How The Flawed Fire Escape Took Over New York - Cheddar Explains

You can’t separate classic New York City architecture from the fire escape. They’re all over. You’ve also seen them in classic movies like West Side Story. And if you live in an apartment with one, you essentially have 6 square feet of free balcony. But this iconic aspect of the New York aesthetic has a dark side.
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[@leedsman54]

Wooden fire escapes? Did nobody see a problem with this?

[@nottodayartt5187]

Just be faster than the fire ig

[@SpartanForces117]

Nah.. wooden fire escapes fit perfectly. Murica is all about profit maximizing for the rich

[@word42069]

there are no wood fire escapes in NYC. Idk where that is coming from.

[@c1oi]

@@word42069 they literally said it in the video, did you even watch the video lmao

[@word42069]

@@c1oi I live in NYC and am an architect. I don’t need an inaccurate video to tell me about buildings in my own city. Maybe in the 18th/19th century there were a handful of wooden fire escapes but they are not a thing anymore.

[@LuckyBird551]

New York City is basically the poster child of the "Update Later" button if software were cities.

[@word42069]

not really..

[@Grand_Works]

It's really not

[@johnm7611]

@@word42069 it litteraly is, there is no aley ways in network which is why garbage gets pilled up on the side walks everywhere

[@word42069]

@@johnm7611 not everywhere and only on trash days! If they had alleyways people would complain about the alleyways and alleyways used to mean crime... so to each their own. After the Five Points slum became so infamous alleyways became extremely unpopular in NYC and were essentially eradicated from the grid system. It also just allowed an even denser city.

[@OneNewHope]

That's why I love the history of Chicago architecture. It's basically: "let's fix all of New York's giant design flaws."

[@PeterTMT]

An important note about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire - Many exits and stairway entrances were locked to prevent theft and extra work breaks. Many deaths were the result of a complete disregard for worker safety rather than poor preparation.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

I believe that's why the fire escape was so overladen. It became the only escape instead of the alternative. The Triangle fire is cited a lot in history videos for both building safety and workplace safety codes.

[@grantcivyt]

Worker safety wasn't completely disregarded. The economics of the day was simply not what it is today, and safety wasn't a priority for workers of the day. When you're poor, accepting risk is a competitive advantage at your disposal.

[@grantcivyt]

@@IgorNV The key word is "complete."

[@Vessekx]

@@grantcivyt, they had to literally break open locked doors to try escaping. The key word, ‘complete’, is accurate.

[@grantcivyt]

@@Vessekx If there were ANY safeguards for safety, that would be sufficient to dismiss the claim. Reports mention empty water buckets meant specifically for fires as well as fire escapes that collapsed under the weight of the many people fleeing. Workers always trade off safety for pay. It happens today in fishing vessels in frigid waters and offshore oil rigs with heavy machinery. It happened then in textile manufacturing. Better to understand how economies develop than to imagine simplistic stories of greed and malevolence.

[@DIEKALSTER8]

I see these in movies all the time. Non-US person here.

[@catscats4427]

Yup, in Friends too

[@jayandree4361]

There’s a few here in DC and Baltimore

[@DoggyHateFire]

Yeah, they really are something in a movie/show that says "You are in NYC"

[@darthjarjar5309]

I hate them, I always fear someone is gonna climb the fire scape and break in. And guess what, there have been dozen of actual cases like this in NYC.

[@bry120]

Are you Chinese?

[@anthonyhalstead3925]

I watched a documentary in school about the triangle shirt factory fire. From what I remember an employee threw her cigarette into the trash bin filled with paper and the fire quickly spread. In those times it was commonplace to lock employees into the factories because they tried to leave. There also was a choke point where all employees would be searched for stolen shirts. The fire was blazing for some time before they unlocked the door and the door was a pull door to go outside, the women were flooding the door and it wouldn't open because it was pull and the pressure of them disallowed it to open. Multiple workplace safety requirements were put in place after this fire. All fire exits/doors in a public building must be push to leave and employers could no longer lock employees into their factories.

[@ajkleipass]

The building the Triangle Shirt Waist Company was in still exists. It's now a part of NYU's Washington Square Park campus.

[@okate251]

@@ajkleipass so strange walking past it seeing chem experiments in the windows. such a tragic history in those classrooms

[@Matty002]

wow its like they put profit before people and regulation was what saved lives its so unamerican 🌝

[@tickytacky8078]

And yet unions aren't still commonplace and are frowned upon by companies. Huh

[@AMK544]

@@tickytacky8078 because things like that don’t happen anymore lol

[@MTSVW]

Another big problem with fire escapes are the windows. If there’s a fire below you, flames shooting out of the window will make it impossible to pass below that point. But in an indoor enclosed stairwell with closed fire rated doors, you can go past the burning floors more safety and better protected from the fire.

[@chatteyj]

easy way round that is to make regulation that no windows on the building where fire escape is.

