Fire Escape Stairs

These are typical fire escape stairs in Manhattan. They consist of a number of horizontal platforms, one at each story of a building, with ladders or stairs connecting them. The apartment buildings pictured at the top are located at First Avenue between 74th and 75th Streets. The photo at the bottom is the fire escape at Serafina Restaurant on Madison Avenue at 79th Street. Here is the link to a previous post on fire escape stairs in Lower Manhattan. http://nyclovesnyc.blogspot.com/2011/05/fire-escape-stairs-of-canal-street-and.html

Fire Escape Stairs In SoHo And Chinatown

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Fire escape stairs are a unique feature of some old multiple-story residential buildings in many cities including New York City. Typical New York styles are pictured above in SoHo and along Canal Street. A Special kind of emergency exit mounted to a building exterior, the fire escape consists of a numerous horizontal platforms made of steel gratings, one for each story of a building, with steel ladders connecting them. 

FIRE ESCAPE STAIRS

FIRE ESCAPE STAIRS are everyhere in Manhattan’s residential areas. I always thought that they are ugly, but can be interesting to look at when bright sunlight creates strong shadows. While I was walking home from my subway stop yesterday, fire escape stairs of an Upper Eastside apartment not far from where I live caught my attention. I took this photo against the sunlight for contrast and strong lines. This image for some reason reminds me of the set of West Side Story in a local theater production that I saw many years ago. A fire escape consists of a numerous horizontal platforms made of steel gratings, one for each story of a building, with steel ladders connecting them. During the summer, New Yorkers go to urban platforms like rooftops and balconies to relax and reflect, above the busy sidewalks. But for many working-class residents who live in older buildings without balconies or rooftop access, the humble fire escape is transformed into their makeshift porches in the sky.