Trip #724 Oldham Street, Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, took place on April 15, 2022, and was published on May 6, 2022.
Shakespeare wrote that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” and while no roses were blooming on Oldham Street at the time of this visit, I was greeted by the heady aroma of freshly mowed grass. As I smiled and climbed the stairs, my nose soon identified the roasting smokiness of hamburgers and hotdogs on an outdoor grill, and as I reached the top of the flight, a small crowd of people passed by, walking in the opposite direction. They’re wearing Pirates jerseys, talking and laughing, and the hazy sunshiny smell of beer trails behind as they make their way to the busway. If asked to describe a perfectly sweet Pittsburgh blue sky day, this very place and moment might just be it.
Field Notes: This is a wooden flight that climbs a steep street in Mount Washington that leads down to the South Hills Busway. There are a few places where the wood is shakey so I can see why the group of people who walked by me opted for the street. Also, an interesting window display at the top! Quite the mix of icons. 🙂
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.
