This weekend we were able to go on a tour of the city steps in Fineview and learn about the history behind them! In the past, the steps were a major form of transportation, as a majority of people living in the city walked places. In fact, the steps were considered roads, just an extension to the paved pathways. There are thousands and thousands of steps within the city of Pittsburgh, and today they are surrounded- in most cases- by beautiful greenery. The steps were built to allow for easier mobility throughout the city, and mostly for job purposes. Prior to the popularity of vehicles, the steps and walkways were the method of transportation. As the name “Steel City” suggests, there were many steel factories, and a variety of other factories in Pittsburgh; so, in order for all of the workers to get to the factory, they would travel by the steps. A majority of the steps are still in use today, for transportation and recreational purposes. Additionally, the steps are often cared for by the communities that they are located in, and maintained, through volunteer efforts. The steps show how the city was connected in the past, but they also give us a connect to the past. The steps show the resilience of Pittsburghers, and how we manage the hilly terrain that we love so much.

Today we also had the chance to tour the nationality rooms! A majority of the rooms were built during the Great Depression, as well as during and post-World War Two. The nationality rooms are set up by different committees that decide on how to dedicate the rooms to honor their heritage. There are 29 rooms in the Cathedral of learning, and we were able to tour a handful of them, including, but not limited to, the Norwegian room, the German room, the Japanese room, the Indian room, the Welsh room, and the Irish room. The rooms are a testament to the resilience of the communities within Pittsburgh. For example, during the construction of different nationality rooms, there were many struggles, like during the Great Depression, there was a financial burden unlike any other- the construction process was no simple task, and neither was the pressure of staying true to the heritage of the committees. The Nationality rooms demonstrate how Pittsburghers are able to persevere through the hardships with the help of the community. The tour was very insightful, and when pairing the tour of the nationality rooms with the tour of the city steps, it is easy to see how Pittsburghers come together and that even through economic hardships and social differences, residents have and continue to persevere.