Trip #707 Edgerton Avenue, Point Breeze, Pittsburgh took place on March 11, 2022, and was published on March 18, 2022.
When was the last time you walked around your neighborhood? And by that, I don’t mean walking down the block to get a cup of coffee or to move your car or pick up some dinner or a six-pack. That’s walking with a destination in mind. That’s walking with purpose. While that kind of walking is the sort we should all do more of, what I’m referring to is walking without any purpose other than being present and observing the world around you, intentionally looking for changes both large and small, and accidentally stumbling upon important yet seemingly inconsequential details. Too often, when we have our destination firmly in view, we’re so eager to get there that we forget to look to the left, the right, and to what’s ahead. By releasing our need for a purpose and a destination, we can then see the familiar in a new and perhaps unfamiliar way.
Field Notes: A quiet, tucked away flight in the middle of Hastings Street in Point Breeze. There’s a mash-up of old concrete aggregate and new and it’s in great shape with an exit point to Lacey Way. This paper street is shown on the 1923 street maps but doesn’t have the official marking of a stairway. While rambling around, I happened to spot another flight of stairs (temporarily exposed on the hillside) but these appear to have been a private residence flight leading up to the “estates” on Lyndhurst Drive.
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.
