Gold/West Route 2024

1. Sidney St. - Keep left and head west on Sidney St. toward SouthSide Works Town Square and S. 27th St.

2. * SouthSide Works - This site had once been home to a sprawling steel mill whose works stretched to the opposite riverside. After the mill closed, a multi-million dollar residential and commercial complex took shape in stages between 2002 and 2004. Designed in a new urbanist style, SS Works offers more than 34 acres of shops, offices, hotels and apartments.

3. S. 27th St. - Make left and continue along S. 27th to E. Carson St. Cross and continue along S. 27th toward South Side Slopes, Oakley Way & Mosaic Steps.

4. Oakley Way & Mosaic Steps - Ahead are the Mosaic Steps! Take care crossing Josephine St. on the left side of S. 27th. As you climb the first 98 stairs, the colorful image of a young woman with a single flower reveals itself against a backdrop of homes, hills and wildlife. The steps themselves were built in 1928. Notice the foundations of long gone houses on the left as you climb. Continue across McCord St. and ascend an additional 63 steps to Shelly St. Take a break. You’ve just climbed the equivalent of 12 floors.

5. * Mosaic Public Art Project - The Oakley St. Steps mosaic was completed in 2016 and was the first of its kind in Pittsburgh. The installation was designed by artist Laura Jean McLaughlin, who led a group of 100 community volunteers in assembling the tiny mosaics on mesh. The finished work, affectionately titled "South Side Schlumpy Funk," covers 200 square feet and were mortared and grouted onto 77 risers. Led by SSSNA, the project was community-designed, funded and created.

6. Shelly St. - Beginning at 2700 Shelly are three of eight townhouses built in 2003 by the South Side Local Development Company in cooperation with the SSSNA. The new homes had to be shoe-horned into the hillside between existing homes. Continue walking Up Oakley Way.

7. Oakley Way Steps (cont’d) - Keep left and climb an additional 22 steps to upper Stella St. Ascend an additional 98 steps to Mission St. and then 19 steps on the right to Stromberg St. Finally, take the last 25 steps to Sumner St. You’ve walked the complete 303 steps that comprise Oakley Way.

8. Sumner St. - Cross Sumner and make right. Steps lie ahead, so ignore the "No Outlet" sign.

9. Sumner St. Steps - At the end of Sumner, keep left and descend 28 steps built into the sidewalk. Finally, descend an additional 57 steps through a canopy of trees to Holt St.

10. Holt St. - Cross street to sidewalk and make left. Notice the houses sit below grade with individual stair sets to Holt St., a feature of building on a steeply sloped hillside. Ascend three sidewalk steps and continue to Eleanor St.

11. * SSSNA Founding - Just past 39 Holt St. is an open lot. A fire here destroyed three homes on Memorial Day weekend 1997. Alarmed by the inability of a standard fire truck to negotiate the narrow streets and sharp turns, a group of residents joined forces to create the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association and lobby the city for smaller fire trucks. The city adopted the new design, and now a number of smaller fire trucks serve hillside neighborhoods throughout Pittsburgh.

12. Eleanor St. - Turn right and descend 69 steps to Caesar Way. These steps begin below the retaining wall for the townhouses on Holt St.

13. Caesar Way - Make left at the break in the railing. Please watch your footing. For over a decade, Caesar way was covered in concrete boulders and construction debris related to condos built on the plot above it. SSSNA members removed the debris, hoed out the path and tamped it down. Continue along narrow trail that traverses the Slopes and descend 44 steps to Sterling St.

14. Sterling St. Steps - Cross Sterling and make right on steps. Descend 33 steps to Mission St. On one corner is Garvey's, a popular neighborhood pub. Stop in for a cold one. Across is the former St. Josaphat's Church.

15. * St. Josaphat Church - Dedicated in 1916 to serve a Polish parish established in 1901, the Roman Catholic Church was named for St. Josaphat (Josephat Kuntsevych), a bishop and martyr born in Poland in 1580. The building is Romanesque with a Byzantium influence evident in the arches, pillars and bell tower. The main altar held relics of St. Josaphat. In the rear, beneath the choir balcony, hung a picture of the Black Madonna. The church closed permanently after a section of ceiling collapsed about the casket of the last caretaker during his funeral mass. The school was converted into four living units. The church itself is being transformed into a community wellness center. Many Polish descendants continue to inhabit this section of the Slopes. The names of relations and former residents who served in World Wars I & II are seen on the memorial tucked into the hillside across Mission St. from the church.

