Photographer and adventurer Matt Dayak explores some of the most vertical in-between spaces of Pittsburgh: the city steps.

Exploring the Beauty of Pittsburgh’s City Steps and Staircases

People will do just about anything to avoid stairs. They’ll wait for an elevator to go up a single floor or choose the escalator every time. But in Pittsburgh, stairs are different. Here, they’re stitched into the fabric of the city, rising between streets, cutting through hillsides, and connecting places that some roads barely reach. Most of these steps can be avoided. But maybe they shouldn’t be.

It’s hard not to think about the history built into these steps. At one time, they were essential. Steelworkers, students, and residents used them every day to move through a city carved into hillsides. With over 700 staircases, Pittsburgh has more public steps than any other city in the country. Built during a time when walking was essential, the steps functioned like free public transit. They weren’t designed for walkability. They were built to make the city work.

Some still echo with the footsteps of steelworkers from over a century ago. I walk them now too, not for a paycheck, but for perspective.

Why Take Pittsburgh’s Public Staircases?

Today, many of our city’s steps sit quietly. Some are crumbling, overgrown, or forgotten. In a city with dramatic elevation changes, rising more than 660 feet from river level to the hilltops, these staircases remain both relics of the past and hidden assets of the present. As fewer people rely on public transportation or walking, the steps have faded from everyday life. Some staircases even appear on maps as official city streets. They’re part of Pittsburgh’s strange patchwork of “paper streets,” which were planned and mapped but never built. Technically, they’re still viewed as a street but that doesn’t help your Uber Eats driver trying to find your house before your Massaman curry gets cold.

In a city with aging bridges, pothole-riddled roads, and limited budgets, it’s fair to ask where the public money should go. Some argue that funding should be prioritized for infrastructure that serves more people, more often. That’s a valid point. But for others, including stairway advocates, urban hikers, and longtime residents, the steps are more than just concrete. They are part of the city’s identity, and history. Losing them would mean more than just losing a shortcut. But the steps are still here.

A Way of Transportation

For some of us, they’re still part of the daily routine. Not just for getting somewhere, but for training, exploring, and staying connected to the wild geography that makes Pittsburgh what it is. In some neighborhoods, these staircases are still a practical part of daily life. They connect people to bus stops, grocery stores, schools, and jobs. That use matters, and it’s part of why they’re worth keeping.

I use the steps in a different way than many people who rely on them every day. For me, the steps have become a way to stay active and explore the city both alone and with friends. I use them to train for hiking trips and mountain summits, but it’s not just about preparing for something else. Being on the steps lets me experience Pittsburgh in a slower, more connected way. I’ll often plan a route that strings together multiple sets of stairs and ends at a small business, maybe a neighborhood bakery, a coffee shop, or a killer spot for lunch. It’s exercise, but it’s also a way to support local places and see parts of the city I wouldn’t otherwise pass through.

There’s no single reason to climb these stairs. Some people do it because they have to. Others, because they want to. But no matter why you’re on them, the steps pull you into the city in a way most things don’t. They slow you down. They make you look around. And somewhere between the bottom and the top, Pittsburgh feels different.

Where to Climb Pittsburgh’s City Steps

Rising Main Steps  

These are in Fineview, at the end of Howard Street, right next to the Parkway. They might be my favorite. You need to see them to believe them. They’re incredibly long, with close to 400 steps. They’re also in rough shape. Some sections are leaning, and in one spot, a green garden hose has been tied up to replace a missing railing. 

Jacob St. Steps  

In my neighborhood of Brookline, there’s a short set of steps at the end of Brookline Boulevard. They’re not dramatic, but I like how they cut through a small patch of woods. It feels like a little escape tucked into the city. 

South Side Slopes 

In the South Side Slopes, there is not just one set of stairs. There’s a spiderweb of them. There are well over 2,000 individual steps winding through the neighborhood, connecting streets, alleyways, and hillside homes. You can start at the set on 18th Street, right where the hill begins to rise. From there, finding your way through the rest becomes its own kind of adventure.

Story and Photography by Matt Dayak

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We loved our recent team day at Kennywood so much that we wanted to share our simple strategies for making the day top notch fun and outstandingly delicious. Give it a try! 

Plan Your Day at Kennywood the TABLE Magazine Way

On a rare sunny, 90-degree day in Pittsburgh, the TABLE Magazine team set out on the most Yinzer of pastimes: a day at Kennywood. We had a slightly ambitious vision in mind: have fun and also make it TABLE style. Now, you may be wondering, what does “Kennywood TABLE style” entail? We’re firm believers that everything can be a pleasingly luxurious, including Kennywood. We planned our beautiful dream day from start to finish featuring an upgraded Kennywood picnic, a food scavenger hunt, and then plenty of roller coaster rides.

One of the staples of Kennywood is the crowd-pleasing food. Pittsburghers grow up craving Potato Patch Fries, decadent homemade fudge, as well as special treats you can only get in the park. Our plan was not to replace these things but to make them the best they could possibly be with a few added ingredients. Follow along and you, too, can create a true feast for your next amusement park visit. 

Start with a Plan

Kennywood lets each guest bring in a 15x15x15-inch bag filled with food and supplies from outside the park. That’s more than enough for a fantastic picnic in the park, especially if you make great use of the yummy stuff served up by the park’s vendors. One note, though: Be sure not to bring glass containers or other breakables or sharp objects. And be sure everything you need fits into one bag per person. We only used five totes for our group of eight. 

Our shopping list was simple, but it made all the difference in our visit. We started with cute melamine plates, plastic flatware, a stain-resistant tablecloth, plastic cups, and paper napkins. We added a plastic cutting board. As Stephanie Cravotta, Director of Digital Advertising put it, “It felt like a pop-up dinner party—totally unexpected, but absolutely the perfect way to celebrate. Fancy vibes with funnel cake energy.” 

