Posts Tagged ‘North Side’
California, here I come
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A recent ‘longish’ walk began on Pittsburgh’s north side, at the convergence of McClure Avenue and Eckert Street – right about here, if you want to nose around on Google maps.
There’s two vehicle bridges which overfly this spot; the California Avenue Bridge and the Ohio River Boulevard Eckert Street Bridge. There’s also a complex of Norfolk Southern rail trestles, and elevated trackways, moving through this spot.
The goal for the day was to walk about five to six miles along the Ohio River, then over the T light rail for a ride back to HQ.
A Lyft rideshare was utilized to get from ‘a’ to ‘b,’ which deposited me on this corner, and after sorting out my gear and slotting the knapsack on, a scuttling did I go.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s Don’s Diner, which kind of demanded me to take a picture of it. The two bridges which frame it are in fairly disastrous condition. The folks from this diner have had to raise the alarm about their spot, as debris has been falling off the vintage bridges, and concrete and steel have rained down on the building and its parking lot. It made the news.
They didn’t seem to be open, but I’d like to check this place out sometime. Love me a ‘greasy spoon’ diner. Always the best coffee.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Looking back towards the California Avenue Bridge from beneath the Ohio River Blvd. Eckert Street span. The former is of the steel truss type, and is incredibly rusty. Looks like it hasn’t been painted in decades. That’s the diner in bottom right center, and we’re looking away from the direction of the Ohio River back up towards the (more or less) north.
I’ve found utility of late in the addition of a cheap compass to my camera bag’s coterie of wonders and carryable tools. Really comes in handy, given that I can no longer navigate using the Empire State/Freedom Tower/432 Park to triangulate my position, as I used to back in NYC.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just as I was getting out of the hired car, there was a freight train transiting over these tracks, so they’re definitely active tracks.
It was a pleasant day, with temperatures in the low 70’s and a steady breeze. The area I was heading for is basically a treeless industrial zone, so the urban heat island effect is definitely something that happens in this area, meaning that a summertime walk here will require precautions – water bottle and a big floppy sun hat, for instance.
The rail infrastructure was similarly in need of an application of paint and basic rust related maintenance.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Two rail trestle bridges and two high volume road bridges, all stacked up in the shot above. Yay.
I’ve been working on my camera bag’s organizational scheme, and have included a few things which weigh nothing but I’d rather have with me than not – just in case. A few Band-aids, for instance. a short length of paracord, and one of those Mylar safety blankets (which also makes a great reflector). I’ve also got basic tools with me, hex wrench’s and the like, in case I need to repair or adjust anything camera related.
Essentially, I need my camera bag’s innards to be able to sustain my aspirations for often long distances. I don’t carry snacks or water, generally, but that really depends on the ‘when,’ ‘where,’ and so on. Back when I was riding on boats a lot, for instance, I’d pack a sandwich.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The path was a pretty easy one, chosen for its flatness, and that water tower in the shot above was one of my pole stars for the walk. My toes were pointed in a generally southern direction and like Lewis and Clark, I headed for the Ohio River.
Yes, it’s time to mention the ankle again. The ‘flat’ terrain was conducive to the particular exercise which the ankle requires as part of recovery from this endless nightmare of an injury. This was an ‘endurance walk,’ meant to fully flex and strengthen the affected area.
Back tomorrow with more.
“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.
Tyranny of the now
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Welcome back to fresh content, here at your Newtown Pentacle.
The ice, as it were, has broken and Pittsburgh is now in a warming cycle for a few days. Bad news is that there’s likely going to be some flooding at some point soon as vast sheets of river ice, currently bound up in rural counties hundreds of miles away, will be flowing towards the confluence of the three rivers hereabouts. The Army Corps seems pretty concerned about the arrival of ‘ice dams.’
That’s tomorrow’s problem, although the level of the water in the Port of Pittsburgh continues to ominously rise.
These shots were gathered in a section of Pittsburgh’s North Side called the ‘Mexican War Streets.’ As the name of the place might suggest, the streets are named for American Generals who distinguished themselves during the Spanish American War (as it’s now known).
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It has been profoundly cold and snowy/wet here for what seems like an eternity. It felt great to be outside, although I was tied to the car. I love the convenience of just being able to drive up to something and get a shot, but it ain’t the same as the ‘serendipity’ of finding something unexpected and I’m also anchored to a certain geography because of where I parked.
I know, first world problems. An hour or two of time was available to me on this particular day, which I decided to throw away by hanging around a train yard at which absolutely zero locomotives appeared.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While cooling my heels and kicking the dirt, one of Pittsburgh’s ‘PRT’ buses appeared. I’d point out the bike rack on the front of the thing, and mention that this is another one of the things which NYC’s MTA says absolutely cannot be done, but then again I’m done arguing with the MTA.
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.
Going home empty
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A last triad of images, from a rather unproductive afternoon, but given that in this post-broken ankle interval, I’m vaingloriously trying to maintain a daily schedule here in the absolute trough of a Pittsburgh winter, it’s the best I could do. Norfolk Southern let me down, there should be trains moving around in the shot above. Blast!
