Tustin Park, Bluff: 2019 Tustin Street
Uptown. Bluff. Soho. Boyd’s Hill. Over the decades, this area has had many names, but in recent years it’s mainly known as one of the city’s more challenging areas. Despite its proximity to Downtown Pittsburgh, Oakland, and the South Side, the area has languished, and the ongoing construction along Forbes Avenue is downright painful to the mind, body, and spirit. But in the area around Tustin Park, hope persists. There are murals, a playground, large shade trees, and a solar-powered phone-charging station, supposedly with public Wi-Fi.
Across the street is a small community garden, a little free library, and the legendary statue of “Sir Samelot,” brought to the neighborhood in 2010 by former Allegheny County Chief Architect Sam Kiss. Kiss passed away a few years ago, but the piece continues to fascinate all who discover it. Perhaps in time the “same lots” that have struggled for years will begin to flourish.
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