The Steps of Pittsburgh
Mary Jo and I lived on the South Side Flats from 2001 to 2012 while working at the University of Pittsburgh. Besides being within an easy commute to Pitt by car, bus, by foot, or by bike, the South Side (across the Monongahela River from Downtown) has many distinctions. It’s the former home of a Jones & Laughlin Steel mill which closed in the 80’s and became the site of the commercial district know as South Side Works and also the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panther football practice facilities; it has blocks and blocks of infamous bars along East Carson Street, which draw a large crowd from the local colleges of Duquesne, Pitt, and Carnegie Mellon; the Great Allegheny Passage, a biking/walking rail-trail which goes from Downtown Pittsburgh to Washington DC passes through about a block from where we used to live; and the South Side Flats is the destination (or start, depending on where you live) for the steps of the South Side Slopes.
Pittsburgh, in its industrial pass, developed its mills along the rivers for ease of transporting raw materials and finished products. The mills supported a large working class, many of whom lived on the hillsides above the plants, and most of these workers had to commute to work on foot. The solution to this was the Steps of Pittsburgh. According to the book “The Steps of Pittsburgh, Portrait of a City”, by Bob Regan (2005), Pittsburgh has 739 individual sets of public steps, more than any city in the United States. A large number of these sets of steps still survive and are still used by residents. The South Side Slopes in particular, is the home of many of these steps.
During the years we lived on the South Side, I spent many weekend days exploring the South Side Slopes by these steps. One of my favorite walks started near the river park on South 18th Street, proceeded away from the river, across East Carson Street and up to the base of a set of steps on 18th street. From there it was all steps, 450 of them, up to a park on the top of the Allentown section of Pittsburgh. My reward was a good workout and a great view of Pittsburgh. In those days, I used to time myself up that set of steps as a gauge of my fitness (I was a bit of a fanatic, I admit). After reaching the top of the steps, I would follow a route past a Monastery, back down through the South Side Park, along wooded trails that seemed miles from a hint of the city, and finally down another set of steps back to the Flats. Along the way I passed many homes that still utilized these steps just like sidewalks. Another hike/walk that I enjoyed took me up other flights of steps, then onto a path through some woods up to Grand View Park on Mount Washington. I remember walking up there one 4th of July for a good view of the Pittsburgh fireworks downtown.
For the past 24 years, The South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association has sponsored an event every October called Steptrek Pittsburgh. For a small donation, you get a map of two different well-marked routes to follow utilizing the steps, one of three miles and one of five miles. This year, being the first back in Pittsburgh for us in a few years, I just had to do it again. I was not alone – Steptrek has become a big event, and there were many walkers of all ages to keep me company. This is a great event for getting an appreciation of this unique section of Pittsburgh. The routes take you up and down the hills, past a mixture of old Pittsburgh working-class homes, upscale renovated properties, back yards with gardens, goats, chickens, and wooded parkland. And all with great views! I really enjoy hiking in this urban environment that often feels like country. Maybe some of you Rachel Carson EcoVillager’s will join me next year?
–Ray Burdett, Founder and future resident of RCE, November 1, 2024
*To read more about the steps pictured from Public Source you can read the article here.