On the surface, Westinghouse Park looks pretty ordinary: walking paths, a small playground and shelter, and assorted stone slab walls and city steps. But this space is unique in that what cannot be seen is almost as important as what can. 🧵

Next up is a long-ish post about Westinghouse Park! Don't like dealing with threads? No problem - here's the link to the full post with lots of photos and TWO maps! (thrilling, I know... lol) pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

Playgrounds are such a big part of modern-day Pittsburgh that it’s easy to forget they’re a relatively recent invention. In 1896, the Civic Club of Allegheny County joined forces with education and social welfare groups to create the first playgrounds, all adjacent to schools, in the City. 🧵

Marcus Rediker’s book about the fascinating life of Benjamin Lay is one of my favorite historical biographies of all time. Lay’s life-long conscious decisions and actions (which might be called guerrilla tactics today) offer a blueprint and high bar.

"Look around, assess where you are, reflect on where you have been, and dream of where you are going. Every moment of the present contains the seeds of opportunity for change." - J Francis ✌🏽❤️🌲🌎 Keep going; #blueskyartshow #sunlight #graffiti #streetart #photography #PMA

The Washington Post, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, announced that they're shutting down their books section. We'd say "ironic," but... Keep supporting indie bookstores and public libraries over the mega retailer, aka the institutions that actually care about storytelling 💓

Have your say in Allegheny County’s future 🔮 For the first time since 2008, the County is updating its Comprehensive Plan (Allegheny Forward), and they want your input! Share your priorities: https://bikepgh.org/2026/01/16/weigh-in-on-allegheny-county-first-comprehensive-plan-since-2008/

In my year of visiting Pittsburgh’s parks and playgrounds, I’ve made the disheartening discovery that park benches can be controversial. In some places, “sitting around” is viewed as suspect (rightfully or not), and benches are removed, rendering public spaces less functional for everyone. 🧵

Howdy! I have an incoming post about "controversial" park benches and Baxter Park in Homewood North. Here's the Substack link if you prefer to avoid the thread: pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

East Hills Park was a 1960s residential development built for moderate-income families. By the time the project was finished, there were 500 units of private homes and rental apartments, a nearby shopping mall, and a large park with a playground, athletic courts, and a public swimming pool. 🧵

Howdy! I have an incoming long-ish post about the East Hills Park. Here's the Substack link if you prefer to avoid the thread: pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to... 🙂

Give your feedback on the East Ohio St design: Tues. Feb 3rd | 6:30-8pm | Allegheny Center Alliance Church (801 Union Place). Register: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=F3n09QTJaEORINMnzxdVkb9OCK_94TBBrhzA91PXGo1URDQwMDVJV1M2SFUxWTVKVFlaQk9YQVVNUi4u&route=shorturl

We don't need books to understand that what's happening is wrong.

The streets of Homewood tell the stories of depopulation, economic disinvestment, government and private enterprise corruption and racism, and the all-too-often tendency to lean away from complex problems requiring long-term, complex solutions. 🧵

Upon entering Paulson Playground, a visitor is immediately greeted by a large, tubular sculpture painted sky blue. It’s positioned close to the spray park, which is the perfect place, and I’m sure there have been a few folks over the years who have wondered why it too didn’t spray water! 🧵

New post about Paulson Park in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar and the forgotten artist Josefa Filkosky. All the words, all the photos, no threaded entries to navigate. :-) pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

✨ Coming up this Thurs. Jan 22 - Advocacy Skills Training: Choosing Your Next Campaign We'll help you learn how to pick a campaign for biking and walking safety that is both impactful and winnable. Sign up: https://secure.everyaction.com/yHBsg9tdr0O7orcDpcWotw2?

Lots of younger residents look forward to spray parks when summer weather arrives. In my travels throughout Pittsburgh this past year, I’ve seen plenty of new or relatively new spray parks. 🧵

Long-ish post about the poor conditions at Chadwick Park's playground and "spray park" (you'll soon see why I've used quotes) in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar. If threaded posts annoy you, here's the SubStack link. pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

Like Pittsburgh’s other regional parks (Emerald View, Highland, Riverview, Schenley), Frick Park offers a rich history and varied landscape that could launch an infinite number of adventures. From gently rolling hills to steep, sudden drop-offs, this space serves as a complex and tantalizing muse. 🧵

Long-ish post about Frick Park and its first park foreman is on the way. If long threads annoy you, here's the SubStack link. 🌳🌸🌲🏵️🌳 pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

Wightman Park is a recently redesigned all-ages recreation space in Squirrel Hill North. Once plagued by water drainage issues, the area now features a beautiful array of native plants, bisected by gently curving walkways, and a little footbridge (because, you know, this is the City of Bridges). 🧵

In my years of walking around Pittsburgh, I’ve often imagined the questions archaeologists will one day have about the remains of our current civilization. The large wall in Davis Park is a great example. At first, its purpose confused me, ... 🧵

