Hazelwood, Mon
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned yesterday, a humble narrator drove over to Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood section to scout the location of a CSX rail yard which is found along the banks of the Monongahela River. I don’t know much about this area, other than that it has a ferocious reputation. There’s several neighborhoods here in Pittsburgh where crime is reportedly a problem, but ultimately it’s the usual story where groups of fairly impoverished people find themselves having to do whatever needs doing to keep their heads above water. Saying that, you really don’t want to get in anyone’s way while they’re splashing about and doing what they’ve got to do.
All of those homes in the shot above looked abandoned. There’s lots and lots of abandoned homes here in Pittsburgh. More than 50,000, I’m told.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The shorelines of both sides of the river here used to dominated by a steel mill called the Eliza Furnace, and there was also a coke furnace located here that was active as late as 1997.
Hazelwood and the other surrounding neighborhoods in this ‘zone’ were settled by laborers who worked at the mill. When the mill left, part of the community stayed behind. At least some of them did, whereas others picked up and left. Demographic collapse is a very real thing in this section of the country.
I found my rail yard, by the way, which I’ll be offering a photo of next week.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One had a bit of time to kill, and found myself slowly prowling along the fairly empty streets in the car, searching for serendipity. I’m not a huge fan of shooting photos from the driver’s seat, it should be mentioned, but with my ankle still recovering from the injuries it’s not like I’ve got much of a choice.
Back next week with more, at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
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