I grew up in the Pittsburgh area in the 50's

[packman]

For anyone to think Trump or his ilk cares about Pittsburgh needs to do some history of the city. It is a city that was born out of unionism, then out of concern for the environment , and then out of a present-day commitment to look to the future rather than dwell on the past.

It was a dirty, gritty, industrial city of steel mills and smoke stacks. I remember the hills of red hot slag being dumped on a mountain of slag - a harsh, hellish site and the acrid smell of coke (burnt coal used in steel making). Going through the "Tubes" (tunnels) which brought you into the city was like borrowing thru a dirt tunnel, filthy and black soot covering the white tiles. leading onto the bridges. And there was the city, smoke covered with a blanket of coal and smoke covering every building, every nook , every cranny of the city. McKeesport, Homestead, and all the towns below and around Pittsburgh had the same environmental makeup - sooty, grimy and hard edged.

The Pittsburgh "Renaissance" saved the city and refocused it by launching a clean air and civic revitalization. Today Pittsburgh is a city that stands as an example of what can be done by deed rather than rhetoric and a misplaced desire to return to days that can never return.

[FarPoint]

1. I grew in Pittsburgh too...

60's 70's....You are absolutely correct with this visual photo of the pollution.

[leftstreet]

2. DURec

"For anyone to think Trump or his ilk cares about Pittsburgh needs to do some history of the city. It is a city that was born out of unionism, then out of concern for the environment , and then out of a present-day commitment to look to the future rather than dwell on the past. "

Nicely stated

[mrmpa]

3. I currently live in Pittsburgh........

grew up here too, since 1961. I don't disagree with your post at all. However the only thing that Mayor Peduto is not committed to, and that's affordable housing. What he is doing is similar to what was done to the lower Hill District in the late '50's and early '60's, and that's displacement of the current residents for what the City thinks is better for the community.

When the lower Hill District residents were displaced it was in order for the Civic Arena to be built. The Arena was torn down and the new home for the Penguins was erected. The Penguins are also putting in new housing stock, but the community is in negotiation with them to keep housing affordable for residents of the area.

Currently the East Liberty neighborhood has become home to Google and start up companies. The housing of long term residents has been bought by investors and there is nowhere for these residents to move to. The new housing being erected is rental and is 3-4 times the monthly income of these residents.

Mayor Peduto has no idea what to do on behalf of those people that have lived their entire lives in these neighborhoods.

[livetohike]

4. My Grandparents lived in Braddock and East Pgh. Our family

moved to the suburbs in 1958. My Dad worked in the mill and every night when he came home the car was covered in a fine red ash. I remember my Grandmas sweeping their porches several times per day. It did make for rich garden soil, but the cost in human breathing difficulties and other illnesses were definitely not worth it.

Oh and I remember riding by J&L steel and asking my dad what that smell was and he said it was the smell of money. My little brother called it the cloud factory. Definitely do not want to go back to those days.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. My closest friend grew up in Greensburg, not far

from Pittsburgh, but outside that pollution cloud.

He recently told me of going into the big city as a child with his mom, sometime in the 1950's, and how he thought it was nighttime there. I'm a child of that era also, but did not live in or near an industrial city.

[smirkymonkey]

6. I just saw Mayor Peduto on CNN at work and he was talking about how Pittsburgh used to be

before the air was cleaned up. He said they had to have the street lamps on in the middle of the day because the soot and ash made it so dark you could barely see where you were going.

[Retrograde]

7. I grew up in Buffalo during the 50s

The adjacent city, Lackawanna, was a steel town, with the mills lining the lake. I used to think it was awesome watching them dump glowing slag into Lake Erie.

Buffalo hasn't made the progress Pittsburgh has in terms of replacing lost industries, but now you can swim in the lake (sometimes) and you can't see the air.

[John1956PA]

8. "Hell with the lid off" is the phrase coined by Boston writer James Parton in 1868.

At the following link are some more photos of industrial Pittsburgh in the early Twentieth Century.

http://www.steelcactus.com/OLDPGH1.html

[onethatcares]

10. mighty fine photos

thank you

[StevieM]

9. The transformation of Pittsburgh is a remarkable American success story.

It is a model for our future. And it would be a great spot for the 2020 Democratic Convention.

[packman]

11. A GREAT IDEA

You HAVE to advance this idea to the powers-to-be. Too good to ignore.

[StevieM]

12. I actually put up a whole post about this yesterday.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029145766