Kicking dirt in Bloomfield
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This latest of scuttles began in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield section, which is aka Little Italy.
One had summoned a rideshare to transport my carcass from Dormont to this spot, in pursuance of executing a medium length constitutional walk. All summer long, I’ve been picking spots along several of the major ‘avenues’ found on Pittsburgh’s ‘Golden Triangle’ and then following where my toes were pointing towards the titular center of things downtown, where that triangle forms it’s acute point.
This scuttle started here, and then proceeded downtown.
It was a lovely August day in Pittsburgh, with temperatures in the low 80’s and a tolerable level of humidity. I stuck to the shady side of the street whenever possible, however. Travel was light, with a single zoom lens on the camera, and a couple of primes in my camera bag.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the gateway to Bloomfield pictured above, but I was heading in the opposite direction and away from it. Bloomfield is fairly urban in character, with street level shops and small multi unit rental buildings sharing the streets with private homes, medical facilities, and the occasional large apartment building. Its street setup is what I’d describe as ‘Philadelphia style’ with fairly narrow sidewalks flowing past row houses.
This isn’t a dissertation on Bloomfield, by the way, rather it’s a set of surface level observations. I’ve occasionally found myself out here for a doctor’s appointment or something similar, but I don’t know anyone who lives here nor have I spent anytime in the neighborhood socializing.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One proceeded to take a series of random turns at the corners, heading in the general direction of a street called ‘Penn Avenue.’ That would become my singular path all the way to the downtown area, but sometimes there’s virtue in getting a little bit lost.
Those narrow sidewalks don’t have room for street trees, which was kind of surprising. Notice that the ‘one way’ sign at top left of the shot above is attached to the building rather than being set upon a pole.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After a few blocks of right/left right/left, my accursed footsteps were striking pavement on the aforementioned Penn Avenue. A firehouse had its door open, so… that’s the Pittsburgh Fire Dept.’s Engine 6 pictured above.
Now, I should mention that this walk was part of a larger plan which I cooked up while sitting in that wheelchair last year, one designed to increase my knowledge of the streets and learn what’s what and where it is.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Lawrenceville. That’s the neighborhood I had just wandered into from Bloomfield. Now… remember when I walked through Lawrenceville earlier in the summer, and then scuttled along one of its ‘way’ streets just a few weeks later… and then there was ‘Bigelow Boulevard’ and then also ‘Polish Hill’?
Bloomfield is a plateau on top of a hill. Lawrenceville is found on the sloping bottom of the hill of that plateau. Polish Hill and Bigelow Boulevard ride along the top of the hill, and in this series of posts – we are moving along the middle of that hill.
Dear lord, it’s all starting to make sense…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is the way.
Explore, photograph, research. Go back for more, learn more based on observation. Research, observe, photograph, go deeper, learn more…
Back tomorrow.
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Kicking dirt while waiting for a T
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It had been a fairly seamless afternoon, with a long walk down a steep slope, and then burning out a few miles of flat land grinding. Got my heart rate up and even, stretched and strengthened the rubber bands in my gamey ankle, and shot a bunch of photos. A good day.
‘Yay’ for your humble narrator.
My last stop of the day would involve mass transit, specifically the ‘T Light Rail’ station at First Avenue, here in Downtown Pittsburgh.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is where the Panhandle Bridge, originally built for heavy rail, connects the T to the South Side Flats section across the Monongahela River and the Golden Triangle section of Pittsburgh.
Ongoing construction on a transit tunnel found on the other side has resulted in decaying headways, and quite a few capacity issues on the single trackway of the Panhandle. (Yes, I know, pictured are two tracks. They converge on the other side after spurring off.) Under normal circumstance, that transit tunnel feeds into the Station Square stop and the T’s approach the Panhandle from a higher capacity spur.
I had just missed the Red Line train, unfortunately, guaranteeing the longest possible wait time for my chariot to arrive.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve always passed time while commuting by taking photos, and this occasion was no exception to that rule. This station is where the catenary powered light rail units convert from running as a trolley and over to being a subway.
It’s also the start of the ‘free zone’ where transit runs ‘sans coulottes’ as far as fares go. My trip was to outside of the free zone, so I had to pay when I debarked. That’s how it works.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The station was playing an announcement proclaiming delays and apologizing to the riding public, but I didn’t care much. I was having a good time waving the camera around.
