All downhill from Millvale
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Pittsburgh’s metro area features a bunch of smaller neighboring communities around its municipal borders, and along the Allegheny River’s shoreline – just north easterly of Troy Hill and west of Etna – is found Millvale.
I’ve been to Millvale before, specifically to the fantastic riverfront trail public space they host, but this time around I decided to start things off up in their hills. A rideshare carried me here from Dormont, in the South Hills region of Pittsburgh, and I was dropped off at a randomly chosen point of prominence with some altitude.
‘Not every walk has to be a marathon, Mitch…’ that’s something I try to remind myself of these days.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was a warm and humid July day in Pittsburgh, and your humble narrator was prepared for both shvitz and a slog. I had a deadline ahead of me, driving my steps as it were, since a weather system was meant to be blowing in during the afternoon which would bring thunderstorms and all sorts of airborne chaos to the region.
The following week would be subsumed by a heat wave and wildfire smoke conditions, which would sideline me for several days.
As a note: The Newtown Pentacle Time Warp remains strongly in effect. These shots were gathered on the 7th of July, and the words you’re reading were encoded on the 19th of the same month. If this scheduled post publishes when I believe it will, you’re seeing this on a Monday in early September. Building up the ‘lead time’ for these postings seriously ‘depressurizes’ my life.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Steep, that’s how I’d describe the streets in this part of Millvale.
I was heading, ultimately, downhill and towards the Millvale Riverfront Park. Said park adjoins the larger Three Rivers Heritage Trail, sections of which I’ve walked several times. My normal habit for this area is to use the trails found on Herr’s Island, and then cross back over to ‘the triangle’ via the 40th street Bridge, but this time around I wanted to stick to the northern shoreline and follow the water.
Did I mention how uncomfortable the weather was, on this particular day?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The TV weather people had described the humidity with the term ‘air you could wear.’ It had to be 80% and rising as I made my way down to the waterfront. The breeze was tepid, or absent. Only thing ‘on my side’ during this one was that the burning thermonuclear eye of God itself was occluded by thick banks of smoke and clouds.
It was the sort of day that required me to dry my hands off before setting up a shot, as sweat was emanating out from the palms and between my fingers. Hot!
As usual, the summertime ‘Mitch suit’ was worn – cargo shorts, a t-shirt, and a white Guayabera as an outer shell. The Carribeans know what they’re doing, as far as dressing during humid weather with evaporative cooling in mind.
The camera bag was full of gear, as one had prepared for a variety of circumstances when filling it. As mentioned a few posts back, I recently had to buy a new pair of shoes, so I was walking all springy and bouncy.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The steep residential street I was walking on, and which all these photos were recorded along, is called Logan Street – if memory serves.
I had randomly picked an intersection at the top of a hill to start this one from, specifically a roadway which intersects with another road that leads westerly back to Troy Hill. Said intersecting road is set in along a ridge line, which promises interesting views. My pet name for that road is ‘next.’
Methodology wise, I like to explore regions and areas in ‘chunks.’ You do one chunk this week, then another the next, and then another…
Over the last three and a half years, with about an eight month interval lost to recovering from a busted ankle, a lot of my scuttling time here in Pittsburgh has been spent walking around and getting to know the fascinating ‘South Side Slopes’ area. It’s an easy reach from HQ, and is also quite convenient as far as transit goes, but novelty wears away.
Over the course of time, you walk one path and then another, and eventually stitch together the ‘where’s’ and ‘when’s,’ and just maybe the ‘why’s’ of a place. The ‘how’s’ are usually carefully hidden behind the ‘what’s.’ At the end of the game, one has hopefully developed some geographic knowledge about a place.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Yes, Millvaliens, I’m not going to discuss ‘the’ church, or its Maxo Vanko murals, for this post. That will be a future endeavor after I manage to talk myself inside, to wave the camera around. No point in talking about something I can’t show, as of yet.
Instead, I’m just scuttling right past it, and towards that underpass which carries Route 28 above the street instead.
