The Newtown Pentacle

Monday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

One is still learning his way around Pittsburgh, and after a bit of a scouting mission to the metro area’s ‘North Side,’ a scuttle back to the south side of the City was enacted. The Allegheny River was crossed, and my ultimate destination at the T light rail station was on the other side of the Monongahela River.

I leaned into it, and actuated the camera along the way.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I’m starting to notice the little things. The minutia as opposed to the grandiose. I like the downtown area for these walks, as it’s relatively flat. The more elevated and hilly areas require a bit more planning, which tends to reduce the serendipity that is preferred. If you leave a car ‘up there,’ you need to get back to it somehow from ‘down here.’ It’s a pickle.

Downtown, you can just sort of follow your toes, and go wherever they happen to be pointing.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

There are very few places back in NYC which could be defined as being ‘alleys,’ but Pittsburgh is full of them. This is a legitimate vehicle lane, I would mention, and periodically I’ve found myself driving through these narrow byways to get here and there. I think they’re legit, I should mention, as Google maps has directed me through them. Of course, the same application has sent me all over hill and dale in a haphazard fashion here in the greater Pittsburgh area, so…

Onward and… well, I mostly stay at whatever altitude I’m at, so… Onward and across?

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I was heading for a crossing of the Monongahela River which I hadn’t used since the winter, the Fort Pitt Bridge. Along the way, and I think they call this area ‘The Cultural District,’ I remarked to myself about how many sky bridges there were here and wondered if they’re counted when discussing Pittsburgh’s many bridges.

One was also looking over his shoulder a bit in this area, as it’s one of the spots where the local drug enthusiasts gather. Debased, the local junkies form a fairly pathetic and predictable population. I’m basically the only person you see waving a camera around, so the junkies tend to lock their lizard brain onto me as I’m walking by. So far so good, and I know how to handle that sort of thing from my long years of scuttling about in distaff sections of New York, but it’s best to,pay attention to your surroundings in this zone.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I made it to Point State Park, where Pittsburgh’s famous convergence of the 3 rivers occurs. There’s a mega fountain there, one which I’ve recently learned is fed by a fourth river, an underground aquifer.

As is always the case, hundreds and hundreds of people were in the park. Pittsburgh is a bit of a tourist draw for the regional vicinity with its Casino, and Sportsball Stadiums. They’re not pulling European package holiday tourism here, but there’s a not insignificant economy built around people visiting from out of town locales in Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio and other neighboring states.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I finally made it to the Fort Pitt bridge and scuttled up onto the pedestrian/bike pathway. The last time I walked this path, it was early February and the pathway was a skating rink. This time around, I had to cant my funny little $12 Costco fishing hat to one side in order to provide myself with as much shade as possible.

Back tomorrow with the end of this journey, which began on Pittsburgh’s North Side when I was scouting for a set of train tracks.

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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.