Having just put my feet down in Montreal, one major element that stands out everywhere are the stairs. Walking down many residential streets, the open metal stairs leading to the front doors tell you you're in Montreal for sure. But they also, quite unexpectedly, remind me of another place...
The front steps of Brooklyn brownstones aren't open and sinewy like the metal steps of many Montreal residences. They're big and beefy, made of heavy masonry. But look at the repetition, the bays in between, and that inviting feeling emanating from both cities' steps. When it comes to the stairs, I feel like these two great cities are kind of like cousins.
There is much more to come on Montreal stairs, as they're everywhere and they're incredible!
Photos: Flickr
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On the Brooklyn photo: Is that Park Place, between Underhill and Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights?
Good eye! That is a cool similarity/difference to notice
Make sure to stroll the Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood for some spectacular staircases. Also quite an experience come winter time!
The weird thing about the stairs in Montreal is that you access upper level apartments from the exterior of the building, so in the winter you haul your heavy grocery bags up frozen, slippery, metal stairs. I always thought that was kind of weird.
Aw... I miss Montreal now. Time for a road trip (thankfully I'm just 2hrs away)
Here's an example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/xav75/2206647466/
This is a nice blog post on Montreal stairs! It's in English, for all that the title is French.
http://chicagomontreal.wordpress.com/2007/05/19/les-escaliers-de-montreal/
Interesting comments too.
Snow shoveling is indeed our national sport...
Supposedly, the reason stairs are on the outside in Montreal is because buildings are taxed according to their interior square footage. Thus builders don't want to waste interior space on stairways and halls. It can really get perilous around February.
It's so great to see postings from Montreal! It's a great city for design. Just stroll down St. Laurent and see! Also, did you know that mail carriers actually jump from one second story landing to another in the winter time just to avoid trudging up and down all those exterior stairs?!
I love my stairs, except in the winter when there is too much snow, its such a pain to shovel them!