[@AfrinonM]

@@chatteyj That might work if the building was made with the fire escape in mind, but it seems that the fire escapes were appended to existing buildings, so they didn't have that luxury.

[@TheAnantaSesa]

@@AfrinonM brick over the windows. Or just fight through the flames by tiptoeing around the edge away from the building. Perfect time to practice parkour climbing during a fire when life depends on it. Not just giving up bc the easy way is blocked.

[@nurichniemandsonst9639]

@@TheAnantaSesa ... I think the windows are how you get out onto the fire escape..

[@Vessekx]

@@TheAnantaSesa, you just suggested bricking over the entrances *to* the fire escape.

[@MC_aigorithm]

I can personally attest to having one outside my bedroom window in Brooklyn for 8 months and was out on my "balcony" nearly every day. 🙃

[@allysonbeaulieu7351]

haha i do the same thing 😅

[@ravendangernavy3575]

I've always wanted to do this! I hope to move to new york one day

[@limitedtime5471]

I called them Brooklyn balconies lol we had half a dozen people out there once smoking. Now that was dangerous.. fun tho

[@JohnFekoloid]

You Sir, are New York itself..👍

[@MeritRaXIX]

I used to live in Manhattan, had one outside my living room and I used to make barbecues there

[@Maki-00]

3:09 Kid just swinging and chillin’ over the fire escape! 😂

[@kodo1232]

lol

[@flanagamer]

Kids don’t give AF about safety 😅🤷🏼‍♂️

[@BatCaveOz]

NYC fire escapes - used for ripping bongs since the 1960's.

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

1930s.

[@BatCaveOz]

@@TheRealCaptainFreedom - You are mostly correct, in that the "devil's lettuce" became popular in NYC in the 1930's... but I don't think bongs were really a thing yet.

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

@@BatCaveOz In Asia they were.

[@tolfan4438]

@@BatCaveOz it depends if you count hookas or not

[@richiesworld1]

NOICE!

[@fredashay]

They should probably allow them to stay on historic buildings, but require them to be replaced with steel escapes of similar historic design. Perhaps give landlords tax incentives to do so.

[@cybertrk]

If a building is historic, record it, then let it be upgraded to modern code. If the city wants to preserve something 100% then they should buy it and make it a public asset. It's stupidity to keep people locked into old technology just because someone has a affection for historical styling.

[@rockland2]

@@cybertrk you sorta have a point there, but it is oftentimes sad to see an old landmark disappear. The old saying goes “You can't stop progress” it's true. 😢

[@erichobbs4042]

Tax incentives? Just fine them millions of dollars if they don't comply. They are landlords in NYC. They can afford to make their building safe.

[@hunting4honeys]

The landlords would find ways to scrimp on design. My city is full of historic iron railings, with some replaced with steal and they look TERRIBLE like a Disneyland version, a cheap copy

[@pbgd3]

@@hunting4honeys of course they look different. All that old iron was done pouring molten iron into sand molds. Its extremely heavy and is solid iron. Steel is magnitudes stronger. To build all of that out of solid steel when it can be hollow steel bar would be ridiculous in cost and mass. And considering it is safer to sprinkler the building and tell people to stay in their apartment unless the fire is in their unit it's all unnecessary anyway.

[@robertschill2686]

In the USA, buildings over a few stories tall generally require two interior stairs for emergency egress. That gives you an alternate escape route if one stair is filled with smoke or flames. For old NYC tenements, they saved money by providing one interior stair and an exterior fire escape(s) as the second means of egress. In order to get rid of the fire escapes, they would have to add a second stair accessible from each apartment, to provide that second means of egress. For most old NYC tenements, that would basically mean tearing the building down and starting over again.

[@toomanymarys7355]

These days, you can have only one means of egress if you have fire sprinklers and enough fire resistant construction. That's what's been normal in the UK for a long time. It works great (except when it doesn't, like everything). Edit: the changes to the code are fairly new. Parts of the US adopted the strictest construction codes in the world for fire after the Chicago fire, but they didn't really update them with technological advances for a loooong time. The fire codes are one small brick in the absolutely monumental disaster of high rise public housing, too. That doesn't change that is entire video is a disaster by a team that must be willfully stupid to get so much wrong.

[@--_--IMP--_--]

@@toomanymarys7355 Cheddar videos are always heavy on opinions and light on facts. You didn't make the mistake of expecting accuracy and integrity from a Cheddar video, did you?

[@word42069]

@@toomanymarys7355 Yup

[@chatteyj]

I think they should just install giant fireman poles on the sides of tall buildings they would be cheap and relatively easy to install and would stand the test of time better than exterior stairways.

[@walterchisholm1827]

@@chatteyj until someone uses it an falls ten stories to there death. A slick metal pole from top to bottom how smart lol. Sorry I couldnt resist. But seriously I believe a tax break for landowners to install new steel fire escapes that are built with spirals instead of zig zag to help from any fires below that could stop them from runing across each window where fire and heat could be coming out of. Is better than just letting them build half ass same design fire escapes

[@winderwonder]

They were called ghetto terraces when I lived there.

