Trip #719 Wadlow Street Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh took place on April 9, 2022, and was published on April 22, 2022.
Opportunity is defined as a time or set of circumstances suitable for a particular purpose. The popular saying that “opportunity knocks but once” is based on a scarcity mindset where we only get a few chances in life to advance or make a difference (which then creates feelings of failure or anxiety about missing out). Every day, we are given opportunities that can bring us closer together or drive us further apart. Every day we choose between good and not-so-good actions and thoughts. Every day we decide if we want to orient ourselves toward hope or despair. Throughout our lives, we may look back at certain times and consider them exceptionally fortuitous and memorable, but in the grand scheme of things, no opportunity is insignificant, and our missed connections can be rectified.
Field Notes: This section of Wadlow Street has several short flights of city steps that lead from the street to a sidewalk that ran in from of homes that lined the block. These were constructed decades ago and now, many of the homes are gone or empty and the sidewalks reclaimed by nature. Hopefully one day this quiet street will make a comeback – after all, Marshall-Shadeland is in a great location on the northside and close to so much!
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.
