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I'm not talking about the architecture of the city's downtown or historical residential neighborhoods, or most affluent suburbs, but rather the majority of homes that its average, middle-class residents live in?
I ask because, over on the Pittsburgh forum, people considering moving into the area from Sunbelt cities are usually appalled by the local housing stock...especially in the suburbs. There's very little shiny new construction in the area. I think people in most parts of the country would prefer housed be less than 20 years old or more than 100 years old.
Quite a bit, actually. I love old east coast cities and their charm. This has a lot to do with their housing stock and how cities were built back then. I love row houses and structural density, and they go hand in hand with older cities. There are some great Midwestern and Southern cities that have a great stock and density, too. Cities like St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, Savannah, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Charleston come to mind first. I think it makes the city feel warmer and inviting rather than open and isolated when it's made up of mostly detached homes on larger lots. I love the larger homes too, but not in the central parts of the city.
Quite a bit, actually. I love old east coast cities and their charm. This has a lot to do with their housing stock and how cities were built back then. I love row houses and structural density, and they go hand in hand with older cities. There are some great Midwestern and Southern cities that have a great stock and density, too. Cities like St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, Savannah, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Charleston come to mind first. I think it makes the city feel warmer and inviting rather than open and isolated when it's made up of mostly detached homes on larger lots. I love the larger homes too, but not in the central parts of the city.
Sadly, I think distinctive housing styles for regions of the country are, functionally speaking, dead. Styles began normalizing nationwide roughly 100 years ago, when Craftsmen styles became common. By the 1960s, there were virtually no differences between local vernacular remaining. Today there seem to be only two housing styles - the faux Spanish stucco style, which is common in Florida, California, and the Southwest, and brick and/or vinyl sided McMansion, which is common everywhere else in the county.
I think a lot of people are or would be shocked at how much little crappy 1950's/60's one-story ranchers under 1,500 sq ft cost in the Bay Area. That's probably what the average middle class person lives in too.
I ask because, over on the Pittsburgh forum, people considering moving into the area from Sunbelt cities are usually appalled by the local housing stock...especially in the suburbs. There's very little shiny new construction in the area. I think people in most parts of the country would prefer housed be less than 20 years old or more than 100 years old.
Few in the Northeast expect new construction; there hasn't been enough growth. Older homes in nicer neighborhoods have often be redone or extended. You can find on say, the Boston forum the opposite perspective, people decrying "McMansions" in the burbs and preferring older suburban housing.
Quite a bit, actually. I love old east coast cities and their charm. This has a lot to do with their housing stock and how cities were built back then. I love row houses and structural density, and they go hand in hand with older cities. There are some great Midwestern and Southern cities that have a great stock and density, too. Cities like St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, Savannah, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Charleston come to mind first. I think it makes the city feel warmer and inviting rather than open and isolated when it's made up of mostly detached homes on larger lots. I love the larger homes too, but not in the central parts of the city.
Louisville, Birmingham, Richmond, and Kansas City as well.
But what I acknowledged most about cities like those, regarding their Housing Stock, is that they have variety. I think that's probably one of the negatives about Housing in the Northeast; theirs no room for improving diversity within the Housing market. While in places like Atlanta, Houston, or Dallas, they have the platform for Urbanizing or Increasing Density in certain communities (Even though it's sprawled). Toronto is a good example; One of the reasons Toronto is growing is because of it's diverse Housing Market, from Rowhouses, to New SFH's in spacious neighborhoods.
Few in the Northeast expect new construction; there hasn't been enough growth. Older homes in nicer neighborhoods have often be redone or extended. You can find on say, the Boston forum the opposite perspective, people decrying "McMansions" in the burbs and preferring older suburban housing.
You conveniently ignored the second part about hundred-year-old houses. My point is, generally speaking, people don't want houses built in the 50s ,60s, 70s, or 80s. I know I didn't; that's the reason I bought a house built in 1900.
You conveniently ignored the second part about hundred-year-old houses. My point is, generally speaking, people don't want houses built in the 50s ,60s, 70s, or 80s. I know I didn't; that's the reason I bought a house built in 1900.
I ignored it because I was focusing on housing from the 50s-80s; the fraction of 100+ year old houses. My point is for most in the Northeast and some of the Midwest, people don't expect new housing, 50s-80s housing is "normal".
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