Chicago apartment buildings have fire escapes in the back, the story goes, because after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 the new city fire code stipulated that every apartment have at least two means of escape. The alley system allowed plenty of room for solid staircases in the back of the buildings instead of rickety metal structures in the front, as in New York. But those back stairways were meant to be used as entryways only! They were to be kept clear of stuff, and they were definitely not a space for loitering.
I’ve lived in apartments in other cities with other forms of semiprivate outdoor space. The stoop had no shade, and Jehovah’s Witnesses would occasionally interrupt my breakfast to proselytize. The balcony was badly positioned for chatting with neighbors. The backyard fenced me in. The roof deck was glamorous but inconvenient, so nobody used it. The front porch was fine, but it lacked the excitement of being above ground level. I yearned for a good Chicago porch.
