Trip #701 Bohem Street, South Oakland, Pittsburgh took place on February 16, 2022, and was published on March 7, 2022.
Chances are, if you’ve ever been stuck in traffic near the Bates Street exit in Oakland, you’ve seen a flight of city steps with orange railings hanging precipitously from an eroding hillside. It’s a stark and brutal reminder of a time before massive highways dominated the landscape, when trains were the primary way to transport freight, and mass transportation was thousands of Oakland residents traveling to the steel mills via public stairways. The entrance to this flight is at the very end of Bohem Street, and the closed-off and decaying stairs stand opposite an equally closed-off and decaying house, and the sounds made by trees swaying in the wind are melancholy and a bit foreboding. I imagine that standing at the top of this flight with traffic flowing fast below me is a bit like standing on a catwalk and looking down on the inner workings of a steel mill. The danger and stark brutality are not lost on me; be sure to heed them if you visit this spot.
Field Notes: Was super surprised and excited to visit this flight as I’ve seen the orange railings from the highway. Many of the steps are gone (or were removed to prevent people from climbing around and plunging down the hill and into traffic) but there’s still plenty to see despite the fact that it’s been a long time since they were used.
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.
