The Hill District: Where Gems are Found

James

Hill District

Parking Attendant for William Penn Parking on Crawford St.

This is the happiest man I have ever met. No matter what, he always says hello and asks about my day. He even saves me parking spots closer to the entrance of the lot. This is James. He is my parking attendant. I would guess about a hundred people a day call him their parking attendant and they are lucky enough to experience his positive energy that shines from his happy soul before they trudge into work every morning.

"How long have you been working here?"
J: 8 years

"What did you do before this?"
J: I was an electronics engineer.
"No way, that's awesome!"

"What do you love most about the Hill District?"
J: The people - we become close, the community. Many of us lived together for over 30 years!

"What's a fun fact about yourself?"
J: I'm always happy!
"Yes! That is sooo true."

*Just as an FYI for those who don't live/know the different parts of Pittsburgh, the Hill District is infamous for it's low-income living accommodations and at times violence, but recently, the city has been investing in the business growth there, section 9 housing, and increased police awareness. Many of the people have lived there for decades and business used to boom and community was the most important. I look forward to seeing the Hill District rebuild itself in hopes of crushing its reputation as a dangerous part of the city. On a side note, I live borderline to the Hill District & Downtown and travel through for work everyday, so I do have personal interest in sincerely hoping it becomes a safer place *

The Most Irresistible Duo

Tyrone Ezell (Pitt Football) & Mr. Salvatore

Streets of South Oakland

I am walking behind Tyrone when I see these two stop to shake hands and say hello to each other. This was perfect. The most opportune moment for quite possibly my dream post on here.

What is your favorite part about living in Oakland? 

Tyrone: The peace and quietness.

Mr. Salvatore: Yes, I agree. All the kids are great here, I know them.

Me [inside my head]: My college nights spent awake until 4 AM.....

How long have you lived here?

Mr. Salvatore: 63 years!

Tyrone: 5 years....

When I asked Mr. Salvatore about his name this was his response - Sal, Sal-va-tooooreeeee!

I know I've already done a South Oakland post, but I couldn't help myself - this was literally perfect. Two totally different worlds living in the same part of town. I've seen these them around before, and it was phenomenal to stop & get to know them a little more.

Peace, love, and happiness.

The Obligatory Explanation

Welcome to my new project. It's meant to be insightful, thoughtful, entertaining, and just plain fun. I'm going to tell you why I am writing this blog, why it's called Ménage a Pittsburgh, and it will be followed with a short, short post about me to start off the project.

Why? I decided to live in Pittsburgh instead of going home to suburbia Philly after college & I've been so intrigued & inspired by the Humans of New York project and the Facebook page faceburgh that I wanted to do my own version.

So what makes this different? My goal is to provide the readers with an inspiring experience with each post - whether the photo speaks to you or the short question and answer part has a deeper meaning to you - I want to aim to get to know the people I photograph, share it with you, and to get to every area of this city to be posted on here. This is from the point of view from a 22-year-old, Pittsburgh transplant with no current full-time employment, looking for more meaning in this city. There are so many parts and aspects to this city from which I have yet to understand, that now it's time for its residents to speak to us.

Ménage uhhh... French, meaning a social unit living together. Pittsburgh has so many sections: Bloomfield, Downtown, Uptown, Hill District, Oakland, Shadyside, South Side, Squirrel Hill, Greenfield, and many more - all of these parts and its inhabitants coexist within a larger scale called the City of Pittsburgh. So in the end, the title couldn't have been any more perfect. (So grammatically it's supposed to be PIttsburgh ménage, but I thought it was more fun to call it "Ménage a Pittsburgh.")

What to expect: A photo that is more or less candid, the location I ran into him or her, and an answer from the person photographed with a question I ask. The quote is my emphasis. I want you to feel inspired after reading it.

I hope you look forward to this project as much as I do and if you ever have any suggestions, I'm always more than willing to consider them.