Below, I've collected several examples of fire escapes in upper Manhattan from various sources on the web.
I went to the
Cloisters a second time with a friend. It is not enough to go once, and even twice doesn't cut it. The ride up to the Cloisters is an experience in itself. The best way to get there is on the M4 bus, which might crawl along its route, but this gives one ample time to observe the scenery. Several tourist buses were on this route, most likely for a steep price. The M4, for a mere $2.25, goes all the way up Broadway right up to the Cloisters. The most interesting part of the ride up is probably between 155th Street up to around 193rd Street.
"Don't look at what's below," I quipped, as we traveled through the area known as Hamilton Heights, between 135th Street and 159th Street. The buildings' bodegas and dollar stores are a messy presence on the ground levels, but the upper parts still retain their beauty.
The outdoor fire escape stairs fascinated me. They briefly reminded me of
West Side Story, but these are intricate, beautiful wrought iron works, which are works of art. I have never noticed them, or bothered to look at them, during my previous trips to New York. But, that is the nature of New York. Despite the imposing presence of the skyscrapers, the city's building facades are subtle, and can easily be ignored. "Subtle isn't what one associates with New York," said my New Yorker friend.
I have posted above photos I have culled from around the web buildings with these wrought iron fire escapes. I will write a post on the history of these structures soon.
I don't like to end on a negative note, but the above image shows buildings whose ground level messy bodegas and stores still do not spoil the beautiful architecture and stairways above.
