Yes, it is a Garbage Chute

And that's a picture of my kids stuffing our American sized garbage into the European sized garbage chute.

I think it's pretty strange looking. All the apartments that we looked at had the same sort of set up. To take the trash out, we have to go down two flights of stairs and back up another flight of stairs and with the use of an electronic scan key get out to what is, essentially, the roof of part of the second story. I think it may be the roof of a parking garage.

This roof is something of a courtyard. It's quite nice actually. It's where the laundry room resides in a separate little building. There are some other little shed type things for storage that actually have soil and spaces for gardens on their roofs. Grills, patio sets, bike racks, a sand box and play areas for children...it is actually rather pleasant out there. You would be surprised.