Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating and sharing your own Thursday Doors post each week between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time) by using the blue link-up button below.
Doors and Crazy-Ass Outdoor Staircases in Montréal’s Hochelaga-Maisonneuve District
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is a densely populated, working class, predominantly French speaking neighborhood in the south-east/south central part of the Island of Montréal.
Sometime in the early 2000’s a revitalization of the area began to take hold and it now seems to be in full swing. Over the last dozen years or so, real estate developers recognizing the profit potential of the lower property values, have swooped in to renovate and convert many of the neighborhood’s signature ‘plexes’ from typical rental properties into higher-end retro-look condos.
What we call duplexes, triplexes, quadriplexes and five-plexes are basically multi-family dwellings within the same building; with each unit having its own direct access to the outside.
Built during the population booms between the 1880’s and the 1930’s, most of these plexes feature 8 to 10-foot ceilings, beautiful old moldings and trim work, mantles and other decorative elements. They’re built in an L or E shape with a long front-to-back hallway branching off, either left or right, to the various rooms, with the kitchen almost always located at the back.
Of course many of these places also have beautiful decorative doors as well:
One of the unique features of many of these plexes, which can also be found in a few other Montréal neighborhoods, is our crazy-ass spiral iron outdoor staircases.
I mean really, when you consider our harsh winter climate and high annual snowfall, who in their right mind would build residential spaces where the stairs to the upper levels are left totally exposed to the elements?
Even without the snow and ice, can you imagine yourself lugging a bedroom set, or a washing machine, a refrigerator, or any other major appliances up this deathtrap on moving day?!!!
The story varies somewhat depending on who you speak to, but most city planners and local historians attribute Montreal’s affinity for our beautiful but dangerous outdoor iron staircases to a change in the building codes in the latter half of the 1800’s, that required more space between the front of the building and the sidewalk.
So how could builders comply with the new regulations and still maintain adequate interior living space for the larger families of the day? Simple of course: put the stairs on the outside of the building and voila! The added benefit? Reduced heating costs by not wasting energy heating a rarely used indoor stairwell.
Needless to say the disadvantages especially in winter, are quite obvious, but they sure are beautiful to look at.
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, or HoMa as the trendy hipsters who are moving in have taken to calling it, is still considered somewhat of an impoverished part of the city. But an influx of younger middle-class families, as well as small to midsized businesses and the jobs they bring, leave much room for optimism about its future.
And hey, many of the buildings whether original and well-maintained, or recently renovated, really do have wonderful doors:
Note – You’ll also find lots of these crazy-ass outdoor staircases in the following Montréal neighborhoods: Rosemont/Petite-Patrie, St-Michel, Villeray, Plateau Mont-Royal, Verdun, St-Henri, as well as parts of Outremont.
As always, thanks for looking 🙂
Don’t forget to click on this blue button to add the link to your own Thursday Doors post to this week’s list:
If you share your posts on Twitter and Instagram remember to use the #ThursdayDoors hashtag and please do take a few minutes to visit the Thursday Door posts shared by others.
This post is AMAZING !!!!!!! Montreal in winter with all these stairs. These pictures are so beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have to wonder why, in our climate … but I love them, for their looks. Never had to deal with or maintain one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed! Note to self…visit in any season but winter!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those stairs and doors are so cool! But yeah, I can imagine not so cool when trying to clear snow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Over the years I’ve watched a few friends take nice long tumbles down these things. Luckily never any serious injuries though.
LikeLike
Norm, my wordpress did a strange thing it published on Tuesday January 12th my pre-scheduled Thursday’s Doors posts for the 14th and the 21st. They even left the words “Posted on. . . ” the dates they were supposed to come! Argh!
Now, I would have deleted them but there were people commenting before I realized this! I will repost my 21st or something but will it be okay to just leave the 14th up?
I was upset but my younger brother made me realize it wasn’t the worst thing to happen. I hope you won’t boot me out. Ha ha 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perfect plan. Leave the 14th as is & repost the 21st next week. PS: your brother is right 😉
LikeLike
The occupants must wonder when the first ‘snow-fall’ will occur. I would be going up and down those steps on my ass if I lived there. Great photos, Norm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never lived in one of these places, but have had many friends who did. Over the years I’ve seen a number of people go down these stairs on their asses and rarely was it their choice 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a fascinating selection of doors and staircases. I look forward to dipping in to your Thursday Doors challenge in coming weeks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Ruth and welcome! Please feel free to join in whenever you have doors you’d like to share – the more the merrier 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
very nice buildings. everything is beautiful – doors, balconies/porches, even staircases. very elegant, though, what you say – given your weather conditions….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Klara. Yes in winter these stair are responsible for a few emergency room hospital visits for some.
LikeLike
Pingback: Beyond the Walls | Beyond the Window Box
These are fab, Norm! I love these doors, and the staircases are a very European addition. I agree with your assessment about how bad they would be in winter though! Can you imagine during an ice storm? You wouldn’t be able to get out of the house!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re right Helen, it becomes a serious issue in the winter especially for the elderly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Thursday Door (and emoji talk) | In the Zone
Pingback: Aetna, I'm Glad I Met Ya! | The Front Door Project
What a marvellous collection this week. The snow had me shivering! I guess a lot more care than usuall is taken climbing some of these stairs in this snowy icy weather!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely! These things are treacherously dangerous for a third of the year.
