Laura Zurowski/Mis.Steps
@mis-steps.bsky.social
A hardy fool, living on a hill. Photographing and writing about Pittsburgh's city steps, parks, playgrounds, and greenways. Hails from divine Providence, RI. See more at mis-steps.com/blog/.
But 100 years ago, this park was just getting started! The map from 1923 shows the land had been acquired by the City of Pittsburgh but the park and pool were yet to come. Everything takes time (true then, true today).
November 23, 2025 at 3:05 PM
But 100 years ago, this park was just getting started! The map from 1923 shows the land had been acquired by the City of Pittsburgh but the park and pool were yet to come. Everything takes time (true then, true today).
Watching them, it’s easy to understand why lounging poolside is so popular; it’s the only flat space in the park where minimal exertion is the norm! As winter approaches, the June 2026 opening day for city pools feels a million years away…
November 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Watching them, it’s easy to understand why lounging poolside is so popular; it’s the only flat space in the park where minimal exertion is the norm! As winter approaches, the June 2026 opening day for city pools feels a million years away…
Ambling along, I notice two men, perhaps a Gen Z-er with his Gen X dad, taking advantage of the cardio workout offered by the long flight of city steps that connects the athletic field to the seating. There’s not a whiff of machismo here, just the resigned huff and puff of running up and down.
November 23, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Ambling along, I notice two men, perhaps a Gen Z-er with his Gen X dad, taking advantage of the cardio workout offered by the long flight of city steps that connects the athletic field to the seating. There’s not a whiff of machismo here, just the resigned huff and puff of running up and down.
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.🧵
November 23, 2025 at 2:58 PM
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.🧵
And for those who love the 1923 maps (me!), it's curious to note that there was once a brickyard where the athletic field is today. Also, lots of city steps that are no longer a part of the neighborhood. :-(
November 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM
And for those who love the 1923 maps (me!), it's curious to note that there was once a brickyard where the athletic field is today. Also, lots of city steps that are no longer a part of the neighborhood. :-(
Creating a strong community requires both funding and boots-on-the-ground action. Perhaps this is why the athletic field, park, and playground remain vibrant and valued spaces for Greenfield residents. Everyone and everything has a useful place, and when you’re playing the right role, magic happens.
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Creating a strong community requires both funding and boots-on-the-ground action. Perhaps this is why the athletic field, park, and playground remain vibrant and valued spaces for Greenfield residents. Everyone and everything has a useful place, and when you’re playing the right role, magic happens.
But recognition is also due to Bud Hammer, for whom the park is named. Hammer was a local school janitor and baseball coach who taught an entire generation of young ‘burghers the skills needed to be champions on (and more importantly) off the field.
November 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM
But recognition is also due to Bud Hammer, for whom the park is named. Hammer was a local school janitor and baseball coach who taught an entire generation of young ‘burghers the skills needed to be champions on (and more importantly) off the field.
So bragging that former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is a financial contributor is certainly expected.
November 20, 2025 at 3:29 PM
So bragging that former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is a financial contributor is certainly expected.
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. 🧵
November 20, 2025 at 3:28 PM
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. 🧵
While it takes some effort to reach the bluff overlooking the river, it’s well worth it. Pack some refreshments and plan to stay for a bit. Hays Woods could easily become a favorite place to explore and relax.
November 13, 2025 at 2:19 PM
While it takes some effort to reach the bluff overlooking the river, it’s well worth it. Pack some refreshments and plan to stay for a bit. Hays Woods could easily become a favorite place to explore and relax.
Beyond a porta-potty near the entrance, you won’t find any amenities, but there are a variety of trails. Some are utility access roads that are easier to traverse, and others are footpaths that wind through fields and wooded hillsides.
November 13, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Beyond a porta-potty near the entrance, you won’t find any amenities, but there are a variety of trails. Some are utility access roads that are easier to traverse, and others are footpaths that wind through fields and wooded hillsides.
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. 🧵
November 13, 2025 at 2:15 PM
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. 🧵
Moments of tranquility are punctuated by the sound of the whistle and vibrations on the ground and in the air. Here comes another freight train.
November 10, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Moments of tranquility are punctuated by the sound of the whistle and vibrations on the ground and in the air. Here comes another freight train.
When all is quiet on the Norfolk Southern and CSX lines, there’s a shaded, mossy-roofed pavilion with a bird nest in the rafters and a picnic table for those who want to sit and eat a sandwich, or have a smoke, or talk on the phone without everyone else hearing the conversation.
