Posts Tagged ‘Pittsburgh’
The simplest of plans…
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First things first, and first thing involved walking up this hill.
Normally: not a problem, currently: my ankle was pissed off by the time I hit that next corner, which happens to be midway along another somewhat shallower hill. This is my neighborhood pictured above, by the way, in Pittsburgh’s Borough of Dormont. People still ask me why I left NYC, in response I will point out the near total absence of litter, passed out inebriates, or random emergencies midway through occurring in the shot above. Five miles from the center of things, this is.
It was a warm day in Pittsburgh, given the time of the year, and your humble narrator had a plan. I’d walk to the T light rail station, and board a Pittsburgh bound train set. There’s a major construction project underway involving the service, meaning that the route is significantly altered. Street running light rail moving through a series of interesting areas? Heck yeah! I’m in.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Of course, just as I got there, a Pittsburgh bound T was leaving the station. This ensured that I’d enjoy the maximum wait time until the next one arrived, which was somehow comforting. Who likes to rush?
Your humble narrator was appointed in his usual style, with the filthy black raincoat and a knapsack full of camera gear on his back. The camera was wearing its 24-240mm superzoom lens, if you’re curious. It’s strictly a ‘daylight’ lens, that one. Not the best glass I own, but its range makes it invaluable when out on a day time photowalk in a feature rich environment.
As far as my plan for the day went, the intention was to ride into the city, where the T was servicing a normally unused station due to the construction project(s) occurring along the line, where I’d catch a few shots of the thing coming and going and then scuttle along on my merry way. Then, I’d cross the Monongahela River on a bridge, and hunt around for any passing rail traffic. Lots of room for serendipity.
It ended up being about a nine and a half thousand step day, which is a new record for me in this post broken ankle period.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Saying all that, since I had to wait the maximum amount of time between Pittsburgh bound T’s, I occupied myself by focusing in on a T train set, which was heading away from Pittsburgh, and towards its eventual terminal stop at South Hills Village. Love the web of catenary wires over these tracks, I do.
Back tomorrow with more, 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.
Nonchalance
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The shot above was gathered in downtown Pittsburgh, where modern urbanist notions of ‘building set backs,’ and corporations not blotting out the sun with skyscrapers which aren’t designed to allow sunlight to filter down to the narrow urban style streets, do not apply.
It’s always kind of dark in this section of the city, and apparently the landlords don’t think they’re making enough cash off their tenants, so they’re blaming homeless people, Covid, and ‘work from home.’ It’s not that they might be charging too much for the space, or that their corporate lessees want to base themselves in cheaper suburban horizontal style building campuses these days, which are closer to the highway and airport and in municipalities which offer tax incentives for basing there instead of here. It’s definitely not that at all, clearly it’s the fault of the roughly 1,000 homeless people in Pittsburgh that the big landlords earning estimates are off.
Also, as a note, I’ve been attempting to not mention anything related to the White House here, but yeah – you’ve got a real estate developer and landlord in charge right now. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. I’m going to try and stay out of all of that here. As usual – I’ve got a lot of opinions on the matter, but I’m really trying to avoid even mentioning his name, as it gives him power in the manner of the Harry Potter villain ‘Voldemort.’
Saying all that, if you need a break from the headlines, come here, I’ll show you something different five days a week and will avoid naming ‘he who must not be named.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
For instance: Recent occasion found me at the overlook platform provided by the Duquesne Incline, or as I refer to the facility – the ‘red one.’ Downtown Pittsburgh is in frame, a notable contrast from the first photo with its claustrophobic perspectives. I find that as I age, confined spaces are becoming anathema to me. During the early days just after my ankle surgery, I awoke in the middle of the night twisted up in the blanket, and positively freaked out in a panic as I felt trapped. It’s odd, the way the brain works, as I’ve always been somewhat neurotic, but have always been dangerously lacking in phobic behavior and fear.
As a middle aged/on the brink of ‘old’ guy, I’ve developed a series of things which make me uncomfortable which never used to bother me, except on a level of simple self preservation. I’ve started to not like heights terribly much, and as mentioned above – confined spaces.
The latter is something that’s always been there, since the 1980’s in Brooklyn when I was still a kid, and a race riot broke out on a city bus that I was riding. Full grown men were going at each other with abandon (the ‘Cugenes’ were pissed that a black kid from Crown Heights, part of a group of kids who were bussed from their neighborhood to the Cugene zone to go to school, had talked to one of the Italian kids’ sisters, or something – I don’t know, it was a riot and everybody was shouting) and there I was, still a kid and not even five feet tall yet, swept up in a battle between grown men as a non combatant. Brrr.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While I was up on the overlook adjoining the incline, on the first fully sunny day we’d seen in about two weeks, a Towboat negotiated its line of mineral barges up the Monongahela River and in the direction of the confluence point of the three rivers, here in Pittsburgh. It was likely going to continue onto the Ohio River, formed by the admixture of the Allegheny and Monongahela.
