Archive for July 2025
Stumbling around in Lawrenceville
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A post or three has been offered in the past exploring the sights and ‘milieu’ of a section of Pittsburgh called ‘Lower Lawrenceville.’ It’s probably got a few other names which I’m ignorant of, but until then I’m going with that. This could be regular Lawrenceville as well.
This scuttle started at the corner of Lawrenceville’s 50th street and BlackBerry Way – right here.
It’s more or less the border between ‘mixed use’ zoning and ‘industrial area’ zoning to my eye. This spot is on the northern/Allegheny River side of the so called ‘Golden Triangle’ of Pittsburgh. My ultimate destination would be back downtown, where I would be meeting Our Lady of the Pentacle at a roof top bar.
In the Pittsburgh area, ‘alleys’ are called ‘ways.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was warm out, but quite tolerable. Your humble narrator was in his usual summer getup, the black cargo shorts with a white Cuban shirt (Guayabera) over a t-shirt. One has begun wearing a flash orange baseball cap these days, as I often find myself walking around wooded areas and hunting is a genuine passion for people out here.
There’s a lot of tech firms set up in this area, with an unhealthy number of companies that manufacture industrial and military robots. I don’t know if you’ve ever read Asimov, but it might be a good idea to start talking about the concurrent development of AI and these ‘destined for the battlefield’ style robots forming a Venn diagram describing humanity’s extinction. Other tech companies in Pittsburgh are working on self driving cars and trucks.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Neat old building, right there.
Science Fiction has been warning us about the coming moment for more than a century. I’m not talking about us going instant terminator here, but let’s face it – a sufficiently ‘intelligent’ AI will quickly surmise that the most direct threat to its continued existence is us. What does logic dictate to a networked intelligence there? In many ways, the near future will see the emergence of digital angels and devils. Mass global unemployment will just be the start of the fun. Wait until our new overlords began rationing food and water.
I was recently chatting with a professor from Carnegie Mellon who is working on this technological breakthrough, and my only comment to him was to ensure that some sort of dead man’s switch was present – or a plug – that can be pulled only in meatspace. These AI entities will be able to move so fast that stopping one which has ‘escaped into the wild’ would be exactly like trying to fight an Angel or a Demon. I suppose ‘Djinn’ would be more appropriate in context, due to that class of supernatural entity’s association with light and fire.
In magickal terminology, angels and demons are called ‘the sons of fire,’ and humanity are ‘the children of clay.’
Terrifyingly enough, the CMU Professor fellow had never seen ‘Colossus, the Forbin Project.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One continued on, while pondering this particular end of the world scenario. “The future sucks” thought a humble narrator. For some reason, I decided that I would be walking down several of the ‘ways’ or alleys whenever opportunity presented.
There seemed to be some sort of power plant on the other side of that wall. Can’t tell you much about it at this juncture. I’m sure I’ll do so in the future. Something to look forward to.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
These worker cottages caught my eye. Obviously recent renovations have occurred, but what drew me were the clean lines and homogeneous nature of the structures. Neat.
I had to get back on one of the avenues, as the alley ‘way’ I was walking ended at stout brick wall. A left was thereby hung, and one marched inexorably on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Plan wise: the first year I was here in Pittsburgh, it was all about the center of things. Second year, the Monongahela River and its communities. Then the ankle situation occurred and I lost most of the third year here to recovery. This next year, I’m planning on working my way up the Allegheny River and seeing what’s what, and where it is.
Back tomorrow with more.
“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.
Scuttle 2 live, live 2 scuttle
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After returning from NYC to Pittsburgh, with more than 2,000 shots on my camera card, your humble narrator stuck pretty close to home for about a week. This coincided with a spate of bad weather – hot, stormy, no bueno. Lots of time in front of the computer screen.
Finally, the weather forecast indicated that it wouldn’t be life threateningly hot out, and that the chance of rain was nil. I packed up my ‘old kit bag,’ although the bag is actually still fairly new, and shlepped up the hill to access the T light rail station here in Dormont. Step one for this outing was a ride on the T, thereby.
