Skeletal Stairs

Stairs inside the long-empty Trailways station at Broadway and Division Street.

The Steps At St. Mary's

A flight of enclosed steps along the side of Saint Mary's Church overlooking Chapel Street.

Going Nowhere

I've passed by this little alley with its drab brick arch and increasingly rickety wooden staircase almost every day of my life. And, while I've always been one of those "Oooh, I wonder where that leads" types, I've never had to wonder about this small passage.

It goes absolutely nowhere. The stairs ends with nothing...just an opening in mid-air. Wisely, the owners of the property blocked that opening with some wooden bars because it would only be a matter of time before some adventurous kid or fuddled drunk seeking shelter tumbled through.

The stairs are a part of the brick building to the left, a handsome 1880s school now converted to apartments.

Endless Ascent

These steep stairs are one of three flights of stairs leading up - or down - to Sheridan Avenue. One flight runs down from Columbia Place near the house of Erastus Palmer. That one is now gated and overgrown with weeds at the top. The one above is the middle set and runs down from Swan Street. My great-uncle used to live at the foot of this set when I was small. The next flight is part of the parking lots below Elk Street.

When I was very young, these stairs were quiet derelict and scary. The steps were cracked, choked with weeds, and had a reputation for being dangerous. They've since been repaired and, while they're still slightly seedy at times, they're greatly improved.

The Stairs To Somewhere

When I was little, this pair of smooth, sinuous staircases scared me. Not to the point of nightmares, mind you. But these twisty flights on the south side of the New York State Museum's vast terrace really did spook me. Maybe because they both led up to windowless doors that seemed as if they were never intended to be opened.

Once, a friend dared me to climb the stairs and see if the doors did indeed open. I refused, of course. Partly because I was ever so slightly afraid of heights and partly because I was the sort of child who didn't want to get caught snooping where she shouldn't. If I'd been a little sassier, I suppose I'd have challenged him to climb the stairs and see for himself!

The glass enclosure seen just behind the stairs on the left side of the photo was built a few years ago as an extension of the Museum's Terrace Gallery and houses a lovely antique carousel.

Years ago, the space between the two flights of stairs was used as a performance space for plays. Two of my first play-going experiences occurred there one summer in the early 1980s when I saw "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and "Tom Paine." To be honest, I don't remember a great deal about either one, but I'm sure that early exposure to the arts contributed to my ongoing love of theatre. Later, the production became the short-lived "Shakespeare In The Park" and staged what remains the best version of "Hamlet" that I've ever seen. Somewhere, in my old armoire, I still have my green-on-white "Shakespeare In The Park" tee-shirt, too. Unfortunately, it's too shabby to be worn now.