Posts Tagged ‘South Tenth Street Bridge’
Squirreling through the hills
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described previously, your humble narrator was heading for a historical lecture being offered at a library, in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, and one had just crossed the South Tenth Street Bridge over the Monongahela River in order to facilitate a ride share pickup to carry me to said library.
The horizon line in the shot above is where I had been walking around in the posts published last week – an area called ‘The Bluff’ – which hosts both Duquesne University, and the neighborhood called ‘Uptown.’
I used Uber for this ride. Common practice that I’ve picked up here in Pittsburgh is to query both Uber and Lyft and see which one is cheaper for the same ride. Uber beat Lyft by about $7 so ‘win.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One arrived at the library, and it was thankfully quite cool within. This was one of the first truly warm days in late Spring for Pittsburgh.
Yes, the Newtown Pentacle time warp persists. Photos from May 11, words from early June, and you’re in mid July if I got my scheduling right.
The lecture itself was academic in nature, with a detailed description of the historian’s methodology. Personally, whenever I was doing one of these kind of talks about Newtown Creek back in Brooklyn or Queens, I liked to drop in a few jokes and use colloquial language, and avoided getting into the slog of how I researched the presented information, but then again I don’t have a PHD in Jewish history as the presenter did – as I’m just some schmuck with a camera who knows far too much about Newtown Creek.
I learned things, though, it was worth attending.
After about an hour, the presentation was over and one was vomited forth back onto the streets, where he belongs.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Squirrel Hill is a really nice neighborhood, and kind of pricey to live in as well due to desirability, at least compared with the rest of Pittsburgh.
This ‘zone’ is literally Mister Rogers’ neighborhood, as a note.
The plan… and this is where the second half of my efforts for the day begin… was to walk all the way back to the T Light Rail on the South Shore of the Monongahela River, and use that to get back to HQ in the Dormont section. More or less about a seven mile walk. Best to just lean into it.
I had more or less decided on a path, but left it kind of fuzzy to accommodate serendipity, should it manifest.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned, really lovely neighborhood.
Reminds me a great deal of Brooklyn’s Midwood, in the section where it nears Coney Island Avenue and Ocean Parkway in the east ‘teen’ streets, and along the H-N avenues. Historically speaking, Squirrel Hill is meant to be a Jewish majority neighborhood, just like Midwood is back home. Most of the ‘important’ non Jewish people live out here – politicians, and university brass, the wealthy corporate types.
It was hot on the streets, I tell you, hot. Your narrator was humbly shvitzing while scuttling.
I’ve got a whole routine for this sort of weather, by the way. Number one thing is breathe through your nose and keep your mouth shut or you’ll dehydrate quickly. Number two is walk in the shade if you can. I’ve mentioned that I’ve recently started carrying a water bottle, yes?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s a lot of weird traffic interchanges in Pittsburgh, and the one pictured above is an example. It’s at a border where Squirrel Hill bumps up against Oakland, where a large park and the two big universities are found. Hills and valleys, hollows and peaks…
This leg of my day would end up adding about seven miles of wear to the hiking shoes. After returning to HQ, I noticed that the treads on those shoes had essentially been ground smooth in the last few months, and I had to order another pair. Merrel Moab 3, if you’re curious. Been wearing this model of shoe for years, and they’re a critical part of the ‘kit.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That water bottle recently added to the kit came in handy on this walk.
A paroxysm of comparison shopping led me to purchase one of the fairly leak proof offerings from the Nalgene outfit, and I now have a 16 ounce parcel of travel liquid to rely upon during scuttles.
A big difference between NYC and Pittsburgh revolves around the presence of Bodegas. NYC has them, Pittsburgh doesn’t.
In NYC, you’re never more than a mile from someone wanting to sell you a cold drink, in Pittsburgh you have to rely on a coroner retrieving your water starved husk of a corpse, found lying on the side of a road pointing towards a Bodega which doesn’t exist.
Back tomorrow with the next leg of this scuttle.
“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.
Under bluffed
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey, that’s where we left off last week – with your humble narrator about to scuttle into the Armstrong Tunnel in Pittsburgh’s pedestrian and bike path. Fun!
Said tunnel pierces a land form dubbed ‘The Bluff,’ connecting Forbes Avenue to Second Avenue, along the Monongahela River waterfront nearby the South 10th street bridge. Whew… all caught up.
This would be a two part scuttle, with an intermission in the middle. Your humble narrator had signed up to attend a lecture.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of the cool things which I’ve found to do here in Pittsburgh revolves around the availability of a vast numbers of academic presentations, historical talks, and live lectures that are offered at the City’s many libraries, historical societies, and cultural institutions – mostly for free.
Going back to a recent question of ‘is walking around all that I do,’ learning new things is also something I enjoy doing.
