A close relative of Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) shares the Parthenocissus habit of erupting in bright colors in the fall. These vines were growing on the stone wall along the railroad at the back of the South Side.
From the blocked-up Gothic windows and general shape, we can infer that this was a small church. But at some point not very recently it was converted to four tiny alley houses, made only slightly less tiny by the addition of what are probably kitchens on the back. (Update: For the history of the church, see “The Mystery of the Converted Church on the South Side.”)
Both could use a little spiffing up, but they are fine examples of the Victorian commercial architecture for which Carson Street is famous.
Little mineral stalactites dangle from the railroad overpass over 21st Street, South Side.
Details matter. The bronze lampposts in front of the building are exceptionally elegant, which adds to the effect even if you don’t notice the lampposts themselves.
It is an invasive species in our area, but it is not hard to see how it got here. These beautiful multicolored berries decorate the vines in the fall; they would tempt any gardener with a wall to cover. These wild vines were fruiting beside a gravel parking lot at the back of the South Side.
The little triangular park at Broadway, Shiras Avenue, and Bensonia Avenue is cluttered with monuments. There’s one for the First World War, one for the Second, one for Vietnam and Korea, and one for wars since then and “going forward,” as the city’s Twitter account put it when it was announced. The eagle above sits on the World War II memorial, the largest of the lot.
The latest memorial, for everything after Vietnam.
The World War I memorial.
The World War II memorial.
Colorful paint adds a bit of whimsy to a small apartment building in Shadyside.
