Topsburgh to Bottomsburgh part one
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My latest scuttle started pretty close to the highest point of elevation that is found within the confines of Pittsburgh (said to be some 1,370 feet up from the MLW or Mean Low Water point as defined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and ‘officialdom’ at large), and began atop upon a landform which I’m led to believe was once colloquially known as ‘Knob Hill’ but which is referred to in modernity as either ‘Observatory Hill’ or ‘Perry Hilltop.’ The ‘Perry’ in that naming was meant to honor the memory, and commemorate the military service, of Commodore Perry.
One has been exploring the various neighborhoods of Pittsburgh’s ‘North Side,’ on foot, for the last few weeks, with this walk the latest excursion.
As is my habit, a thorough Google Maps examination of the route was obliged in advance, but construction and other obstacles you might encounter along the way are things you just have to deal with ‘on the day,’ and you really need to be able to adapt. Think on your feet. All that.
Also habitual, I started at the high elevation point and then walked downhill, as I’m fairly old now. Feeble too. A scuttling fossil, really.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Interesting homes lined this particular roadway, which in this case was a steeply graded course called ‘Mairdale.’ This one would then lead me to that one, where I’d make a left…, and then…, and then…, you get the idea.
This is one of the neighborhoods that the news people on the TV will encourage one to avoid, with lurid tales of savage crime and anarchic adolescents.
This neighborhood reminds me a great deal of the Bushwick Avenue corridor, back in Brooklyn, prior to around 1990 when the gentrification hammers began to fall. Economically driven tidal forces smashed that homegrown community into diaspora, in order to make room for wealthier strangers and their coffee shops.
That doesn’t seem to have happened up here, yet, but it’s coming. I can just feel it coming, in the same manner as when you say ‘I think I’m getting sick.’ You’re not ill, quite yet, but…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Mairdale Avenue transmogrifies into ‘Woods Run Avenue’ somewhere along this route. To my right were really nice and well kept homes and neighborhoods which climbed up slopes and over hills, and to my left was a fairly large city park, one with a celestial observatory at its apex. The shot above looks back at where I’d just been.
My decided upon plan had involved moving into and through that facility, which is dubbed as ‘Riverview Park,’ but I encountered a pretty big construction project along the way which occluded and blocked the entrance, and I had to ‘rekajigger’ my path accordingly.
What drew me in this direction, for this section of the scuttle at least, was the presence of Pittsburgh’s newest bridge – a high flying pedestrian and bike connector which overflies the valley that Mairdale Street rides through, and connects the Brighton Heights neighborhood on the next elevation with the park.
That’s the sort of thing which I always want to take a look at.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Your humble narrator was feeling pretty good.
Striding along, enjoying the sights and the sounds of morning bird song. The weather was great, low 60’s with zero humidity. For once I was out in the early part of the morning, I guess it was about 9-9:30 a.m. The usual secure pocket rich ‘Mitch suit’ was arrayed about my rotting form, including the filthy black raincoat – sans lining as it was warmish.
Camera wise, it was a 24-240mm zoom lens, and in the bag I had a couple of primes – a 16mm and a 50mm.
It was mentioned, a couple of weeks back, that my filthy black raincoat needed a wash due to there being a big splodge of mud on it, in the butt region. Everybody suggested just washing it. My butt, I mean.
I promised that I’d tell that mud butt story when I got to it, so…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Right after that construction sign, the sidewalk – as it turned out – was covered in an incredibly thin and completely invisible layer of clear ice. It had been below freezing the night before, atmospheric temperature wise, but…
As I stepped on that invisible tenth of a millimeter layer of ice at full walking speed, one suddenly found himself hanging in the air for a good half second – body fully horizontal to the ground. I basically pivoted ninety degrees at about belt height, and then dropped to the cement like a bucket of rotting pig guts. My shoulders hit first.
Wham!
It looked dramatic enough that somebody who was driving past pulled over to the curb to ask me a few times if I needed assistance.
I laughed and said ‘nope, landed mainly on my butt.’ I did actually come close to cracking my head on the sidewalk, but that enveloping Mitch suit of mine (springtime variant) includes a thick cotton ‘hoodie’ style sweatshirt, and the gathered up fabric padded the impact for my head and neck region. I did clack my teeth together though, when my chin hit my chest.
While mid fall, I grew concerned about the teeth clacking thing and managed to get ahead of really hurting myself.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One fell like a photographer, actually, protecting the camera and camera bag as I went. A lens cap popped off one of the lenses, that’s all that happened to the gear.
It’s funny, the way that the brain works. This entire slip and fall tale had to play out in less than a second or a second and a half, but I went into ‘slow motion’ mode, and managed to wiggle myself into a safer pose while hanging in mid air. Felt like I was floating there for thirty seconds. I have a similar memory of the fall which busted my ankle. Perception of time alters, everything slows down. During that one, I managed to get my hands behind my neck and protected the spine while falling.
Must be what it’s like to be a squirrel.