[@ThomasBomb45]

😬

[@MsMassiel11]

Sitting on one in the bronx today. Nice day out!

[@limitedtime5471]

They're pretty great i could slither out a window in half a wink and have a nice view of the verrazano

[@ShadowBeetle]

@@MsMassiel11 Im sorry for you bro

[@TheBooban]

They are damn ugly

[@makalehelie]

I love sitting on the fire escapes in summer

[@Teleios116]

I love my cheaper rent in cities with zero fire escapes.

[@wolfengod8277]

I love loosening the bolts on old fire escapes year round.

[@chatteyj]

I love not living in a city in the summer

[@wentoneisendon6502]

@Brad Barr NYC fucking stinks during the summer

[@bennett1426]

@@wentoneisendon6502 i liver in new york and it gets so hot in summer, still love it though

[@Nat-jf2ge]

I'd be too scared to stand on them, most look like they're just waiting to fall off the building

[@cerisecerezacherry]

Not really they're kind of strong

[@rebekahcuriel-alessi2239]

That shirtwaist Triangle factory, and the deaths of all those dear young ladies in its fire breaks my heart every time I hear about it.

[@rronaldreagan]

Why? There are millions of other examples where many more men died and im sure your heart doesnt care about them

[@Cacowninja]

@@rronaldreagan That's not a nice thing to assume.

[@jmad318]

@@rronaldreagan did you just "all lives matter" the triangle shirtwaist factory fire?

[@BryonLetterman]

It was 110 years ago.

[@georgestreicher252]

I can remember as a child in the mid 50's in the Bronx, people sleeping on fire escapes at night during the oppressively hot and humid NYC summers. This was in the days before air conditioning. My old neighborhood just off Tremont Avenue, was mainly of five and six story buildings.

[@FoxyNinetails]

That sounds about right, I think some still do that today! Can't imagine myself trying it with these ancient fire escapes, but I think we've all experienced those really sweltering nights where any relief is better than none. Thanks for sharing!

[@tubester4567]

Most of the fire escapes that exist today are made of steel and they are very strong. Any weakness is due to corrosion and lack of maintenance (paint). The fire escapes had to be strong enough to carry a lot of people, but light enough to not destroy the brick wall from its weight. Basically, fire escapes exist because most of the buildings were made before fire regulations.

[@pjhelbig]

Exactly. The corrosion of structural steel is an electrochemical process that requires the simultaneous presence of moisture and oxygen. Essentially, the iron in the steel is oxidized to produce rust, which occupies approximately six times the volume of the original material. The rate at which the corrosion process progresses depends on a number of factors, but principally the 'micro-climate' immediately surrounding the structure. Having said that, I seriously doubt all but a few are regularly maintained. Lending most to be anything but "very strong". Especially considering the structure they are anchored to,.

[@eattherich9215]

@Hypercube Jones: discussed from 6:38.

[@arizonarangershat3831]

Wait what was the point of this comment when it was literally the subject of the video? Lol

[@creativecredence850]

@@arizonarangershat3831 He reads KZbin titles as challenges. Doesn't watch the video, just gives his insight and off to the next challenge.

[@pluuk666]

But once the temps go 500 upwards, steel loses its strenght drastically

[@ispymyi]

As a member of the FDNY, fire escapes have saved numerous lives. In buildings with 6 floors or less with one open interior stair, it may well be your only way out. To think of getting rid of these is crazy.

[@FoxyNinetails]

Thanks for speaking up, it's always good to hear from the experts. Just to be clear though, are you really against getting rid of these particular fire escapes or are you against getting rid of them before a safer version is built (like the internal staircase)? Or would you rather buildings have multiple fire escapes at the same time, keeping these as well as having something on the inside? You've got a really cool job, hope you're doing well!

[@ronniehicks3258]

Love the fire escapes. I miss them, I grew up in New York.

[@lustechsource5197]

Ok, so the security I felt with the fire escape out my window is gone. Thanks a lot.

[@toomanymarys7355]

They almost always work just fine. There are just newer, even better ways of providing fire safety that have made them obsolete--but new buildings in NYC now only have ONE required exit because the fire department is supposed to be able to rescue you before you need it with the new technological solutions. I'm a bit paranoid, so however irrational, I'd be happier with the escape. :) This video is full of it.

[@wolfengod8277]

Better than nothing, also the woman that got roasted should have just lowered herself and fell the 2 stories that didn’t have stares. Like really what was going on in her head as the fire got hotter and she just stood there and waited to burn, smh.

[@pankourlaut]

Nothing really changed except your own perception.

[@AlextheHistorian]

@@wolfengod8277 She was probably suffering from panic, smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion...I doubt very many people could make rational decisions under those conditions.

