Bright Lights and Black & Whites - Pittsburgh Parks - Mellon Park & PPG Plaza

Land situated between Shady Avenue and Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh's Point Breeze neighborhood was once the foundation to the largest mansion in the city, belonging to industrialist, philanthropist and great banker Richard Mellon. In 1929 he chose renowned landscape architects to create gardens on the property with a modern and aesthetically pleasing approach. Ornate stonework melds perfectly with ironwork and greenspace, creating the most unique park in the city of Pittsburgh. As the war effort progressed and the regions industry reached its pinnacle, the city's wealthy residents moved to greener pastures. The mansion no longer exists but the gardens were left behind and dedicated as a city park in the 1940's. After falling into disrepair, the park was renovated and is home to the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Phipps Garden Center. Walking through the park on a overcast day in early December brings out an aspect of the park not typically seen in its regular green season purpose. The massive trees make for a fantastic backdrop for the contrast between the stonework and ironwork. With the natural lighting being poor, the necessary use of black and white photography truly brings out the historic feel of the park.

In contrast to Mellon Park sits a plaza in downtown Pittsburgh nestled between massive towers of steel and glass, PPG Plaza. PPG Place is a testement to Pittsburgh's dedication to innovative urban renewal. The site takes up six city blocks and sits on the former Kings Garden and Orchard that sat right outside of Fort Pitt. The towers were meant to showcase PPG's, the anchor tenants product which to this day makes the structure highly energy efficient. The over 19,000 plates of glass reflect away heat during the hot months and keep in heat during the cold months.The design drew inspiration from local structures like the Allegheny County Courthouse and Cathedral of Learning and has been deemed the crowned jewel of the Pittsburgh skyline. Today the plaza in the center is home to expansive fountains, recreational space, artwork and an ice rink just steps away from Point State Park and Market Square. During the holiday season it is the centerpiece for holiday displays highlighted by the multicolored lights that shine from the top of the towers throughout the year. Using the HDR setting on my camera allowed for photographs that bring out the colored lights and contrast in the glass plates.

Mellon Park

PPG PLACE

(Wintergarden, Market Square and PPG Plaza)

Remnants of Steel - Hazelwood - Forged Steel and Future Resiliance

 Along the banks of the Monongahela sits a remnant of industry and an example of the regions resilience. Purchased under the Stanwix Treaty, the large wooded tract of land filled with hazelnut trees and enormous Native American burial mounds became a bustling home to farmland, ship captains and industry. Once known as Scotch Bottoms due to the lands first settlers, the mills of J&L Steel and later LTV Steel brought in constant flow of eastern European immigrants, primarily Hungarian, Slovak, Italian and other Slavic groups. The Indian burial mounds were so large it is said there were enough stones to pave the entirety of Second Avenue, the main road that links Hazelwood to the rest of the city. As industry grew the town reached its pinnacle much like its cousin down the river, Braddock. Businesses, attractions and occupied homes filled the streets as the railroads in town saw immense traffic. The railroad was originally built inland to preserve the natural beauty of the riverbanks, essentially splitting the neighborhood into two sections. As the steel industry began to fail in the 1980's and with the construction of the Civic Arena in the 1960's causing the displacement of thousands of low income residents, Hazelwood met the same demise as many neighborhoods and boroughs along the three rivers. With LTV Steel closing in 1999, I have always remembered Hazelwood as a thriving neighborhood lost to history, covered in grime and rust, the way I saw it as I passed through it on the way to my grandparents house in the South Hills. In typical Pittsburgh fashion, residents, local politicians and innovators revive distressed areas through resilience, devotion and revitalization. The expansive brownfield has been rezoned for development of the Almono Site. Created by RIDC (Regional Industrial Development Corperation) who have redeveloped much of the regions former brownfields, the Almono Site will be home to a technology park, housing units millions of square feet of office space and an extension of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail reconnecting Hazelwood with the rest of the city through productivity and resilience. Hazelwood is the quintessential example of a Pittsburgh neighborhood, born through native american history, farmland, wealth, philanthropy and most importantly industry only later to be left to fend for itself after the collapse of industry and succeed mightily. Although there is a long road ahead, the banks of the Monongahela from Hazelwood all the way to Point State Park are reaching their former glory, just without the smog.

The following pictures were taken along 2nd Avenue looking towards Downtown along the old LTV Steel site. 

Visit the links below for more information:

Hazelwood History

Building Pittsburgh's Future - Almono

Pittsburgh Landmarks - Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

The Pittzburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium sits atop 77 acres in the city's Highland Park neighborhood. Opening in 1898, the zoo has evolved to a home of over 4,000 animals representing close to 500 species, some being endangered. The Zoo has always been focused on conservation since its initial expansion in the 1930's and is one of only a select few zoo / aquarium combinations in the country. With its expansions and rennovations from the 1980's through the early 2000's the zoo now has several distinct areas such as the Asian Forest, home to endangered tigers and leopards, African Savanna, Tropical Forest, home to primates and tropical plants, Bears, PPG Aquarium, home to local and exotic fish, penguins and other aquatic creatures, and Waters Edge, home to polar bears and sea lions. Pittsburgh Zoo is a leader in breeding with the first successful African Elephant birth at a zoo in decades along with tiger cubs and sea lions. The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is a prime example of Pittsburgh's devotion to preserving historic structures while creating a unique location for civic enjoyment.

Asian Forest

 

                                                   

                                                   

African Savanna

Tropical Forest

Bears

PPG Aquarium

Waters Edge