Posts Tagged ‘photowalk’
Objects in motion…
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s Pittsburgh’s ‘T’ light rail coming off of the Panhandle Bridge, and hurtling towards the Station Square stop on the south side of the Monongahela River. Hurtling is probably overstating it, but there you are. One had used the service to go to that self same stop after a bit of a hullabaloo, ridden the Monongahela Incline to Grandview Avenue atop Mount Washington, and was proceeding on foot down the north face of the landform in a manner diagonal. It was hot in Pittsburgh, with rising humidity, but a pleasant breeze.
A humble narrator was shvitzing heavily due to the ambient dew point and temperature. That’s the suss.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The PJ McArdle roadway, as this ‘truss pontem’ on the north face of Mt. Washington is called, is where one scuttled. This is the “upper” section being explored in these posts, if you want to see the “lower” section – or any of the times that this structure has been discussed – click here.
One had a whole other plan for the rest of the day as it led into evening, of course. Remember that bar I had found, the one with the nearby rail road tracks? Yessir, that’s where I was going.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the same bridge pictured above, which the T is seen riding on in the first shot of today’s post, and is offered for completeness’s sake. “Up, down, all around,” that’s my motto. One navigated his scuttling towards the ‘rails to trails’ pathway.
As mentioned in prior posts, this was a fairly warm day in Pittsburgh. I hadn’t drank anything at all (water, Gatorade, etc.) since leaving HQ about 4-5 hours previously, and one was a bit parched by this point. That’s another big difference between NYC and Pittsburgh – no bodegas to stop into and grab either the Gatorade or bottle of cold water from.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I cannot walk past that rusty earth mover above without taking a shot of it, can’t tell you why. My plan was to spend an actual evening at the brewery, including having dinner there. On my way into Pittsburgh from Dormont, a couple of younger guys on the T were talking and passing a phone back and forth looking at pictures. I overheard one of them said ‘heritage unit,’ and I couldn’t help but but in and ask if they were railfanning.
Somewhat sheepishly they said no, and then ‘kind of.’ I told them where I’d be in the evening and invited them to join in, and eventually they met up with me at the Sly Fox Brewery.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This spot is gentrification, Pittsburgh style. The centerpiece of this spot is a building which used to be the world’s largest terminal warehouse or something like that. A NYC real estate developer bought it and refashioned it as ‘The Highline,’ which is branded with a silhouette of the pre Hudson Yards NYC skyline. Odd choice, that.
It’s quite reminiscent of the Bush Terminal complex in South Brooklyn, but is a little less ‘head up its own ass’ than that NYC EDC clusterfuck in Sunset Park is. The project doesn’t seem to have ‘landed’ well, other than the brewery, and observationally speaking they’ve had trouble attracting commercial tenants. Perhaps, then, it is actually just like the Bush Terminal in Brooklyn.
So, what am I doing, hanging at a gentrifier/yuppie place? Dinner, drinks, and a show. That’s what.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The show got started. I like this spot, in particular, because of the grade crossing, with its obligatory signal bells and barrier arms. You get a few minutes of warning that a train is coming, allowing for the setting up of the camera and positioning of the photographer.
That’s CSX #62 coming into view, my fellow nerds. The first of many, as it turned out.
Tomorrow – an absolute parade of CSX’S Choo-Choo trains on the Pittsburgh Subdivision.
“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.
High to low
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After a ride on the T from HQ in Dormont to the center of Pittsburgh, a humble narrator rode the Monongahela Incline up the face of Mount Washington and then proceeded along stately Grandview Avenue. My desire for this walk was to explore the upper reaches of the PJ McArdle roadway, a diagonally placed truss structure which starts at the top of Mt. Washington and leads you back down to ground level about a mile away, horizontally speaking. There’s a pedestrian and bike lane on McArdle, which is mostly ‘protected’ behind a concrete structure. Mostly.
Just before heading onto the thing and descending back down to my usual base level on the street, the ‘Saint Mary of the Mount Church & Saint Adalbert Church’ caught my eye. Don’t know much about it, but it’s a cool looking church, if you ask me.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
What drew me to this spot on this particular day were the many times I’ve driven up or down this roadway, every one of which saw me eyeing the pedestrian path in a somewhat lascivious manner. The views are quite stellar from this path. This walk was another one of my scouting missions, and I intend on returning here sometime at night, when the trees have enjoyed their autumnal transmogrification. I should be able to get away with doing tripod shots here, but the vibration from passing automotive traffic is probably going to hobble that effort.
