A Place for Moms: Welcome Corner Cynthia Levy-Mendoza lives right on the north edge of Pittsburgh in the neighborhood of Observatory Hill. For many years, a corner lot on her street has been an eyesore for those waiting at the bus stop and passersby getting their first glimpse of Pittsburgh as they drive through. Cynthia, however, has a new plan for the lot. She calls it “A Place for Moms: Welcome Corner”. She is the founder of an organization, Brown Mamas, which assists African-American mothers in…Read More
Waisenhaus Park When Linda Wallen moved to Spring Hill in 1983, she noticed a large, empty vacant lot and wondered why nothing had been done with it. Almost three decades later, Riley Baker moved to the neighborhood with his young family and had the same thought. Both learned that the large vacant lot in their neighborhood used to be the site of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Orphans’ Home. The lot, now owned by Spring Hill Civic League, is about an acre of…Read More
Historic Knoxville Incline Greenway From 1890 to 1960, the Knoxville Incline served as a connector between the South Side Flats and the hilltop. In 2011, a mural was added at the intersection of Brosville and East Warrington Avenue to remember the historic site. There is a foot trail accessible off of Brosville Street which leads to the Welsh Way stairs and Fritz Street – which both connect to the South Side Flats. This project’s will highlight and the entrance and will replace the existing…Read More
Biggs Hillside Garden Nicole Flaherty is a resident of Fineview, a neighborhood nestled in the hills of the Northside. As its name suggests, Fineview has truly incredible views of the city. Nicole loves exploring her neighborhood with her family. In one of her many walks around the area, she found a vacant lot next to a set of city steps that she decided to reclaim as a quiet community space. The lot was enveloped by several beautiful old trees, and edged on one…Read More
Baytree Street Community Garden Doug Deckert carries the spirit of Pittsburgh neighborliness with him wherever he goes in Observatory Hill – you can often find him at events, participating at community meetings and instigating fun activities in his Northside neighborhood of Observatory Hill. It is important to Doug that he and his son connect to their neighbors in their community. That's why, in 2014, Doug began designing an outdoor space that encourages connectedness in Observatory Hill. There was a vacant lot on Baytree Street…Read More
Allegheny Mountains Lot Matthew Yurkovich loves the great outdoors. He also loves his Northside neighborhood of Brighton Heights. As a way to connect his neighbors to the greater ecosystem that Pittsburgh is part of, Matthew came up with the idea of the Allegheny Mountains Lot. It's a micro woodland and wildflower meadow full of native plants. The once nondescript vacant lot sits on a busy intersection in Brighton Heights. Matthew’s design transforms an unimpressive space into a garden with a purpose. The cobblestone-lined…Read More
Garden on Gearing The Garden on Gearing is a small community garden in the neighborhood of Beltzhoover. The garden was designed and created by Gordon Hodnett with the help of local community groups and neighbors. It contains several raised garden beds, an in-the-ground garden bed, a trellis system from growing berries, a community bulletin-board, and fruit trees. The garden is, and continues to be developed as, a place of inter-generational education centered around food. Partnerships with a number of community-based organizations, like Voices…Read More
Beloved Community Garden Cheryl was apart of the original cohort of 13 Ambassadors participating in the 2013-2014 ReClaim South program. As a civic leader and pastor in a food desert community, Cheryl knew she wanted to make a difference by beginning her own community food garden. In partnership with the church where she pastors, Cheryl set out to implement a thriving food garden, complete with a dozen planting beds and a play area for local kids.Read More
30/32 Grape Street Garden Linda Piso was one of the 13 original Ambassadors who participated in the 2013-2014 ReClaim South program. Linda, realizing that there were little to no fresh food options for residents living in her neighborhood, designed and implemented a community garden in partnership with her neighbor, the Carnegie Library.Read More
Let’s Talk! Let's Talk!, located at Mountain Avenue and Fisher Street, transformed a large vacant lot into an engaging and creative gathering space. The space contains a chess table, two sets of cornhole and a Little Free Library.Read More
St. Joseph’s Garden This site, located at the intersection of St. Joseph Street and Ormsby Street, is one of three gateways that provides a beautiful welcome to those entering the Hilltop. The site is planted with perennial wildflowers. John plans to expand the plantings in future years down the hill.Read More
Hilltop Little Free Library Project The Little Free Library is a national movement, where communities plant covered boxes full of books where residents can “take a book, return a book”. Working with the other Ambassadors and considering public transit lines, David will install five different boxes on four Ambassador project sites and one on a Western Pennsylvania Conservancy garden. His vision is that bus commuters will be able to peruse the selection before taking their trip on the bus. It is also a great way…Read More