Back with more, tomorrow.
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Hey Now! and the Big Boy
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
July 11th was a wicked hot day, with high humidity and temperature. The Union Pacific ‘Big Boy’ locomotive was scheduled to be rolling through Pittsburgh. Wasn’t exactly a secret, and thousands of people lined the Norfolk Southern tracks to get a look.
I headed over to one of my favorite perch’s and got busy. A few Norfolk Southern trains were transiting though in the run up to the Big Boy. While waiting, a crowd showed up.
Hey Now! Norfolk Southern #4251 rolled through.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! Norfolk Southern #7651 was next up through the pass.
There were a few dozen people on the pedestrian bridge with me, over the tracks here. They showed up with chairs and food and bottles of wine.
I had a bottle of water and my camera bag with me, and some gum, and ended up standing around up there for close to four hours.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You knew when Big Boy was on its way, and not just because of the tracker that the Union Pacific people were running on their website. A trio of Cops showed up and shooed all the lookie loos off of the ballast below in advance of the passing.
Part of the reason that I chose this particular elevated spot involved planning on ground level Police activity, as a factor.
Also: I’ve been mentioning the ‘Newtown Pentacle Time Warp’ all summer, wherein I’ve somehow managed to maintain at least a month of ‘lead time’ on these posts, and that’s the causative ‘why’ behind you seeing shots from early July in early September.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Big Boy finally arrived, spewing smoke and steam as it went.
To be honest, it all felt kind of anticlimactic, but… good clean fun.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My focus was actually on ‘focus.’
Shooting photos through a chain link fence has a high failure rate. As mentioned, I use this spot all the time for rail shots, so am thereby fairly well practiced at getting my shot through that fencing here.
Hey Now?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A long line of ‘heritage’ locomotives with patriotic paint jobs were attached to Big Boy, as well as a couple of modern diesel powered engines.
My understanding of the nature of this ‘heritage’ steam engine event is that whereas the head of the snake was – indeed – producing steam and smoke, it was actually a diesel engine further back in the chain which was providing motive power to the assemblage.
Back next week with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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CSX Trains and Hey Now! Vibes
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A few shots from the end of a short but cool walk in Pittsburgh, and pictured above is the ‘Uptown’ or ‘The Bluff’ zone along the Monongahela River. Picture’s POV is from the pedestrian walkways of the South Tenth Street Bridge.
I decided to head over to the brewery nearby the CSX tracks that I frequent, in the ‘South Side Flats’ section. Hadn’t had a drink in a couple of weeks, and a cold beer sounded fantastic.
About 15 minutes worth of scuttling, and I arrived. Headed inside, inspected the porcelain, purchased my drink, headed for the door leading to the outdoor seating… and just as I was walking outside…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now!
CSX #1852, all spiffed up with a July 4th paint job, hurtled through the pass. Funnily enough, the night before this was shot, I had been chatting with a railfan buddy of mine back in NYC, saying ‘I really don’t care about all that July 4 stuff they’re doing, if I were to get a shot or not, I don’t care.’ I also extended that statement to cover the Union Pacific ‘Big Boy’ event too. Pfft.
Of course, I got shots of everything, including Big Boy, which will be published fairly soon. Newtown Pentacle Time Warp reminder again, I’m way ahead of the schedule here – for once. This post is being written during the second week of July, for instance.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now!
CSX #7505 came through next, heading westerly just like 1852 was. Empty mineral cars behind it.
Finished that first beer right about here, went inside and received a reload. Headed back out to where I was sitting, and…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now!
Oddly enough, the sequentially numbered ‘next’ train coming through was CSX #7506, heading easterly.
Finished my second beer, and then paid my tab. Began getting ready to head for the T light rail, and catch a ride back to HQ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now!
CSX #3610 was the next one through, which I captured from an elevation. This is from pretty much directly over the spot that I normally shoot from, below at ground level. The train? Heading easterly.