16. Mission St. - Take left and continue along Mission St. to S. 18th St. That’s South Side Park rising up the hill to your left. On the right, after the first bridge, is the Mission St. pumping station circa 1900, which delivers water into the neighborhood and surrounding area. Continue across second bridge, which was built in 1939 as a project of the Public Works Administration under FDR. An SSSNA initiative brightened this stretch of Mission by replacing existing street lighting with higher wattage lamps.

17. S. 18th St. - Cross at light and keep left on Pius St.

18. Pius St. - Continue walking one block to Oporto St.

19. Oporto St. & Oporto St. Steps - Make left and ascend left side of street to Gregory St. Then climb the 26 Oporto St. Steps on the left to Magdalene St.

20. Oporto St. Steps Cont’d - Cross Magdalene and climb the 125 steps to Baldauf St. To the left was the site of the Sankey brick yard that was active in the Slopes until the 1950s. Many a yard in the Slopes has a stash of Sankey bricks buried in the soil.

21. Oporto St. - Walk up one block to Huron St.

22. Huron St. - Turn right and walk length of street to Yard Way Steps and Winters Playground, one of a series of small parklets on the Slopes that were placed within a 10 minute walk of any home.

23. Yard Way Steps - Make right and descend 52 steps to Baldauf St. Built in 1944, the stairs drop a total of 314 steps from Shamokin St. above to Pius St. below. They are the longest set of stairs on this side of the Slopes.

24. Baldauf St. - Take left and walk to end of street and Short Street Steps.

25. Short St. Steps - Join steps in front of 1808 Short St. Make right and descend 106 steps to Magdalene St.

26. Magdalene St. - Turn right and walk along Magdalene. Notice the views over the rooftops of downtown and Hill District. Continue to Yard Way Steps, which are after 28 Magdalene.

27. Yard Way Steps - Make left and descend 38 steps to Gregory St. and the final 13 steps to Pius St. The last set of stairs were rebuilt in time for the first StepTrek in April 2000. In addition to providing a fascinating tour of this hillside neighborhood, the StepTrek encourages the city to make repairs to existing stairways for public safety.

28. Pius St. - Take left. Signage throughout the Slopes point out public stairs such as S. 18th St. Steps, located after 113 Pius St.

29. * All Wars Memorial - Just past 107 Pius St., overlooking South Side Flats, is a small, but well-kept memorial. Tucked behind a gate, the site honors veterans. State Elm Street funds permitted extensive improvements that included landscaping, fencing, sidewalks and new flagstone. The memorial, completed and rededicated on September 11, 2007, is maintained by Slopes residents.

30. Pius St. Cont’d. - Continue along Pius toward town. St. Michael Parish buildings once occupied this stretch of Pius St. The former convent at 66 Pius Street, on the left, is now a condominium complex. You'll make a right on S. 15th St., but here is some background on the parish.

31. * St. Michael’s Parish - At 44 Pius is the former St. Michael’s Madchen Schule and previous home of the Veronica’s Veil playhouse. The theater hosted a series of plays throughout the year but was most famous for its Passion play, Veronica’s Veil. Performed during Lent, it was said to be the longest running play in American community theater. These buildings were part of St. Michael’s Parish. The complex on the left includes the Burning Bush, which offered a retreat center for quiet meditation in overnight rooms.

32. * Cholera Plague of 1849 - In 1849, a deadly cholera plague hit Pittsburgh. The parish could not find enough burial places for its deceased members. Parishioners prayed to St. Roch and vowed to keep a day holy if the plague would cease. It did. Another plague hit the South Side in 1853 but no members of St. Michael died. Cholera Day is observed each August in Prince of Peace Parish on the South Side, the successor to St. Michael Parish.