[@englyn1]

Why? Simple stairs and ladders are a pretty foolproof concept and will work perfectly most of the time. It would be extremely bad luck if yours were to structurally fail on the one day that you actually need it to flee to safety.

[@batya7]

When I lived in my pre-war Manhattan building, I knew where the access to the fire escape was but never tried to exit using it. Don't know if I could have climbed up to it. Also, there was a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood and the police attributed easy access via fire escape as #1 factor.

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

Yeah, they always seems like a major security issue to me... Then again, NYC itself is a major security risk...

[@RIchardleepr]

I love them. I lived in the city and that was my personal space to read and smoke. That was the only space where you can meet neighbors and have a decent couple minutes of conversation. (a rarity in NYC)

[@dancoulson6579]

It must be a refreshing dose of normaility o be able to talk to people like that. Everyone is so creepy these days, just staring at their phone. It's just depressing.

[@DrKO2453]

While I agree there are structural problems that need to be addressed, one must remember firefighting has come a long way, and fire escapes have saved more than a few people. Back in turn of the 20th Century you did not have the ladder trucks you have now.

[@lizaramirez-garcia5944]

They aren’t bad just ppl didn’t make them well to be cheap more then half the time

[@chrisw.4318]

Having one outside of your window is awesome, one of my favorite things when I lived in NYC was going on the fire escape and people watching with a nice joint.

[@joermnyc]

Considering when they were repointing our building, they had 5 people on our landing, AND a small scaffold. Also before repainting the fire escape the guy was beating the crap out of it with hammer and chisel to knock off the old paint.

[@ZeeTaylor25]

I always wondered how safe those fire exits are. I would probably be scared about my security as these stairs can be used ro break into homes.

[@myoldvhstapes]

Yes! A drug addict was climbing the fire escape on my building in downtown L.A. The "balcony" part of it fronts the apt. right next to mine. The trespasser leaned over and knocked on my window! I told the manager that she needed to install burglar bars on the rooms with the fire escape. She disagreed!!! The woman on the floor above said she was not home, but she'd left the windows open. The man chose not to enter her room, but he pushed the blinds to the side. She moved to a different room without the fire escape.

[@ZeeTaylor25]

@@myoldvhstapes That's terrifying! The building owner should really take care of the safety of the tenants. Glad you're safe. I don't live in the US so it makes me curious how people feel about this type of fire exits for apartments and the lack of gates and perimeter fences for houses.

[@mikemx55]

@@myoldvhstapes doesn't even have to be strangers, could be your own neighbors from any other floor that catch windows open

[@IAmManWithTheGun]

Same, bro

[@whatever_12]

And mostly use with "wait at the window am gonna lower it in a bag" or when your up or down floor neighbour got to give you something.

[@duckonaroll1913]

this was super hard to read

[@ryans6280]

Does cheddar have some strange fear of other cities besides NYC? I'll always love NYC but it'd be nice if you guys explored at least a few other cities quirks and history. Especially somewhere besides LA or NYC. There's 1000's of cities with interesting history and points of interest that escape the media.

[@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520]

I'm guessing Cheddar is based in NYC, so they probably have that whole mentality that NYC is the only city that matters, other cities live in the shadows of NYC etc.

[@Lysergic_]

@@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520 why do people always assume that it's because someone only cares about the area they live in, vs. having easy access to knowledge, stories and trivia from the area you're based in? They probably get a lot of their video ideas from museums and historical sites nearby.

[@SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand]

@@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520 Why are you watching this channel if you don't like NYC? Suck it.

[@SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand]

@@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520 Let's be real, New York is just an interesting city.

[@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520]

@@SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand lol fuck off, why are you assuming I don't like NYC? I was just making a point. Besides Melbourne, NYC is my second favourite city and my second home. So much my second home that I own an apartment In Flatbush.

[@frenchfriar]

This video helps to explain a phenomenon I had noticed where I see pictures of historic old buildings that have been restored, and they have taken the fire escapes off. I suppose that an internal fire stair has been added during the renovation, but I had been wondering how they managed to avoid putting the fire escapes back up.

[@tylermech66]

the first thing i ever think of when I see one of these fire escapes is that one scene in final destination where the ladder dropped into some guys' eye socket, killing him brutally.

[@TheAnantaSesa]

Always thought having a stairway right next to an open window wasn't a good idea to reduce robberies.

[@CamdenBloke]

My university had them on a few of the buildings. I totally did the thing where I jumped up and grabbed the ladder and pulled it down to climb up the outside of the building, but was only able to do that because of the placement of a wall that I could climb up onto.

[@prime_optimus]

Sure you did.