There’s one of them now, but it’s heading away from Pittsburgh and towards its terminal stop in the South Hills. You gotta pass the time somehow when waiting for a train.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My city bound T arrived, and your humble narrator boarded the thing. It was a bit confusing for a newcomer to grasp at first, but the T uses a zone system for fares. You pay when boarding if you’re ‘inbound,’ and pay when debarking on ‘outbound.’ In the center of the city, the service runs free. It’s all very civilized out here.
My plan was to shoot a bit out the windows, but instead I just stared.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Gateway Station is in downtown Pittsburgh, and it’s one of the stops where the light rail runs as a subway. The T units are omnivores. They service ‘high platform,’ ‘low platform,’ and ‘no platform’ stops. It runs on elevated tracks, street level tracks, and an underground tunnel.
The plan for the day involved ending up back downtown, but I wanted to scuttle around for a good long while. A summon for a rideshare, from pretty close to the Gateway stop, would be issued and I’d have it deposit me about six miles east whereupon the walk back to the downtown section would start. Fun.
By taking the T from Dormont to downtown, I saved about $15 on the rideshare fare, were I to have ordered a direct ride to my destination from HQ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This ‘No Hate’ sign caught my eye. I appreciate the sentiment, and the message carried, but I don’t think municipal signage is sufficient to manage one of the seven deadlies. I didn’t see any signs forswearing gluttony, for instance, nor ones precluding the practice of envy. There’s a Pittsburgh muni seal on the bottom of that sign just below the screw, meaning it’s an ‘official’ prohibition.
Personally, I hate performative politicking, but am I allowed to feel that discomfort about an obscure and unenforceable regulation in downtown Pittsburgh? Is there a legal definition for the ‘hate’ which the sign forbids, or does it change periodically depending on political mood? If I rightfully hate someone or something, is that something that the Cops need to get involved with? I hate Mondays, for instance. What if my religion involved hatred?
I realize, of course, the meaning and intent of the obtuse messaging carried by this sign, and the statement of political resolve which it represents. I just argue that nothing which any Government puts on a sign should ever be open to interpretation, and that if a politician wants to make a statement of support for one vulnerable group or another they shouldn’t hide behind theatrics which are frankly unenforceable.
How do you prove – in a court of law – that someone else felt an emotion – jealousy, or hate, or love?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Bah!
One headed north, and over to the spot where I had decided it would be quick and easy to summon a ride. The Downtown area’s streets and sidewalks are currently being managed by a group of people very similar to the ones that Bill De Blasio brought with him into city hall back in NYC.
Bike lanes, safe streets, yada yada. They hate cars, and thereby they’ve made it almost impossible for a driver to pull over downtown to pick up a passenger. A new spate of bus only lanes downtown have just overly complicated things here as well.
The infirm and disabled can go ‘eff themselves, cars are the problem.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My brilliant idea to outwit the safe streets ‘BS’ involved an alley for my pickup spot, pictured above. I summoned my rideshare chariot, and soon I was hurtling in its air conditioned goodness towards the next deistination.
Y’know, I think that might be the alley where Batman’s parents got murdered in the Chris Nolan Batman trilogy. They shot that in Pittsburgh, so I’m just going to start saying that I live in Gotham City from now on.
That would be hilarious. Ha. Ha ha ha, hah HAHhah HAH. Hah hah hah!
WHAT? Why so serious?
Back tomorrow with more.
“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.
Locomoting back in Pittsburgh
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After getting back home from ‘home,’ your humble narrator settled back into his normal pattern of life. Yeah, I took a few days off from everything to rest up, before jumping back on my bandwagon. My ankle was pretty swollen for a couple of days due to all the walking back in NYC.
I’ve unfortunately got a bunch of doctor oriented stuff which needs accomplishing during the month of July, and so does Our Lady of the Pentacle. On my side of things, I had to postpone various tests and other ‘Doctor’s Orders’ because of my ankle situation, so I’m trying to pack all of that in during July – partly in the name of just getting it off my menu. This post is being written during the first week of July, incidentally.
