[ethereal_reality]

FYI
I came across these slides for sale on ebay today.

The person listed them under 1959 Chicago or Seattle.
I thought I'd bring it to the attention of you Pittsburgh lovers.

I think they're really cool lookin'.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2351/pittsc1959sa7.jpg


http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4207/pittsc1959awm7.jpg


http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2002/pittsc1959bjb9.jpg


http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/3858/pittsc1959cge7.jpg
not sure what this is.

[Evergrey]

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/3858/pittsc1959cge7.jpg
not sure what this is.

That is the death of a neighborhood. Thousands of structures were destroyed and thousands of people displaced from the Lower Hill District for the Civic Arena and its ocean of parking lots. The Penguins of hockey play there today... it will be demolished in a few years as ground was broken recently for a new more "urban" arena.

[ethereal_reality]

^^^I thought that's what it might be.

I never realized how immense an area was cleared away for the Arena.
It's really a sad story. :(

[ethereal_reality]

three more

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/783/pittsc1959dun2.jpg


http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/5715/pittsc1959fzj1.jpg



http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9449/pittsc1959esl9.jpg

[dugdogmaster]

Nice stuff, thanks:cheers:

[edncc1701d]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[ethereal_reality]

^^^ No problem. Glad to do it. :)

[Wheelingman04]

Neat photos.

[Burgh15]

It's great to see how the city has changed and progressed over time. Good find!

[Brandon716]

I wonder how "modern" Gateway Center must have felt like in 1959.

In theory, the destruction of those neighborhoods in favor of the arena was a good thing. They were tearing down lots of poverty and run down buildings in that era, trying to build a better life.

The problem with the theory is that they could have rebuilt what was already there and placed things like Arenas and other new urban projects of the day elsewhere.

I guess it was just easier to tear down and pave it over... The right thing isn't always the easiest thing.

[themaguffin]

In theory, the destruction of those neighborhoods in favor of the arena was a good thing. They were tearing down lots of poverty and run down buildings in that era, trying to build a better life.

My Uncle would disagree. He grew blocks away near Duquesne (where there also was a lot more housing. He said that the neighborhood was in decent shape, but Lawrence didn't care, he pushed everyone out.

Who knows if that neighborhood would be like the Southside today or the rest of the Hill today, but one thing for sure, a sea of parking lots sucks today and will still suck tomorrow.

[Brandon716]

Yea, that's why I was saying but in practice it doesn't work... They had interesting ideas, but they were too good to be true.