[@pookiedookiedoo]

@@prime_optimus alright, john, you want a prize for not believing what someone says? you're a real cool guy

[@pelikojootti2862]

damn bro thats crazy

[@CamdenBloke]

​@@pelikojootti2862 Yeah! It was on an administrative building in an area of campus where students don't usually wander. There was basically a hill with a wall blocking off the hill so that there could be a path do a lower doorway. The fire escape ladder came down that side of the building and happened to face the wall such that one could leap from the wall and grab the ladder. I was walking with a girl at the time that I discovered it, so we did the whole, "Hey, let's climb up here together" thing.

[@gundamkei3756]

Or you could use an umbrella with hooked handle to pull the ladder down. Easy.

[@dpmjmun]

It's very much part of the city's culture, i live in the interior of Brazil, never left the country and i associate these kinds of stairs to NYC immediately, but i'd pick practicality over cultural history any time, cause you know, very much easier to appreciate things when you're not dead, after being roasted alive

[@dondrap513]

I find it impossible to believe a woman roasted to death because the fire escape stopped 10 feet from the ground. You'd jump as an involuntary action. People jumped from the 90th floor of wtc rather than burn.

[@nathanlonghair]

*20 - 30 feet. It was 2 floors up. But yes some people choose to jump anyway, unless something else is preventing them. It may not have been possible for her for one reason or another.

[@nimrodery]

@@nathanlonghair New Yorkers were all 3 ft tall in those days so floors could be shorter.

[@FordRangerClassics]

It's called freezing in the moment. Many deaths are the result of not taking action.

[@yvettemckinzie9082]

My brother and I had had one outside of our bedroom. We loved it especially in the summer when the weather was warm.

[@josiahjwhitfield]

finally a video affirming my very rational fear of fire escapes

[@MemoGrafix]

You'll get over that fear when that's the only way out

[@mauriciotauron]

It's so real an example of iconic is the fire escape being a symbol of New York City. Because I grew up to use the fire escape play with another kids in 1980's times. I missed it. In fact, I loved it. It's beautiful the fire escape architectural... 🏙️🌆🌃🌁

[@FinancialShinanigan]

I didn't mind them until I saw the fire escape scene from Final Destination 2

[@digheanurag]

Who knew it was a documentary?

[@umangmalik]

Something for Well There's Your Problem in a few years

[@patrickgallagher1161]

Train good. Car bad. Fire escapes...?

[@willyjoerockhead]

If there is a fire Its better to jump out on a fire escape than nothing at all.

[@Gryphonisle]

They certainly seem insistent that NYC was more enthusiastic about the fire escape than any other city. Funny thing is, for the one shot of San Francisco they decided to use, the camera focused on the Fairmont, and not any of the buildings below it to the east (Lower Nob Hill and the Tenderloin, Union Square) or to the north (Chinatown) nearly all of which have fire escapes.

[@jonathantan2469]

The hostel which I stayed in North Beach had one. Using the retractable ladder, you could get down to the sidewalk right on Columbus St. below.

[@johnmiller5679]

I remember sitting on my grandmothers fire escape in Williamsburg Brooklyn looking at one of the Italian festivals back in the 70’s. My brother and I were both around 10 and we would sit out there waiting for the people to come by. Nobody ever used the fire escape except to sit out used as a balcony. Kind of a white trash balcony but now with $4000 a month rent you probably can’t call it white trash any longer.

[@annek1226]

Northern New Jersey has tons of fire escapes! I lived in Jersey City and they were everywhere!

[@heard3879]

Yes it's the whole New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, not just NYC proper, that's full of them.

[@davidmilhouscarter8198]

7:01 Landlords are just trying to find a cheap way…period.

[@myopinionsarefacts]

Welp, guess I can add fire escape falling off the side of the building while I'm sitting on it to my list of fears

[@UeProductionz]

Been in New York all my life. I've never seen anyone actually sit in their fire escape leisurely but I do know it happens. Personally, I think they're crazy. I'd never do it. I always have this feeling that one of these fire escapes will just unhinge and fall on top of someone someday.

[@bruhbutwhytho2301]

They have

[@kbhasi]

As someone who has never lived in the US, I've only seen them in TV shows and movies, and didn't know what they were called! I thought they were balconies!

[@diontaedaughtry974]

This channel has all the answers to questions I've been thinking about for a long time.

[@Tpete811]

As a former New Yorker I always found them to be quaint and like mentioned somewhat part of the image of New York, some of those brownstones are so iconic with them. However discovering that they are not safe and poorly maintained (not so surprising step into any project and you know this.) gives me pause. I love their aesthetic either way.

[@aadroher]

I'm prettry sure that the woman having a coffee and checking her phone on the balcony at 7:10 is in Barcelona, not New York

[@laurencefraser]

The joys of stock footage.

[@daerdevvyl4314]

Do you recognize the footage, the girl, the building or the trees?

[@vegahimsa3057]

It's not a flimsy fire escape, anyway.

