Hike through urban setting beautiful
Jack Hughes
Jack Hughes
Row houses in Lawrenceville were built in in groups of 4, 6 or 8, were only 12 feet wide and had windows only on the front and back.
I live in a wooded area and spend a great deal of my time outdoors on the bike trail or hiking the valleys and hills of Ohiopyle State Park. Every so often, I like to enjoy a different outdoor experience and take an urban hike, usually in a nearby small town or in Pittsburgh.
Last week, I had occasion to be in the city to meet an old friend for breakfast. Afterwards, I decided to explore a bit of the city. My first stop was the reservoir and renovated gardens at Highland Park in the city蘑菇视频 East End. The zoo is also located at Highland Park and all of this brought back some great childhood memories. Just down the road a bit is Lawrenceville where my parents and grandparents had lived. I enjoy these old places and can feel the spirits of the past.
Much has changed over the years. A few things remain. The older folks are gone and the character of the neighborhood is changing to accommodate the needs of the new younger generation. The local tavern, grocery store, and barber shop have been replaced with a coffee shop, tattoo parlor and an upscale restaurant and bar. My Uncle Joe蘑菇视频 produce business is long gone and so too is the corner where my uncle Johnny booked the numbers. This was before the Pennsylvania Lottery and the whole system was based on trust. Mom played her number 518 for a dime and if she 鈥渉it鈥� the payout was 600 to one or $60. In those days, the daily number came off the stock market. It was the last digit of the number of advances, declines and unchanged shares and found in the daily newspaper business section.
My hike took me down several side streets. Much of the old houses are still there. Row houses in groups of 4, 6 or 8 were only 12 feet wide and had windows only on the front and back. If you could afford an end unit you also got side windows. Houses that sold for $20,000 a decade or two ago today sell for over $300,000 and rarely have a garage. Parking is on the street, however many newer residents because of the convenience to 鈥淒antawn鈥� Pittsburgh do not own an automobile. My parents and grandparents never owned a car. The bus to town takes only a few minutes and many of these young people bike or walk to work. They like the idea of the exercise and not paying for bus fares or parking.
Houses that were abandoned have been torn down and replaced with very modern looking glass and steel buildings with apartment rents over $2,000 per month. Back on Main Street the old shoe store still survives and so does the Allegheny Valley Bank, which is a very beautiful and well maintained old structure.
Lunch was at a sandwich and pizza shop. The lady owning the shop has been doing so for 17 years and bought her building just when the neighborhood was beginning to transition. She is pleased with her decision as business is good and the value is 5 times what she paid for it.
The people who populate a neighborhood are the most interesting and most are ready to engage in conversation. The fellow picking up trash while waiting for the bus told me he likes his neighborhood clean and loves living in Lawrenceville. Another shop owner shared with me her joy at the opening of a new shop which was called GRAM for geology, rocks and minerals. Interesting what you can find on an urban hike, geology in Lawrenceville. Wow!