The Newtown Pentacle

Monday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Continuing today with a medium length scuttle, one that started at the edge of ‘The Hill’ neighborhood and now continues into the ‘Uptown’ section of Pittsburgh in today’s post.

I’ve been really trying to not ‘deep dive’ into history these days, after spending fifteen years doing so at Newtown Creek. Saying that, I’m led to believe – by the various texts which I’m definitely not diving into – that Uptown was historically a working class and largely Jewish neighborhood. That changed in the post steel environment, and there’s a lot of abandoned and decrepit buildings found there now.

Supposedly, a redevelopment scheme is afoot. Hope so, as this ‘zone’ is fortuitously placed between the very busy and wealthy Oakland and the office buildings of Downtown Pittsburgh. Hope that there’s a plan to include the people who are living here now in this redevelopment… ha, see what I did there – expressed hope that things wouldn’t work out as awfully as they probably will… lol.

It’s got negatives, Uptown does, notably being hemmed in by a couple of nearby and quite busy highway interchanges. It’s also currently kind of ‘crimey,’ according to local residents with whom I’ve conversed.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

A dead end street called Allequippa sits on the border between ‘The Hill’ and ‘Uptown,’ and one became intrigued by that yellow house for some reason.

‘Keep on keeping on’ is one of my mottoes, though, so one scuttled forth.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I’d be walking over the Birmingham Bridge (pictured above) to the other side of the Monongahela River soon enough, but a few blocks of adjustment to the path were required to aim my carcass at the entrance of its pedestrian lane. Just out of frame to the left, in the shot above, was a homeless encampment of some size and sophistication.

Negotiating the street crossing here is not a comfortable experience, I’d mention. A high volume intersection, with vehicle traffic pouring off of that bridge and also out of Oakland. Luckily, this walk took place on Thanksgiving Weekend, and the city of Pittsburgh was largely empty and somewhat depopulated. Made me miss Covid, actually, this walk.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

An intriguing industrial building, seemingly empty, sits at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and the Birmingham Bridge. Burrell Scientific is the name on the painted sign, which also promises availability of all sorts of scientific laboratory related glass products from the company.

According to Google’s AI:

Burrell Scientific is permanently closed and was formerly located in the Uptown area of Pittsburgh at 2223 5th Ave. While the original company is gone, its legacy lives on through its products, such as the iconic Wrist Action® Shaker, which are still available through other suppliers like Reagents. There are also related companies like Burrell Corporation, which is headquartered in the city but focuses on technology solutions, not laboratory equipment. 

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As mentioned, lots of abandoned buildings can be observed here in Uptown. I’ve been told by people who live here that it can be a rough section to live in, particularly so at night.

All will be mended, however, by affordable housing and the loving embrace and good intentions of the real estate industrial complex. Look how great that worked out in Brooklyn and Queens, with the whole ‘affordable housing’ dealie. What could go wrong?

Bah!

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Inexorably, one scuttled on. Thump, drag, thump, drag… I try to be aware of the position of the busted ankle while shlepping along. Habit sees me falling back into the sort of gait which emerged during my invalid interval. Thump right foot, drag left foot, etc.

A bit of mental discipline asserts itself here, and an attempt to force the rebelling body parts into obeisance to the command organ is made.

Thump, thump, thump, indeed.

More tomorrow.

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