Mount Washington Neighborhood Hike

by Amber Iuni, Communications Intern
This past week I decided to push myself and do something that I have never done before, hiking. I love outdoor adventures but I’m used to just running, walking and biking. I have never been on or done a hike before so for me this was completely different. However, I found myself really enjoying it, especially since I went on a neighborhood hike through and around Mount Washington.

At first, I was nervous to undertake this new endeavor. The thought of hiking was unclear to me. I knew hiking involved climbing and walking many trails but this hike was different. It exposed me to the beautiful city in which I live and I couldn’t have been happier to be a part of it. I have lived in Pittsburgh my whole life and to my surprise, have never seen the places our guide took us. I was amazed at how many different communities, restaurants, and even trails there were on Mount Washington. I was naive and thought that Mount Washington only meant the beautiful city view of Pittsburgh. I was completely wrong. Aside from the amazing view this community has to offer, I was shown a smaller community within.
Our first stop was Chatham Village. Chatham Village was designed in a secluded area of Mount Washington and not too many people know about it. It stretches 46 acres and features many beautiful old homes. Our guide, David, gave us a surprise stop when exploring here. Our group got to meet an amazing woman named Mimi. She did the honor of playing us a classical song on the Erhu. It was one of the most unique and astounding things that I got to experience on this hike. I didn’t only get to see hidden treasures of Mount Washington, but I also got to meet the people who make this place so great.
On the next stop of our hike we went through Emerald View Park. Before this, I didn’t even know this was a place. Our guide took us through trails that made up the park. We crossed little man-made bridges that had streams flowing through and we also ended up hiking over top of the Fort Pitt Tunnel! I never knew there was a neighborhood that resided over top of it. When our hike came to a close, we ended up at the overlook of Pittsburgh. It was around 8:30 at night and the view from the top was amazing. All in all, my first hike was a success and I can’t wait to continue exploring new adventures!