My Fire Escape

This is the view I woke up to yesterday morning outside my bedroom window. What are you seeing is the fire escape from my apartment to the street down below. You can also see the fire escape for the building across the street (43rd Avenue) from me.

After a late lunch, I went to Central Park and took over 100 photos there but this initial shot taken first thing in the morning is the one I like best. I will post the Central Park photos (maybe) later this week.

So what did you have for lunch yesterday?

Fire Escape 11

Here's a new addition to my fire escape photo series. If you can overlook the graffitis on the wall, you will find a beautiful and intricately designed fire escape on the side of this building located on 17th Street and Union Square West. Even the window at the bottom of the photo has a character to it.

So character trait do you love most about a person?

Installation in Progress

I saw this young fellow installing an advertising print on the window of a clothing store on Mercer and Howard Street in SoHo last weekend. It was a quick snapshot so I wasn't expecting anything special to come out of it. But when I saw the photo on my laptop, I found the most amazing reflection of the building behind him in the window.

The horizontal ladder in the reflection is actually the end/bottom part of the fire escape. In times of emergency, the ladder can be pull down until it becomes vertical so people can climb down to escape the building.

So how is the weather in your neighborhood?

Reflections in SoHo

The windows, fire escapes and trees in the photo are actually reflections on the window of a store in SoHo. The building you see is directly behind me and the chandelier is located inside the store. This photo was taken on a cloudy Saturday afternoon just before the sun began to set. Supposedly, this is the best time to take photos.

So what time of the day or day of the week do you usually go out and take your photos?

Fire Escape 9

Here is another beautiful vase shaped fire escape with ornate iron work on the railings and steps. You cannot see it in this photo but there was an old man leaning out the window just left of the bottom corner staring at me. I think he was either curious or unhappy I was taking a photo of his building. I said HI but he did not respond.

Have you ever had someone stare at you before? What did you do?

Fire Escape 8

Here is another fire escape photo and this one was taken in SoHo. Notice the vase shaped railings on the fire escape and the ornate moldings on the roof. This is fairly typical of the building built in that era.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. And Happy Columbus Day. Am so happy to have a three-day weekend.

Fire Escape 7

Here is another fire escape photo from the Village. I like this one a lot because it is very differnt from the ones we have seen before. This fire escape is really small and tall and it does not look like too many people can evacuate from the building quickly. However, the choice of color is definitely interesting.

I hope everyone has a good relaxing weekend.

Fire Escape 6

Here is another photo of a fire escape taken in front of an old apartment building in the East Village. The fire escape structure here is overgrown with plants, which suggests that nobody has used it in a long time. I guess that is a good thing.

Notice the size of the windows on the building. You can usually tell the age of the building by the size of the windows on them. Buildings constructed before World War II (commonly known as pre-war buildings) tended to have smaller windows because they did not use steel in the overall structure. They were mostly constructed with bricks and concrete, which are very heavy. As a result, these buildings can only afford smaller openings to maintain the structures' integrity. Newer buildings now use a lot of steel, which is significantly lighter and stronger than concrete, and therefore, have larger windows.

I live in a co-op building constructed in 1928. It has small windows but really thick concrete walls, which are great for noise and temperature insulation.

So do you know when your house was built?

Fire Escape 5

This is the fire escape leading up to my bedroom windows. Okay, it is one window; the other window has an air-conditioner stuck in it. Nonetheless, this is where I'll be if you ask, "Romeo, Romeo, where art thou?"

In my last fire escape post, Alice from Arradon Daily Photo wondered how one doesn't get burglarized every week with such easy access to the apartments from the fire escapes. The answer is most fire escapes face the main streets or avenues so the neighbors and pedestrians can easily spot someone on the these stairs. If the person looks suspicious, the police will be called to investigate.

That said, I once locked myself out of my apartment so I went to my downstairs neighbor and asked if I could crawl out of her bedroom window and climb up the fire escape to my bedroom window which wasn't locked. She wasn't too pleased with the idea but she said okay. It's a good thing I was always nice and polite to her when I see her in the hallway or the lobby. Otherwise, I would have to call a locksmith to break the lock. I can't imagine how much that would cost.

Have you ever locked yourself out of your apartment or your car? What did you do?

Fire Escape 4

Here is another photo of a fire escape in front of an industrial loft in SoHo. The architecture of the building is classic SoHo style -- large windows, original crown moldings and detailings, super high ceilings, and large expanse of floor spaces with minimal wall partitions.

Originally, SoHo (South of Houston Stree) was considered an undesirable area zoned for industrial and warehousing activities. Over the years, it has become one of the most expensive and hip areas to live, shop and eat in New York City. Many famous celebrities live here including David Bowie and Iman, Claire Danes, Sofia Coppola, and Boy George. If you are curious about where the celebrities in NYC live, here is a Star Map of Manhattan.

Have you ever met a famous person before? Which famous person would you like to meet most? What would you say to him/her/them?

Fire Escape 3

This is another beautiful fire escape of a building in Nolita (North of Little Italy), which is located between Bloome Street and Houston (pronounced as House-ton) Street. Nolita is currently a hip retail district where small boutiques sell clothes and home furnishings by up-and-coming local and international designers. Recently, there has been a push by local businesses to bring in higher-end Italian retailers like Armani, Versace and Gucci to establish the area as an extension of Little Italy.

Fire Escape 2

This is a beautiful and ornate fire escape on the back lot of the Puck Building in SoHo (South of Houston Street). The building, or the front facade of it, is probably most famous as the place where Grace Adler of the tv-series, Will & Grace has her office.

The building got its name from the two gold statues of Puck, the Shakespeare character in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," at the front entrance. It is now home to the New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Fire Escape

Older apartment buildings in NYC like this one in SoHo has to have an external fire escape because it does not have a water sprinkler system inside. The fire escape, however presents a security problem because it makes it easier for burglars to enter the apartment.

My first apartment in New York City was burglarized many years ago. The burglar climbed up the fire escape and entered the apartment through my bedroom window. Luckily, nothing important was stolen. I remember being traumatized for days after that. I was afraid to come home and when I did, I would ring the door bell a couple of times before entering the apartment. Obviously, I can laugh about it now but at the time, I had lost my sense of security.