Our Lady had to visit a doctor for a routine examination, and while she was being poked and prodded by the blue pajamas and white coat crowd, I headed over to Allegheny Commons Park where a locomotive trench carries Norfolk Southern traffic through the park.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is an ‘autumn shot,’ incidentally, captured during high summer. I got the autumn shot the year before last. The Ginkgo Trees lining the tracks drop their leaves – which then turn yellow as they decay. That gives you a black locomotive moving through a golden yellow path – very Pittsburgh, huh?
After the train passed out of view, I decided to walk a couple of blocks over to another ‘POV’ which I’ve exploited in the past.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just as I hoped, those Norfolk Southern engines had soon coupled up with a train’s worth of cargo cars, and were just starting to proceed forward as I got there. These tracks, in the direction the train was heading, lead to either a spur that goes to the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge over the Allegheny River and then through the Amtrak station downtown on their way east, or they can also lead to a different line that sits on the northern shore of the Allegheny River and more or less follows Route 28 in a roughly northeasterly direction. Exciting, no?
Yes railfans, I’m going to drive out to Conway Yard sometime this summer, probably in August.. Additionally, it’s likely I’m going to visit Altoona and the Horseshoe Curve in August as well. Word has it that Altoona has finally finished repairing its incline, after all.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The train, led by #6317 – an EMD SD40E model locomotive engine – or so I’m told – started moving towards the Allegheny River. I cracked out a few shots of the thing, and then followed it, as least as far back as where I had parked the car.
I encountered and starting chatting with a very cool lady who had emigrated from Jamaica to Pittsburgh via Brooklyn at this particular juncture. When she heard I was from Brooklyn, and specifically Canarsie/Flatbush, she was ebullient. We talked about Flatbush Avenue, and meat patties, and scotch bonnet peppers. That’s when my phone rang and it was Our Lady, who was nearly done with her appointment. I bid my new friend good fortune and moved on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On my way back to the Mobile Oppression Platform, a Toyota, I cracked out a couple of shots of the train moving through the trench. It was a mixed up bunch of cargo cars.
I made my way to the car, after stopping off at the ‘Porta-Potty’ for a tinkle. It’s so nice living somewhere where you’re not just expected to piss in the street like a dog.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s remnants of what looks like a masonry bridge over the tracks which still exist here. Boy, that must’ve been some point of view from that one, huh? Wonder when it was condemned and closed?
Back tomorrow with more from Pittsburgh.
“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.
Apotheosis Urbis
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Summing up what ended up being a solid month’s worth of posts describing a four day trip, at the start of June, wherein your humble narrator returned back to ‘the old neighborhood’ in New York City – so, today’s post seeks to gather it all together in one place.
Links to the published posts of this series will be offered inline below. You may have seen some of the embedded shots in today’s post before, although I did attempt to not repeat.
Long story short: flew out from Pittsburgh on an early morning flight, hung out with my Pal Val on the harbor and then headed upstate.
Returned from upstate on Day 2, went to Long Island City and Newtown Creek and eventually Woodside and Middle Village.
Back to the creek for Day 3, and after riding the L to Canarsie, dinner at a kosher deli with my cousins and then back to Middle Village.
Day 4 was LIC again, and a walk over the Queensboro Bridge before riding the 7, and visiting ‘hole reliable’ at Sunnyside Yards and then heading over to LaGuardia Airport, and then back to Pittsburgh.
Whirlwind!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I didn’t get a window seat on the plane to NYC, or on the one back to Pittsburgh, which was disappointing. Managed to get Newtown Creek in the bottom right of the shot above, but it’s blurry and weird looking due to the distortion of shooting through the plastic window at an angle.
Next time around, have to ensure that I’m at a window. If there is a next time, that is. I’ve never seen the Pacific Ocean, visited the Alamo, gone to Yellowstone… there’s other stuff, too, that I’d like to take a picture of.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Day one in NYC produced a lot of photos, as is always the case when I’m out on the waters of New York Harbor with the camera.
Chronicles of June 3rd’s adventures started with ‘Homeboy,’ followed by ‘Puddle People,’ ‘Working the Harbor,’ ‘Surf and Turf,’ and ‘Next stop, Willoughby.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
June 4th saw NYC’s climate go sultry hot, and your humble narrator suffered through the heat while pushing himself forward. Plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead, I always say.