33. * St. Michael Church - The influence of the church was strong in the Slopes. St. Michael parish started in a house in 1848 where the church front now stands. Designed by Charles Bartberger of Stuttgart, Germany, the church was built between 1855 and 1860 on land donated by German immigrants. The surrounding land reminded them of the Rhine River valley. Though it has a gothic spire, the overall style is Rhineland Romanesque Rival similar to rural Bavarian churches. The church was closed through a consolidation of parishes and has been redeveloped into condominiums.

34. S. 15th St. - Make right before St. Michael Church and descend the 26 steps along left side to Clinton St.

35. S. 15th St. Steps - Continue past Clinton to set of steps dropping through the trees. Descend the 60 stairs to the footbridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad.

36. * Pedestrian Bridges - At the request of SSSNA & Slopes residents, the City and railroad completed this footbridge and the other at S. 10th St. in 2002. The span is made of the same COR-TEN steel as the UPMC (former U.S. Steel) tower downtown. The brown rust serves as a protective coating over the steel frame. The bridges reinstated pedestrian access between the Slopes and Flats. Another SSSNA effort brought safety lighting to the two bridges. At the end of the bridge, descend 59 steps.

37. S. 15th St. - To the right is the former Polska Szkola built in 1898. Continue down S. 15th St. one half block to Breed St. A couple of doors down S. 15th St., on the left, is St. Adalbert Church. This is the sole active Roman Catholic church in the South Side since the consolidation of local parishes.

38. Breed St. - Make left and walk along this shady street of mostly brick houses to S. 12th St.

39. S. 12th St. - Keep right and walk down S. 12th St. to Freyburg St. Be careful as you cross the street.

40. Freyburg St. - Make left. Between 1117 and 1111 Freyburg was where a stone wall elevated the Knoxville Incline over Freyburg on its climb to the hilltop. Its foundation remains.

41. * Knoxville Incline - The Knoxville Incline (1889-1960) began one street down on Bradish St. It followed the hollow going uphill to Fritz St. and Allentown. A deep trough carved into the ground permitted the incline to dock at street level. Later renamed the Pittsburgh Incline, it boarded horses, wagons, carts and passengers and was the last remaining of two city inclines to curve up the hill. The track extended 2,644 feet and was the longest incline in the city. During the Depression, it cost three cents to ride. Continue on Freyburg to S. 10th St.

42. S. 10th St. & Steps - Make left and climb 57 steps to S. 10th St. Pedestrian Bridge. At the request of SSSNA & Slopes residents, the City of Pittsburgh and the Norfolk Southern Railroad completed this footbridge in the summer of 2002 to reinstate pedestrian access between the Slopes and Flats. In 2005, lighting was added. Stop mid-span and look left to view the spectacular St. Michael church on the hillside. Continue across the railroad tracks and climb 49 steps to Fritz St.

43. Fritz St. - Make right and walk 40 feet to German Square.

44. * German Square - Named after the German families who settled on the hillside, the square features parallel sets of steps that climb into the Slopes.

45. German Square Steps - Make left at first set of stairs and begin climbing 265 steps to Hartford St. Congrats! You climbed the longest continuous set of steps in this event.

46. Hartford St. - Turn left. Notice the houses constructed below street level on left. Ahead are both St. Michael and St. Josaphat church steeples. Keep to right to descend 27 wooden steps to street's end.

47. Hartford St. Steps - Make left and descend 70 wooden steps to Fritz St. and Knoxville Incline Trail.

48. Fritz St. & Knoxville Incline Trail - Turn right. The trail follows a permanent greenway that connects the Flats to the top of the Slopes along what was Fritz St. It’s hard to believe you’re in the city! Be careful as you walk Knoxville Incline Trail to Welsh Way.

49. * Knoxville Incline Greenway - Dedicated in 2016, the Greenway honors the Knoxville Incline’s history. Created in partnership with GTECH Strategies as part of its ReClaim South program, the trail follows what was Fritz St. and leads to a bridge, now closed for repairs, over a deep ravine lined with large-stone retaining walls. The incline ran through there from 1890 to 1960. Over the years, SSSNA members have pulled several hundred tires from the ravine as part of an area clean up. SSSNA and Allentown CDC donated the trees planted at the entrance from Brosville St.

50. Welsh Way Steps - Just before the bridge are Welsh Way Steps. Make left and descend the 111 steps. Enjoy the rustic beauty.

