Love the color with the black contrast. I guess the staircase makes for close neighbors?

Never seen this kind of external staircase - interesting concept...

very cool - depending on what's on the top floor, this could be a stairway to heaven! Wonderful capture and dedication

Very convenient for visiting the pretty neighbor lady. Appears to be a curious afterthought. I wonder what the impetus for this was?

These were fascinating old buildings in the French Quarter. They have obviously served many purposes over the past two hundred or so years. I suspect (based on other nearby buildings) that all four second floor doors in this building opened at one time onto a single large deck. Like your composition and the building owner's unique design for the front of this building.

Very intriguing and I can't quite work our the purpose !!

Well seen and captured. Must be family :-D

What a remarkable picture. Sure, I love it, and what an honour, you did mention me, so: "Thank you, dear Tara"! I find it so funny that you can along the outside of your house to (lets say) the downstairs neighbours. Or, it must be that one can go to your bedroom in this way, and when you wake up and want to have a cup of coffee, you must first walk via the outside stairs to the kitchen. How cool is that idea, huh? So you can continue to fantasize, for example, that you have neighbours above, and you're going to visit them in the evening ..... but if you want to return to your own home, and you've had a drink, haha .... , how do you come safely home, when taking the stairs .... etc. And .... do you come safely through your door, without bumping your head hard on the plants baskets? If I continue thinking about this, I imagine that behind the windows of the ground floor, there are two people on the couch, or on the floor, both with a crushed and painfully head. So, and now I will keep my mouth, it's about time, right my friend?! :D

Extraordinary! I could stare at this , postulating various theories, for ages.

wonderful network of fire escapes

That is just great.. very nice captured :))

Amazing capture Tara. God bless.

One has to wonder if these are very good neighbors! LOL A really interesting and lovely shot, Tara! Love the soft colors here! You don't miss a thing, my dear friend!

Hmm, that is a most curious arrangement for certain! It would be really interesting to research how it came about, but in the meantime what a fantastic photo! I love the colour and the way you've composed the shot!

Makes you wonder what they built it like that for.

this is one house here as the two is connected by the out side stairs. . why they do this I do not know but new orlears got things going on that no one else in the USA have maybe the world as some people say.

oh forgot some of these buildings is all one house as I been in some before. never saw this one or if i did I do not remember

In case of fire just jump and hope! Great shot! Rob

Yes, ala Jock, NOrleans has things going on that no other US city has. I assumed what he said was right---ie, that this is one house, one owner (family), and they just wanted to connect the two floors on the outside. It makes a great find, and a beautiful bit of diagonal against those wonderful perpendiculars so common to these facades. Nice soft effect too--the hues seem just a little softened or slightly toned down, and it feels a bit like a dream, as a result, which is very sweet. The inclusion of the deep red (crimson) facade on the left is a good contrast. A fascinating shot, and done as kind of mid afternoon dream. And the hanging plants are like a row that unifies the whole pic. Nature's chandeliers...