The Newtown Pentacle

Monday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Continuing with a walk down Pittsburgh’s Baum Boulevard – begun last week – with the effort having started in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty section, nearby the spot where that church spire in the distance can be discerned.

One was heading away from East Liberty and towards the Bloomfield section. The weather was on my side, my ankle was ok, and that’s your catch up. Oh yeah, everybody hates me, but that’s old news.

At one point, Baum Boulevard proceeds over a bridge spanning a set of railroad tracks and what looks like a roadway for one of the busways.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Occupied in modernity by UPMC’s Immune Transplant and Therapy Center, that enormous building on the left, in the shot above, is a 1915 vintage ‘Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant.’ Additionally, I was standing on a bridge while taking this shot. Said span carries Baum Blvd. over a ravine which rail tracks tun through.

The auto manufacturer assembled Model T’s here until 1932, whereupon it was repurposed as a warehouse and parts distribution center for the company until 2018, when the UPMC outfit purchased the thing and began converting the interior to their needs. Neat.

I categorically deny the accusation that I’m doing any historical research on Pittsburgh and its environs, at all. Mythology. Fake news.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

It would seem that the Ford people took advantage of those tracks down there, formerly the Pennsylvania RR’s property, by utilizing a six story crane to lift cargo off of the beds of rail cars and then brought it inside. The roadway definitely looks like it’s one of Pittsburgh’s Busways, possibly the MLK one. Don’t know for sure.

The Busways are pretty much next on my list, exploration wise and I’m ignorant still, about them.

Long story short, during its economic crisis years in the late 1970’s and especially the 1980’s, Pittsburgh’s political masters were willing to swing for the fences. The busways use land which either used to belong to a defunct railroad, or was already owned by some governmental entity. Essentially private roads reserved for buses and other municipal vehicles, the quick movement of emergency vehicles and mass transit are unhampered by street conditions and traffic while executing their functions due to the Busways. Also neat.

Absolutely not doing any research at all. None.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Auto Row is what they call this section of Baum Blvd.

I’m told that the car lots began decamping to the suburbs during the 70’s and 80’s, but if you’re a Yinzer of a certain age and you need a vehicle, this might be where you’d think of going to first.

Auto Row is a LOT like the section of Northern Blvd. back in Queens that’s found between Jackson Heights and LIC – which I always referred to as the ‘Carridor’ during my morbid habitations of that area. There’s a former Ford factory found there too, at the corner of Honeywell and Northern, which also took advantage of its proximity to rail tracks at Sunnyside Yards.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

There’s still a few automobile businesses here, selling high end european cars. Porsche is across the street from this BMW dealership, for instance.

A quick street crossing was perpetrated, which set me up for the right turn I’d soon need to make. Baum Blvd. intersects with Bigelow Boulevard, which takes on the characteristics of an expressway shortly after that intersection, and which I had no interest in walking again on this particular day.

Before leaving HQ, I had laid out a mental map of where I wanted to go, which is critical in certain parts of Pittsburgh due to the streets just suddenly dead ending at a cliff, or falling off into patches of woodland. It’s fairly easy to ‘cul de sac’ yourself and end up having to walk back out along a steep incline. Best to have a plan.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

A last shot of Baum Blvd. I’d be making a right turn at a corner found just after that traffic light, onto Mellwood Avenue. As mentioned, I’ve driven Baum Blvd. quite a few times, but this was my first interval on foot.

When turning off of Baum, I was entering into virgin territory as far as my experience goes.

Come with?

Back tomorrow with more.

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