LikeLike
Pingback: Thursday Doors | Middleton Road
I really liked the wooden doors and the elaborate staircases, Norm. I enjoy the variety in this post which you could have shared for at least a month won’t 2 to 3 places at a time! It was like going to a “Doors Buffet.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
A doors buffet eh? I like it 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: New Year, New Door | jhoudephotography
So Montreal, so pretty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! We stumbled across a number of very unique Montreal scenes that day. I’ve got post material to last me a few weeks at least.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great post. The photographs alone are worth a post, but also the humorous and informative text giving an added boost. Bravo.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Door Access | freshpaula
Montreal is such a beautiful city – even with crazy-ass staircases!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jan. It really is a unique place 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Thursdays Doors | ladyleemanilasphotos
What a wonderful collection! https://geriatrixfotogallerie.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/doors-with-arches/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike
Pingback: Doors with Arches | Geriatri'x' Fotogallery
Pingback: Thursday Doors: Oslo | My Life Lived Full
Pingback: Hotel du Nord | Beyond the Window Box
Those staircases are so lovely to look at but I sure would not want to have to use them to enter and exit my home! I think the snow really adds to the photos, too. Not sure why but I’m thinking that they wouldn’t invite such fancy without the snow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re absolutely right about the snow Corina. I took a few shots this fall that are…okay, but I decided to wait for the snow; and I’m glad I waited 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those are ever so dreamy! I love that they’re getting a redo! What a spectacularly pretty way to use the beauty of old buildings. I love the staircases, but yeah, practicality has no room here. I don’t even wanna imagine taking the dog out 6 times a day, down a frozen spiral staircase! Great post, Norm 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a friend who lived in an upper floor place who had a dog and even the dog hated it enough to not want to go out as often 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha! I don’t know how my dog would react, but she was never a fan of the stairs in our last home, and they were standard carpeted, enclosed steps! She made that journey only morning and night, so I can imagine she might not appreciate those at all. But they’re ever so charming 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: #ThursdayDoors — Irvington Prebysterian Church | joeyfullystated
Pingback: Thursday Doors | NewEnglandGardenAndThread
This is a great one, Norm. As beautiful as the doors are they are upstaged by the amazing iron work. I’ve never seen stairs like these. They are architecturally pleasing to the eye, but I’m certainly glad I don’t have to maneuver up and down them. I hope you’ll post some more down the road because they really are wonderful. We convert old homes to multiplexes but not with any class like this. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
These types of stairs are definitely unique to this part of the country Judy. On some streets it really is something to see: stairway after stairway as far as the eye can see. If you guys ever make it up this way, let me know and we’ll show you some of the best places to check them out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Montreal is definitely on our bucket list. We visited Toronto many years ago when my company maintained an apartment there and we had a wonderful week for touring around. But, now we really aren’t that far and could easily drive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those staircases are quite aesthetically pleasing from an artistic point of view, but alas, not very practical especially for moving in our out of the accommodations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In these places moving day is not for the faint of heart 😉
LikeLike
Pingback: Thursday Doors – January 7, 2015 | gwh photos
A nice collection of doors from Hochelage/Maisonneuve…(Suzanne)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Suzanne and there were so many that I didn’t have time to capture – I have to go back for more!
LikeLike
I have added my contribution for this week: Montreal doors
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great post Norm. I too have always thought those outdoor staircases were a nightmare in winter and wondered about the wisdom of this construction.
… but it is SOOOO unique to Quebec. I have had many friends and relatives who have lived in these types of buildiings over the years. I hadn’t really considered it before, but you’re right … they all did have a distinct E pattern to them with the kitchen in the back 🙂
The pictures with the clean white snow look so beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Joanne. These were taken right after that first snow between Christmas and New Years. The stairs are very Quebec aren’t they? There was another building code rule that created the other quirk in these places: that weird double room. I might do a post about that eventually too 🙂
LikeLike
Double room? I don’t recall any weird room. Now you MUST do another post 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Usually a bedroom linked to the living room with only a partial wall separating them…in most cases people put up drapes or oriental screens between the two…ringing any bells?
LikeLike
Yup! I do know that one 🙂 Awkward!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The story I heard is there was a time when fire codes would not allow any enclosed rooms that did not have direct access to outside via a door or window, so builders got around that by putting the room in but not actually closing it off. Quirky stuff.
LikeLike
Aha! There’s a reason for everything and this kind of makes sense in a builder-trying-to-get-around-bylaws sort of way 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful doors, and the staircases are beautiful, too — TO LOOK AT. Maybe you could install a lever that would tilt all the treads into a ramp, and sled down. Then you could move to a ground-floor unit.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I like that lever idea but we’d still need to come up with some sort of a braking device at the bottom of the stairs 😉
LikeLike
Pingback: Thursday doors…details, details | This, that and the other thing
Norm, these are absolutely wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing their beauty and the story behind them. Makes me cold just seeing those stairs, though. 🙂
janet
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Janet. When you see fresh snow it usually looks colder than it really is. It was only a few degrees below freezing when i took these.
LikeLike
I agree with you Norm, about these stairwells being dangerous in the winter months, but wow! just look at the beautiful symmetry these stairwells make. They sure do draw in the eye.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Hugh – they sure are a unique feature in this part of the world. Back in the day a whole industry was built around the manufacturing of those stairwells. .
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Thursday Doors – January 7th, 2016 | Hugh's Views & News
Pingback: Thursday Doors, January 7 | The Mexi Movie
These are beautiful doors and staircases Norm. I love the metal staircases, especially the curved ones. What a great way to start the 2016 series!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Dan. I wanted to kick off 2016 on the right foot. I’d been planning this post for a while but waited until we got our first snowfall. The stairs don’t look nearly as scary until they’re covered in snow and ice 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Thursday Doors – Bushnell Park Carousel | No Facilities
Pingback: Thursday Doors: Venice | theonlyD800inthehameau
Those staircases have lots of stories to tell. Slapstick ones on drunken weekends no doubt! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Slapstick stories indeed 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: In The Landscape 55 | Aspernauts
Pingback: Thursday Doors – Essential Doors | WitchWithaView