The Newtown Pentacle

Wednesday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Peculiar. That’s how I’d describe the sensation of scuttling along ‘Gold Way’ here in Pittsburgh. As described previously, when you encounter a signed and maintained ‘on the map’ street hereabouts whose nomenclature includes the word ‘way,’ it’s functionally an alley.

As an aside, GPS navigation software seems entirely unaware of the nature of these alleys, and will often route you along them without a consideration as to their nature. Not too much of an issue here on Gold Way, which is obviously maintained as an actual street, but in several sections of Pittsburgh the ‘ways’ are where deliveries happen, garbage is stored for pick up, or the roadway itself is semi private and maintained by neighborhood home owners. In the latter cases and because obviously no home owner is willingly going to be bringing in a paving crew, the pavement on these way streets seems to be a lot like driving down some Iraqi road which the Americans had bombed.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

This path was fascinating. No sidewalks, but there wasn’t an abundance of vehicle traffic so no biggie. The dumbass bike people got the city to drop in speed humps and paint bike lane iconography on the pavement, but there’s no concrete separation between bike riders and automobiles. What’s missing here are freaking sidewalks, actually, but the bicycle people don’t care about that. They’re involved in ‘the war on cars.’

I wasn’t really sure what neighborhood I was moving through for the next mile or so, but conversation with a friend who’s a local suggests that I was moving alongside the steep section of Polish Hill. I later would find out it was called ‘Skunk Hollow.’

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Along the way, City Steps were observed. At some unknown point along this path, Gold Way transmogrifies into Melwood Avenue. That’s all I can tell you, as this was an exploratory experience.

To be honest, I was really enjoying the sensation of being ‘backstage.’

Spent my time observing and waving the camera about, but remained cognizant that I was essentially looking into someone’s back yard everytime I was gazing over a fence.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I’ve mentioned the ‘germanity’ which you might notice in the design and decorative motifs of the older housing stock here in Pittsburgh.

Back in Queens, specifically Astoria and LIC, the German immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were largely skilled laborers who specialized in cabinetry, and general carpentry. At first these skilled laborers were drawn in to work for Steinway or Sohmer to work on pianos, but an enormous number of these German wood workers persisted in Western Queens. Cabinetry and furniture manufacturing used to be a ‘thing’ in Astoria and its neighboring communities. Astoria is associated in modernity with Greeks and Slavs, but historically speaking it was catholic Germans who built the place. I used to live across the street from the Chian Federation Building on 44th street, for instance, which was once the LIC Turn Verein.

As is usually the case in the Northeastern United States, when one ethnic group reaches critical mass, its population begins to move away and leave the old neighborhood behind. Just like Astoria and North Brooklyn, when the Germans moved out, the Slavs moved in. In the case of Pittsburgh, the ‘new’ people also seem to have largely been Slovaks, Serbs, and especially Poles.

I absolutely have not been doing any sort of historic research at all. None, not a bit. Gave all that up, me. I’ve cultivated becoming ‘incurious.’

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I’ve often thought that it must just suck having an abandoned building pop up next to your home. Got to imagine that eating a monthly bill for pest control just becomes a new line item on your monthly nut.

My next door neighbor here in Dormont is an asshole. Wasn’t terribly upset for him when his house burned down and left behind a windowless brick box, me. While the house was being rebuilt, a flock of sparrows decided to nest inside. I liked hearing them sing while I was sitting in that wheelchair last year, mind you, but still… luckily… it was only birds.

Unfortunately, they rebuilt the house and my asshole neighbors returned.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

One continued on his lonely path.

Along the way, I was psychically carving myself a new butthole, while thinking about my many regrets and multitudinous mistakes. As is often described, my particular form of crazy involves a lack of acknowledgment for all the things that I’ve done successfully over the years. Instead, my inner dialogue is usually focused on something like failing a math test in the 4th grade.

Back tomorrow with more.

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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.