Living in a ROWHOME....stories? (Philadelphia: apartment, houses, neighborhood)

[Tiger Beer]

Okay, since most people in Philadelphia probably lived or have lived in row homes.

Any interesting stories....things that are unique about living in them....that you remember...hopefully positive...but negative would be interesting as well.

Actually, I'm typical as a non-Philadelphian...I have only lived in apartment buildings...and when I grew up, in rural houses.

The idea of a large row of homes all next to each other....not being able to walk around to the other side very easily....just seems odd.

For example, let's say you have some people you don't like so much walking down the street in your direction. You can't take a quick left or right in a street of rowhomes. You pretty much will be walking right into them/past them, right?

ANother is privacy. It isn't like an apartment building where once that door is closed, you feel you are in your own castle. With a rowhome, pretty much anyone of your many many neighbors across the street can tell if you were awake until 3am with the lights on or not. Plus they literally see you coming and going, getting your mail, and pretty much everything, right? That could be a positive (people watch out for each other)...or a negative - someone could easily case your house from the front porch and know everything about your daily habits.

Also..what about kids? Where do they go? Do they plan just in the streets and sidewalks....do most kids play in anyones front yards...if there is a yard? WHat if it is South Philly where the rowhomes come right up to the street....what do they kids do there?

Rowhomes are narrow as well, right? So does it seem like you are going up steps quite a bit? Do the steps take up a lot of space in the house as well?

Another question. Isn't it easy for a potential burglar late at night...to just walk down the street and try door handles...or quickly try to fake drunk and try to pick it or something like that? Same for windows...climb right in if its open? On another theme...would neighbors be more likely to stop that, as you would have more eyes on your home with so many homes facing each other?

Ahmm...maybe comments to any of those...or add more observations, stories, etc. Philadelphia a city of rowhomes is quite intriguing, interesting, to someone who hasn't experienced anything like that.

[kittygroomer]

Suburban people have a tough time adjusting to rowhomes.

Yes if you have people walking up to you that you don't seem to want to walk next to for whatever reason, the only way away would be crossing the street.

Neighbors normally don't pay too much attention to you getting the mail, having your lights on, or coming and going. And if they do, it's normally older men who keep a look out for trouble, the kind of people that like to be block captains and such.

Kids normally play on the front steps, porches, sidewalks or behind the houses in the driveways. If allowed, they mostly go to local playgrounds.

Yes rowhomes can be narrow, but you'd be surprised at home some of them have their lay out. Sometimes they are opened up and arranged in a way where you really dont feel the steps take up room.

And you have just as much chance as a break in as you do with single homes. Though the advantage with a rowhome is your neighbors will likely see or hear it and call the police, as where in single homes that have some distance between neighbors, someone many not notice this.

Negatives are if you get noisy neighbors and your walls are thin. Then you are at the mercy of their schedule for being up, playing music, arguing, and cooking strong smelling dinner which sometimes make its way through to your house.

Positives, the prices are much lower than singles, you have more eyes to keep a look out for danger, more communication and friendships with neighbors since your houses are so close, and areas with rowhomes tends to have more community life, more activity, more things to do.

[Marius Pontmercy]

obvious troll is obvious

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by kittygroomer

Suburban people have a tough time adjusting to rowhomes.

Yes if you have people walking up to you that you don't seem to want to walk next to for whatever reason, the only way away would be crossing the street.

Neighbors normally don't pay too much attention to you getting the mail, having your lights on, or coming and going. And if they do, it's normally older men who keep a look out for trouble, the kind of people that like to be block captains and such.

Kids normally play on the front steps, porches, sidewalks or behind the houses in the driveways. If allowed, they mostly go to local playgrounds.

Yes rowhomes can be narrow, but you'd be surprised at home some of them have their lay out. Sometimes they are opened up and arranged in a way where you really dont feel the steps take up room.

And you have just as much chance as a break in as you do with single homes. Though the advantage with a rowhome is your neighbors will likely see or hear it and call the police, as where in single homes that have some distance between neighbors, someone many not notice this.

Negatives are if you get noisy neighbors and your walls are thin. Then you are at the mercy of their schedule for being up, playing music, arguing, and cooking strong smelling dinner which sometimes make its way through to your house.

Positives, the prices are much lower than singles, you have more eyes to keep a look out for danger, more communication and friendships with neighbors since your houses are so close, and areas with rowhomes tends to have more community life, more activity, more things to do.

Thanks for the great post. Very positive.

Just curious, most rowhomes are filled with families? How about South Philly - also families? Or depending on the area, many singles as well? If singles, is it more like an apartment share - 3-4 in the same place?

How many bdrms are most rowhomes?

Do they have basements?

Just FYI, I am very intrigued by rowhomes, love the look and everything else. Hence all the questions.

[slickvic277]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Thanks for the great post. Very positive.

