Posts Tagged ‘The T’
Ad arma se conferre
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Stir crazy, that’s how I’d describe the mental state one enjoyed after hunkering down for endless days during a fairly historic weather event here in Pittsburgh. Couldn’t stand it anymore.
One wrapped his pre-corpse in the usual fuligin, except for the coat, which was the heavy duty and super warm Carhartt ‘Pennsylvania Coat.’ The only other exception to the usual rule was my headwear, which was a fedora constructed from thick leather.
The hat is something I only roll out during icy conditions, and it provides me with some protection from falling ice which is sloughing off of trees, utility poles, and trestles. A baseball cap ain’t gonna help you at all if a chunk of ice gets dislodged from a structure and falls, cracking you one right in the gulliver. The leather hat ain’t a hard hat, but it’s kept me from getting clogged on the noggin by falling ice several times over the years.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Walking toward the T light rail station, here in Pittsburgh’s Dormont, I passed by a ‘parking chair.’ There’s a lot of colloquial customs out here. The Pittsburgh Left isn’t a legal move, but it’s expected for you to participate at narrow intersections to keep traffic moving. You signal the other driver that it’s ok to turn in front of you by flashing your ‘brights’ at them.
The parking chairs are installed by someone who dug a car out of the snow and then left for work, with the chair vouchsafing that the hard won spot will be there afterwards. Woe to you, should you decide to move somebody else’s parking chair, and leave your car in that space. Ain’t pretty, what happens next…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Up at the top of the hill, where the light rail station is found, and one was passing the time while waiting for my chariot by waving the camera about. Dormont has a snow removal operation underway, with heavy equipment. We received about 14 inches of the stuff in the first big storm, which was then followed by a severe drop in temperature, and then by what seemed like daily bands of light snow which striped new layers of precipitant onto the original problem. All of this ‘weather’ has resulted in a not insignificant amount of ‘frozen’ which needs to be cleared away.
The Yinzers might say ‘it needs clear.’ They have a weird local language tick out here, part of the local cultural ‘vernacular.’ As a non Yinzer you’d say that ‘I need to wash my car,’ whereas the Yinzer would say ‘my car needs wash.’ Fascinating usage, to me at least.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Pittsburgh bound T light rail arrived, and your humble narrator boarded the thing. As I passed through the aisles of seats while shambling onboard, people looked up with concern and disgust visible on their faces, women clutched at their handbags, a service dog began to growl.
The plan for the day was for a short scuttle, due to the cold, but I’d been sitting on my butt for better than a week at this point and I was anxious to get out and about. One was ‘traveling light,’ with the camera and only a couple of lenses. What I’ve described in the past as my ‘minimum kit,’ the basics.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was an unambitious route that I had cooked up. I’d take the T to the North Side, a path which I’d calculated as being a bit less risky regarding blocked sidewalks and such, due to the presence of large institutions in the area – stadiums, hospitals, office buildings. Turns out ‘not so much.’
Again, without the retribution for inaction offered by an army of DSNY inspectors who write tickets with abandon, people just kind of let things slide. Sliding is a lot of what I ended up doing during this afternoon walk.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I debarked the T light rail at the ‘North Side’ stop, which more or less underlies the stadium where the Pittsburg Pirates regularly disappoint their fans. Even the hotels didn’t feel compelled to fully clear their sidewalks, and one negotiated his way through a path that was suspiciously the same width as your average snow shovel. No wider than maybe 18 inches, with slush lagoons.
One of the nearby hotels had rid itself of several mattresses. The wrapped up one betrays the protocol for bed bugs, as a note.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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TCB, in Mount Lebanon
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Ice, snow, extreme cold… no bueno.
An overnight plunge in temperatures, combined with freezing rain, convinced me of the fact that this would an excellent day to not be driving a car. Saying that, I had a bit of ‘business’ to take care of and since the nearest corporate outposts of the particular outfits I needed to transact with were just up ‘Route 19 Truck,’ aka ‘West Liberty Avenue,’ or in the case of where I was heading ‘Washington Road,’ I decided to use the T light rail to get there.
Normally, I’d just drive, about ten minutes at worst from Dormont. The T took me about a half hour or so, figuring in the walk from HQ to the station and waiting for the train.
My business was all personal – an ATM visit, pick up some stuff from here and there, that sort of errand set. I actually found a pretty decent pizzeria in this zone.
Brought the camera along as I was going to walk back to HQ in Dormont along West Liberty Avenue, one of the roadways I’m looking at in a granular fashion at the moment.