Short walk, and a pretty cool day for a humble narrator.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I keep on saying it to myself – ‘everytime you leave the house with the camera it doesn’t have to be a marathon, icehole.’
Just out of curiosity – if you’re having a mental chat with yourself, talking out loud to that person in the bathroom mirror for instance, how do you address the part of yourself you’re trying to speak to?
Hey ‘Jerkwater,’ ‘Sir,’ ‘youse,’ or do you talk to yourself formally, with a ‘Mister’ or ‘Frau’? I’ll usually unleash a chord of blue language at my doppelgänger, but that’s ok as luckily the other guy – the one in the mirror – finds my invective as funny as I do.
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.
Pittsburgh Scuttle, ignoring the phone
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was a warm but comfortable day in Pittsburgh, and your humble narrator was scuttling along all peaceful and calm. I had my headphones with me, but wasn’t listening to anything on this walk. Phone was in my pocket, and I don’t ‘check it’ on any sort of regular basis.
I like to maintain situational awareness when out and about in populated areas. Wasn’t worrying about getting ‘jumped’ or anything like that, instead I just enjoy hearing the staccato song of a city. The sound of people joking around, or telling workplace horror stories, just… talking to each other…
Dozens of people were milling about, and all of them had a smart phone held directly in front of them in the manner of a small shield, which held their gaze. Everybody had headphones going, too. Nobody talked to each other, or formed into friendly conversational groups.
The office working smokers, on their smoke breaks, were all smoking solo, while staring at their phones, as they silently smoked.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One picked his way through the streets, with the fairly inhuman architectural plans of these curbside monoliths positively looming.
My toes began to point towards the Monongahela River shoreline.
There’s a few routes to that waterfront which are possible, on foot, from the position pictured above. Two of them would see me scuttling past a homeless shelter and the city jail, a section where there’s always a large and boisterous crowd on the sidewalks, whereas a different and familiar route could provide me with the desired egress and maintain solitude.
Off I went.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Regular readers of Newtown Pentacle might recall a post, describing a walk around Duquesne University which had published back in July, wherein an antipodal view of the corner above was discussed.
I should mention, again, that the Newtown Pentacle time warp effect has deepened. These photos were captured at the end of June! The words are being typed into existence at the end of the second week of July! If my scheduling is correct, you’re seeing this in early September.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I found myself back at the portal to the Armstrong Tunnel, which was utilized to get to the other side of the Bluff.
One is incredulous at the manner in which the smartphone has completely altered human social interactivity in just under twenty years. Fascinating to me as well that people don’t talk to each other casually anymore, for fear of getting into a conflict about ideological interpretations of the news of the day, and that’s likely what’s wrong with our ‘body politic’ these days.
Luckily, I don’t feel bound by this new etiquette. Old one either.
A good friend of mine once said, before I moved out here to Pittsburgh from Queens, that ‘you don’t have to talk to everyone you see, y’know,’ to which I replied ‘what?… but… yes… yes, I do.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Truth be told, I’m absolutely busting with stuff to talk about at all times. It’s always been kind of a problem for me. Always got in trouble in school for talking out of turn. Hell… I started a blog to get some of it out.
The cell phone thing is weird to me. Sometimes I’ll be out, at a bar or restaurant or something, and there’ll be a table of younger people who are apparently all friends but not talking to each other. Instead, they’ve all been focused in on whatever their individual scrolls are feeding them. Sometimes they’ll show each other the screens, and laugh or scowl.
Your humble narrator has long treated online folderol in the same manner that I do television watching. Something to do while you’re bored and ‘alone’ at home, and not appropriate activity when in a social setting. The whole point of going out is to interact in ‘meatspace,’ where there are consequences for your iniquity or rewards for your glamour.
Yeah, I do understand that it’s ‘work’ you’re checking in to on your phone, at 8:50 p.m. on a Saturday night.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The humans are a curious lot.
I’ve witnessed multiple people just striding blindly off the curb and onto busy streets while paying 100% of their attention to that little screen on their phone, ignoring the multi ton vehicles which are whizzing about them. Not even a glance.
