Joe Tighe lives on Academy with his
wife, Elizabeth, both teachers at the
high school, and their 11-year-old
daughter. He values the relative peace
and quiet of the alley: "Things slow
down back here." He also notes that
there are vestiges of Darby Way a few
blocks further along, off Marietta Place.

Another high school teacher, Dawn
Davenport of Shady Drive West,
credits Darby Way with enabling her
two daughters, now 18 and 27, to have
a "traditional" childhood. "There were
gangs of kids out here all day long,
on pogo sticks, riding bikes, playing
hide-and-seek," she explains. "They
completely lived back here. It was a
place to learn everything you needed
to know as a child."
Ella Mackenzie Buerkle, 8, is
all smiles while riding her bike
with friend Susanna Query, 4,
in tow along Baton Way.

IT WAS
A PLACE
TO LEARN
EVERYTHING YOU NEEDED
TO KNOW
AS A CHILD
ROSS WAY
is an oasis of flat amidst the inclines of Sunset Hills. Stairs seem
to be the prominent theme here: down to the houses that front on
Castle Shannon and up to the houses on Tampa. Ross is relatively
wide and paved with yellow brick. Several of the garages match the
architecture of their houses. Many yards along Tampa slope fence-
free down to the alley, giving an alluring glimpse into the family life
that takes place on its decks and swing sets.

Tampa resident Annie Skiba reports that happy hours and other
social events are frequent occurrences among homeowners on the
alley. "It's a nice little gathering place. Everyone knows everyone
else," she says. "If a car goes down the alley that's not recognizable,
you notice it." She is grateful that Ross serves as a safe place for kids.

"You hear them playing basketball back there and riding bikes. For
the people on Castle Shannon, it's really the only street they have."
Debbie Eichenlaub knows this all too well. She grew up in the
house on Castle Shannon where she and her husband, Bob, now
live. Debbie has deep roots in the neighborhood: her parents lived
in that house, and her grandmother also lived on the alley's Sunset
Drive end. Bob loves the alley, but hates all the stairs. "You have to
have a strong heart to get out and around in this neighborhood."
SPEAKMANS ALLEY
may just be the most elegant Mt. Lebanon alley. Smoothly paved
and lined with a drainage ditch, it runs behind the houses on
Washington Road, starting just below Terrace Drive and exiting
19 houses farther on. Residents use Speakmans as the de facto
entrances to these houses, since it is impossible to park out front.

Some of the garages sport lovely architectural details that match
their houses. The alley's other side is lined with gates, walls and
stairs from the backyards on Navahoe Drive. There's even a set of
stone benches to rest on, next to a handsome sundial.

Homeowner Rina Ugrin has lived on Speakmans for three years
with her husband and 18-year-old daughter. She says the alley is a
community link between the houses and has been the site of block
parties. "It's nice to have a quiet place back here away from the
traffic of Washington Road," she says.

18 Mt. Lebanon Magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2020