In our first tour, we looked closely at the winding steps near 76th Street and Park Lane South. In our second tour, we looked at the steps just behind the Mary Whalen Playground that end on Forest Park Drive, right next to the Oak Ridge House. And in our third tour, we looked at some steps that led to a shortcut through the woods. From there, we walked towards the right (in the direction of the Seuffert Bandshell), looking for the staircase that would bring us back to Forest Parkway and Park Lane South. Here's a crude map which shows the overhead view:
All four tours that we've taken thus far are labeled above. Starting at 75th and Park Lane, walking up through the park, along Forest Park Drive, and then down the staircase that is the subject of this tour -- then back along Park Lane South to where we started -- the whole tour took about an hour. A good stretch of the legs and good exercise. 
This staircase isn't obvious as you're passing by. As you can see, from across the road you could easily miss the entrance to the staircase. But if you're on the same side of the road, it's easy enough to spot.
One word of warning about this staircase -- many of the railings are missing. And in a few instances, the ground on the other side of the cement drops off at a steep angle, so you need to be a little careful. We're not saying it's dangerous, mind you -- but railings are there for a reason, no? If you look closely in the picture above, follow the railings on the left hand side -- you'll see a third one that someone moved into the woods. They actually drove it into the ground, creating a railing in the woods. Odd. Here's a closer look: From there, the path juts to the right. Here's the thing with this staircase -- it zigs and zags -- a lot. So much so that we had to make a second trip back so we could ensure the map we drew was accurate. Take note of the spot below -- because it's one of the more wonderful spots in Woodhaven. If you get a chance, pick a nice day and sit down on these steps for 30 minutes or so. First of all, you'll have a view of big, tall, straight trees -- and as you look up and around you'll realize you are in a "cave" made of leaves. And if you get a good breeze, the "walls" of this cave will move and make noise -- it's quite an experience! Today, there was a good breeze and we couldn't believe how loud the leaves were. If you're looking for this spot, we've marked it with a star on the map we've created (it's also posted at the end of the tour). The shots above were taken in early July. The shots below, of the same spot, taken in April, as the leaves were still blooming. You can see the difference -- now that the trees are more full, creating a full canopy of leaves -- the path is darker. And cooler. Again, a beautiful spot to sit and relax. As you look through these pictures, and all the twists and turns, you can see why drawing a map might get confusing. And there are lots of little plateaus -- almost like little patios in the middle of the park. It's a very unique staircase for that reason -- Another real interesting thing about this staircase is how different it looks when you're looking up, rather than down. And you can see how they took every single opportunity to add interesting little angles. This is a really long staircase! Along the way, we ran into about a dozen people walking either up or down these steps today -- and we spoke to every one of them (for reasons that will become clear very soon). 
Click here to proceed directly to the rest of these steps -- and a discovery we made!
If you have any comments, or would like to suggest other projects, drop us a line at info@projectwoodhaven.com or projectwoodhaven@aol.com.
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