The 'Burgh

A little road weary from the New England whirlwind, we came into Pittsburgh having done no research on the city itself, but eager to experience one of its suburbs, Braddock.  Braddock , once a thriving industrial borough of the powerful steel town, crashed very hard in the past few decades, but there are nice little glimmers of green, of warmth, of a resilient community.  Feel free to read more here, but this was our experience:

After a tasty breakfast with our host Eleanor at a cafe in the hip, thriving Regent Square neighborhood, the three of us grabbed a bus to travel the 3 miles down to Braddock, noticing structures and people becoming sparser and sparser as we moved away from the city.  We had heard about a large urban farming effort as well as renovations of the old library and an abandoned church which now houses a community center, but had no arrangements with anyone there for a tour or meeting of any sort.

We found the farm and after poking around a little, secured 20 minutes with the head honcho Marshall, and drilled him about the farm, about funding, about the community.  We learned that some of what they grow goes to higher end restaurants in town, and some goes to the farm stand.  Most of what is moved at the stand is sold at a loss, but this gets healthy local food into the diet of many in Braddock who otherwise would not have access to more than corner store options.  A close connection with Grow Pittsburgh enables the farm to thrive, sharply in contrast to its surroundings.  Marshall seemed a little disappointed that more community members weren't more on board with what is happening at the farm, but while we were there, about a dozen teenagers (we learned they were there for paid summer employment through BYP) were working hard on this urban farmland, demonstrating its intention of being an integral part of the reemergence of Braddock as a thriving community.

As we strolled back toward the Community center and library we saw Mayor Fetterman  who we quickly followed to get a handshake and give a compliment.  He shared a few words and encouraged us to check out the community center which we did with the help of Phyllis, a long time Bradddock resident who seemed very excited about the new changes to the town and during our walk-through she optimistically shared their vision for the building which will have many resources for the kids.  "You gotta start with the kids," she explained.  We concurred.  After finishing our Popsicles that the Mayor gave us (we crossed paths with him again during our impromptu tour), we were led across the street to the first Carnegie Library.

Phyllis hooked us up with Vicki who stopped what she was doing in her office in the library to give us a behind-the-scenes tour of the library which included the gym, theater, ceramics studio, print shop, and an old pool.  Not your average library.  Vicki explained that Andrew Carnegie envisioned a library being a place for nourishment of the whole body and mind.  Vicki also brought up the challenging dilemma of so many abandoned buildings in the area (she is very involved in more that just librarian work).

Busy but friendly Farmer Marshall, gruff but kind Mayor Fetterman, excited and committed Resident Phyllis,  and librarian and much much more Vicki revealed to us such an unexpectedly personal view of Braddock.  Although no clear path is laid out before them (there was a slightly unsure tone in all the voices we heard), the people we encountered, who are just a few of the many, are very committed to Braddock and its exciting future.

Thankfully our hosts served as a good alternative to our own research (Thanks Eleanor and Jacob!), and really helped us to have a well-rounded Pittsburgh experience, including city views (up the Monongahela incline), local eats and drinks (Primanti Bros and D's), secret vistas (men's restroom on the 37th floor of the Cathedral of Learning), the Phipps Conservatory (so pleasantly green on a gray morning).  Great time in Steel Town!

 

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