Fabulous Bill can see this is HDR

I've seen some tall fire escapes but this one tops them all. Fantastic capture and great title.

Oooh, a smoking lounge! I know this fire escape! I know the alley you stood in to get it. It looks so much better when you're looking upward instead of forward, but I'm sure the rats like it quite a lot as there are lots and lots and lots of rat traps on ground level. And lots more, actually. Chicago is a rat-friendly city; we elect some of them. What I really like about this is the height you've achieved. The tall, brick buildings have such character and the fire escapes give a distinct industrial city vibe. Chicago had a pronounced growth spsurt at one time and it was during a particularly good time. Remnants of that remain when you get to actually see them and this is a perfect example. I also suspect that those fire escapes are in better shape than the buildings they serve. Stuff was built heavy back then...we were on top of the world. Now we're over budget and underfunded. Ah...modern life! But hey, fire escapes are cool and maybe, one day, we'll be rich enough (again) to put people to work building more of them...but my one question remains: Who is the guy hired to keep these things painted black? I mean, every fire escape I've ever seen always has a relatively fresh coat of black paint on it! This is a brilliant shot.

Great title for this vertigo view! ;~)