Trip #715 Granite Street, Middle Hill, Pittsburgh took place on March 31, 2022, and was published on April 6, 2022.
Granite Street in Middle Hill was constructed sometime between 1855 and 1872. These years marked the start of Pittsburgh’s remarkable 100-year expansion that involved millions of people who settled or passed through here. But today, as a city still in the throes of population contraction, I imagine this spot has more in common with its earliest days when large parcels of land were yet unoccupied by commercial buildings or homes. As I step gently down the stairs, I let my imagination run wild, and soon I’m surrounded by the real, the unreal, and all the places inhabiting in-between. Yes, that familiar sulfur aroma still permeates the air, but the odors of outhouses, farm animals, vegetable gardens, muck and mud, and the musk of bodies bathed only on Saturday are also nearby. The sounds of daily life are different, though it’s far from quiet, and the trains still announce their appearance from miles away. It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t ever want to live this way. When I break from my reverie and face the reality of 2022, three green cabbages catch my attention.
Field Notes: Granite Street first shows up on the city maps between 1855 and 1872 and by the latter date, the area was already transitioning to the dense urban environment that would become known as the Hill District. These days, the Granite Street area maybe has more in common with those long-ago days. As I was walking around, I spotted THREE green cabbages (each word is a separate link so you can see them all) on the ground! It was the strangest thing (and started me thinking about the days of farms and farmers…)
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.
