The Bronx, In Bits and Pieces, Part 2

Stepstreets Abound in the Bronx (March 25, 2004) Should you wish to go from Third Avenue to Boston Road via East 165th Street, you're going to have to walk. This section of East 165th Street is one of the borough's sixty-four stepstreets, and although the ascent is relatively long, it is rather easy since there are so many landings. I was told by a resident of 41 years that it was just fixed about five years ago, but I noticed that the railings on the south side were older and missing in places, while those on the north side were new. Hopefully, someone from the Department of Transportation will read this column and come back to inspect and finish the job. Most of the stepstreets in the Bronx are located farther west where the terrain is more hilly. West 170th Street in Highbridge, for example, has the most steps – 171, but the Riverdale area has a far greater number of stepstreets. I recall attending a wedding in the Carrick-Brentwood area of Pittsburgh some years ago, and that area is awash with stepstreets - over 700 of them. The stepstreets in the Bronx far outnumber those in Manhattan, which has only 20 and San Francisco, which has 18. The stepstreets in our borough were built around the turn of the 20th century when automobiles were scarce and people did far more walking. Children liked to use them for their version of stoopball and to play tag or ring-a-levio. They were also great winter wonderland playgrounds in those days of little vehicular traffic. After a heavy snowfall, stepstreets were ideal for an express ride to the bottom, but the adults who had to walk to transportation or the stores bore a heavy burden in snow or ice and were more likely to take the longer walk around the block. For most people, however, stepstreets were simply a shortcut that saved much time. For that matter, they still do.