, Garfield, Pittsburgh took place on February 7, 2022, and was published on February 9, 2022.
On some days, it can be easy to think you’re surrounded by wastelands that offer none of the things you’re looking for, want, or need. But before throwing in the towel, calling it quits, and moving on, take one more look around – and not a perfunctory, drive-by sweeping overview but a detailed, targeted inspection. Be willing to get your shoes dirty and feel the skeletal remains of last year’s vegetation scratch your hands and face. If there are no human footprints to follow, see where the animal tracks lead. In some places, there can be an awful lot of something in the nothing; you just need to work harder to discover the gems hiding from view.
Field Notes: I almost didn’t find this flight between the overgrowth typically found in long-abandoned areas and snow! But I’m glad I did because the area the stairs lead to is kind of interesting with plenty of old foundations and stairs that likely lead to homes. No humans are walking around (at least not recently) but there are plenty of animal tracks!
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.