One entered the Armstrong Tunnel, secure in the knowledge that I would not bump my head on the ceiling, as I would enjoy some 7 feet and 11 inches of headroom and approximate leeway, therein.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s fairly grim within, and kind of loud. Saying that, pedestrian path!
The lecture I was heading to was being offered at a library, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, and presented by a historian from the Heinz Museum who held a PHD in Jewish History.
One of the Pittsburgh neighborhoods which was historically considered ‘Jewish’ back in the day, was the same area I had been walking around for the last couple of hours – ‘Uptown’ on the Bluff.
I wasn’t attending this lecture to find some lost relative or anything, instead it’s just another part of learning about this crazy place.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve attended Hebraic oriented tours here in Pittsburgh, which included visits to the monumental Rodef Shalom Synagogue in Oakland, and Poale Zedeck in Squirrel Hill. Both made me think about Eldridge Street in Lower Manhattan.
I grew up Jewish. People ask me all the time if I still practice Judaism, and my answer is always ‘nope, I’m really good at it, no need to practice anymore.’
In case you’re wondering, the graffiti in the tunnel was likely eliminated in the run up to the NFL Draft at the end of April. Don’t worry, just a matter of time until it’s back.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Time was growing short, and as I’m notoriously early to everything, I began flying into a panic about that. I had 45 minutes to go about five miles… sigh…
The plan was simple, I’d emerge from the tunnel – like some sort of human turd hurtling out of a mountainous ass – and then walk across a bridge, and summon a ride share to carry my pre-corpse there.
I may write all fancy, but my internal dialogue is profane and common.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The bridge crossing in question would involve the South Tenth Street Bridge, pictured above.
It would be a bit easier to get a rideshare pickup on the south side of the river than it would be on the northern shore, which hosts a busy traffic interchange, as well as a jail and a large homeless shelter. I walked across and activated the app, summoning a ride.
When my Uber arrived, the guy was driving a pickup truck. That’s a new one.
Back tomorrow with more wanderings.
“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.
Hey Now! and auld acquaintances be forgot
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Mountain Avenue to Yard Way part four/ ‘fin.’
After a fairly fun scuttle, through the South Side Slopes section of Pittsburgh, one found the stinking pre-corpse that his brain is trapped within shambling forth unto the South Side Flats region. The flood plain of the Monongahela River is how I’d describe this area – quite atypical for Pittsburgh – which is a patch of absolutely flat ground.
My plan for the remainder of the day was a simple one.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First, I walked out onto the South 10th street bridge to see if there was anything going on, as far as maritime traffic goes.
Allow me to teach you an Italian American slang word here – ugatz. That’s what I got, as far as boats go, ugatz.
No bueno.
Second, that brewery I used to mention all the time, that one which is nearby the railroad tracks and had been closed, has reopened – with a new owner operator occupying the space.
It had been a few weeks since I had drank a beer, so I set out to rectify that situation. I walked about six or seven blocks worth of Pennsylvania to get there, using one of the nearby waterfront trails.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Soon, while drinking a Pale Ale, CSX #3100 appeared, heading east.
After quaffing the brew, I returned my glass to the bar and then ‘inspected their porcelain.’ Refreshed, I was soon heading up a flight of stairs and towards the second level of this so called ‘Highline’ location, which the brewery is based in, towards a truss/ramp structure which offers a higher POV.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One had a bit of time left to me, so I found a spot to sit down and then just sort of waited for something to happen. Time was passed by shooting the various T light rail units moving back and forth over the Panhandle Bridge, spanning the Monongahela River.
In the distance, to the west, a train horn sounded.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! CSX #4793 appeared, hurtling through the scenery. Hooray!
It was definitely time to head back to HQ afterwards. One began scuttling towards the T’s nearby Station Square stop, to catch a ride back to HQ in Dormont, found about five or so miles from this spot.
That’s when I saw it. Conspicuously displayed in an area which I move through regularly, and have published multiple posts about doing so.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Cobbler? The Queens Cobbler?
Single shoes have been noticed recently, alongside pathways that I frequent here in Pittsburgh, starting back during the winter. Chalked this up to coincidence… something which I chuckled about… but… it’s odd.
I haven’t mentioned this to anyone, really, but I’ve been seeing cast off singular shoes, on prominent and conspicuous display for a few months now, scattered along the roads here in Pittsburgh. Can it be?
Back tomorrow… with something different… I hope…
“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.
Gap Trail: Homestead to South Side, part 3
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Your humble narrator broke off of the Great Allegheny Passage trail during a walk from Homestead to the South Side Flats, briefly, to find somebody willing to sell me a Gatorade nearby the South Side Works development, here in Pittsburgh.