Swisshelm Park is in the far southeastern corner of Pittsburgh. Because it’s somewhat geographically isolated, many forget that it’s one of the City’s 90 neighborhoods (or confuse it with nearby Swissvale, which is a separate municipality). 🧵

For those who don't want to deal with the extended thread, here's the direct link to the SubStack about Swisshelm Park and the "good old days" of the giant slag heap at Nine Mile Run. pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

Mellon Park straddles both sides of Fifth Avenue. For better and for worse, having a busy road slice through a park means that while it’s one park in name, it’s two parks in atmosphere. The Shadyside side is home to the spray park, playground, athletic fields, and the year-round tennis “bubble.” 🧵

Happy New Year! I have another longer-than-average piece about Mellon Park. If you don't want to deal with an extended thread 😂, you can read it and see all the photos on my Substack: pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

Happy New Year, everyone. ☺️ Photo from my collection, no date/info.

The final Calvin and Hobbes, which appeared in papers 30 years ago today.

Schenley Park. Entire books have been (and could be) written about its legendary and fascinating history, filled with colorful characters, political machinations, creative desires, and a diverse and complex landscape. A person could spend a lifetime uncovering everything this space has to offer. 🧵

Hello! I have a longer-than-average piece about Schenley Park's Westinghouse Memorial. If you don't want to deal with an extended thread 😂, you can read it and see all the photos on my Substack: pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

The Hazelwood Greenway was established in the early 1980s by Mayor Caligiuri and City Council as part of the “Greenways for Pittsburgh” program. At this time in history, Pittsburgh’s population was in a chronic state of decline, and vacant land was rapidly expanding. 🧵

💭 Can we build a city that isn’t car dependent? Join BikePGH for a live conversation with the hosts of The War on Cars as they discuss their new book, Life After Cars 📅 Jan 29, Live & in person @ Alloy 26 👉 Register now: bikepgh.org/2025/12/18/life-after-cars-bikepgh-book-talk-january-2026

Located on the outskirts of Hazelwood, Gladstone Field has two ball fields: one appears to be for “official” softball or baseball games, and the other might be for practice or T-ball, offering a smaller, more manageable space for those new to the game or working on fundamentals. 🧵

While playwright August Wilson is mainly associated with the Hill District, he did spend a few adolescent years in Hazelwood. They were not happy years, but they were formative. 🧵

When it comes to change, Hazelwood’s trajectory has been dramatic. What began as a nineteenth-century pastoral enclave for the wealthy was replaced by twentieth-century heavy industry and mill-working families. 🧵

🚶 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐰! Collect data to help the City improve sidewalks across Pittsburgh. ✨ Sign up for a virtual training: www.pittsburghwalks.org/sidewalks Sat. Dec 11th Tues. Jan 13th Sat. Feb 14th **ASL Interpretation will be provided 2/14.

A desire path is an unofficial trail created by repeated use of the most direct or convenient route between two points. Once established, these paths can influence how pedestrians use and interact with their environment. 🧵

Hey, Bloomfield, walk with us on December 14th! sign up: secure.everyaction.com/BUcRFJiZAUWtstHfohwqGw2

On the Pittsburgh playgrounds bingo card, Four Mile Run Park checks a lot of boxes. Fancy new play equipment? Yup! Industrial-strength musical instruments and large chimes? Cool! Courts and athletics fields? Nice! A working water fountain during warm weather months? WOW! 🧵

Schenley Park looms high above the area known as Four Mile Run (often called “The Run” by locals). In addition to the park, the neighborhood also lies below a segment of I-376 and the latest version of the Greenfield Bridge. 🧵

The Hazelwood Healthy Active Living Center (HAL) building has a rather curious history. The structure was once part of the Glenwood car barn operated by the Pittsburgh Railways Company. 🧵

Magee Park is known for its community pool, but once the summer ends and children are back to school, the daytime vibe quiets down… but not entirely. Plenty of families live nearby, and parents and caregivers with toddlers take full advantage of the playground.🧵

While Greenfield has a few bustling streets, it’s primarily a residential neighborhood wedged between Oakland, Hazelwood, Squirrel Hill, and Schenley Park. As this is Pittsburgh, it’s hilly (LOL) but more importantly, it has a home-spun quality that reminds me of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. 🧵

Hays Woods is Pittsburgh’s newest and largest park, and chances are, you’ve never even heard of it! Located at the far southeastern edge of the City on a bluff overlooking the Monongahela River, Hays is 626 acres of preserved greenway. 🧵

Surprise! Nine Mile Run Trail is closing from Nov. 17, 2025 to Jan. 30, 2026 😬 – See options for getting around the closure here: https://bikepgh.org/2025/11/05/nine-mile-run-trail-to-close-for-2-5-months-see-options-for-getting-around-the-closure/

Another fun walking/photo exploration from Mitch Waxman. This time, he ventures over to German Square for city steps and freight trains. newtownpentacle.com/2025/11/10/c...

We're going on a walk! You coming? www.facebook.com/events/10662...

Before someone built the playground, invented the automobiles that rocket along Mifflin Road, and constructed the homes lining Hillburn Street, there were these railroad tracks. 🧵