Trip #699 56th Street, Upper Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh took place on February 11, 2022, and was published on March 2, 2022.
The hillside “pocket neighborhoods” scattered around Pittsburgh fascinate me. I don’t know if city planners have a technical term for these communities, but they’re usually built into a narrow section of a steep hillside and are rarely larger than two or three short streets running parallel and perpendicular. This pocket in Upper Lawrenceville is a small rectangle bordered north and south by Duncan and Wickliff Streets and east and west by two separate 56th Streets. A walk around the block doesn’t take long but offers lots to look at: the old brickwork designs of the row houses, the sky, the trees, and folks out walking their dogs. I imagine the view still looks similar to the years between 1890 and 1903 when this little neighborhood first appeared and 56th Street split in two—and it may be one of those rare Pittsburgh places that a time traveler from 120 years may still be able to recognize.
Field Notes: For this visit, the Spectra pushed out an interesting print! However, the OneShot with the iType film did a pretty good job as well. Both show different kinds of decay (not unlike the pile of bricks I spotted) but are still useful.
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.