I’ve caught a little crap here in Pittsburgh for my insistence on using the term ‘mineral barges.’ “Cant yinz see dat its coal, yinz freakin liberal” is the sort of many derogatory comments I’ve received after posting photos on various social media groups. Sigh…
My answer remains the same as it always has, and it’s the same answer I’d give back in NYC on harbor and Newtown Creek tours: if I can’t say – for certain – what something is, I jump a category heading or two up the list. Yeah, that looks like coal. It could also be coke. It could also be piles of coffee grounds for all I know. Until I know – for sure – what something in a photo is, I’m guessing or assuming. I can say ‘minerals barges’ with certainty, but I’m guessing or assuming as far as what their contents are.
Remember Felix Unger’s, of the TV Odd Couple, breakdown for the word ‘assume?’ When you ‘assume,’ you make an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me.’
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.
Trundle Manor
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Dateline: Swissvale – and Our Lady of the Pentacle’s weekend ideation of visiting Trundle Manor. A private home full of odd treasures, Trundle Manor offers tours of its collection for lookie loo’s like us. Their Wikipedia page describes the operation as ‘a macabre art museum and oddity tourist trap.’
We arrived early, as is my habit, and I started worrying about climbing up the stairs due to the still recovering ankle situation. We made it to the top, though, and rang the bell at the appointed time.
(as a note, my ankle was fairly sore after visiting and walking around the Heinz History Center, which was about an hour or so prior to the visit to Trundle Manor)
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Stepping into Trundle Manor, you are greeted by an absolute explosion of detail. Everywhere you turn your head, their collections will offer something of interest. Taxidermy, medical oddities, etc. and they actually had a Jenny Haniver on display. There were also a bunch of hand made electrical gadgets which were kind of scary.
The space was small, and we were part of a group moving through the rooms. Our host was the lady of the house, who introduced herself using the stage name of ‘Velda Von Minx.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Mrs. Von Minx pointed out various points of interest in the sections of the house that were open for public inspection. The shot above is from their parlor. Everywhere you looked, there was something attention grabbing.
Her husband – ‘Mr. Arm’ – wasn’t present, but his presence was felt as Mrs. Von Minx described his art – a combination of practical engineering and artistic showmanship. Here’s a report on Trundle Manor and a visit from local CBS affiliate KDKA.
I’m told that they appeared on MTV’s ‘extreme cribs,’ back in the day.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Yes, that’s a human brain in a jar, which was sharing shelf space with a ‘singing tumor’ and a jar of psoriasis flakes. People donate oddities to the Trundle Manor couple all the time. It’s part of the admission process, apparently, but obviously cash can also be the coin of the realm for entry.
I should state that there’s a seriously weird side to Pittsburgh. The relatively low cost of real estate here allows people to really spread their wings, let their hair down, and embrace their passions. It’s what NYC used to be like before the REBNY people drove the cost of a living into the stratosphere and drained all the financial vitality out of the creative class.
The only folks who can afford modern day NYC are bankers and brokers, who are the world’s most boring and uncreative people.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Mr. Arm apparently constructed the mask above to wear at his wedding, and it enjoys a prominent position in the displays. We moved through the manor, which offers secret doors and rooms, hidden behind bookcases and panels that pivot open at the flip of a switch.
Our Lady and the two friends we came with seemed both amused and electrified by the visit, and I got busy with the camera while they were chatting with Mrs. Von Minx.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Me? I had to negotiate getting back down those steep steps outside while vouchsafing the ankle. This was a bit more difficult than it should have been and on step, I had to catch myself a bit at one point on the way down when the ankle began to flex in an uncomfortable manner. Brr.
I think that if you died here at Trundle Manor you might end up getting incorporated into an artwork. Worth your time if you find yourself in Pittsburgh, and Swissvale is also right next door to Carrie Furnace.
Back next week 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.
Corduroy City
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The streets and layout of Pittsburgh reject all notion of a grid, due to the unique nature of the terrain here. Recent endeavor found your humble narrator gassing up the car, while out and about, whereupon the point of view above was noticed. I grabbed the camera and waved it around a bit.
The church in the shot above is the 1905 vintage Immaculate Heart of Mary RC church, and if you want a closer look at the exterior of the thing – check out this January of 2023 post. That’s Downtown Pittsburgh rearing up behind Polish Hill. I believe that I was in the Bloomfield section when capturing these shots, which I’m told used to be the ‘EyeTalian’ section ‘back in the day.’