51. Welsh Way - Continue down Welsh Way. The Knoxville Incline, which began below on Bradish St., once climbed through the ravine to the right behind the collection of small, 1890’s houses. Remnants of the incline’s retaining walls can still be seen in the rear yards. It was the longest incline in Pittsburgh and the only one to curve as it ascended.

52. * The Dirty Dozen - Each fall, a Pittsburgh cycling organization hosts a 50-mile bike race that goes up 13 of its steepest hills. Welsh Way is one of the Dirty Dozen. Another is Eleanor St. on both this and the East Route. The event this year is Sat., Oct. 26.

53. Brosville St. Steps - Welsh Way bends to the right and meets S. 12 St. at Brosville St. Be careful as you cross to opposite side and turn right to climb 44 steps on left side of street.

54. St. Michael Steps - At corner of Brosville & Pius Streets is the former St. Michael Church. When ready, cross to St. Michael Steps on the opposite side and climb these 150 steps to Hackstown St.

55. Hackstown St. - Make a right at the top of St. Michael Steps. At 112 Hackstown is the Kanyuscak-Zofcin House. Built and inhabited circa 1890 – 1920, it was the residence of a steelworker from the Jones & Laughlin works along the Monongahela River. Follow Hackstown as it curves left and drops to St. Joseph Way Steps and Brosville St.

56. *  Brosville-Monastery Welcome Garden - Terraced into the hillside ahead is a quiet green space. The fabricated canvas of COR-TEN steel plate was created by former SSSNA board member and architect Peter Kreuthmeier and installed against a curved retaining wall. The scrim replicates a section of a Slopes neighborhood from a lot and block map. An Elm Street project funded by the state, it was dedicated in 2007 and is one of six gardens maintained by SSSNA members. The installation has garnered both state and local awards.

57. St. Joseph Way Steps - Make left at fire hydrant and climb 77 steps to St. Joseph Way. Note that the first few houses have access via the steps only.

58. St. Joseph Way - Walk the short distance to St. Thomas St.

59. St. Thomas St. - Make right and climb 5 steps on the way to Monastery St. Look right to view downtown and the rivers.

60. Monastery St. Steps - Cross street and make left to ascend 15 steps on the right side. These steps and sidewalk were rebuilt a few years ago as part of a project to replace a larger set of steps that ran the length of Monastery. At the top lies the historical St. Paul of the Cross Monastery.

61. * St. Paul of the Cross Monastery - Known as the barefoot missionaries, the Passionists vowed to live a life of prayer, poverty, penance and solitude. The first bishop of Pittsburgh invited the Italian order over in 1852. Designed by the architect Charles Bartberger, who also designed St. Michael Church, the church was completed in 1859 in the midst of an 11 acre compound chosen for its serenity, natural beauty and seclusion. The architectural style is Romanesque. The interior rose window is a copy of one in Reims, Germany. The newly renovated chapel is exquisite and opens daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please step inside for quiet observation. On exiting the chapel, take in the stunning view of downtown.

62. Monastery Ave. - From the top of Monastery St., make a right and descend along left side of Monastery Ave. to St. Paul St.

63. St. Paul St. - Make left. The orange brick building on the left is the St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center, which is available for individual retreats by arrangement. Continue down the street to the brick walls that are part of the monastery. The walls appear to be the original ones that shielded the enclave from the outside world. Parts of the garden and its Stations of the Cross can be seen from either end of the wall. Follow St. Paul to St. Patrick St. Steps, which begin midway between the trees on the right.

64. St. Patrick St. Steps - Descend the 82 steps to S. 18th St.

65. St. Patrick St. - Be careful as you cross S. 18th St. to St. Patrick. Descend 5 steps on the right. Continue past Saber Way on the left and Gable St. on the right. Keep left as you walk this winding, narrow road, which borders South Side Park as it cuts approximately 1/3rd mile through the Slopes. The view toward the top is of Oakland and the University of Pittsburgh. Just before the Arlington Fire Station Engine #22 and Arlington Ave. is the Wayne Lester Memorial Orchard. Mr. Lester, a Pittsburgh firefighter and active member of the Arlington community, was instrumental in planting the orchard adjacent to the fire station.