Map Our Your Feast

From a food point of view, we strategized about what we wanted to add to Kennywood’s signature items. Our planned menu consisted of a Michelada, a Coffee Mocktail, Pizza with Arugula and Truffle Oil, Elote (Mexican Corn on the Cob), Salad, BBQ, and Potato Patch Fries. Loaded Ice Cream Sundaes would make our BIG finish. 

The night before, Keith mixed equal parts cream, NA vodka, and homemade coconut simple syrup, and put this mocktail goodness into the fridge. He also made a nice hot honey and Tajín aioli for our elote and popped that in the fridge, too. And he washed and dried a great bunch of salad greens and then placed the salad in one of the foil-lined totes Star purchased for the group. 

Our Shopping List

• Waterproof and Insulated Totes 
• Salad 
• Bread 
• Coconut Syrup 
• Cream 
• NA Vodka 
• Tajin 
• Flake Salt 
• Limes & Lime Juice 
• Arugula 
• Truffle Oil 
• Fresh Cilantro 
• Hot Honey 
• Mayonnaise 
• Cilantro 
• Red Pepper Flakes 
• Salad Dressing 

As we entered Kennywood, tote bags in hand, we looked for the perfect picnic spot. There are plenty of picnic areas and pavilions for you to explore with some right by the entrance for easy access. We chose to go a bit deeper into the park, looking for a place with plenty of shade, a bit of a quieter atmosphere, as well as gorgeous scenery. For us, that spot ended up being at the back of the park, right behind the Lagoon and beside Kiddieland. There are plenty of trees, a view of the Monongahela River, and enough picnic tables to seat everyone, even on a busy day. We even had a front row seat when the train that circumnavigates the park came around.

Have a Scavenger Hunt for the Whole Family 

The last step of getting our picnic ready was to grab the food from the park. Now, there’s no need to drag the whole group or family around from place to place as you gather each item, dragging out the day and wasting valuable ride time. Instead, make it a fun activity for the kids (or adults, we had a blast!) by creating a scavenger hunt. Split up into groups and head out to different areas of the park while a person or two stays behind to set up the tablecloth and start preparing the food as it comes back. We do recommend waiting to go get ingredients for dessert until you’re done with dinner, so your ice cream doesn’t melt.  

Scavenger Hunt List

• Ice & Iced Coffee from 1898 Coffee Company 
• Beer from Beer Garden 
• Pizza from Pizza Warehouse 
• Spicy Sausage from Firebreathing Sausage 
• Corn and BBQ platters from Rogue BBQ 
• Candies from The Kandy Kaleidoscope 
• Cotton Candy from Cotton Candy Wagon  
• Ice Cream from The Golden Nugget 
• Funnel Cakes from Star Refreshments 

We all had the best time heading out on the scavenger hunt. It gave us the opportunity for some quality time outside of the office to mix and mingle with our coworkers. It also let us take in parts of the park we hadn’t always paid attention to. For me, the rides are always the focus, so being able to take my time and truly explore was something new and refreshing.  

Sit Down for a Family Dinner

By the time we finished our scavenger hunt, our bellies were grumbling and thankfully Editor-in-Chief Keith Recker and Director of Operations Star Laliberte had the meal ready to go.

The table featured Micheladas with a Tajín rim using the beer from the Beer Garden and lime juice we brought in, Coffee Mocktails featuring Keith’s coconut and cream mixer, Flatbread Pizzas with arugula, red pepper flakes, and truffle oil, Elote made with hot honey aioli, flake salt, Tajin, and cilantro, a salad from home, Corn and BBQ from Rogue BBQ, Sausage Sandwiches from Firebreathing Sausage, and of course, Potato Patch Fries.  

We served it all up in a family-style dinner, letting everyone sample and try different dishes for a plate full of variety and deliciousness. The ability to sit down and be present with each other made the day for Advertising and Editorial Coordinator Ethan Chmura. “I enjoyed all of the food that we got for our picnic,” Chmura says. “Plus, I liked the picnic/family style of getting so many different foods and sharing them with each other. I think my favorite food was the truffle oil pizza. I really loved the added flavor.” 

Don’t Forget About Your Sweet Tooth

After a hearty meal, we all left just enough room for dessert, challenging us to build the best ice cream sundae possible. Feel free to head over to The Kandy Kaleidoscope for a child’s Candyland dream come to life. Here you’ll get your toppings for your sundae. We piled ours high with creamy fudge, chocolate-covered Oreos, nonpareils, and other candies. Then, on your way back to the table, send two people to grab funnel cakes from Star Refreshments, and two people to grab chocolate-covered ice cream cones from The Golden Nugget.

Once you all return to the table, the building can begin. Break up your ice cream cones and spread them over the funnel cakes and then let your imagination run wild with toppings. It’s the ultimate treat to end your picnic.  

And Finally… Hit the Rides!

While food was the main subject of our journey, we couldn’t leave Kennywood without jumping on some of our favorite rides. We returned to our childhood selves for a few hours! Our team took to The Racer, The Jack Rabbit, the carousel, and the bumper cars to let out screams of joy and let the pressure of work away. We also stopped to play a game or two on our way out. I was really hoping we would take back a giant banana for the office mascot…but no.  

What we learned from our “Kennywood TABLE style” trip is that just because you’re grown up doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the park in the same way you did when you were younger. Sometimes you just need to drop everything you’re doing, pack up a luxurious picnic, and spend the day laughing among the sounds of roller coasters with those you love.  

Story by Kylie Thomas
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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