Veramente imponente! Bello scatto ! Truly impressive! Nice shot!

fire escapes always make fine images.

I fully understand your fascination, they are also not that commom here. One way to keep fit! Cheers, Clive

Yup, I remember these too, they're ALL over the place in that city. None in my neck of the woods, either. But then, the tallest building is about 3 feet high, so guess they aren't all that necessary!!

You could keep fit running up and down them.

My grandparents lived in a brownstone with fire escapes so for me it's always New York. You've captured the look very well.

OH I can understand why you said WOW all the time Tara. It is very fascinating with these fire escapes, but I do hope I will never have to walk down on such one. YIKES ! This is an excellent capture.

This is neat Tara and makes a wonderful image! The repeating patterns are just great! Well done Dierbaar! :)

Yes we don't have them in Melbourne either. I think they have a certain charm.

Great patterns, I can see the attraction! I wouldn't mind coming down, but up, NO!

cool shot

Great scene, Tara!

I'm out of breath. Rest a moment. Great.

I know exactly what you mean, when I first lived in Norfolk we had a fire escape outside the back door, and I found it so exotic! This is a great shot of the geometry of these structures!

New York City got in a panic for fire escapes sometime in the last half of the 19th century after some horrible number like 154 women died in a horrendous fire in the garment district. They were trapped...the fire department had no equipment to reach them. Enough blah, blah about that...as a former New Yorker who probably would never think about photographing fire escapes...this is a great example of you seeing something unusual to you with "new eyes". Another series!!! Fire escapes:-)

The firescape makes great patterns, well captured.

superb image my friend

I know what you mean about how different these Pacific Northwest big cities differ from the rest of the US. I read where one of our former basketball players called my city - the capitol of California - a cowtown. I don't see it that way with all its office buildings, one-way streets and polished glass everywhere. We have a few buildings similar to this but they aren't very tall. Still, don't ya love those fire escapes?

interesting image! Great shot!

awesome capture warm hugs that smile, Linda Kaye

Great shot, and I'm really glad I don't have to climb all those steps.

aren't these something else ..I only see these on the movies ..lol

I found about 100 on the flickr page for San Antonio. This one has great shadows http://www.flickr.com/photos/cbinsa/3149950469/ The fire Bill mentioned was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. There is an excellent book about it called 'Triangle: The Fire That Changed America' by David Von Drehle. It didn't help that they locked the women in for fear they would steal merchandise. I love your picture. Great patterns and detail. I like the repeated blue of all the windows. When I see fire escapes I think of the movies and all the great escapes people made on fire escapes, usually in the rain.

Up Up and away. Super capture Tara. I'm liking all the Chicago shots from your group visit. Keep them coming. Dana

Fire escapes are fascinating. I missed them while I was in Prague and in Dortmund. They're such strange things...especially when you happen to be a smoker and you're hanging out with some friend or another and you realize that you're the only smoker in the two person gathering. The fire escape is always the natural place to go to light up. But of course, its summer and you're indoors with your shoes off and THAT is when you realize how uncomfortable it is to stand on a fire escape with tender feet. It's funny when the friend you're visiting (probably with bare feet, or at least in socks) is amazed that you can even stand on those unyielding rungs while he hops around, toes curled up as if for protection. At any rate, fire escapes are weird and they don't exactly feel comfortable if you're not using them to escape a fire. They are wonderfully weighted, however. The lowermost parts of them will actually pivot down smoothly as you stand on them. At rest, the lower parts just hang suspended by their own meticulously balanced weight, but all it takes is someting more than a pigeon's weight to lower them...smoothly. It's fun faking a fire just to use one of these things. Oh, and about the picture. I live in this frikkin' city and I see them nearly every day, but this shot is wonderful. You see something us natives (willing and unwilling) don't always see. I love the colors and the light, and this is one of those pictures that makes me appreciate Chicago. Moscow and Prague are both calling to me...intensely! But alas, they're old cities without fire escapes! Wonderful work!

excellent capture of all the steps

That sure is a lot of fire escapes, lovely capture well done!!

Great fire escapes for the cop shows....A old school that was by my house, had a slide for a fire escape...It was closed down when I lived by it and the kids used to go up inside(it was covered)and smoke cigs.

nice!

As seen in many a film! A great shot ...well taken indeed! Rob