Posts Tagged ‘Downtown Pittsburgh’
Scuttle 2 live, live 2 scuttle
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After returning from NYC to Pittsburgh, with more than 2,000 shots on my camera card, your humble narrator stuck pretty close to home for about a week. This coincided with a spate of bad weather – hot, stormy, no bueno. Lots of time in front of the computer screen.
Finally, the weather forecast indicated that it wouldn’t be life threateningly hot out, and that the chance of rain was nil. I packed up my ‘old kit bag,’ although the bag is actually still fairly new, and shlepped up the hill to access the T light rail station here in Dormont. Step one for this outing was a ride on the T, thereby.
There’s one of them now, but it’s heading away from Pittsburgh and towards its terminal stop in the South Hills. You gotta pass the time somehow when waiting for a train.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My city bound T arrived, and your humble narrator boarded the thing. It was a bit confusing for a newcomer to grasp at first, but the T uses a zone system for fares. You pay when boarding if you’re ‘inbound,’ and pay when debarking on ‘outbound.’ In the center of the city, the service runs free. It’s all very civilized out here.
My plan was to shoot a bit out the windows, but instead I just stared.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Gateway Station is in downtown Pittsburgh, and it’s one of the stops where the light rail runs as a subway. The T units are omnivores. They service ‘high platform,’ ‘low platform,’ and ‘no platform’ stops. It runs on elevated tracks, street level tracks, and an underground tunnel.
The plan for the day involved ending up back downtown, but I wanted to scuttle around for a good long while. A summon for a rideshare, from pretty close to the Gateway stop, would be issued and I’d have it deposit me about six miles east whereupon the walk back to the downtown section would start. Fun.
By taking the T from Dormont to downtown, I saved about $15 on the rideshare fare, were I to have ordered a direct ride to my destination from HQ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This ‘No Hate’ sign caught my eye. I appreciate the sentiment, and the message carried, but I don’t think municipal signage is sufficient to manage one of the seven deadlies. I didn’t see any signs forswearing gluttony, for instance, nor ones precluding the practice of envy. There’s a Pittsburgh muni seal on the bottom of that sign just below the screw, meaning it’s an ‘official’ prohibition.
Personally, I hate performative politicking, but am I allowed to feel that discomfort about an obscure and unenforceable regulation in downtown Pittsburgh? Is there a legal definition for the ‘hate’ which the sign forbids, or does it change periodically depending on political mood? If I rightfully hate someone or something, is that something that the Cops need to get involved with? I hate Mondays, for instance. What if my religion involved hatred?
I realize, of course, the meaning and intent of the obtuse messaging carried by this sign, and the statement of political resolve which it represents. I just argue that nothing which any Government puts on a sign should ever be open to interpretation, and that if a politician wants to make a statement of support for one vulnerable group or another they shouldn’t hide behind theatrics which are frankly unenforceable.
How do you prove – in a court of law – that someone else felt an emotion – jealousy, or hate, or love?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Bah!
One headed north, and over to the spot where I had decided it would be quick and easy to summon a ride. The Downtown area’s streets and sidewalks are currently being managed by a group of people very similar to the ones that Bill De Blasio brought with him into city hall back in NYC.
Bike lanes, safe streets, yada yada. They hate cars, and thereby they’ve made it almost impossible for a driver to pull over downtown to pick up a passenger. A new spate of bus only lanes downtown have just overly complicated things here as well.
The infirm and disabled can go ‘eff themselves, cars are the problem.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My brilliant idea to outwit the safe streets ‘BS’ involved an alley for my pickup spot, pictured above. I summoned my rideshare chariot, and soon I was hurtling in its air conditioned goodness towards the next deistination.
Y’know, I think that might be the alley where Batman’s parents got murdered in the Chris Nolan Batman trilogy. They shot that in Pittsburgh, so I’m just going to start saying that I live in Gotham City from now on.
That would be hilarious. Ha. Ha ha ha, hah HAHhah HAH. Hah hah hah!
WHAT? Why so serious?
Back tomorrow with more.
“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.
End of the line
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Shlepping through Downtown Pittsburgh, after what ended up being a fairly long walk by my current standards. Started on Rialto Street in Troy Hill way on the other side of the Allegheny River, and here I am scuttling south towards the Monongahela River.
This post is being written and scheduled for publication during the week leading up to my trip back to NYC during the first week of June, so hopefully I didn’t get pushed in front of a subway or suffer an aneurism or something while there.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s funny, people tell me Downtown Pittsburgh is dangerous. Homeless people, drug addicts, the mentally imbalanced – all that. I don’t feel imperiled at all, but definitely maintain a ‘street posture’ in this zone. Junkies are unpredictable. The last time a junkie came at me, it was in LIC and during the pandemic at night. He didn’t like it at all when I jammed my right thumb into his eye, not one bit. Brooklyn, 1980’s, right here.