I did end up with a lovely portrait of my butt cheeks and part of my belt, rendered in mud, on the black raincoat though. Had to walk through ‘the hood’ with that on my butt, so win. My shoulders and neck were a bit stiff afterwards, but I had just cracked the back of my noggin when smacking into the ground. Didn’t crack my teeth!
Can’t win.
Back tomorrow.
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Squeaky wheel
Thurs
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A few random shots from the end of a satisfying scuttle. I swear, the working guys have no idea how esthetically pleasing I find these sorts of arrangements they leave behind. They’re artists, and don’t even know it.
I was moving through the area surrounding Allegheny Commons Park, which has a trench running through it for the railroads.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Norfolk Southern #1832 came through, heading north/west. It was hauling short blue cargo boxes, of the type which sewer solids are shipped within. Likely heading towards the sewer plant nearby the McKees Rocks Bridge, or Ohio. A lot of things nobody else wants end up in Ohio. I’ve been there, and really – they pretty much sent their best to Washington in Vance.
Stay out of Ohio, you’re not ready for what you might see there.
Regardless, one haughtily scuttled on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This truck caught my eye. I was intrigued by those Doberman silhouettes silk screened on the thing. Also, that’s one crazy truck, yo.
My steps carried me into the ‘ceremonial center’ section of the Coty of Pittsburgh, where the Stadiums are found, and where there’s coincidental opportunities to board the T light rail service and ‘get out of dodge.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
See that mound on the right side of the shot? Coal mine’s historical entrance, as it turns out.
As I mentioned a few posts ago, this coal thing suddenly brings everything into a place where it makes sense. I’m not ‘smart enough’ to really delve into the topic here yet, but I’ve started reading up on the Pittsburgh Coal Company Trust, and others.
Heck of a story there. Eventually, I’ll know enough of it to point y’all at primary sources on the subject.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T station came into sight, just as one of the light rail units rose out of the tunnel that it travels under downtown within, and climbed up the truss to the terminal stop opposite Acrisure Stadium.
Most of the Yinzers I meet ‘poo-poo’ the T, but I ride it all the time.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My chariot arrived, and as soon as those doors opened, I was ensconced in a seat. This was about a six or seven mile walk, all told. I had a nice time, and nobody threw any rotting fruit at me, for a change.
Back tomorrow with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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A North Sided Hey Now!
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After passing through the California Kirkbride neighborhood and visting the Sunday Street City Steps, one made his way towards a rail yard. This one belongs to Norfolk Southern, and I’m told that it’s called the ‘Island Avenue Yard.’
Historicpittsburgh.org offers this text describing the place as ‘one of the primary junctions of the Norfolk Southern Railroad. It connects lines west into Ohio, south into West Virginia and Maryland, north into Erie, and east towards Philadelphia and New York.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
From ‘up top’ on that vehicular bridge spanning the tracks which is pictured above, I spotted what looked like a great POV for photographing passing trains ‘down here’ and then made my way over to this spot. I had to crash through some brush and agglutinated litter, but I managed to get to that fenceline just in time.
Hey Now!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’d end up seeing Norfolk Southern #7001 a couple of times over the next hour or so. I tried looking up its ‘specs,’ but it seems that 7001 has been rebuilt – at least once – and it used to part of an entirely different locomotive outfit and everything was super confusing. It made my neck hurt, so – thereby – look, it’s a train!
A fun conversation was struck up with some local who was walking an absolutely gorgeous pit bull. The local was tickled pink that I was taking shots of trains, and shared some neighborhood stories with me.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
NS #7001 was moving on, and then so did I. It’s a ‘walk,’ not a ‘stand’ after all.
I soon wandered into another neighborhood, called Manchester.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My path involved getting over to the T light rail, a vector which carried me along a series of industrial streets with the occasional residential block mixed amongst them. Ultimately, this area sort of ‘cul de sacs’ nearby Allegheny Commons Park and the West End Bridge.
The park is where that rail trench that I often point the camera at is found.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Son of a gun if I didn’t run into #7001 there again, but this time around they had shed themselves of the cargo which they were formerly hauling. Just the locomotive.
I’ve been noticing, particularly in the last few weeks, that the rail guys are closely visually examining the tracks as the locomotive chugs along, as in the shot above. Any of you rail fan types have an inkling of what they’re likely up to? I’m kind of curious.
Back tomorrow with more.
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Sunday Street Steps
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This post visits the ‘Sunday Street’ City Steps in Pittsburgh’s California Kirkbride section, which were installed here in 1946.
The section of ‘sidewalk steps’ on the intersecting Maravista Street (which was described yesterday) offers pedestrians some 54 ‘sidewalk’ or ramp style steps, whereas the Sunday Street section offers a longer course of 90 steps whose proportions are more in tune with common stairs.
When I’m planning out a scuttle, I like to have a ‘goal’ location somewhere along the course. This one was met early in my day.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s an amazingly well preserved and kept Victorian era home on the corner of Sunday and Maravista. I was torn by my personal prohibition against taking pictures focused in on people’s houses – as that’s creepy – and my absolute need to get this building in frame for the next few shots as it’s gorgeous.