Another ‘used to be a steel mill’ and ‘redeveloped as a mixed use retail/residential zone’ sort of place, this South Side Works area is. CSX’s tracks flow through an underground tunnel here, which you can definitely tell when one is passing beneath the pavement.
Having soon attained a beverage, one set out of the last leg of this scuttle. My Dracula adaptation had run its course, in my headphones, and I opted to pocket the audio device for the remainder of the day.
Situational awareness. This is the start of an area which I colloquially refer to as ‘Junkie Town.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This warm and somewhat humid day was a perfect one for slurping a pint or two of beer, thought I, and then soon reacquired the GAP trail. Passing under the Birmingham Bridge, pictured above and then to the South Side Flats neighborhood towards the Sly Fox Brewery, which is often mentioned here. Sly Fox also happens to sit along a choke point in CSX’s Pittsburgh – or Keystone – Subdivision, with frequent rail traffic.
There were lots of people clustering around the water, and interacting with a loathsome specie of feathered reptile which kids call ‘Canada Goose.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’d guess that the photos embedded in these posts from this scuttle represent about five to six miles of distance by this point, but I wasn’t keeping count on this particular day. Now that I don’t have to report progress to a Doctor anymore, it’s a lot less important for me to know it was four miles, or six miles, or whatever.
I’m probably going to buy a bike sometime in the next year, just to increase my range, but I’ll offer my usual complaint about bikes which is the same one that I do about cars – you’re traveling too fast to actually see where you are and you miss the interesting stuff. Things just shoot by you too quickly.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Pictured above is what most of the trail looked like on this stretch, a long and unremarkable vegetation tunnel. At least it was shady.
As I understand it, caring for these trails is a largely volunteer effort, although governmentally sourced from ‘Uncle Sugar’ or the Commonwealth are used for equipment and consumables, like the salt used for de-icing the path during winter months. The volunteers also have to regularly deal with landslide materials which migrate down from the prominences.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, I managed to scuttle out from the boring section of the walk to a more interesting section of the City, nearby the South Tenth Street Bridge and the Color Park. As mentioned above, I was already thinking about what I would order when arriving at the Sly Fox Brewery.
I also figured I’d be shooting a bunch of trains while there, so…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Color Park is where you’re supposed to do graffiti or street art in Pittsburgh, and people take advantage of that in the same way that they used to at LIC’s 5ptz, or still do at Astoria’s Welling Court back in Queens.
Back tomorrow with the Choo-Choo’s.
“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.
Beyond the bend
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described yesterday, a humble narrator was executing a short constitutional scuttle of about five miles along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, found on the south shore of the Monongahela River here in Pittsburgh. That’s the South Tenth Street Bridge pictured above, which I think I’ve finally taken an interesting picture of. It’s a fairly unremarkable span, and it’s a challenge I’ve been entertaining myself with for a while now.
It’s also the start of a huge encampment maintained by a population of homeless mendicants. The city of Pittsburgh has been dealing with these sorts of encampments all over its turf since COVID, and has been roughly uprooting the dwellings, tents, and shanties in the ‘Downtown’ area of the ‘golden triangle’ since I got here, in response to complaints by the business community about the situation.
These poor people had to go somewhere, and apparently it’s here, far away from the Downtown corporate world and the cameras of new crews.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
In the 1930’s, this would have called this a ‘Hooverville,’ shanties and makeshift dwellings composed of other people’s discarded items. During this walk, one noted that both sides of the trail were de facto neighborhoods. I observed a young guy doing missionary work here, bringing sanitary products to the residents. I also saw him cutting firewood for a camp of three elderly men at one point. He was wearing a T-Shirt signifying he worked for some local church. Good stuff.
Instinct is to pass some sort of moral judgement on our fellow Americans for ending up in this circumstance due to addiction or bad luck, but that does nothing to solve the issue and serves to dehumanize the homeless into a homologous ‘mono-issue’ population rather than individuals who all have different problems that have led to this circumstance.
Conversely, there are some fairly dangerous people amongst them and it’s important not to underestimate that. I don’t have an answer to the problem I can offer on this subject. Life on the edge is a hard life.
I’ve said it a hundred times (and especially so to members of ‘Team DeBlasio), that there’s not a ‘homeless problem,’ rather there’s thousands of individual ‘homeless problems’ with no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Few of them want to be living in a tent made of garbage alongside a river.
If you’re concerned about these people, think ‘existential’ instead of ‘penitential’ and drop off some old blankets or clothing nearby their campsites. At least they’ll be able to stay warm while living like this in the richest country that’s ever existed. That’s what I’d call the ‘Christian’ response, rather than putting them in jail for being destitute or something.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
See what I mean about the South Tenth street bridge? It’s really hard to get an interesting shot of the thing… bah.
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 