June 4th also saw me returning to the ‘zone’ from upstate NY via Metro North in ‘Omphalos,’ returning to LIC and Newtown Creek in ‘Like every other bit of wind blown trash,’ plunging toward Blissville in ‘DUPBO 2025,’ heading towards the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge in ‘DUGABO awaits,’ and visiting the Borden Avenue street end along Dutch Kills in ‘DULIE 2025.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
June 5th, from a climatological point of view, was a difficult day to wake up in NYC. Hot, humid, swamp ass weather. Doesn’t matter, a humble narrator is fairly able to ignore and overcome environmental hazards, especially so at Newtown Creek. Lots of practice.
‘Estate Reality, Dutch Kills,’ ‘Old Friends,’ ‘DUGSBO and the plank road gooses,’ ‘The happy place,’ and ‘First DUKBO’ explore a longish walk that started at the Grand Street Bridge, then proceeded over the Kosciuszcko Bridge on my way to Newtown Creek Alliance HQ in Greenpoint.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
‘DUKBO 2 DUGABO,’ and ‘DUGABO 2 Canarsie’ finished out the cavalcade of horror and fear that I had seen and experienced on the 5th of June in NYC. My cousin drove me back to Middle Village, and the home of Hank the Elevator Guy, where I’d be staying the night.
My plan of ditching worn clothing into the trash along the way paid off mightily by this point, and after bidding my buddy Hank ‘adieu’ and offering my thanks for his hospitality, I set out on my way with just the camera bag to manage.
On the 6th, experiences and photos for ‘And on the fourth day,’ ‘Queensboro Pedestrian Path,’ and ‘Queens Plaza to Sunnyside Yards & LGA’ were gathered.
This was a heck of a trip, back to the old neighborhood.
Tomorrow – the Paris of Appalachia – 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.
Queens Plaza to Sunnyside Yards & LGA
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was zero chance that I’d be waiting for an eastbound 7 train at Queensboro Plaza and not get the shot above. It’s a classic.
I was on my way to Sunnyside for one last visit before heading back to Pittsburgh via LaGuardia. 40th/Lowery stop was my destination.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was also very little chance that I wouldn’t click the shutter for that view above, either. It was positively sultry out, but there you go.
Momentary or even days long discomfort is just something you have to deal with when traveling. Toughen up, I always say. Then I’m told that ‘you’re a monster’ by some Millennial worm, and that one should embrace personal failings and or weaknesses and incorporate them as the core of my identity.
I offer the band Black Flag’s ‘Rise Above’ for an alternative philosophy.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After my convivial coffee with an old friend in Sunnsyide, it was back to scuttling for me. I decided to head towards Astoria, and along the way stopped off at ‘Hole Reliable’ at Sunnyside Yards. This is an aperture in the plate steel fencing of the rail yard which I exploited for years and years.
It’s likely a surveyor’s hole, but it’s big enough to fit a camera lens through, and overlooks the Harold Interlocking – which are the busiest rail tracks in the United States… so…
Mainly LIRR and Amtrak, but New Jersey Transit is spotted here every now and then as well.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
MTA finally finished one of their projects here, a holding yard and new siding for the Long Island Railroad. They were working on this for decades, it feels like. Part of the East Side access project, I think.
I headed over to Astoria, and despite swearing up and down I wasn’t going to go to my old bar on Broadway and 42nd, there I was drinking a Guinness and talking shit with random guys at the bar. I only knew a couple of the guys there, but it was early and I had a plane to catch.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A cab carried my carcass over to LaGuardia, and by this point – the ankle was pissed off. A slight limp had crawled back in.
I got through security, and that’s when I found out about the delayed flight. At least it was air conditioned, though. I plugged in my phone, kicked off my shoes, and settled into ‘waiting’ mode.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This shot was captured using my phone, which is why it looks a bit different than the others. My flight eventually boarded, about four hours late, and I was back in Pittsburgh around one in the morning. Had to wait a good amount of time before a cab was available, and walked in the door at HQ in Dormont around 2:30 in the morning.
Back next week.
“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 