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I spent a week there last summer actually and everyone was really cool. I dunno...I've also lived in NYC for 12 years and NJ for a couple so maybe I'm just immune to it lol
I guess let me clarify: from what I've found, people in the city proper tend to be rich arrogant d bags. People from outside the city proper tend to be alright. Tourists are usually good people too actually, despite their tendency to get in the way.
Haha-true. I like the cloth awnings ok, but the plastic .
In Pittsburgh aluminum awnings were king...possibly because of Alcoa being here. The most ridiculous (and sadly common) is when an aluminum awning is hung off of a front porch.
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Originally Posted by 2e1m5a
I wouldn't say 100% but close to it maybe. My Mom (from Boston) is often talking about the "lack of wooden homes" in Philly but she absolutely loves the stone homes in Northwest Philly and other parts of the city. I agree with the stone homes-these are my favorite anywhere.
My understanding is Philadelphia had a fire some time in the late 18th century and passed an ordinance banning wood homes. But around 100 colonial-era wood homes have survived to the present.
In Pittsburgh aluminum awnings were king...possibly because of Alcoa being here. The most ridiculous (and sadly common) is when an aluminum awning is hung off of a front porch.
My understanding is Philadelphia had a fire some time in the late 18th century and passed an ordinance banning wood homes. But around 100 colonial-era wood homes have survived to the present.
Yes-aluminum is what I meant not really plastic I guess. Yeah, that probably is true with the ordinance being passed.
Maybe why wooden homes in Germantown and other neighborhoods are a little more common since they were separate cities at the time.
The main problem with Boston triple-deckers is they are wood framed. Generally speaking, wood framed buildings don't tend to stand the test of time so well, as they require more upkeep. They're also much more apt to be "remuddled," with landlords eventually deciding to strip off all the wood trim and put aluminum siding on them. Obviously they can be restored, but still. In contrast a good brick or stone rowhouse can basically survive 50 years of neglect and still be restored (at least on the outside) to look as good as the day it was built.
True, though triple-deckers in nicer neighborhoods are in good condition.
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An argument can be made that living in a Triple Decker is better than a rowhouse, if you don't care about having private outdoors space and really want lots of natural light and no stairs in your unit. Personally, I prefer rowhouse living however.
yea, rowhouses usually have a nicer style but I don't like the loss of natural light shared walls have (bay windows help, though). The ventilate well with open windows, too. All unadorned brick siding can be a bit drab, colorfully painted wood can look nicer.
True, though triple-deckers in nicer neighborhoods are in good condition.
yea, rowhouses usually have a nicer style but I don't like the loss of natural light shared walls have (bay windows help, though). The ventilate well with open windows, too. All unadorned brick siding can be a bit drab, colorfully painted wood can look nicer.
Bay windows and fronts like Boston bow fronts add a lot to a rowhouse. Flat front rowhouses can be a little monotonous. Red brick can be a little drab. Different colors of paint on the fronts can improve the appearance quite a bit. Can't understand why more people don't paint their houses.
True, though triple-deckers in nicer neighborhoods are in good condition.
yea, rowhouses usually have a nicer style but I don't like the loss of natural light shared walls have (bay windows help, though). The ventilate well with open windows, too. All unadorned brick siding can be a bit drab, colorfully painted wood can look nicer.
Surprisingly enough, a good number of rowhouses have cut-outs between each unit that allows for windows on more than just two walls. Obviously, there are still rooms with windows on one wall, but many kitchens, bathrooms, second/third floor back bedrooms have windows on two sides. Makes a huge difference IMO. And I agree regarding the bay windows.
Surprisingly enough, a good number of rowhouses have cut-outs between each unit that allows for windows on more than just two walls. Obviously, there are still rooms with windows on one wall, but many kitchens, bathrooms, second/third floor back bedrooms have windows on two sides. Makes a huge difference IMO. And I agree regarding the bay windows.
Neat. I guess a sawtooth pattern in the back would let in the max light & air. Downside of more walls to the outside is more heating losses, though good insulation can help.
yea, rowhouses usually have a nicer style but I don't like the loss of natural light shared walls have (bay windows help, though). The ventilate well with open windows, too. All unadorned brick siding can be a bit drab, colorfully painted wood can look nicer.
Rowhouses typically get plenty of natural light in the front rooms. The rear rooms also can get natural light, often from two windows, since in older buildings there is often a rear extension (termed an ell) which is only attached on one side. That said, this is often where the plumbing stack is located, meaning the kitchen and bathrooms are located here, meaning there may be practical reasons not to have tons of windows. The only rooms which tend to be dim are the middle rooms, where you typically only have a single window.
While I'm not a fan of contemporary floor plans, I do have to say that modern design has come up with much better ways to lay out a rowhouse. For example, if the plumbing stack is in the middle of the house, you can use the central areas on the upper floors for bathrooms, hallways, and closets, meaning the bedrooms get better natural light. The "open floor plan" concept also works out better in a rowhouse for the first floor, as it allows the natural light from the living room to get into the center of the house.
I also don't think it's fair to say that brick rowhouses tend towards being drab. At least here in Pittsburgh there were often decorative wood trim elements involved - particularly around the dormer and porch (if it had a porch), but also around window openings in older styles like Italianate. In addition there are different inlays for the ceramic base of the house, from stone to ornamental terracotta to different colored bricks. In my experience only the most basic of early 20th century worker rowhouses don't have some level of ornament.
I also don't think it's fair to say that brick rowhouses tend towards being drab.
True! I don't know Pittsburgh but Philadelphia has gorgeous rowhouses all over the city with all kinds architectural styles.
As to the original question there's no doubt about which form wins-- three deckers aren't all that popular even in Boston. They were a kind of compromise for buyers who liked the single-family house with its own garden but needed income units to afford a house. Once zoning came in Boston and most other municipalities made them non-conforming so new ones couldn't be built. Rowhouses can be drab but the more elaborate ones are prized. Boston has them all up and down Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street-- call them bowfronts townhouses or brownstones or what you will; they're still the basic private home that's connected to its neighbors on both sides. No one uses the term "rowhouse" in Boston but "brownstone," originally a New York and Brooklyn term, has really taken over, so that you hardly hear the local vernacular "bowfront" any more. They're more common in the UK, where they call them terrace houses, than in this country.
Neat. I guess a sawtooth pattern in the back would let in the max light & air. Downside of more walls to the outside is more heating losses, though good insulation can help.
Yeah, overall, heating/cooling costs are pretty good even with the external walls. It's a good trade-off for the light.
Btw - I'm not sure what was there before the parking lot, but it must be documented someplace.
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