Dan Antion

Strip District Revisited – #ThursdayDoors

Friends in Pittsburgh told us that in the future, we have to stop here.

During our recent visit to Pittsburgh, our daughter Faith and I and my brother decided to visit the area of Pittsburgh known as the Strip District. Despite the potential for rolling or rising eyes, the Strip is mainly a retail area, featuring Pittsburgh paraphernalia i.e. Steelers, Pirates and Penguin gear, and food. I’m going to flat out plagiarize a description of the Strip District that I like. It’s OK, it’s from a 2016 post of mine.

Ever since the early 1800s, the area of Pittsburgh known today as the Strip District has been an important part of the Pittsburgh economy. Once home to mills and foundries, the Strip evolved into a warehouse district and wholesale distribution center. There have always been a few retail-ish stores in the Strip. I added the “ish” because these stores have never been for the faint of heart. You generally had to know what you wanted before entering and, long before warehouse clubs were a thing, you needed to be prepared to purchase a larger than retail quantity of that stuff you wanted. Today, the Strip is a tourist destination, with a side of groceries.

Whenever I revisit a place with the intention of sharing its doors with you, I try to make sure not to include any previously used doors. That task was made a little difficult this time, due to bad tagging by my previous self. I mentioned in 2016 that I wasn’t using all the pictures I had, and that I was saving some for a ‘Pittsburgh Leftover’ post. Here’s the thing – I have had many Pittsburgh posts, several of which include doors and a few that include leftovers. I’m going to go with the doors I have, including one that I know has been previously used. I figure it gives the full experience to new readers. Yeah, I’m going with that. If you find a duplicate door, I’ll give you 100 bonus points.

As it was with the previous post, this collection of doors is offered as part of Norm Frampton’s fun weekly bloghop called Thursday Doors. Each week, door lovers from around the world gather in Montreal, Canada to exchange links to an image or a group of images of beautiful (or not) doors (or door-like things). If you are interested in participating in Thursday doors, head on up to Norm’s place. Check out his doors, check out some other doors and leave a link so we can find your doors.

One of our friends in Pittsburgh told us that in the future, we have to stop here for biscotti.
I like this building. I fond the single, off-center dormer a little odd, but I’m sure it makes sense.
The door might be ordinary, but the plaque is interesting.
Good to know.
This is a US Mail relay box. I used to deal with these everyday. Mailmen who walk their route can’t carry all the mail. They divide the mail into sections. A driver (me) rides out early and puts the various sections of their mail in these boxes.
That appears to be a secure door.
This loading dock was featured in an earlier post, but the focus today is on the little door behind the fireplug.
I don’t know where that goes, but I would not want to have to crawl in there.
The balcony of a ghost door.
I can’t resist a fire house.
This is now an area for street merchants. In Pittsburgh, “Don’t be a Jagoff.”
I have featured a version of these doors before. We keep returning.
There is a door back there. It’s where you place your order and where your food is delivered.
This is why we keep returning.
Taco stand.
Mexican food and beverages lie behind these doors.
I wish I knew the story behind these doors.
If we weren’t always in search of Polish food, we might try this place. This is the kind of place I usually want to visit.

72 comments

  2. Dan, Dan, Dan. Don’t you know that I read your Thursday Doors post early in the morning with a cup of coffee? There’s food in here. A lot of food. And suggestions of food. All of it before I’ve had breakfast.

    Pass the biscotti please.

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. Okay, that 1897 plaque is hysterical! 😂😂

    The photo of the little door behind the fire hydrant…..you finally got a pic of your shadow without Maddie hogging the frame!! The door looks like an old coal chute.

    The door and balcony that seem to be glued onto the front of the building are weird.

    I’d love to know what’s so valuable behind the double doors with all the locks!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • Thanks Ginger. I laughed at that plaque. the door wasn’t much, but I had to include it.

      You’re quick to pick up that my shadow is visible without the pup.

      I can understand blocking up the door on that floor of the building, but I can’t understand why they left the balcony.

      Heavily locked door, windowless building, lots of stories start with that scenario. I can only imagine.

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      Reply

  14. Oh, I wish we were at S & D’s deli right now! I’m ready for lunch. The Pittsburghese got a laugh here with He-Man. 😀

    I really like that wood set of doors with the ring handles and neat hardware.

    I’m going to see if He-Man is ready for lunch maybe today is the day we hit the nearby Casino’s buffet. I’m just that hungry now! Oh, why do I read your post before any meals? 😜

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  15. It is a very good idea to make a comprehensive post even if some are already posted – plus – we might see something new this time around
    But really – a comprehensive post is worth it and could end up being a special
    Post that gets shared (like some PA folks start linking it up – cos we never know what will take off – and my Thursday does shades of brown post gets shared a lot and I feel so glad about it – it might be like Joey’s popular handwriting post – or not) anyhow –
    I liked the opening door most – large and rustic double doors and biscotti – triple win

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  17. Love that plaque! I posted a sign similar to that in French that we saw when we were in Switzerland. It takes a goofy sense of humor to put up something like that :-D
    I’m going to second Joanne’s thoughts about putting food in these posts. Nothing wrong with it in theory, but now I have a craving for pierogis. We may have to implement a new rule: post food pics and you have to make sure to bring some for everyone ;-)

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I apologize for the cabbage and the pierogis, Norm. I want a Polish Plate, too right now. It’s always the same with food pics, if you talk about food and don’t post, you’re in trouble. If you include the pics, you’re in trouble. I don’t know if I could afford enough pierogis for everyone – I ate a few.

      It does take a serious sense of humor to attach a plaque like that to your building. It did get my attention.

      Liked by 1 person

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  21. I did not know about Pittsburgh’s strip district. Looks like a great place. Boston could use one, too. 🙂 There must be a history behind the 1897 plaque, even if it was humorous. Great doors, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

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  24. Gazing at the “Hot Polish Lunch” sign in that one picture brought memories of how Denver used to be set up long ago. Each section [district] had its own major ethnic groups, which meant its own food specialties. It’s one of the things I miss about the big city life.

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  25. There was definitely something happening on this week’s visit to the doors in the Strip. The cyber calories I’ve consumed just viewing the meal…YUM! That plaque is a hoot, great find to feature on a post with such rich finds to share!

    Liked by 1 person

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  27. The doors by END ROAD WORK are really unusual and look so old for the places around them. Great find. I like the nifty neighborhood vibe of this place. The food looks great.
    I had no idea about the mail boxes, but that totally makes sense! I love learning new things :)

    Liked by 1 person

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  28. Oh, plenty of yummy goodness in this post. I’d love to taste the biscotti and the Polish treats.

    When I was in the USA (well, it was only Los Angeles for ten days and San Francisco for a weekend), I felt like Europe has been discontinued. I forgot all about the French, the German, the Italians even existing, let alone any smaller nations such as us Slavs, and when I heard a Cure song on the radio I got excited and almost screamed, “Do you hear this? This is us, Europeans!” – even though I never considered myself a Euro fanatic. If I found such lovely Slavic treasures on offer, I’d be beside myself.

    But most strikingly, you call that gorgeous door ordinary! I’d dance a winning dance around it and then read the plaque and my day would be made. And then I’d try to find an angle to eliminate that shadow that covers half of it, if possible.

    Great post!

    Liked by 1 person

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