Trip #93 S Dallas Avenue to Glen Arden Drive, Point Breeze, Pittsburgh took place on January 19, 2018, and was published on February 9, 2018.
The ice breaks underfoot, and heavy, wet clumps of snow slide off the roofs. Eerily still and thickly covered in white, these stairs and walkway instantly transport me back to age 13, and the magical anticipation found on the pages of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The frozen winter landscape, the evil White Queen and the brother who created a world of chaos because of his desire for Turkish Delight. I’m not expecting to step into an imaginary universe (and I’d probably think I was having a stroke if a talking faun, beaver, or lion suddenly appeared) but I’m so transfixed by reveries both real and magical that I’m startled when an ordinary human man tries to navigate around me. There’s nothing fantastical about him; he shares no encoded moral message; he simply wants to get to the bus stop without slipping and falling.
Field Notes: Visited here on a warm-ish day right after a snowstorm. This is a short flight and it was easy to get up and down it despite the fact it hadn’t been cleared.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
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. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