Several posts were offered recently, about the terminus side of Route 19 where it meets the Liberty Tunnels. Check those out here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is the start of ‘Mount Lebanon,’ a wealthy suburb of Pittsburgh. We dwell in nearby Dormont, which is a bit more affordable – if you hear what I’m saying. They have a kickass library, I’d mention.
One roamed around in the cold, wearing his bubbly winter coat, snapping pix while shivering and scuttling along.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My errands complete, a walk back to HQ started. There’s a cemetery across the street here which I’ve only taken a single quick look at, shortly after moving out to Pittsburgh from NYC. That cemetery is also ‘on the list’ for another lookie loo.
There’s also a couple of tall apartment buildings hereabouts which would provide commanding views for an itinerant photographer, if only he could find a method to talk his way up to their roof.
There’s three huge churches also found in this section, which is fairly close to that invisible legal border defining Dormont and Mount Lebanon.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
In this section, Route 19 is built onto a ridge line, with the residential neighborhoods surrounding it seemingly oozing down the hills.
Needless to day, you need to regard snow and ice conditions quite seriously here in Pittsburgh.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The prominence of the Hill which Route 19/Washington Road rides on peaks nearby the local Roman Catholic’s outpost. Just a few blocks away, you’ll notice iron being used for utility poles, which are actually cross purposed trolley infrastructure. Here, the utility poles are wooden.
Hilarity usually emerges in conversation about Mount Lebanon, when it occurs in Dormont. ‘They’ve got gold and platinum fire hydrants, the Lebos do,’ and ‘they can afford it’ is usually the answer to any scandal of the day which might be going on over there. Suffice to say that the ‘average median income’ of Mount Lebanon includes several extra commas, as compared to that of Dormont.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the Roman Catholic outfit mentioned above, St. Bernard’s. I randomly visited the church once, shortly after moving to Pittsburgh. Check that out here.
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.
Polar Xpress?
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described yesterday, after a recent social engagement your humble narrator decided it would be a good idea to take a walk during a ‘Snow Squall’ here in Pittsburgh, just to see what that’s like.
Verdict: It sucked.
Cold, windy, wet. My grandmother always said ‘you’re put on this earth to suffer,’ but she had a Slavic mentality. I had arrived nearby the Sly Fox Brewery which is often mentioned here, and took up position to wait for a train to pass through. I allocated no more than a half hour of ‘hanging around’ time before I’d move on and start heading back to HQ.
Lucky…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First CSX traffic moving through the pass was a work truck, riding on one of those cool rigs which allow them to follow the rails. Always a good sign when you see these guys driving by, as the odds increase dramatically that something big will be approaching soon.
My ‘minimum kit’ bag does not include the ‘railfan’ scanner radio which allows me to spy on the RR company’s radio traffic. Everything in the minimum setup is about weight, and reducing ‘the carry’ as much as is possible out of the bag. My normal camera bag, a 32 litre knap sack, weighs about thirty pounds when fully loaded. This ‘minimum kit’ bag weighs about five pounds, with most of that due to a 24-105 zoom lens.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
CSX #5462 made all my suffering go away when it appeared. It was still snowing, but it wasn’t the ‘white out’ photo condition I was hoping for.
Nevertheless, here’s a Sunday afternoon ‘Snow Squall freight train photo’ for you, lords and ladies. Choo-Choo.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I wasn’t planning on hanging around the brewery, or to even order myself a drink on this occasion. Wasn’t that kind of day. Heck, I’d just had brunch with friends about 90 minutes previously.
As soon as # 5462 passed through, I headed up and onto a causeway that eventually meets back up with and t level with Carson Street, where where this scuttle had began a couple of miles behind.
One of the more ‘freeing’ things about being able to properly walk again also revolves around not spending an absolute fortune on cabs. I’d head over to the light rail station and catch a mass transit ride back to HQ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One last shot from up top, and then the camera and bag straps received a quick policing. The ‘warm’ coat I was wearing, as opposed to the normal filthy black raincoat, is kind of ‘bubbly.’ It’s a lot like wearing a bed’s comforter, with a good inch to an inch and a half of insulation. It does make me feel like the cartoon character which the Michelin tire company uses as their mascot. Clumsy, but warm.
A quick few blocks of walking occurred next, and then I was at the Station Square stop on the T light rail waiting for my ride.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long and soon I was walking through the front door of HQ, where Moe the Dog was surprisingly happy to see me. My dog can be kind of a jerk, but it’s swell when he’s in a good mood.
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.