The valley between is spanned by a local high speed road called ‘Bigelow Boulevard,’ which climbs the hills away from the shallows of downtown.
Down below in the valley there’s a Busway (I think) and a series of rail tracks mainly used by Norfolk Southern and Amtrak. Haven’t explored the zone down there yet, so I can’t speak intelligently about it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Same location, looking in a mostly easterly direction away from downtown. Our Lady of the Pentacle was with me, and we were heading for a destination that was a bit of a drive. Not far in terms of distance, but it would all be local streets we needed to cross so traffic lights and all that would slow our progress. A couple of miles were occluded by the preferences of the bicycle people, with speed humps and the bumped out corners and painted lines that form a slalom course. Not a single bicycle person was observed using this infrastructure, although it was fun watching buses and trucks navigate the obstacle course.
We hopped back into the car after the gas station and headed towards our destination in the neighborhood of Swissvale. Found along the Monongahela River, Swissvale is neighbored by Rankin, Braddock, and is just across the river – Homestead and Duquesne. This is a fairly depressed area, in terms of quality of life and economic opportunity – I’m told – but truth be told it reminds me a lot of late 1970’s and early 1980’s Brooklyn.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Swissvale greeted us with easy street parking, and a massive agglutination of potholes marring the road. The pothole/road condition thing is a real hazard here, due to Pittsburgh’s atmospheric conditions and an Appalachian terrain, the underlying soil is almost always moist. Get the air temperatures down and that moisture freezes, causing the street to buckle. When it warms, the asphalt breaks up and a pothole or sinkhole forms.
About six years ago, a sinkhole swallowed a bus downtown.
Back tomorrow with why we came to Swissvale.
“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.
Heinz History Center visit
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
If you ever wondered what H.J. Heinz, founder of the Heinz Company and popularizer of Ketchup, Baked Beans, and 57 variants of pickle, looked like – your problem is solved, and you’re welcome.
Our Lady of the Pentacle and myself visited the Heinz History Center Museum here in Pittsburgh recently, and I waved the camera around a bit while inside the institution.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Name for and initially endowed by the living Heinz family, in addition to working with the Smithsonian, the Heinz center has been voted America’s best history museum two years running. There’s an entire floor devoted to kids, and one whose main occupation is telling the story of the Heinz company which was founded in and operated out of Pittsburgh.
The Heinz operation has been consolidated since, into larger corporate structures, and these days it’s a portfolio brand operated in partnership with Kraft and the modern conglomerate styles itself as Kraft Heinz. They don’t make ketchup in Pittsburgh anymore, as a note.
There’s displays on the various floors of the Heinz Center detailing some interesting facet of Pittsburgh or Pennsylvania history. There’s displays about the Native American civilizations, the arrival of the Europeans, all that stuff. They also have a few rotating exhibitions.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Preserved neon signs are always a treat for me. They’re quite difficult to photograph, which is just ‘extra’ for one such as myself. I don’t know anything about where this particular sign came from, but the allure of ‘fine liquors’ is undeniable.
We moved through the building, floor by floor. Unfortunately we decided on using the stairs while moving downwards from the fifth floor rather than using the elevators. This angered my busted but recovering ankle.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
According to the signage, this stained glass composition originally resided inside a private home, which is amazing when you think about it. I’ve visited this facility before, but oddly enough didn’t do a post about the place. The Heinz family have other leave behinds scattered around the City – here’s the Heinz Chapel in Oakland, and the campus of the former Heinz Factory which is now styled as the “Heinz Lofts” after a residential conversion.
Another refining industry based on the high heat levels offered by coke and coal, glass works were a big deal in Pittsburgh, and still are. The PPG (Pittsburgh Plate Glass) company remains a major force here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On the bottom floor/entrance area to the Heinz museum, they have a few of their larger displays – the Heinz delivery wagon pictured above, and a streetcar. There’s other vehicles scattered about the room – an old timey fire engine and a 1940’s looking sedan clad in stainless steel. This is also where a cafe/gift shop style operation can be found.
We had other locations that were on the ‘to do’ list for the day, so the bathrooms were visited and we agreed on a spot to meet up before heading outside and retrieving the car from its parking lot.
$6 for parking, if you’re curious, downtown on a Saturday afternoon.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While waiting for Our Lady to return from powdering her nose (or whatever the hell she does when disappearing into the toilet), I took notice of this enormous artillery piece. It’s a recreation of an 1864 vintage 20” Rodman Gun. I couldn’t be bothered transcribing its signage so I took a picture of the detailed description of the thing for your inspection and elucidation.
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.
The Newtown Pentacle 