November 10, 2025 at 1:57 PM
When all is quiet on the Norfolk Southern and CSX lines, there’s a shaded, mossy-roofed pavilion with a bird nest in the rafters and a picnic table for those who want to sit and eat a sandwich, or have a smoke, or talk on the phone without everyone else hearing the conversation.
In some places, the line between the people and the railroad authority is clearly defined and prominent. In Hays, that’s not the case. And so, it’s not surprising that in this small, lightly careworn park, which was enclosed in regulation-grade fencing, people have made their way to the tracks.
November 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
In some places, the line between the people and the railroad authority is clearly defined and prominent. In Hays, that’s not the case. And so, it’s not surprising that in this small, lightly careworn park, which was enclosed in regulation-grade fencing, people have made their way to the tracks.
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. 🧵
November 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
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. 🧵
The playground is a shady, welcoming space with an assortment of equipment, and it is likely busy after school. As kids are known for climbing on anything in their paths, a relocation likely seemed a wise choice.
November 6, 2025 at 6:19 PM
The playground is a shady, welcoming space with an assortment of equipment, and it is likely busy after school. As kids are known for climbing on anything in their paths, a relocation likely seemed a wise choice.
The Veterans Memorial is located by the school’s front entrance, overlooking Mifflin Road, and the dedication marker is out back, next to the playground equipment. This separation strikes me as somewhat unusual, and I wonder if the two were originally together but then separated. 🧵
November 6, 2025 at 6:16 PM
The Veterans Memorial is located by the school’s front entrance, overlooking Mifflin Road, and the dedication marker is out back, next to the playground equipment. This separation strikes me as somewhat unusual, and I wonder if the two were originally together but then separated. 🧵
Surrounded by soaring trees and bathed in mottled light, one can only imagine the ghoulish and creepy tales these old stones hold…
… which likely pale in comparison to mid-summer conditions inside the pair of Port-O-Johns lurking by the parking lot.
… which likely pale in comparison to mid-summer conditions inside the pair of Port-O-Johns lurking by the parking lot.
November 3, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Surrounded by soaring trees and bathed in mottled light, one can only imagine the ghoulish and creepy tales these old stones hold…
… which likely pale in comparison to mid-summer conditions inside the pair of Port-O-Johns lurking by the parking lot.
… which likely pale in comparison to mid-summer conditions inside the pair of Port-O-Johns lurking by the parking lot.
...but continue down the road, away from the amenities, and you’ll find the charred and rotting remains of an old-time park shelter, complete with a rustic hearth, graffiti, and (sigh) litter.
November 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM
...but continue down the road, away from the amenities, and you’ll find the charred and rotting remains of an old-time park shelter, complete with a rustic hearth, graffiti, and (sigh) litter.
Located deep in the southeastern hills of Pittsburgh, this Lincoln Place park looks fairly standard on the initial approach: dek hockey, athletic courts, an outdoor seasonal swimming pool with a playground…
November 3, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Located deep in the southeastern hills of Pittsburgh, this Lincoln Place park looks fairly standard on the initial approach: dek hockey, athletic courts, an outdoor seasonal swimming pool with a playground…
Looking to extend your Halloween celebrations with an outing to an appropriately gothic setting? You may find the lower end of McBride Community Park enticing. 🧵
November 3, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Looking to extend your Halloween celebrations with an outing to an appropriately gothic setting? You may find the lower end of McBride Community Park enticing. 🧵
Some come to fruition, some are abandoned, and others are left waiting, like a deer watching from the safety of the nearby woods.
November 1, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Some come to fruition, some are abandoned, and others are left waiting, like a deer watching from the safety of the nearby woods.
Long ago, a shade tree was uprooted, but the stump remains, displaying its heart-like shape. Longer still, someone played horseshoes in the park, and someone else tried to sell adjacent land. Regardless of where we live, we are always taking action and making plans.
November 1, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Long ago, a shade tree was uprooted, but the stump remains, displaying its heart-like shape. Longer still, someone played horseshoes in the park, and someone else tried to sell adjacent land. Regardless of where we live, we are always taking action and making plans.
On Revenue Street, there’s a small, relatively well-maintained playground. It’s unclear how many children still live nearby, but the wooded landscape makes it a popular spot with deer. Perhaps they’ve noticed the “No Hunting” signs. 🙂
November 1, 2025 at 12:24 AM
On Revenue Street, there’s a small, relatively well-maintained playground. It’s unclear how many children still live nearby, but the wooded landscape makes it a popular spot with deer. Perhaps they’ve noticed the “No Hunting” signs. 🙂