That’s downtown Pittsburgh, by the way, at the confluence of the three rivers; Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio. The bridges are: the ‘Fort Duquesne’ in the distance, with ‘Fort Pitt’ poking up through the tree canopy at bottom left. It was a hot but breezy day in Pittsburgh, with climbing levels of humidity.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Grandview Avenue can be analogized for New Yorkers as being a lot like the Brooklyn Promenade. It’s one of the high points in Pittsburgh, and certainly offers the most well known set of views of the place, but I actually prefer the West End Overlook. There’s a huge public space between the two inclines with overlook platforms, which is populated sparsely, in comparison to Brooklyn’s analogous promenade ‘back home.’ Right about where the PJ McArdle Roadway slopes away and down from the top of Mount Washington, a series of buildings are set in along the steep and sharp edge of the landform.
Apartment houses and private homes, what looks to me like it must be an Old Age home, a bunch of bars, restaurants, and a catering hall are amongst what I’ve observed up,here. These buildings all jut out onto structural cantilevers to take advantage of the epic views, which is apparently quite a valuable commodity. I wouldn’t say no to living in that place pictured above, provided that the lottery gods are smiling.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The fence on the left, the one in green made of iron, is in an absolutely terrifying state of repair. What’s so terrifying about it? I looked on the other side of the rusted out fence. There’s about a 30 feet drop on the other side of the rickety thing. That’s a thirty foot drop onto heavily forested land, which would only be the location where you first bounce, and that’s where your tumbling journey down a roughly 1,000 feet/60-70 degree angled descent would start. Wow.
I don’t know if any of you have enjoyed any similar pleasures, but a humble narrator once experienced an icy slide down a forested hill, of about 35 degrees, and nearly cut his neck open on some thorn bearing shrubbery which was uprooted when I body slammed into it. Mount Washington? Brrr…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
By far, the coolest thing you get to see along this stretch of the PJ McArdle Roadway is the trackway for the Monongahela Incline, whose funicular trackway is cantilevered over the prime cantilever which carries the vehicle lanes. There’s a concretized set aside area surrounding the thing, and this is another composition I plan on coming back for at night. All those lights on the track are illuminated! Don’t forget, I was scouting on this one.
A humble narrator is quite aware of how ostentatious he must appear, while photographing. My oft stated policy is to keep moving, lest one draw unwanted attention. In this case, however, I broke my rule and hung around this spot since the funicular service is actually fairly frequent. I know, also, that which goes down must also come up.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This view will definitely be revisited as well. I’m wondering what morning looks like right here, but I mean really early in the morning. Might be a cool shot when they’re popping off fireworks at the stadiums, such as when one of the local sports ball teams validate the hope and trust which their fans have offered or when Taylor Swift (of blessed memory) comes back to Pittsburgh.
They really like the sports ball stuff around here, as a note.
Pittsburgh is so damn cool! 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.
A light rail hullabaloo
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A ‘long walk’ day appeared again on the calendar, and as is my new habit I took the T light rail into Pittsburgh. The transit agency which operates the service was doing some sort of maintenance at the stop I wanted to get off at, and thereby skipped it. I found myself on the triangle side of the Monongahela River at the First Avenue station thereby, and needed to catch a T going in the inverse direction to get to where I wanted to be.
This sort of transfer works a lot like it does everywhere else in public transit, you head downstairs, then back up to the platform that’s pointed the other way. Why not get a few shots along the way, when you find yourself in the midst of a hullabaloo?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Working escalators and elevators in the transit system are something this former New Yorker is constantly rendered speechless by.
I headed up to the other side. (Note, the shot above was captured before the first one, but this one isn’t a ‘marquis’ image, so there you go)
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It didn’t matter which line I took, they would all be stopping at the first station on the other side which is where I was going. Normally, I’m a Red Line kind of guy, but the Silver Line got there first.
When Autumn is turning into winter, I plan on riding the other two lines and seeing where they go. Of course, I know where they go because I’ve got a map, but you know what I mean. You can buy a day pass which allows hop on/hop off access for the T.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Back on the south side of the river, and at the Station Square stop. I had a plan for the afternoon, built around giving one of my legacy lenses (the 18-35mm f1.8 Sigma) a workout on the newish mirrorless camera which I’ve never used it on.
I hit the streets, and headed over to the nearest Incline for a ride up the face of Mount Washington.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I love inclines, which has been mentioned in the past. So old timey, and a cool way to get from A to B. I got a free transfer off of the T, as the Inclines are operated by the same governmental agency as the light rail.
Earlier this week, I described walking down the latter half of the PJ McArdle roadway that’s slung diagonally across the cliff face of Mount Washington, and on this day I was going to walk the upper section.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was pleasant in Pittsburgh, with temperatures in the high 70’s. A humble narrator had laid out a series of things to do, with the intention of getting back to that bar nearby the rail tracks, described in earlier posts by around 7 p.m. This shot is from somewhere around 2-3 p.m. so I had a lot of scuttling to do before that. I like to earn a beer.
Back next week with more, and lotsa choo-choos.
