The Newtown Pentacle

Thursday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As described yesterday, a constitutional scuttle was undertaken, one which found the camera being carried towards and then over the West End Bridge spanning the headwaters of the Ohio River.

H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘The Lurking Fear’ as read by Wayne June was the audiobook I was listening to. Man, did I get my money’s worth out of that purchase, some twenty years ago, or what? I must have listened to this recording hundreds, it not thousands, of times at this point. Mole hills!

At any rate, I was preparing myself to surmount a set of steps, which I still have a ‘thing’ about in my head. Broke my ankle on a set of steps at home, and have been enjoying the PTSD ever since. Phobic about the rises and runs of stairs, me. It’s getting better, though.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

There’s a big development project that’s meant to kick in around here, which is probably why there’s so many empty lots. During football and baseball games, the owners of these empty properties use them as commercial parking lots, to help handle the overflow of vehicles, and to make bank.

I leaned into it, and shook my head until my apprehensions about the steps faded. It must have looked like a scene from Jacob’s Ladder.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I’m all ‘effed up.

I’ve described crossing the West End Bridge, its history, and its environs before, click here for all that. This particular walking path is regularly visited, as it’s a fairly easy ‘reach’ for me to find a few hours for exercise during an afternoon. Leaving the car at home and using mass transit like the ‘The T’ to get into the zone is just a plus. Once a New Yorker…

I’ve gotten curious in terms of statistics, regarding Pittsburgh. A lot of this thought process involves comparison between ‘the old neighborhood’ and Pittsburgh. For ‘old neighborhood,’ let’s just use Brooklyn, as NYC itself rates as a bit of a Nation State, rather than a mere municipality.

I asked a computer about comparative geography, so according to Google’s AI:

• Brooklyn: Has a land area of 69.4 square miles (183.4 km²).
• Pittsburgh: Has a land area of 55.6 square miles (144 km²).
• Comparison: Brooklyn is significantly larger in land area than Pittsburgh. 

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Hey now, that’s active rail action on the other side of the bridge!

This day, as a note, would end up being described as ‘fantastic’ if the subject of rail traffic or quality of light was my qualifier. Really productive day on that front, as you’ll see in subsequent posts.

Also, comparing the numbers of and brands of people, from Google’s AI:

• Brooklyn: In 2020, Brooklyn’s population was 2,736,074, with a density of 39,336 people per square mile. In 2023, the population was estimated to be 2,646,306. It’s known for its significant cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity. In 2023, the racial composition was estimated to be 36.2% White, 26.2% Black, 18.9% Hispanic, and 12.3% Asian.
• Pittsburgh: In 2023, Pittsburgh’s population was estimated to be 303,255. The metropolitan area’s racial demographics were estimated to be 83% white, 7% Black, 3% Asian, and 2% Hispanic.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I’ve mentioned this several times over the last few years, but… there’s the ‘City of Pittsburgh’ and then the ‘Pittsburgh Metro Area or Greater Pittsburgh’ concept, and then there’s an overlay of ‘Allegheny County’ to factor in when talking about this part of the country. It’s kind of complicated.

Finally, comparing the regional economies, also from Google’s AI:

• Brooklyn: The total GDP for the Borough of Brooklyn (Kings County) was US$107.274 billion in 2022.
• Pittsburgh: The GDP for the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was $194.229 billion in 2023. However, this figure represents a larger region than just the city itself. Key industries include healthcare, higher education, and financial services.
• Comparison: Brooklyn’s economy, as represented by its GDP, is significant, and the city has seen a resurgence in various sectors, including the arts. While Pittsburgh’s economy was historically dominated by the steel industry, it has diversified into areas like healthcare, life sciences, and technology.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As is my regular habit, a quick 180 degree heel spin occurred periodically to see if I was being followed or predated by some creatures of the streets. Old habit, keeps me from dying hard. The light was really spectacular on this afternoon, I’d mention again.

Back tomorrow with Choo-Choo’s.

“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.