Neighborhoods
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This view overlooks the California-Kirkbride section of Pittsburgh, with Manchester and the West End Bridge in the background. The neighborhood is a wedge of land between the railroad tracks at the northern edge of Manchester and a steep hill at the southern edges of Brightwood and Perry Hilltop. Most of the neighborhood is located on the flat river plain that comprises the majority of old Allegheny City Historically, this area had been part of Manchester but due to the barrier imposed by the railroad, it did not receive the industrial uses typical of Manchester except on its borders. The neighborhood was developed almost exclusively between 1870 and 1900. During this period, industries including tanneries, slaughterhouses, and the local rail yard were flourishing in Allegheny City, and the men working in these industries needed housing for themselves and their families. To meet this need, several businessmen - often the owners of the businesses whose workers needed housing - bought land in California-Kirkbride and built rowhouses on it. The neighborhood thus consists almost entirely of rowhouses that were initially built for industrial workers and their families. A significant portion of the neighborhood's rowhouses were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, as the Old Allegheny Rows Historic District. These rowhouses, while intended for industrial workers of modest means, were designed to be beautiful and to offer the workers some amenities. Thus, the period from the 1870’s - 1900’s saw a change in the nature and appearance of city dwellings in the district from simple brick boxes intended to house the workers of a particular local industry, to an ornate polychromed speculative development with modern conveniences designed to appeal to the independent urban wage earner. The neighborhood began to depopulate after the Great Depression. Over time, some of the neighborhood's structures have been demolished, so that there are now significant gaps in the rows of houses - as can be seen in this image - which are now vacant lots. Some current residents see these changes as improvements which will encourage new residents to maintain and preserve the remaining structures. (Extracted from Wikipedia) Shot on April 10, 2016, California- Kirkbride neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA © John Schiller Photography
The Abbey Writer Lawrenceville
Had a great Mother's Day brunch at The Abbey on Butler, a wonderful new restaurant that's part of the Lawrenceville scene. A former funeral home, this restaurant has all kinds of intersting nooks and crannies in which to eat or just enjoy coffee - including a large outdoor courtyard with fireplace. and fountain. I was walkng out when I caught a glimpse of this writer hard at work recording her thoughts. Natural lighting from the large front window washed over her. Shot on May 8, 2016, in Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh, PA © John Schiller Photography.
Vineal Street is part of East Northside, Pittsburgh. Under the gray cover of Pittsburgh's smokey past, these small homes still carry the colors of their own individuality. Shot on May 4, 2016, East Northside, Pittsburgh, PA © John Schiller Photography
Pittsburgh: Bridges and Churches
Look in any direction in Pittsburgh, and you'll find a bridge, a church or both. Here's an early morning view from the Strip to Polish Hill. In the distance is the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, high up on Polish Hill. In the foreground under the Chestnut Stree Bridge, now the David McCullough Bridge, on the right you can spot the Saint Stanislaus Church in the Strip District. On the left, fading in the distance is the 31st Street Bridge.
Late fall colors edge the Monongahela River and shelter the train tracks hidden in Duck Hollow (just below Squirrel Hill). Overhead, the sun sets above the Mon, and paints the clouds a pale pink, as the evening readies a moonrise on the first day of the SuperMoon. Shot on November 14, 2016 In Homestead, PA. (c) John Schiller Photography
Fire escapes architect their own designs with lines and shadows against a Garfield neighborhood building. Shot on August 23, 2018 in Pittsburgh, PA. © John Schiller Photography
Color finally comes to Western Pennsylvania. Shot from over 3 miles away, the US Steel Edgar Thompson Works is the last working mill in the Pittsburgh region. It sits proudly along the Monongahela River in Braddock, PA. Shot on November 6, 2018 from Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh. ©John Schiller Photography
Carson Steret Southside of Pittburgh is oddly quiet. Wait 'til the night. 2/17/20 ©John Schiller Photography
Framed in autumn colors, the Duquesne Incline is one of two remaining funiculars that link Mount Washington with downtown Pittsburgh. Originally there were 17 such passenger vehicles. Dating back to 1877, this classic symbol of Pittsburgh messages out to one of the city favorites - the Pittsburgh Steelers! ©John Schiller Photography