“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.
Home, boys
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Pittsburgh is so damn cool. Yes, it absolutely blows walking up hills like this one a block from HQ. It’s also fairly challenging to walk down that particular hill. It’s so steep here that the various municipalities of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania is a commonwealth, which has a very odd way of doing business as compared to the more familiar organization of a “State” like New York or New Jersey) maintain hundreds of of municipal staircases and foot bridges just so people can get around on foot.
The housing stock is disturbingly heterogenous.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Homogeneity seems to occur when some historical builder had a largish lot to fill. Porches and yards are pretty common. This shot is from a neighboring town where the Fallowfield stop on the T is found. Wish I could say what the town/area is called, but my ignorance remains somewhat palpable. Heck – I’ve just gotten to the point where I’m beginning to understand the broad strokes of driving to various areas of interest and or the neighborhoods they’re found in, let alone knowing the nitty gritty stuff.
I’ve also started using ‘heck’ a hell of a lot mutha effin more. Potty talk isn’t really appreciated here in Pittsburgh. Being from Brooklyn, this deletes about half of my vocabulary.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Also mentioned in a prior post, I’m bringing a few of my older lenses out of retirement. This one is an old favorite, the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8. I was waving it around in my back yard recently, testing how it responded to the alien experience of being attached to a mirrorless camera. I was looking for a subject to put the thing through a few paces, and realized that although I’d mentioned the Mobile Oppression Platform many times now, I’d never shown off the ride.
Now seriously… doesn’t the MOP look like the kind of thing an Imperial Stormtrooper from Star Wars would drive around in? Whatever… 39 mpg, Lords and Ladies, 39 mpg. I stop strangers on the street and tell them that.
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.
Day late, dollar short
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned last week, a longish walk found me scuttling along the pedestrian/bike path of the PJ McArdle Roadway here in Pittsburgh, which connects the prominence of Mount Washington with the South Side Flats section found on the banks of the Monongahela River. I entered the roadway path at about the halfway point, leaving the upper section for a future walk.
There are some pretty impressive points of view available along this path, although negotiating your way to it is pretty terrifying as you need to cross several vehicle lanes which all lead into a primary crossing and tunnel leading out of the city.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My desire was to wrap up the walk at a spot I’ve become pretty entranced by, which also happens to host a brewery with outdoor tables. Further enhancement of my personal joy in this matter is provided by the bar’s proximity to a fairly busy set of freight rail tracks. The icing on my proverbial cake is provided by the fact that the tracks involve an at-grade street crossing, meaning that gizmos with signal bells with flashing lights and lane blocking arms activate when a train is nearing so I get advance notice of the approaching locomotive, and subsequently the time to run over and get into position.
That would be later on in the evening, though, and I wasn’t done kicking my feet about. This ‘zone’ in Pittsburgh hosts a lot of relict building stock, much of it seeming to date back to the early 20th and late 19th centuries.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I should mention that I’m making a concerted effort to not get all ‘history boy,’ quite yet, here in Pittsburgh. Partially, it’s because a series of existential issues concerning the ‘now’ are occupying my time. Also, I’m not really planning on becoming the walking encyclopedia that I was in NYC. Whatever happens to drift into my head and lodge there is osmotic gravy, but I’m currently not involved in any form of research.
That building above is pretty interesting, to me, at least.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After looping and scuttling about for a bit, one decided to head towards the ultimate destination for the evening – that aforementioned brewery. It’s a part of some gentrification scheme being pushed by a NYC real estate developer, wherein they’re making the same mistakes here that they made at the Bush Terminal in South Brooklyn. Saying all that, I don’t care anymore about stuff like that, and all I wanted was to pour a couple of pints of cold beer into the talkie hole on my face.
I enjoy the solitude and anonymity here in Pittsburgh. For the last several years along Newtown Creek it became a standard thing, for instance, to have a garbage truck driving by and hearing the driver shout out “where ya goin today, Mitch?” Once I was actually stopped by a DSNY crew who asked me to let the city councilman know about a broken water main that nobody cared about fixing which was getting in their way. It got fairly weird, being me. I like being some random bloke with a camera, again.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Frustrating is how I describe the situation when I’m approaching a set of rail tracks here in Pittsburgh, and I’ve just missed the opportunity to photograph a train. The only shot I really want from a freight train is one of the head of the snake – the locomotive engine.
Wasn’t a big deal, since my plan involved an hour and change of sitting on the keister and drinking, but still…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This spot has a fairly nice view of the Panhandle Bridge, which the T light rail uses to cross the Monongahela River, so I zoomed in on that while I was waiting for the show to come to me. When the train’s grade crossing signal alert bells started ringing again, I’d pay my tab and head back home. Luckily, they serve pretty good suds at this watering hole.
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 