Saying all that, you’ve seen worse in NYC and elsewhere. I certainly have.
Anyone remember Larry ‘Wild Man’ Hague from Manhattan’s upper west side in the 90’s. I do. That was a dangerous ‘creature of the streets’ if ever there was one. I can attest to the news article’s reporting that he would set fires under parked cars, for fun, on 96th bet Amsterdam and Broadway.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Nearing the Smithfield Street Bridge over the Monongahela River, and for some reason a truck passing by on the highway below (I-376) caught my eye. This road leads to both the Fort Duquesne Bridge and the Fort Pitt Bridge and tunnel, which are sort of the ‘master cylinders’ for traffic in Pittsburgh. A slow down at either span ripples forth and miles outwards in minutes, affecting the entire city’s traffic.
Of course, I was on foot while shooting and at that moment couldn’t have given two shits about traffic problems. I wanted to drink a beer, damnit! Priorities!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After crossing the river, I was making my way to my favorite little brewery when a train appeared on the Norfolk Southern tracks high above. It wasn’t a Norfolk Southern locomotive, and its color way branding could indicate either the white whale Allegheny Valley RR or another seldom spotted local rail outfit. Couldn’t tell.
Life is a bit sweeter with some mystery in it, I always say.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A film crew had blocked my normal path to the beer taps, so a course correction was instituted. That alteration led to a set of city steps, which is somehow fitting since this walk started with another set of steps back on Rialto Street. PTSD was absolutely singing an aria in my head during this moment, and I was grasping at the bannister like my life depended on it.
I will get over this, as it just ‘mishegoss.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, with a glass of cold lager in front of me, I got to sit down and wait for the trains to come to me. The CSX Pittsburgh Subdivision tracks seldom disappoint. My drink was soon finished, the tab paid, and a rideshare car was summoned to return me back to nearby Dormont.
Back tomorrow with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“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.
411,840 inch scuttle accomplished
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Pittsburgh has lots of alleys, especially so ‘Downtown.’ They don’t put the garbage out on the sidewalks in front of the big office buildings for collection here, rather they use the alleys for that. A few blocks away from this spot is where Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies shot the formative encounter between the Wayne’s and Joe Chill. The entire trilogy was mostly Pittsburgh based for its filming.
Me? My busted ankle was singing, and luckily I had managed to walk some six and half miles on this one. It took me three and change hours, mind you, but I did it. Look at me ma, top of the world.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
In the downtown section, Pittsburgh’s ‘T’ light rail service operates in a former freight rail tunnel, found under the city, and runs in the manner of a subway under the office buildings. It rolls through several modalities over its course – the T does – street running, cantilevered tracks, and there’s also elevated trestles. It’s all very exciting, really.
I boarded the Red Line service at the Wood Street station and settled into a seat for the roughly five mile ride back to HQ. It was good to sit down, after a longish walk.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
About thirty minutes later, I was standing on a corner in the Boro of Dormont, and getting ready to lean into the last and shortest leg of the walk: down the hill back to HQ where Our Lady of the Pentacle and Moe the Dog awaited my return.
It was my turn to cook dinner, which ended up being air fryer cooked chicken thighs, served over rice and with a lot of broccoli.
Back next week, at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“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.
Dahntahn Yinzerville
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
To start, the Pittsburgh people refer to the regional culture they enjoy as being ‘Yinzer.’ The local accent, which pronounces the word ‘downtown’ as ‘Dahntahn’ and says ‘aht’ when they want to say ‘at,’ uses a contraction for ‘you all’ that sounds like ‘y’inz.’ Use it in place of ‘y’all.’
There’s a cultural conceit and marketing gimmick built in here, therefore, centering around ‘Yinz.’ It’s common for people in the Pittsburgh Metro to describe themselves as ‘Yinzers,’ although you already figured out they’re ‘from here’ due to a Steelers jersey, worn with shorts in January. There’s a strain of masculinity here which likes to project that they don’t feel cold, as they’re far too tough for that.
That’s the explanation for the title of this post, ‘Dahntahn Yinzerville.’
After passing under the 1922 vintage ‘David McCullough 16th street bridge’ on the waterfront trail, I was definitively ‘Dahntahn.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s another patch of tall buildings about five to six miles to the east in Oakland, where CMU and Pitt’s campuses are found, but most of the businesses hereabouts enjoy horizontal setups rather than vertical ones.