[@nobrang5146]

It's just an example. They were talking about the use of fire escapes. Not the city

[@vegahimsa3057]

@@nobrang5146 and the example is a lovely balcony, doubtfully a fire escape, and certainly not flimsy. Barcelona seems as plausible as any European city. Nothing immediately says NYC, imo, but maybe.

[@Ohio_Greg]

Great video! I will be extra careful when on and around fire escapes. Thank you!

[@citizen186]

The fire escape was my balcony when I was a kid, I would play with my G.I Joe and other action figures there.

[@agypsychild]

Yes, external fire escapes are a mild concern especially if they are not regularly maintained. But two deaths in two years although tragic for the families involved (my condolences for their lost) does not a crisis make. In a city with ten million denizens it’s noticeable for its rarity we probably used to lose more people crossing Queens Boulevard in a month. As a native living, in a six story building with an external fire escape, the only time we would use it to escape a fire is if the fire is between us and the interior staircase. My building is between 70 and 80 years old brick constructed. The interior stairs are the way to go.

[@Housewarmin]

3:12 that swing is a smart idea!

[@Maki-00]

Research “baby cages” if you’ve never heard of them. Such a trip!

[@KyleTO7]

Neat video! I'm from Toronto and we have loads of fire escapes on older buildings that are usually 6 stories or less. I love the look of them, didn't realize they were all so dangerous though.

[@blackbear92201]

Awesome video - thanks for posting!

[@dylanwfilms]

Theres a bunch of em in LA too, in fact im pretty sure that scene in Westside Story was filmed in LA. I say keep em but make sure they’re safe and up to date

[@hebneh]

The fire escape scenes in "West Side Story" were all sets on soundstages in Hollywood, not actual buildings.

[@dylanwfilms]

@@hebneh ah, makes sense. Still, you can see them on old buildings in LA

[@Mpg-gh5fq]

I'd like to see more external fire escapes on buildings. External fire escapes are good because they offer an escape route with fresh air. Internal stairwells can get filled with smoke and basically become chimneys. Even the newer ones with positive pressure ventilation will fail if the power supply to the fans gets cut off or if too many stairwell doors are open at the same time.

[@ceddricc5909]

Seeing them somehow gives a sort of nice vibe to a certain building depending on how well the look really is And I've seen it in a lot of movies and became quite used to look of those stairs and grown very fond of them..

[@LERJizz]

I lived in a 6 story building in the East Village for years and the fire escape was my balcony in the spring, my tanning bed in the summers, my lookout in the fall, and my wine cooler in the winters. It also served as my ladder to my terrace (also known as the rooftop) where I could see the entire city, Brooklyn and even Queens. Best memories ever, best view from my apartment, extra square footage, and also worked for our safety. Fire escapes are a staple of NYC and it identifies picture of buildings from those in NYC to other buildings in London or Paris. They should stay, the ones in disrepair should be repaired, and new buildings should continue to add them as balconies and fire escapes.

[@jamesjanes7936]

Fuck your terrace. Pedestrians shouldn’t be scared of a fire escape landing on them because you like your memories of a fake balcony. Most of these things are flimsy and and useless otherwise

[@theclingyfox7899]

When I lived in brooklyn near the coney island boardwalk, I remembered seeing my neighbor from two stories down chasing his cat up the gire escape. His cat would often escape through the window which didn't have any bug net installed and in to other people's apartments/the roof; it happened so frequently that it sort of became a joke between us that he'd let his cat out on the fire escape on purpose to have an excuse to peep at people in who were showering :p

[@zaggers77]

What a beautiful story.

[@rubix187]

Sadly, many aspects of New York City are out of date

[@rvelasquez]

A nice visit down the Chambers St subway station will make it clear to anyone.

[@princetchalla2441]

Or the rat infested subways where people get pushed into trains by unstable people...

[@Zoza15]

I can say that for entire North America.

[@EclipsedPsycho]

@Integrated Hate SpreaderLMAOOO

[@chuckscott4661]

Infant male circumcision needs to go outta style in NYC.

[@KarimElhoussami]

A lot of people seemed to be for them when the Grenfell tower fire happened in 2017 and people were trapped in their buildings because the fire had spread through to the entire building in a matter of 15 minutes causing the inside stairwell to be completely engulfed in flames. People wanted a way to escape outside that didn't require waiting for emergency services. It seems like the weakness of it was more to do with poor execution rather than the concept itself.

[@montec6113]

Never really thought about them much, but yeah, they are quite iconic

[@FrancescaPessarelli]

I used to live in a brownstone and I miss my fire escape so much. It faced out to the back yard area so I could watch the birds look at the trees. My building now has one but it's a big loft building with a share fire escape in the back. Not as cute :(

[@bennett1426]

i live in a brownstone with a backyard view fire escape too!

[@-noplangaming-9268]

I KNEW IT, THEY ARENT SAFE. i always told my mom I felt as though the thing would collapse

[@rebekahcuriel-alessi2239]

Lovely little essay.

