The Newtown Pentacle

Friday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As described in yesterday’s post, one decided to climb the equivalence of 12 building stories worth of municipal steps here in Pittsburgh’s Borough of Dormont, on a short walk around the neighborhood. Thing is, when you leave these steps, you’re in a different neighborhood than where you started – pictured in today’s post is one called Beechview. Beechview is notoriously hilly, but there’s a fairly flat street called ‘Broadway Avenue’ which the T street car runs along, so that’s where I was heading to.

My legs were absolutely quivering from bounding up all those stairs. Goal set, and achieved.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Like the section of Dormont where HQ is found, this part of Beechview is largely residential and its streets are lined with fine old houses of heterogenous character, and hosts many hills and valleys. Broadway Avenue runs along a ridge at the top of the stack, and the T streetcar tracks run along it.

The streets in Beechview are quite challenging to drive along let alone walk – I’d mention – narrow and set against the steep slopes. In fact, the 2nd steepest street on the planet is found nearby, dubbed Canton Avenue. There’s a street in New Zealand which is half a degree steeper, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

The T was passing by just as I got to Broadway Avenue, and the streetcar service was entering a small rail only bridge which carries it over a gully. This one is moving away from Pittsburgh, towards its South Hills terminal stop several miles away.

The T system is confusing for this MTA Subway veteran.

You pay your fare while boarding on your way into Pittsburgh, and while debarking the car when you’re leaving Pittsburgh.

In the center of the city, you can ride it for free.

You buy a credit card like thingie called a ‘ConnectCard’ at one of the local supermarket chains, and then either load it with cash or simply connect it to a checking account. I prefer the latter, although back in NYC I refused to ever connect a Metrocard to my bank account because… MTA. They have ticketing machines too, but they’re a pain in the neck. Supposedly, they’re rolling out a ‘tap your phone’ system, but I haven’t done that one yet.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

That’s what Beechview looks like, from Broadway Avenue. You can kind of understand why they build all of those municipal steps.

Ruminating while scuttling along, it occurred to me that I’ve spent most of my adult life along ‘Broadways.’ When I lived in Manhattan, its was at 100th and Broadway. Astoria was 44th and Broadway. In Dormont, I’m a few blocks from Broadway Avenue. Weird.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Another T came rolling by, as I walked on and on. This had to be about 4 or so in the afternoon, I reckon. In this section, the T isn’t separated from vehicle traffic as it is back in Dormont. It mingles with automotive and bus traffic. They have little raised concrete ‘islands’ set up for people waiting to ride the service. The islands are protected from traffic by bollards and those little plastic sticks with the reflectors on them (flexible delimiters is the official name for these sticks).

Personally speaking, I detest having to drive on top of the streetcar’s rails, and especially so when it’s raining or icy out.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

My turn around point on this walk was at a T stop called ‘Fallowfield,’ and the plan was to actually take the T back to Dormont rather than just reverse course on foot. Those stairs really are something.

You’ll notice two sets of doors on the T. The foremost set are designed for the little customer islands, and within the car there’s a set of bus style steps you use to enter or leave the thing. The second set of doors are designed for the ‘high platform’ stations which are also found within the system. Neat.

Back next week with something different.

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