Trip #734 Ogden Street, East Carnegie, Pittsburgh, took place on April 17, 2022, and was published on June 1, 2022.
An insistent bark blasts from the third-floor window as I approach the house. A springer spaniel appears, face snowy white with dark chocolate-colored ears. Within seconds, a smaller yet identical face appears, and then another, and another, and another… until a whole choir of furry faces are barking for all of Ogden Street. They bark for warning and curiosity, for conversation and general chatter, and because joining in seems like the right thing to do. Despite the ruckus, no humans appear, so I stand on the sidewalk for a few minutes, responding to their language with mine. It’s a funny, goofy interaction, and while I don’t think either side received a completely accurate translation, we reached a friendly consensus. Isn’t that what we often hope for when we speak up and make ourselves known?
Field Notes: This sidewalk flight leads to the end of a dead-end street. East Carnegie only has two flights of city steps, and they are both in the same two-block area off of Pringle Street. I have to wonder how and why (and when) building city steps here happened. The historical maps don’t offer any clues for this one! But the trunks of old trees say something!
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, and trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling.