[@steev7343]

0:31 so true. I’ve seen old photos of Philly and mistaken it for NYC because of how many fire escapes I seen. We still have some but not as much and they’re usually hidden in the back of tall apartment buildings or on the side. A few college students fell off one during a party before and one died. I heard about it after asking why we don’t have them anymore

[@mattemond777]

I always wanted to make a little oasis on my Brooklyn fire escape but it's actually against the law to keep anything on your fire escape and seeing how mine was street-facing I was always too paranoid some cop with a quota to fill or my landlord would make me regret it. I still hung out there but always brought my stuff back inside when I was done. My favorite part of the fire escape was the little cast iron sign that virtually every NYC fire escape that states: "“Any one placing any encumbrance on this balcony shall be fined ten dollars.”

[@ZybakTV]

Hey Arnold!

[@ANTSEMUT1]

Of all the people to see in this channel.

[@leftylou6070]

Thanks for your opinion on nyc fire escapes and fire saftey.

[@tungmingxuan8559]

I remember several missions in GTA IV where you had to use one of these and I kept failing the mission by falling off the fire escape and wasting myself lmao

[@CharChar2121]

I think they're very pretty in NY

[@andrewemerson1613]

frankly, most of this sounds like failures of execution, rather than a problem with fire escapes themselves. as in more regulation about how big they are, how many per expected occupancy, and so on

[@princetchalla2441]

I noticed that. Same thing with Airplanes except they’re done right. You can have a dangerous thing like this be an effective and safe fire escape if it’s well maintained ie painted and checked every few years for corrosion and replaced once it’s dangerous. However, all the ones I’ve seen always are coated brown and orange with rust/corrosion and I wouldn’t trust them with more than 2 people at a time. They’re accidents waiting to happen downtown. On the other hand, some airplanes have been flying so long, three generations of mechanics and pilots have worked with them. Not because they’re perfect or impervious to time, but because they’re well maintained and checked annually and every 100 hours in service. This seems to be a problem with many things in the US, but cheap is hard to beat, and unfortunately some safety regulations are written in blood. It usually takes a tragedy to cause changes.

[@andrewemerson1613]

@@princetchalla2441 yeah, that's pretty on point

[@Jurkblot]

Hanging out on my fire escape right now

[@mario27171]

Another classic movie with a fire escape in an important role It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and it wasn't safe in 1963.

[@wraithgames]

2:29 And that man's name was Freddy Krueger

[@DeadRBLX243]

😂

[@dh510]

I really like the parachute idea. That should be brought back! ^^

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Some idiot tries selling ones that did not work in demonstrations after 9/11.

[@JuanJDumeP]

During the blackout of 2003 i spent the whole night on the fire-scape in NYC. Amazing time.

[@WildernessRocks]

Yep I live in a small Manhattan building with the classic fire escape. 🤘

[@AngelLovestovlog]

I remember when I was 6 it was my first time in ny I was visiting my aunt I was sleeping near a fire escape and I was so scared that someone was going to come out of there

[@kymmzej9173]

I tried using my fire escape for the first time last year. I put one foot on that thing and immediately took it off. That thing felt so flimsy that I doubt it could hold just me, a lightweight, for very long if god forbid there was a fire in my building. Not to mention the railing is too short.

[@janohare916]

Yikes.

[@FordRangerClassics]

@@janohare916 probably the only appropriate use of "yikes" I've seen in the past 4 years

[@iainballas]

"If not made of iron, it must be made of wood." That guy who wanted to build out of Steel: "Aw, shucks." That guy who wanted to build with glass: "My goals are beyond your understanding."

[@herschelwright4663]

Winnipeg’s exchange district in the downtown area has plenty of turn of the century buildings with fire escapes on them.

[@activat0rz]

5:50 wait? so old buildings arent modified to have sprinklers? Murica

[@word42069]

Yes they are. Cheddar is very good at giving partially correct information in their videos but then getting certain facts wrong or simply omitting them... all for the sake of brevity and whatever criticism they’re trying to make about a given topic. They should really have actual architects in NYC talk about these topics because a lot of their most recent architectural videos are extremely misleading because of poor research and/or wording. I can’t blame them too much because NYC building code is about the most dense, comprehensive, and confusing (with overlap and iterations) in the world... (with people from other cities across the world coming here to study it) ...but that doesn’t excuse making seemingly educational videos with bad information. They also know that they get more views and comments when their video spark controversy or questions. Sincerely, a NYC architect.

[@pabl0sauced0]

@@word42069 bro you are taking this way too seriously. Btw New York is like that girl who looks beautiful but then you realize what she's hiding under a pound of makeup. I always thought New York was like a modern metropolis, then i went and was hella disappointed. Everything is old and dirty besides the financial district and midtown, i felt as if the subway tunnels or the infrastructure in general is like a decade away from collapsing. They need to revamp the city badly 😭

[@word42069]

@@pabl0sauced0 your comment only served to reinforce that you know very little about NYC. Sorry my comment triggered you(?). Should NYC look like a city primarily built hundreds of years after it was actually built? Go to Dubai, you’ll be happy there... just don’t complain about the sand.