For one such as myself, this is astounding.
It’s everything I can do to try and not pay as much attention as possible to every single tiny or semi-hidden detail of a landscape which I’m temporarily inhabiting… as ultimately – you really, really have to watch out for incoming zombies, at the very least.
Only chance you’ve got with a horde of zombies is that you can see them coming, but you’d probably smell them before you saw them, so… Pay attention and be prepared to evacuate. A ‘shelter in place’ during a zombie outbreak is a death sentence.
People are strange, but I’m somehow always stranger.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
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Pittsburgh’s FNB Tower, and pedestrian hell
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Shiny. Your humble narrator found himself wandering about in a quite urban section of Pittsburgh, nearby the brand spanking new 26 story FNB tower. It sits at the foot of the Hill District, and it’s the most easterly of the tall buildings that are considered to be ‘DownTown.’
My interest in the building itself is fairly minor, as it’s just another office building occupied by the financial industry, but the area it squats upon is fascinating to me. There’s an urban highway interchange here called Crosstown Boulevard, which I’ve mentioned in the past.
Interestingly enough, somebody seems to have a plan to deck over the chasm here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This zone is another one of Pittsburgh’s horror shows, from a pedestrian point of view. It’s designed for cars and trucks, period.
There’s lights and walk/don’t walk signs found around the occasional crosswalk, mind you, but the setup hereabouts is ‘don’t cross the street here, instead you cross way over there, and then there, and then way over there, and then you can work your way back to the opposite corner from where you started.
Amazing.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The centerpiece of downtown, and the tallest building in the city, is the U.S. Steel Tower. USS maintains a small footprint in the building these days, with the structure’s naming rights – and the vast majority of office space within – being currently occupied by employees of health care giant ‘UPMC.’ University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is a non-profit, incidentally.
Have to say – the legends about Pittsburgh’s health care system being top notch are true, at least in my experience. They did find a cure for Polio out here in Pittsburgh, a couple of generations ago, after all. The health care situation hereabouts was a huge contributor to picking Pittsburgh as our new home base after leaving NYC.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Alternatively – I’d mention that it’s also a challenging and somewhat confusing drive, navigating around this section of Pittsburgh behind the wheel of a car. The various ramps and interchanges overlay each other, and it’s not always clear which direction you’re meant to travel in. As is the case with a lot of things here in Pittsburgh, ‘you need to know which lane you’re going to need to be in’ before you get there.
The signage pictured above indicates traffic routing towards the Liberty Bridge, and the Fort Pitt Bridge, with both spans leading out of the center of Pittsburgh and towards the South Hills region via Crosstown Boulevard.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s where those ramps lead, Crosstown Boulevard itself.
To the left is the Bluff or ‘Uptown’ neighborhood where Duquesne University is found. The traffic lanes pictured above lead south to either the Liberty Bridge and Tunnel, or towards the ‘Boulevard of the Allies,’ which provides automotive traffic opportunity to head eastwards and towards interchange with an interstate.
Great transportation infrastructure here, as far as getting drivers moving quickly away from a congested downtown. Awful transportation infrastructure, as it provides few or any departures to local streets, which causes these highways to have a blighting effect on the communities they run through. Also, sucks to be a pedestrian anywhere near this complex.
As mentioned above, there’s a proposal to build a deck over this traffic pit, one which would support a linear park.
When he was still Astoria’s NYS Assemblymember, I tried to convince Zohran Mamdani that decking over the Grand Central Parkway trench in Astoria, and creating a linear park on top of it, would be the best thing that happened to that side of the neighborhood in generations. Most sure fire thing you can do to send real estate valuation into the stratosphere is build a park nearby existing buildings. Documented, that.
I tried selling the idea to Gianaris too, but they both came back with ‘great idea, but do you know how much that would cost?’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My plan for the day was fluid. Intentionally, I had left HQ with a fairly vague notion of the where’s and how’s. Wanted to follow my nose for this scuttle, and see where it led me. Come with?
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 