A Short walk, around HQ
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A recent day found a humble narrator positively crawling the walls and needing a bit of exercise to burn off the severity of ‘a mood.’ I didn’t have time for a long walk, and it was incredibly warm and humid out as well. Since I was ‘all tuned up,’ and couldn’t afford a long time interval for distance, I’d instead head for one of several local sets of municipal steps instead, for a quick burn.
Camera and bag on my shoulder, one lumbered down to a spot about two blocks away from HQ, which leads to one of the many ‘City Steps’ of Pittsburgh. I’d break a sweat, and chew my way upwards to the prominence of the steep hill which I live at the bottom of.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve mentioned in the past that there’s a small gorge which starts directly across the street from HQ, and it’s one that’s very well wooded. To this alien New Yorker’s eye, the urban forest which is laced throughout Pittsburgh is a fascinating feature, and one which compliments its batshit crazy terrain. These steps allow one to accomplish five to six stories of vertical climb and travel over the groin of two steep hills. The steps are strung along a heavily wooded path, which a trickle of water flows through. It’s not quite a stream down there, but it’s something.
There’s an army of critters living in this patch of woods – deer, woodchucks, squirrels, raccoons, you name it. There’s also Chipmunks, which are adorable.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At the prominence of the hill, which is arrived at after leaving the safety of the forested steps and walking on a sidewalkless and quite busy road for about 1,000 feet, one finds themselves on a street called Broadway Avenue. This is sort of tertiary arterial street, but with the predominant square footage of its path devoted to mass transit – aka ‘The T’ light rail.
This is in Dormont, which is the ‘Boro’ or town I’m living in. Next door and over the hill, in the Beechview section, the T’s tracks are set into the vehicle lanes, and it shares a path with buses and automobiles.
Back next week with something different, 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 
The woods you mention sound just like the backyard of my farm here in Vermont. I was born and raised in New York City, my wife is from Boston. It took awhile for us to adjust to country life.
Thomas Slatin 🏳️🌈
June 14, 2024 at 11:03 am