[@Lamepants91]

@@word42069 Older buildings less than six stories are not required to install sprinkler systems unless Certificates of Occupancy are changed...... Usually so you can make the change (add units / change use). I would know since i deal with this all the time.

[@word42069]

@@Lamepants91 As for sprinkler systems, yes that is the case in some circumstances. Developers may employ certain tactics and get creative to avoid CofO changes but generally if you are doing things by the book and your structure falls into sprinkler territory there is no avoiding it. Sprinkler systems are not the only fire safety feature/measure though and there is plenty of lower density housing stock throughout the city that does not have sprinklers. We’re talking many thousands of townhouses built before and after the civil war and well into the turn of the 20th century. There are even a decent number of earlier wood-framed townhouses scattered about the city. NYC was fortunate to not loose too many swaths of the city to fire because NYC was an early adopter of good plumbing and basic fire-blocking around the perimeters of and between buildings.

[@mr.whatever1492]

These flawed fire escapes definitely looks good and gives a nostalgic feeling but are meant to cause more harm than good, fire alarms and water sprinklers in proper condition are need of the hour.

[@toddteagarden2200]

I got locked on the roof of my Manhattan apartment building (6 story) one snowy night so I used the fire escape to get down! It’s totally sketchy.. plus I felt weird walking by other apartment windows!

[@borispatino]

This was a Good Video, Thank You

[@donovandownes5064]

2:17 talk about a nightmare on Elm Street

[@DeadRBLX243]

lol

[@odemata87]

good way to get in when you forget your keys

[@cerisecerezacherry]

Lol I have done that before

[@catsupchutney]

NYU still has a plaque on that building that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was in (where I studied Chemistry).

[@MemoirsofaBasketcase]

I’m always waiting for one of these to fall from overhead.

[@yearight6294]

my building was built in 1970 and has fire escapes , so i am unsure about that 1968 thing

[@word42069]

where?

[@yearight6294]

@@word42069 nyc

[@word42069]

@@yearight6294 i meant where in NYC. Anyway, your building might just be an extensive renovation? Also if i’m not mistaking, you can still build fire escapes technically... they just don’t count as a means of egress. My old apartment had a completely rebuilt fire escape because the townhouse went through an extensive renovation.

[@yearight6294]

@@word42069 well that specific one built after 68 is in staten island , odd for the time cuz there wasn’t as much building going on compared to late in the 70s . i jus took it as they stopped using them all together after 68 as i noticed newer buildings never have them

[@Texassince1836]

@@yearight6294 how many stories is the building?

[@JoRonnamo]

Fire Escapes - Priority # 1,316 on NYC's current list of problems.

[@juliansandersius9587]

I live on the 4th floor of 1n 1899 building, love my fire escape.

[@KTHKUHNKK]

Now that was darn interesting

[@jimfrodsham7938]

Nice informative video, I can't understand why it has (so far) 11 dislikes. What could there be to dislike?

[@solokom]

Landlords hate this video.

[@jimfrodsham7938]

@@solokom good point!

[@word42069]

because it has a lot of incorrect information in it... as many Cheddar architectural videos do.

[@jimfrodsham7938]

@@word42069 do they? I'm not an architect nor have I ever been to the US so I'll take your word for it.

[@word42069]

@@jimfrodsham7938 they have some accurate information... but they miss important details or misinterpret the wording of certain things. They’re not a horrible videos... but they can be very misleading. For instance in this video, they failed to mention that fire escapes have not been considered a valid form of egress (fire safety) in the eyes of NYC building code for decades... hence why they’re not considered habitable space and not up to modern code. You can think of them as outdated decorative facade elements that could technically still serve a purpose. Cheddar needs actual architects or NYC building code experts to cover these topics for their videos. But I suppose NYC building code isn’t that interesting if it’s not shocking or edgy. It’s just sad as a NYC architect to watch these videos then read the comments 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@bmp456]

Tbh they’re rather ugly and hide the gorgeous old facades of buildings

[@azulaquaza4916]

Nah they're pretty unique and make me York stand apart

[@bmp456]

@@azulaquaza4916 Stand apart like a Sore thumb

[@azulaquaza4916]

@@bmp456 Still better than the glass trash every city in the world produces now

[@bmp456]

@@azulaquaza4916 that’s a fair point

[@FordRangerClassics]

@@azulaquaza4916 the glass trash? Like buildings that basically have windows for walls kind of architecture?

[@iReima]

I recall working for one week as a fire escape repair and inspector. Didn't last long with the lingering thought of so much liability on top of falling to one's own death.

[@surfinpiratedude]

You should look into the similar issue of the aging elevator/lifts in San Francisco.