Archive for November 24th, 2023
Driven to scuttle
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Yet another day on my exercise schedule arrived, during which I’d be visiting a few parts of Pittsburgh – which I’ve had fleeting glimpses of – but haven’t taken a ‘hard look’ at yet. I drove into town, and was frustrated at my initial destination while waiting for a train to come by.
Plan B was instituted thereby, and I navigated the Mobile Oppression Platform (MOP) from Pittsburgh’s North Side over to the neighborhood of Oakland. By design, this was going to be a short walk.
Along the way, I got this shot by sticking the camera up through the moon roof while waiting for a red light to change.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Oakland is defined by the presence of its universities and cultural institutions. University of Pittsburgh (PITT) and Carnegie Mellon are housed here, as are several smaller institutions of higher learning, and it’s a densely populated section of this municipality. Lots and lots of students and scholars reside here, most temporarily in dorms and such, and it’s a lot more ‘urban’ than most of the Pittsburgh area is.
There’s also a lot of hospitals and professional offices in Oakland, thereby there’s ample and fairly cheap parking. The MOP was thereby safely ensconced (which cost me seven bucks for an ‘all day’ spot), and I set out on foot. As is my habit, I had a few navigational ‘anchors’ which I would be heading towards set up in a Google map.
Serendipity is always appreciated, but if you’re not walking towards ‘something,’ you’re wandering aimlessly.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This may look like a ‘street,’ but it’s actually an alley. Most of NYC’s streets look like this, with the wires and garbage but without angle in parking. Here, it’s an alley.
Pittsburgh is full of such roadway designations, and it’s where commercial and residential building take deliveries and put out their trash for collection or host parking lots for customers and employees. Less than salubrious stuff occurs in these sorts of corridors as well, and when somebody in Pittsburgh tells you not to walk down some dark alley at night, it’s not just a metaphor.
Back next week with more sights from Pittsburgh’s Oakland at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“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 