He’ll sleep well tonight
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Final images from the longest walk I’ve been able to take since the ‘orthopedic incident’ hobbled your humble narrator are on display today.
After walking through one of Pittsburgh’s central corridors, and visiting a brewery found alongside some train tracks, one began the journey back to HQ in nearby Dormont.
It’s quite a small ‘shlep’ to get to the light rail station from this spot.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As is my habit, I kept shooting while in movement. I’m planning on doing some ‘proper’ night shooting excursions in the spring, by the way. By proper – I mean tripod and full gear. For this walk, I was carrying my ‘minimum’ kit, and everything was hand held.
The day after this walk – snow, rain, and freezing temperatures returned to the Paris of Appalachia. That began a long cycle of ‘no bueno.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I haven’t been pursuing the low light dealie during my recovery period from the busted ankle, for obvious reasons. Frankly, it’s taken a lot of effort to just walk around during the afternoons, but there we are.
Also, I need to restate the fact that I’m not doing any historic research about Pittsburgh at all. None. My ignorance is curatorial.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Although I regularly pass through this Station Square Light Rail Station, I’ve remained inexperienced regarding the bus stops which are found there as well. As is often intoned, I’m planning on getting familiar with how the buses here work in the near future. It’s ’next.’
I had to cross a pretty busy street, so I hit the ‘walk’ arrow on the talking lamp post and it began telling me to wait.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You see these talking lamp posts all over Pittsburgh, Philly too, so it must be a PA thing. I presume they’re accommodations for people with sensory deficits. It’s all pretty civilized, if you ask me. We didn’t have talking lamp posts like this back in Queens. The NYC version would probably tell you to ‘hurry the ‘eff up and get the ‘eff across the street, what are ya? An icehole?’
At any rate, this icehole chicken crossed the road, as I truly needed to get to the other side. That’s where the station is.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T reliably got me back to Dormont, where my favorite local Pizza guy also happened to be open.
Turns out that the there’s this guy in Pittsburgh named ‘Antknee,’ who also grew up in the world’s only ‘true’ place – known as Brooklyn. He learned how to make pizza in Greenpoint, on Manhattan Avenue. It’s a proper NYC slice he offers, as far as the napolitan. His Sicilian slice is a bit smaller than the NYC standard, but it’s covered in charred pepperoni. Mmm.
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.
Gazing, a ride, and then a ‘hey now’
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This shot involves the ‘gazing’ part from the title. Downtown Pittsburgh, with its shadow casting monoliths.
They don’t seem to do ‘set backs’ out here, so the massing of the upper floors of these towers mirror their bases. This causes a permanent sense of ‘dusk’ for these downtown streets, except for those narrow stripes of sunlight which somehow manage to beam past them. No Bueno.
This walk had been a pretty involved multi hour effort, but I wasn’t done yet.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T light rail stop at Gateway Center was entered. I used the elevator to get down to the platform level, just to see how well it functioned. Your humble narrator will often go out of his way to see what people who are less abled might be experiencing in these sorts of municipal systems. But for the grace of god…
I boarded the first T that came into the station, and merrily sat down. First time I had sit down since I was moving through Skunk Hollow about two hours prior.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It would only be a few stops on the T, and all in the ‘free zone.’ The light rail runs for free at the City’s core. It’s all very civilized.
The light rail unit made its underground stops, then emerged back onto an elevated causeway at First Avenue Station, whereupon it then proceeded across the Panhandle Bridge spanning the Monongahela River.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The transit service vomited me forth and onto the mean streets of the South Side Flats section, at the Station Square stop. Soon, I was kicking dirt again.
My plan for the rest of my day involved reward for the effort.
The brewery which I haunt is a 15 minute walk from this spot, and I was powerfully thirsty by this point. Hadn’t had a drop of liquid pass my lips since leaving the house, and I’d pretty much walked here from all the way over in East Liberty.
I’ve had to break my usual rule of not carrying water with me on photowalks in Pittsburgh during the summer months, but during the winter months? Not so much. If you drink liquid, you’ll need to pee. That creates a logistical problem, even in a place which routinely deploys Porta-Potties around the city for use as public bathrooms.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The light was pretty great, so I cracked out a shot or two of the Liberty Bridge. This bridge is the ‘other side’ of West Liberty Avenue and the Liberty Tunnels which I showed y’all recently.
A quick call to HQ revealed to Our Lady where I was and served well enough as ‘confirmation of life’ for her to say ‘Have Fun.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It had been about a month since I was able to grab a beer and hang out by the CSX tracks here on the South Side. Missed that.
Tomorrow – 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 