66. Arlington Ave. - Make left. Just past the Fire Station is Julia St.

67. Julia St. - Make left and climb two steps on left side. Walk one short block to Esop Way

68. Esop Way - Turn right and walk 100 feet to parking lot on left. Turn into parking lot. At its end is South Side Park and Julia Connector Trailhead. On the left are views of downtown skyscrapers, Slopes homes and the Ohio River valley.

69. * South Side Park - Efforts continue to reclaim a 64 acre park that extends from the heights of the Slopes to Josephine St. below. In this wooded hillside are streams, ball fields and pathways. Volunteers have removed invasive knotweed and vines that choke the park and built its trails. With funding from The Brashear Association, SSSNA partnered with Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Landforce and the Student Conservation Association to create this neighborhood asset. Friends of South Side Park manage its ongoing work.

70. Julia Connector Trailhead - Continue along paved lane into the woods. At “T” intersection, make right and join South Side Park Trail. Continue along paved lane. No turns. Goats have been brought in to eat the invasive plants that have overcome the area. Improvements include the signage and newly planted trees. Keep right at intersection with lower South Side Park Trail and continue to overlook where it meets Sterling Connector Trail.

71. * Sterling Connector Trail - The trail was designed and built in collaboration with the Student Conservation Association. Funded by a 2015 Birmingham Foundation grant, the trail connects the eastern and western halves of South Side Park in this overgrown area known as Jurassic Valley. Landforce constructed both the Salisbury Connector Trail and Sterling Connector Trail in 2016.  Goats from Allegheny Goatscape continue to tame invasive vines. SCA and Slopes volunteers cleared a significant amount of land to cut across the steep terrain. Continue along trail and down 9 steps to its end at Sterling St. Steps. Enjoy the flower gardens along the way.

72. Sterling St. Steps - Make right. Built in 1951, the steps connect to Patterson St. above and Mission St. below. Climb 31 steps to Berg St. Steps.

73. Berg St. Steps - Turn left and ascend these 43 wooden steps, constructed in 1997, to Berg St. At top, turn around and take in the view.

74. Berg St. - Continue along left side of Berg. Descend the 9 steps to Eleanor St.

75. Eleanor St. - Make left and walk one block to Cobden St., where you’ll want to take a peek down this steep section of Eleanor. Each fall, Pittsburgh cycling enthusiasts host a 50-mile bike race that goes up 13 of the city’s steepest hills. Eleanor St. is one of the Dirty Dozen. Cyclists start this leg at Josephine St., at the base of the Slopes, and race up Holt and Eleanor to finish at Cobden St.

76. Cobden St. - Turn right. The course takes you along the spine of a knoll, with yards sloping down on either side. Look between homes on left for views of Oakland.

77. * Cobden Street Churches - In this section of the Slopes are a couple of smaller churches. New Creation South Side is at 2430 Cobden St. The Cobden Street Baptist Church is on the left corner at 2500 Cobden St.

78. Cobden St. Cont’d - You will pass the Cobden Street Basketball Court on your right. Continue past Sumner St. to Northview St.

79. Northview St. - Make left. Ahead is a commanding view of the Cathedral of Learning and Oakland. Descend past Flynn Way and Stromberg St. to where Northview bends to the right. On the left, just past the guardrail and before 3111 Northview, are Northview St. Steps.

80. Northview St. Steps - Make left and descend 115 steps through a nicely shaded area. Where the steps come out of the woods is a park. Stay straight and drop down 20 steps to Josephine St.

81. Josephine St. - Take left and walk 20 feet to cross walk. Use caution to cross Josephine and turn left. Descend hill to 30th St. Steps located just before 2925 Josephine.

82. S. 30th St. Steps - Make right and descend 108 steps to Mary St. Cross Mary and drop down another 41 steps to Harcum Way. Continue down S. 30th St. to where it joins Steve Seventy St. at the corner of Jane St.

83. Steve Seventy St. - Cross street. Keep left and continue to Sarah St.

84. Sarah St. - Turn left and walk along this quiet section of street to S. 28th St. The Birmingham Bridge Tavern (2901 Sarah) is a great place for a bite and a cold one.

85. S. 28th St. - Take right. Cross E. Carson St. at light and continue to staging area at S. 28th & Sidney Streets.