Trip #710 Sunapee Way, Squirrel Hill South, Pittsburgh took place on March 25, 2022, and was published on March 28, 2022.
If you’ve ever been backstage at a theatrical production, you know it’s a fascinating place. It’s an area that’s both storehouse and apothecary for conjuring magic. The deftly skilled wizards who inhabit this domain excel at using props, costumes, painted backdrops, constructed scenery, and all varieties of mechanisms to transport audiences from their theatre seats into the heart and soul of the story unfolding on stage. In no time, the present reality is momentarily forgotten. Pittsburgh’s back alleys are like a theatre’s backstage, and here at Sunapee Way in Squirrel Hill, the hidden “behind the scenes” view is even more intriguing than the Murray Avenue facade. While the city steps connecting these nearly 100-year-old apartment buildings are gone, I can only imagine how many dramas, comedies, tragedies, and morality plays have occurred here over the decades.
Field Notes: This flight once connected several large apartments buildings but it’s long gone and filled in. This blocked-off entrance is the only thing left. The buildings were not on the 1923 city map but can be seen in the 1939 aerial maps – and they retain many of the original details.
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.