Fantastic, that. I’m jealous.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One set of steps continues down from Maravista Street to the flatlands of the neighborhood below, and both it and the Sunday Street steps branch off from the common intersection.
I spun around to the right, and got on with things.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Again, not in great shape, these steps but neither am I, so fair.
Same concrete issues as elsewhere, also same bannister problems, but other than a few spots where you wanted to be fairly careful as far as where you stepped down… they’re in passable shape. Won’t win any good government awards, but also not ‘hazardous to human life.’
One proceeded along, with the stair based PTSD singing in my head. Luckily, that Big Special music I was listening to drowned out most of my invasive thoughts.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
From the bottom of the stairs, which were fairly steep – in retrospect.
‘Steep’ has an entirely different meaning in Pittsburgh than anywhere else except – possibly – all of Scotland. Coincidentally, back in the ancient time before the bacteria which rots vegetatation had evolved, Appalachia and Scotland were part of the same forested and moist land mass.
Plate tectonics, yo, it affects us all. The bacteria? Well, there’s a reason that Coal and Oil are found deep underground. Rotting bogs and forests and dead oceans lie down there, and that’s where we draw our petrochemical happiness from.
My recent fascination with coal has led me to read some geological ‘stuff’ which clued me in about the ‘Pittsburgh Coal Seam.’
They didn’t teach this in high school history class back in Brooklyn. At Newtown Creek I learned all about the maritime, sewage, rendering, acid manufacturing, waste handling, swill milk, oil, and gas businesses there. I’m learning about all this coal stuff now.
The history of the Appalachia’s is the history of life, and death, itself.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Ok, goal hit, I got this particular shot which I wanted. It’s sort of a ‘known composition’ as in a lot of people take a photo from somewhere nearby. It’s on the cover of a book, but that’s a far better shot than mine. That photographer either got super lucky, or they had observed the scene in different seasons during different times of day.
Now it was time to wander again, somewhat aimlessly.
My plan for the remains of the day was to eventually get back to a T light rail station, and I intended to get there inefficiently. Wander about, follow my nose, hope for serendipity to strike.
Back tomorrow with more.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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Stepping out, seeing the town
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Last week, I brought y’all along on a scuttle in the California Kirkbride section of Pittsburgh, and my toes were pointed squarely in the direction of the ‘Sunday Street’ City Steps. Nowhere near as grandiose as the Rising Main, or as enigmatic and picturesque as the City Steps in the South Side Slopes section, this public byway was nevertheless something which I wanted to experience.
As it turns out, that section of California Kirkbride, along Brighton Road, is on a bit of a plateau. The approach to Sunday Street has a set of steps – which are more of a stepped sidewalk ramp than they are proper stairs.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A lesser section of the Union Dale cemetery was on the other side of that fence. Some sort of industrial outfit was across the street, and somebody who worked there was moving panel trucks around from one bay to the other. A couple of old timers were walking their dogs.
I jabbered along like some obscene mockery of a man, encased within a swirling maelstrom of black sack cloth, gesticulating towards odd things with a camera. Loathsomeness incarnate, horrible to behold, avoidance demanding… that’s me. Everybody hates this guy, so just ask around and they’ll tell you why. Fruit spoils when I near, dogs bark, children cry.
That fearful monstrosity which I see in the mirror, I have discovered, is myself.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The City Steps here were in a condition which I’ve discovered as being concordant with the mores of Pittsburgh’s maintenance schedules. Spalling concrete, loose or detached bannisters, cracked pavement and lots of vegetative intrusion into the masonry. Looks like these steps haven’t been meaningfully touched by laborers in decades. Feh!
Right about here is when the realization that Brighton Road behind me sits on some sort of plateau occurred, incidentally.
In the distance, and for some context as to where these shots were gathered in relation to places I’ve talked about frequently in the past, you can see the gold arch of the West End Bridge over the Ohio River, poking up at the top right of the shot above and the ridge that it’s in front of is Mount Washington.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Looking over my shoulder and back at where I’d just walked, an old habit held over from Brooklyn’s past.
Normally, this activity revolves around seeing if anyone is following me. Given that by this point of the morning – other than seeing people driving by in their cars – I had seen not more than ten humans blundering around the neighborhood, and half of those were following their leashed up dogs around.
Right around here was when I decided to use my headphones again, as the bird song had dropped off when I moved away from the main fields of the cemetery. I was listening to a newish British band called Big Special.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s the intersection with the set of City Steps I wanted to see, which I’ll be showing all of y’all tomorrow. This is an interesting spot, as three sets of Steps merge into one path here.
There were a couple of youngish guys walking on the steps too, but other than that the place seemed deserted.
I thought to myself that the area ‘looked like Salem’s Lot, but during the day when all the vampires are asleep.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I should also mention that I’ve been keeping busy for the last few weeks, and am way ahead of schedule again. These shots were captured on the 15th of March, and the posts written during the first week of April. If I’ve got my scheduling right, you’re seeing this during the last week of April.
Given how chaotic the world is at the moment, if it seems like I’m ‘out of touch’ with whatever the latest calamity is, that’s why.
Back tomorrow with more.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 