Density ain’t what it used to be.
Another interesting wrinkle to Yinzer talk involves the supposition of a past tense variant for the word while using a verb in present tense. It’s not ‘the car needs to be washed,’ rather it’s ‘the car needs warsh.’
Fascinating.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Before plunging into the urban core, in pursuance of acquiring the T light rail at Wood Street Station, a few last wave arounds of the camera occurred. This one looks across the Allegheny towards its northern shoreline.
It was time to begin the last steps of this scuttle, and ‘the final paht of this scuttle needs walk.’
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.
Trailing behind
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This particular scuttle in Pittsburgh had a simple premise, which was to ‘keep moving.’ The current medical phase of my broken ankle related drama involves ‘stretching and strengthening,’ which basically boils down to a bunch of roadwork. If I was like everybody else, I’d find an athletic field and walk the track (there’s plenty of that sort of thing around these sports happy parts), but I’m an odd duck and easily bored so my interpretation of the Doctor’s mandate to ‘use it’ is instead to walk a different kind of track. Railroad tracks, that is.
After riding the T light rail into the metro core of Pittsburgh, from HQ in the Boro of Dormont, one navigated over to one of the trails which garland the three rivers’ waterfront. I was moving through the Monongahela River coast, on the south side of the so called ‘Golden Triangle,’ and that green painted area in the shots below and above indicates the pathway which this particular trail follows.
This is a fairly ‘complicated’ spot, with an interstate’s off ramps feeding into local traffic. You really want to use the walk/don’t walk buttons on the lamp posts when executing a crossing in this zone.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the path, centered between those ‘do not enter’ signs. Given that I’m moving pretty slow these days, and running really isn’t an option, I waited for that red hand symbol on the light to turn into a white walking person icon before stepping off the curb.
It’s ironic, given how much Pittsburgh uses its waterfront for recreation and all that in modernity, that the city is stuck with a (literally) Robert Moses spawned highway design that was rammed in through its downtown and which completely blocked public access to the waterfronts back during the 1930’s and 40’s. Of course, there were steel mills and rail yards in this area until quite recently, and the waterfronts were engaged in commercial activity.
Modernity always presents a false picture of the past. It must have made sense at the time, but a lot of these decisions our grandparents made look awful from the perspective of the tyranny of now.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
If anyone cared what I had anything to say about it, they’d deck over the highway and create new land for more productive usages than a high speed traffic trench, which is given to flooding during spring spurges of water on the rivers. I suggested this to several of the feudal lords back in Queens, regarding the Grand Central Parkway back in Astoria. Yeah, it would be expensive, but more so than exposing children to a residential exposure to all of that automotive exhaust? What about storm water? Decking a highway and installing a sponge park on the deck plates? Something? Anything? No? Let’s stay with the car canyon instead, and worry about affordable housing which nobody can afford.
At any rate, I wasn’t ’urban planning’ on this walk, I was just trying to maintain a steady walking pace and avoid having to sit down too often. That’s my deal at the moment, along with telling friends that I can’t walk terribly fast and that they should just move at their own pace, I’ll eventually catch up.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s where I executed a left, at the Smithfield Street Bridge over the Monongahela River. In the background, you can see one of the two inclines operating, the ‘yellow one’ as I refer to it. After crossing onto the bridge, I heard a train horn sounding off to the west and tried to get myself into a fortuitous spot to capture a shot of the thing.
As mentioned above, running isn’t really an option for me right now.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #7215 was heading south east along the Pittsburgh Subdivision trackage. Like ornithology, it seems that everytime I try to say what kind of a train is I get it wrong, so in accordance with my ‘birds workaround,’ that’s a General Motors rocket sled which is powered by sixty angry kangaroos which are chained to extremely uncomfortable bicycles within. Cruel, but efficient, the rocket sled is.
I made an effort to find out what actual reality #7215 exists in, but for some reason the internet blew a gasket and all that Google wants to tell me about it involves the legal status of the CSX rail cops. I’ve learned a lot about the world of rail from watching ‘Hobo YouTube,’ and one of the bits of wisdom offered by the traveling folks involves total avoidance of the rail cops and at all costs. They’re not nice like regular cops.
Since you likely know what ‘regular’ on duty cops are like, with their complete lack of a sense of humor, imagine that cranked up to level 10. Rail cops.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Luckily, a T light rail appeared over the active CSX tracks. I like it whenever I can capture multiple trains in a single shot, especially so when they’re both moving.
Back tomorrow with lotsa Choo-Choo.
“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 