Besides, I got to sit down in the shade for a spell, a welcome break after the walk down Mount Washington and across the Monongahela River.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One had a good half hour’s wait time to spend, and from what I was observing, it looked like the ‘logjam’ that the PRT people (Pennsylvania’s Port Authority is the top banana for this area, with Pittsburgh Regional Transit as the local outfit that operates services for them) were dealing with involved a surfeit of Pittsburgh bound trains that were all trying to cross the Panhandle Bridge.
It was all terribly exciting, really.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, my chariot arrived, and it was time to head back to Dormont to reunite with Our Lady of the Pentacle and Moe the Dog.
The ankle was sore but fine after the walk, although I was a bit shvitzy and needed a quick bath upon returning to HQ.
Back next week with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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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.
Cool Cars – motorcycle edition
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While walking to the T light rail station at Pittsburgh’s First Avenue, this motorcycle caught my eye. It’s a Royal Enfield, which already makes it remarkable, as you mainly see people here riding either Harley Davidson bikes or one of the many offerings from the East Asian manufacturers.
The Enfield was ‘done up’ in a trim that was reminiscent of how their bikes were finished during the Second World War. It looked modern to me despite it, this bike, but I’m no expert.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My British father in law actually is an expert on this sort of thing, but I haven’t been able to petition him about it as of this writing.
Regardless, ‘cool bike.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I wonder if it’s a movie prop or something? Seems to be a legit street bike, with a license plate and everything, so…
Neat!
Back tomorrow.
“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.
From now on, nothing but…
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned – one desired the usage of mass transit, for his return to HQ in Dormont, from downtown Pittsburgh. A quick walk across the Smithfield Street bridge, spanning the Monongahela River, was thereby enacted. It’s a Roebling Bridge, partially, and a Lindenthal Bridge too.
It had been a lovely but warm summer afternoon here in Pittsburgh. Middle 80’s in temperature, steady breeze, comfortable humidity. Made me feel all ‘wide angle.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’d remind that when this post is being written is quite chronologically disconnected from when you’re receiving it.
Somehow, I’ve managed to regain my ‘lead time’ here at Newtown Pentacle again, and this missive is being written during the last week of August. This sort of scenario is ideal for me, as it’s actually difficult and quite a lot of pressure to oblige publishing dates ‘on the fly.’ I like having the next post ‘in the can’ and especially so when there’s 10-15 posts ‘ready to go and scheduled.’
It was almost exactly a year ago, to the day, that I shattered my left ankle into three pieces during an accident at home. That kicked off a hospital stay and a round of surgery, and then a multi month interval of extreme pain and discomfort which I spent a good part of sitting in a wheelchair. Luckily, I’ve got a ‘deep bench’ of prior posts which I was able to pull out of backup as ‘archive’ postings to have ‘something’ show up here.
It feels fantastic to be firing on all cylinders again, and presenting new posts, just 12 months later.
It wasn’t altogether certain that this was something I’d still be able to do, which is something I haven’t really mentioned in public. This injury was a potential ‘crippler.’ It’s been a long and noisome trip getting back to trim. Thanks to all of you for sticking with me through this journey, it’s meant a lot.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One arrived on the southern or Monongahela shoreline of Pittsburgh’s ‘Golden Triangle’ and proceeded to lean into the last leg of this walk – getting to the First Avenue T Light Rail station where I’d catch my ride back to HQ. Had to crack out a few shots of the complex of ramps and highway lanes which line the shoreline here.
Love me them parabolas, I does.
Back tomorrow.
“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.
Cool Cars, Van edition
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Longtime readers will recall that the ‘cool cars’ designation for a post used to be fairly common here at Newtown Pentacle, but that was in Western Queens. The tag on post signifies that I wandered past an unexpectedly charismatic vehicle, during a walk, and felt compelled to photograph it. Hence…
Check out this crazy van.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The bonnet, as the British born ‘Our Lady of the Pentacle’ might call it, was festooned with skulls. Wouldn’t want to clear snow off of this one.
I’m guessing that the owner must be in a band. The cargo racks on top… gotta be a vehicle which a band tours out of. Metal band, I’ll wager.
It’s also possible that the devil had simply parked in the South Side Flats area and this is its ride.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Front shot of the thing, and then your humble narrator moved on.
It was still too early in the day for a beer, so despite my proximity to the Sly Fox Brewery and it’s non stop parade of CSX trains, your humble narrator instead ‘leaned into it’ and continued on with his scuttle.
I was determined to use mass transit to get back to HQ, but that’s another story for another day. Back tomorrow.
“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.
The Newtown Pentacle 