Archive for January 2025
Nighttime in Deutschtown
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A recent social event found your humble narrator out and about.
The event was held at ‘The Priory,’ a hospitality space and hotelier outfit which has renovated and reimagined the 1888 vintage St. Mary’s Priory on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
The event was fun, the food was ok (standard ‘banquet’ stuff), and most importantly – Our Lady of the Pentacle had a good time. I kept on sneaking outside to grab photos, of course.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This area has a bit of a reputation, I’d mention.
Saying that, in my limited experience around these parts, it’s the sort of neighborhood where – if you are seeking trouble – you can definitely find it, but trouble isn’t actively combing the streets looking for you to focus on – if you know what I’m saying. Mind your surroundings, don’t mess with people, you’ll be ok. Just keep moving is all.
A life long occupancy in NYC causes me to filter rumors of ‘trouble’ into categories of risk, I should mention. The fact that I was here at night with Our Lady should tell you what my assessment of the ‘street situation’ is.
It’s a historic district, this, called ‘Deutschtown,’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Across the street from the Priory is the Pressley Street high rise, a 15 floor 211 unit public housing facility operated by the Housing Authority of Pittsburgh, with 16 of those units described as ‘accessible.’
Apparently, it was designed with accessibility for mobility challenged folk in mind, and the city runs several social programs out of the building as well. It’s seemingly a desirable place to live, as the waiting list for availability is so long that it’s not taking new applicants.
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.
In the shadows on the Shadyside
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On the central triangle section of Pittsburgh, where it widens out, there’s a fancy pants neighborhood called Shadyside. It’s always been a wealthy area, but ‘back in the day’ this was where the Robber Baron era Millionaires dwelt. There’s still a series of enormous and thoughtfully built mansion buildings there, and it’s largely a residential neighborhood. The universities are nearby, and a number of these mansions have become public spaces of one kind or another – museums, galleries, etc. in modernity.
Our Lady of the Pentacle signed up for a class held at one of these mansions recently, and your humble narrator was providing her with transportation. After dropping her off, I couldn’t help but set up the tripod and get a few night shots.
I haven’t done low light in a long while, and I’ve missed it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Can’t say too much about Shadyside, as I haven’t put any study or walking time into it yet, but everytime I’m driving through this zone I add another church or location to my list of places that I plan on bringing the camera to someday.
It’s – architecturally speaking – a quite interesting neighborhood.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The night was cold, so I didn’t stick around overly, just long enough to crack out a few shots before climbing back into the Mobile Oppression Platform and driving back home to Moe the Dog. Our Lady got home under her own steam after her class ended. Her return to HQ greatly excited the dog.
Back tomorrow 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.
As below, so above
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After capturing shots of the frozen rivers, here in Pittsburgh, at the shoreline level nearby the Mr. Rogers monument on the Allegheny River, your humble narrator headed back to his Mobile Oppression Platform, and set out to West End Overlook Park to take in the whole scene. Wow.
The Monongahela River comes up from the south via West Virginia, so its waters are warmer than those of the Allegheny, which starts its journey to the north in the State of New York, near Kinzua.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the Ohio River pictured above, which mixes the first two waterways into a third. I’m told that the Corps of Engineers does ice breaking with a series of second party partners here, but I keep on hoping to see a black hull Coast Guard boat busting through. I seem to recall that it was eight degrees Fahrenheit that afternoon.
Your humble narrator was freezing and it was time to head back to the MOP, a Toyota. The thing was activated, and the heat turned up high. I settled into my station and began navigating. I eventually had to head over to a different section of Pittsburgh for yet another PT session, but was glad of being able to capture this phenomena.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As you’d imagine, in a place renowned for its overlook park, the town of West End/Elliot is huddled up against a steep hill which plateaus at the overlook. This was the view of that particular milieu, as I was driving back down to the valley level, where a series of roadway interchanges awaited me. It was yet another ‘PT’ day, after all.
Back tomorrow.
“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.
So, how cold has it been in Pittsburgh?
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The rivers have frozen over, that’s how cold it’s been. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the ice on the Allegheny River is about two to three inches thick here in Pittsburgh, but up river on the Allegheny River it’s as much as two to three feet thick. They’re worried about ice jams roaring down the river during the spring thaw, according to news reports. Exciting, no?
Your humble narrator drove over to the Mr. Rogers memorial, nearby the sportsball stadium where the Steelers live, recently to record the scene. These shots were gathered in that location.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Single digit temperatures have been the standard for at least a couple to three weeks now. It has snowed more or less every other day since the new year, and everything is covered in a rock hard sheath of ice with fresh snow powder on top. Very slippery.
I know what you’re thinking – hey, that must be a lot of fun – negotiating your way through that sort of wintry situation with the recently busted ankle, huh? Confirmed, it is – indeed – fun.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
When shooting these, I was wearing a thermal layer against my skin, and on top of that I had on a T-shirt, and a flannel shirt, and a sweatshirt, and my winter coat – and I was still cold.
No pants.
Just kidding, I was wearing pants. Who goes to see Mr. Rogers sans culottes? Have some respect.
Back tomorrow with more, 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.
Lower St. Clair doesn’t exist, except I live in it
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is the view I have enjoy driving towards the twice a week ‘PT’ or Physical Therapy appointments, as my broken ankle continues to heal.
It’s more or less at the border between a Pittsburgh community called ‘Mount Lebanon’ and another municipality called ‘Upper St. Clair.’ Both are fairly wealthy suburbs, and this photo was gathered at a point that’s about eight miles out from Downtown Pittsburgh. The ‘upper’ part of the town’s name made me curious, and I asked a few of the locals who are far more familiar with this area than I am. Their answer was always the same – there is no ‘Lower St. Clair,’ nor is there just an ordinary ‘St. Clair.’
Turns out that there actually used to be a Lower St. Clair, and that I actually live in it. Let me explain…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Other than using the Whiskey Rebellion breaking out in St. Clair back in 1794 as a historical benchmark, the earliest European footprints here (that were recorded into the historic record, at least) involve a fellow named John Fife. Mr. Fife established a homestead not too far from where today’s first shot was taken, back in 1762.
St. Clair, named for one of Washington’s Generals, divided itself over time and established an Upper (to the south) and a Lower Saint Clair, to the north. So… Lower St. Clair existed.
The latter or northern section of Lower St. Clair began to subdivide into local governance during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and independent municipalities (including the City of Pittsburgh itself) began to absorb, annex, or otherwise appropriate the land. I’m led to understand that Banksville, Carnegie, Bloomfield, Beechview, and Dormont (where HQ is found) – amongst other towns and boroughs – were all created out of what was once Lower St. Clair, which itself no longer exists as a governmental entity.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This series of facts cut the legs off of a fiction story which I was fleshing out in my head while driving, one which would have made the case for a subterranean network of tunnels under Upper St. Clair, which would be colloquially referred to (in hushed whispers, of course) as Lower St. Clair. Fantasies of Morlocks danced in my head, and hatches hidden away in the suburban basements of tony Upper St. Clair. C’est la’vie, huh?
Back tomorrow 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 