Shots from the Block: Stray South Side Scenes

July 18, 2022 / Curry Chandler

For a belated update this week I’ve assembled some random snapshots that I’ve taken around South Side so far this summer, mostly from June. The start of summer brought some of my favorite Pittsburgh weather.

The spring thaw also brought a gaggle of baby geese for our resident waterfowl, and they’ve been a regular fixture of my morning runs.

They’re cute, but they (and their leavings) can be real menaces on the trail.

Speaking of the trail, a stretch of road between Birmingham bridge and the 18th street railway crossing was recently reconfigured into a new lane-sharing pattern.

I’ve heard about this type of traffic scheme causing confusion elsewhere so I’m curious to see how it works out here.

Throughout June the neighborhood was also peppered with flyers and signs relating to the surge in gun violence the South Side has seen. There were similar issues last summer and residents have been debating how things have worsened and what can be done about it.

Local businesses have reduced their hours or even closed entirely due to violence that has become a regular weekend occurrence. Mayor Gainey even conducted a Saturday midnight walk along East Carson Street to see conditions firsthand.

The Dirty Poet posted their latest prose. They seem understandably distraught about global current events.

A suspicious early morning fire was being investigated as possible arson.

My roommate left Pittsburgh in the latter half of June. Before he moved I decided to upgrade my ride by buying his bike (he had already purchased a new model). I took my old cycle to Thick Bikes. While we waited for them to appraise the bike we stumbled across a Cornhole tournament.

I accepted the offer for my bike, figuring that I had gotten my money’s worth over the previous two years. The bike had taken me from suburban Nashville to the streets of Pittsburgh and I was happy to see it get a second life. I assumed that this photo would be the last time I saw the bike.