South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association

The South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association (SSSNA) is an organization whose mission is to maintain, foster and improve the quality of life in the South Sides Slopes neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Our focus is on encouraging neighborhood unity, acting as the unified voice of the neighborhood and liaising with government, working to solve safety issues, helping to improve housing stock and fostering home ownership and creating and maintaining public stairs, gardens and green space in the Slopes.

Pittsburgh StepTrek, started in 2000, is a fundraising event held each year in October starting at South Side Park at Josephine and 21st Streets. The event proceeds from participants and sponsors have assisted the SSSNA with its mission of maintaining and improving this unique neighborhood with particular focus on step maintenance. The support from trekkers, some of whom have been walking with us since year one, has kept a focus on maintaining steps in the neighborhood. Each registered trekker receives a map and a course narrative. Because the South Side Slopes has the greatest concentration of public stairs of any neighborhood in the city, step upkeep is crucial. The family-friendly event combines photography, historic narrative and a sense of a neighborhood dependent upon its steps. StepTrek is what the trekker makes it; participants may use this noncompetitive event as a test of fitness or just enjoy a leisurely, scenic stroll.