PERAMBULATING THROUGH PITTSBURGH

Reflection, Rumination & Rhetoric from the Road

It is always a pleasure to visit someplace I’ve never been before.

No comfort zone, out of the box, get lost to find yourself.

But I had been here before.

In a dream.

But when I dreamt it, about five years ago, I had no idea what city I was dreaming about.

I knew I was somewhere in the USA. Somewhere with a riverwalk.

Because in my dream I was walking alongside a river, with city-style buildings on the other side. It was a beautiful cloudless day; the air crisp and clear, a hint of autumn. A riverboat passed by.

Upon awakening, I searched internet images of various cities in an attempt to discover where my dream had taken.

Providence, Rhode Island—its riverwalk—seemed possible.

But the alignment wasn’t right.

So: The first thing I do after checking into a downtown Pittsburgh hotel is hoof a half-mile down to the river.

Three rivers, actually: The Ohio, the Allegheny and the Monongahela.

They trisect at Three Rivers Heritage Trail, north side.

I cross Roberto Clemente Bridge over the Allegheny to PNC Park, home to the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. Then down a stairway to North Shore Riverfront Park, a stroll to the Fort Duquesne Bridge. (In addition to steel, Pittsburgh is known for its 446 iron bridges.)

That’s where I turn around and begin my scenic stroll.

Uncannily, the view is exactly what I had dreamt.

Was it premonitory—or guidance to come here?

In the next scene of my dream, I have penetrated the city and I’m walking along one of its streets.

Sure enough, Seventh Street is also the vision from my dream. A beautiful cloudless day, the air crisp and clear; a hint of autumn.

The King of Pop Art was born in Pittsburgh, so no surprise this is where one finds The Andy Warhol Museum, housing the largest permanent collection of his prolific work as a visual artist.

I hardly ever use Uber, but after a Negroni at Morton’s Steakhouse I’m in need of a ride to the stately home of the publisher of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where I’m expected for dinner.

The driver, Glenn, is soft-spoken and courteous—and a wealth of information about the city in which he was born and drove a city bus and taxi before signing up with Uber. So I ask him to tour me around next afternoon.

***

Our first stop is Mount Washington for its panoramic overlook of the city…

Next, a cruise through the South Shore and Carson Street, known for its 40-plus bars in a city that has more bars per capita than any other city in the USA.

From there, we roll through the sprawling University of Pittsburgh campus (entwined with the city) and its formidable Cathedral of Learning…

And I realize that such a cathedral—of learning—must feature in the novel idea I dreamt a few nights earlier while in Washington, D.C., especially after consulting ChatGPT for its opinion on the matter.

This Gothic structure is not only impressive but houses the Nationality Rooms, each designed to celebrate a different culture. If education and cultural exploration are keys to your kingdom, this is a place to visit.

In addition to driving Uber, Glenn is the pastor of a church in a borough called Braddock in the eastern suburbs of Steel City

The church is called Jesus’ Dwelling Place.

While delivering a sermon in Jesus’ Dwelling Place a few months ago, Glenn the pastor was confronted by a mentally disturbed male who, minutes earlier, had shot and killed his own cousin. Now, at point blank range, the deranged man pointed his pistol at Glenn—and pulled the trigger.

The gun jammed, and a member of the congregation tackled the gunman, though it took 25 minutes for Pittsburgh’s finest to respond to reports of “an active gunman.”

Of course, I had to see Jesus’ Dwelling Place, where He most certainly resides.

Not just a temple of worship, Jesus’ Dwelling Place has a basement community center whose organizers strive to educate those questing to learn. Utilizing their full kitchen, Glenn and his helpers feed those in need of nourishment. He also raises money to create recreational facilities for the many under-privileged children who populate the Braddock neighborhood.

Thereafter, our final sight: Point State Park and its fountain, where Pittsburgh’s three rivers converge.

I tell Glenn, “The merging of rivers is a powerful source of physical and metaphysical energy. Combine that with negative ions produced by this fountain…

…and you and I are going to be the happiest people in Pittsburg today.”

When it comes time to part, I ask Glenn what I owe him for his three-and-a-half-hour tour.

Glenn shakes his head and says, “Nothing, I had a good time hanging with you.”

(Of course, I did not let “nothing” happen.)

And then, as he does most days, Glenn goes off to play chess in Market Square…

Room with a view

…where he beats everyone.

As for myself, I have a return engagement with the publisher of the Post-Gazette, this time as the very elegant Duquesne Club, where I encounter the most immaculate washroom I’ve ever visited…

Their “patio” is no slouch either…

And when all is said and done, I retire to Blend Bar for solitude and contemplation over a fancy beer and a Hemingway Short Story.

Lost & found