The Newtown Pentacle

Monday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As regular readers will recall, from last week, your humble narrator was out and about for a fairly short walk on an extremely hot afternoon in Pittsburgh. The T light rail had carried me from Dormont to Downtown, and the Roberto Clemente Bridge – having been closed to vehicle traffic due to a baseball game at the PNC Park stadium – was how I was crossing the Allegheny River. I took every opportunity to stand directly on the lane markers in the center of the bridge and shoot photos. Normally, doing this would get you shmushed by a car or truck.

This one looks back towards the Downtown area. Funnily enough, I used to do some of the advertising work for that Renaissance Hotel, on the left hand side of the shot. This was around 25 years ago, at a small ad agency I worked for on 22nd street between fifth and sixth, back in Manhattan.

Retouching and ad construction/publishing, if you’re curious.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

The closed bridge lane continued for a couple of blocks onto the street ‘grid’ of Pittsburgh’s North Shore, in direct proximity to the stadium. My toes were pointed in the direction of those concrete ramps, which carry a couple of high speed roads and there’s also a rail trestle back there.

This section which I was heading into used to be called ‘Allegheny City,’ until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As mentioned last week, there was an event meant to be happening which seemed like it would offer lots of silly things to take pictures of, and that’s what guided my steps.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at the prescribed location – Nada. Crossed signals, maybe? I double checked the address, and time/date, but there you are.

So, there I am, a narrator without a destination… what to do…

Keep walking, that’s what.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I was walking the perimeter of Allegheny Commons Park, which I’ve often visited in search of interesting rail shots, and the National Aviary’ is found within its confines, as well. I stuck to the streets, specifically ‘North Avenue.’ Lots and lots of interesting historic building stock can be found along this route.

You’re looking at Pittsburgh’s ‘Mexican War Streets historic district’ by the way.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Pictured above is a lovely apartment building, built in the pre-air conditioning era, a building which always catches my eye when I’m moving through this zone. I looked around for any information about 316-318 North Avenue, but a fog of real estate offerings seems to be intentionally obscuring its tale.

This is a real and growing problem, by the way. ‘SEO’ or ‘Search Engine Optimization’ manipulation of Google results has greatly reduced the utility of the search giant’s services in recent years. It’s too easy for the ‘shit flies’ to crowd out anything other than their dreams of avarice.

Google used to be a useful tool. Now, it’s just another vehicle for ads.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Oddly enough, I spotted two women walking horses around in the park. A few blocks later, a photo shoot was encountered. There were three very attractive young women wearing western style garb which had been ‘bedazzled’ with sequins and such. There was a very nervous looking photographer, and a couple of stylists, and these horses were heading their way.

Never work with children or animals, ask any actor.

Back tomorrow.

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“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.