Read Something, Saw Something, Walked Somewhere #6
Looking from the outside and strolling around Pittsburgh
Read something
I’m currently listening to It's The World's Birthday Today by Christian “Flake” Lorenz, a keyboardist and composer from Rammstein.
This book is a sneak peek into a life of a touring musician and has little to do with urban design. There are, however, a couple paragraphs where Flake describes his attempts to go on a walk while touring in the United States. Reading about his experience hit right home, so I wanted to share the excerpt here:
…There [in the US] it was still morning sometimes when we got to the arena, before anything was set up yet. If I tried to go for a walk, there were times when I didn’t even manage to leave the property - the whole arena was fenced in. At the gates were fierce-looking guards who wouldn’t let me through. When I finally did manage to get out, I understood why they had been so dismissive. There was just one street, and it led to a highway. There was no sidewalk, nobody needed it. My only option was to walk between a fence and the highway for as long as I could until I was arrested.
A few times I was able to see, off in the distance, the tall buildings of the cities where, in my opinion, we should have been playing. If I tried to walk in this direction, the buildings always moved farther and farther away. It was a kind of optical illusion, a little like a mirage. Once, though, I did manage to get to the city center. Though I’m not so sure about that. Sometimes what they call downtown is just four skyscrapers without any visible windows, businesses, or any other sign of human life. I only thought I was in the city. It was like I had walked through Erkner and then told everybody I’d been in Berlin. The worst, though, was having to find my way back to the venue. It was really short and squat and couldn’t be seen from the city.
I started following people who looked like fans and who then led me through ugly neighborhoods with single-family homes. …
This left me with a few thoughts:
As a touring musician, you may technically get to visit many cities in the US but do they really count if you can’t even leave the arena? Imagine having several hours to kill before the concert, but you’re stuck at some generic venue. And usually there’s no time to explore later either, because you’re off to the next place. Wouldn’t it be so much better if you were able to stroll around the city before the concert and feel its unique vibes?
This situation is not unique to musicians, of course. There are tons of ways anyone can get stuck - at an airport hotel, at a convention center, etc. You were promised [big city name here] but in reality you’re in the middle of nowhere. Of course, there might be taxis, ubers, or even shuttles. But you may not have enough time for a longer car trip. You would also need to figure out the logistics of getting a ride. Walking, though, is universal no matter where you are. Reliance on car ruins the sense of freedom and adventure.
Lastly, obviously, there are ways to go on (enjoyable) walks in American cities. Even in places that are a little “out there”. The problem is that often there is only one way to get from point A to point B. One wrong turn and you’re either fearing for your life or feeling like you’re doing something illegal. You have to know the area well and that’s a lot to ask from somebody who’s simply visiting and is probably already overwhelmed and jet-lagged. Usually, it’s impossible to wander around and expect that the sidewalk isn’t spontaneously going to end. So you might as well remain where you are.
All in all, we could be friendlier to our foreign guests :)
Saw something
I first learned about Roslyn Place in Allan Jacobs’ Great Streets book and I wanted to visit it since. I got the perfect opportunity to do so a couple weeks ago, when my boyfriend and I went to Pittsburgh for a family wedding. 💛
Some trivia about Roslyn Place:
It’s the only wooden street left in Pittsburg and one of few remaining in the world.
It was almost paved over in 1985 but the community fought to do a restoration instead.
It’s only 250ft long (about 75m).
Allan Jacobs, in fact, used to live there.
Walked somewhere
Pittsburgh!
As I’m reflecting on my walks four weeks later, several themes stand out:
Mills. You’re passing one after another. Some are renovated, most are waiting to be turned into sleek lofts. It’s like Jewelry District in Providence, but x1000 bigger.
Highways. You’re constantly finding yourself under one. They’re so high up though that it almost doesn’t feel sketchy to walk under.
Yellow bridges. You’re either crossing one or looking at one or both.
Hills. Steep hills, long hills. They lead to some great views, like hills usually do.