I was prepared, by the way. I had a radio scanner in my camera bag and everything, but no activity. Thwarted!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I was cold and bored, so for some reason this vine imprisoned hunk of cement on the rail bridge caught my eye. After about a half hour or so of waiting around, I limped over to the Mobile Oppression Platform (a Toyota) and fired the engine up.
With the exceptions of the days I go to ‘PT’ or ‘physical therapy’ and the day directly following one of the sessions when sore, I’m beginning to feel ok most of the time, regarding the injury. The PT sessions involve a lot of targeted exercises which are coached directly by the therapist. These include some time on a leg press, an interval on a sort of bike, stretches, and there’s a few things they have me doing which just look ridiculous.
At least they do when I perform them, as I’m fairly comical to watch.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The nose of the MOP was pointed towards home. This time around, I opted to use the West End Bridge, which I’ve mentioned several times before in connection with walking rather than driving over it.
You’ve got pretty good views from this bridge, which hangs over the headwaters of the Ohio River. 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.
North side, Pittsburgh
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As part of a very frustrating afternoon, wherein I had to go fetch a few compositions for this week’s posts while the region is in a deep freeze, one found himself on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The past still seems to be standing tall in this area, nearby the ‘Mexican War Streets’ and ‘Chateau’ historic districts. What you’ll see lining the streets here is pretty much the same as every other historic district you’ll encounter in the northeastern United States, old commercial and light industrial structures repurposed to modern needs, with the streetscape being preserved in atavist fashion.
I’ve been meaning to take a walk around here for a while, although it’s not like this section has escaped my notice since moving out to Pittsburgh from Queens’ Astoria in December of 2022. Of course, I was taking a drive on this particular day rather than a walk, since my shattered left ankle is still reconstituting itself and the ground is cloaked in snow and ice.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of the many odd things about Pittsburgh is that it’s not all that hard to find a place to park, even on weekday in the central business districts, although I prefer leaving the car in a parking lot (about $5-7, depending) to metered street parking. On this particular afternoon, however, it was street parking that I used. My goal for this location involved trains, but Norfolk Southern seemed to be in on the whole ‘let’s not let Mitch see anything he might find interesting’ conspiracy.
It’s not so easy being the main character, sometimes.
When I got out of the car, a local resident who was smoking a cigarette asked me what I was up to. We actually had a pretty nice conversation about the area, photography, and conversation revealed that he was one of the many people who had bought an apartment in one of these renovated historic buildings. The Harvester International Building was that particular structure, right alongside the RR tracks. He said the building’s soundproofing was spectacular.
Saying all that, it was freezing and my ankle hurt, so I headed back to the Mobile Oppression Platform (a Toyota) and turned on the heat within the cabin. I had already decided to just throw my hands up and admit defeat.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s a warren of narrow 19th century streets that you’ll find in this area. Narrow and canyonesque due to the built environment, there’s a lot of interesting details and ‘pregnant’ locations in this zone. When it warms up a bit and I’m fully back on my feet, this place is going to be examined closely.
Pictured is part of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, an 1886 vintage ‘sacred space’ which I’m definitely going to try and visit at some point in the future, and hopefully get some interior shots of.
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.
Catenaries and atavists
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve mentioned that the local transit agency – dubbed ‘PRT’ for ‘Pittsburgh Regional Transit’ – which operates the T light rail service, has been conducting a profound series of repairs and upgrades to the Red Line light rail service which runs through the area that HQ is located in all summer long.
The availability of rail based mass transit is one of the factors which decided where Our Lady of the Pentacle and I would settle, I’d mention.
These repairs have been going on since June, and in lieu of running the T service, rail shuttle buses have been carrying the load instead. Theoretically, the week after Labor Day was meant to see a return of regular T service, but a fallen tree had interrupted things again by pulling down a series of the catenary wires that power the thing. Outbound from Pittsburgh’s center was running fine, but inbound towards the City was blocked by repairs and rewiring.
Sigh. I finally rode on a bus in Pittsburgh, thereby.
The rail shuttle carried my fellow commuters and I via surface streets to the Station Square facility along the Monongahela River, whereupon we were directed onto one of the T platforms to finish our journeys. The other two lines were, and have been, up and running and while waiting for a Blue or Silver line light rail unit to show up at Station Square to carry us the rest of the way, an outbound Red Line caught my eye as it entered the facility.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This was a ‘long walk’ day. The Blue Line T arrived, and deposited me at its terminal stop on Pittsburgh’s North Side, nearby the sportsball stadiums. I was eschewing the headphones on this scuttle for some reason, wanting to pay attention to my surroundings with the whole compliment of built in sensory equipment. My goal was to wander back to more or less the start of this walk at the Station Square T facility.
The North Side is absolutely lovely, despite it having a somewhat ferocious reputation. There were a few spots along a loosely decided upon route that I had in mind, but I had planned in ‘serendipity.’
Serendipity is when you happen across something which you didn’t anticipate on a photowalk, and is a joyous sort of experience.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As it turns out, there’s a Historic District tucked into the North Side, full of late 19th and very early 20th century structures, a fact which was otherwise unknown to me. It’s called ‘Allegheny West,’ and it’s one of twelve such historic districts in Pittsburgh which receive special attention from the City and the residents who live there. Neat!
I’ll definitely be wandering back through here again, and checking out what’s on display. How the other half lives, indeed.
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 