Just curious, most rowhomes are filled with families? How about South Philly - also families? Or depending on the area, many singles as well? If singles, is it more like an apartment share - 3-4 in the same place?

How many bdrms are most rowhomes?

Do they have basements?

Just FYI, I am very intrigued by rowhomes, love the look and everything else. Hence all the questions.

This should answer all your questions.

rowhousemanual.pdf (application/pdf Object) (http://www.philaplanning.org/pubinfo/rowhousemanual.pdf - broken link)

I live in a row and it's big. Close to 1600 sqft. First floor has 4 rooms. The second floor has 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. The basement and the garage are attached and I have a bathroom in the basement as well.

There's all different types of rows. Some are super tiny and others are huge. My friend has a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom row. It's absolutely huge.

Also, if you google Philadelphia Rowhome lots of pictures pop up.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

With a rowhome, pretty much anyone of your many many neighbors across the street can tell if you were awake until 3am with the lights on or not. Plus they literally see you coming and going, getting your mail, and pretty much everything, right?

This happens in every neighborhood. As you mention, sometimes it's a good thing. One of my neighbors now is a homebound senior citizen, and she doesn't miss a thing!

There are plenty of positives about living in a row house -- many are larger than they look, heating and cooling costs are lower, etc. -- but the one thing I couldn't grow to wrap my head around was having little or no backyard. Most of the row houses I looked at had driveways for backyards; others had yards about the size of their living rooms. I like grass under my feet, and trees over my head, even if it's only on one-tenth of an acre.

[Marius Pontmercy]

There's a lot more packed into a rowhome than you might imagine. A three story rowhome may have four, five, or even six bedrooms.

[schmapty]

A rule that I've always lived by is "Never trust anyone from a detached home."
I wish I could answe your questions better but since I have lived 95% of my life in a rowhome, questions about living in a rowhome are similar to asking a fish what problems he has with living under water. Still some things I've experience or heard. No lawn to mow. Heating costs less (possible urban legend). A greater sense of community than in most appartment buildings as typically residents of rowhomes are there longer (of course there are exceptions). As a kid I played in the street and all my friends lived on my block so parents were never out watching us. This was the late 80s early 90s so it was the same drug infest, violent, evil world as today. I say rowhomes are the best homes. Beautiful in everyway.

[omgsh]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Okay, since most people in Philadelphia probably lived or have lived in row homes.

Any interesting stories....things that are unique about living in them....that you remember...hopefully positive...but negative would be interesting as well.

I have some negative stories. One of my neighbors houses caught on fire when I was little. Since all the homes are connected the fire was spreading to other houses. I think it only got to 2 homes. It was put out quickly, and didnt get to my house, and thankfully no one was hurt. But it was scary. Especially being so little.

And the guy that lived next to my house was kinda crazy. He kept yelling at us when our motion censored light would turn on, because it lit up the front of his house too. He was annoying.

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Actually, I'm typical as a non-Philadelphian...I have only lived in apartment buildings...and when I grew up, in rural houses.

The idea of a large row of homes all next to each other....not being able to walk around to the other side very easily....just seems odd.

For example, let's say you have some people you don't like so much walking down the street in your direction. You can't take a quick left or right in a street of rowhomes. You pretty much will be walking right into them/past them, right?

I didnt have that problem. I lived at an end.

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

ANother is privacy. It isn't like an apartment building where once that door is closed, you feel you are in your own castle. With a rowhome, pretty much anyone of your many many neighbors across the street can tell if you were awake until 3am with the lights on or not. Plus they literally see you coming and going, getting your mail, and pretty much everything, right? That could be a positive (people watch out for each other)...or a negative - someone could easily case your house from the front porch and know everything about your daily habits.

Yeah it's that way in suburban streets too, except your farther away and spaced out.

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Also..what about kids? Where do they go? Do they plan just in the streets and sidewalks....do most kids play in anyones front yards...if there is a yard? WHat if it is South Philly where the rowhomes come right up to the street....what do they kids do there?

I grew up in a rowhome in West Philly. The rowhomes on my street had small little yards. I lived in a narrow street, so I wouldnt play in the street. I would spend most of my time on the small yard in front of my house, my stoop, my patio, or the local park. When the rowhomes go right up to the street I guess they would go to the park or in the street.

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Rowhomes are narrow as well, right? So does it seem like you are going up steps quite a bit? Do the steps take up a lot of space in the house as well?

In my house we had a set of steps going from the first floor to the second floor, and a set of steps going from the first floor to the basement. It didn't take up that much space. they were right on top/under eachother

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Another question. Isn't it easy for a potential burglar late at night...to just walk down the street and try door handles...or quickly try to fake drunk and try to pick it or something like that? Same for windows...climb right in if its open? On another theme...would neighbors be more likely to stop that, as you would have more eyes on your home with so many homes facing each other?

Never had that problem, but I would say yes to both probably.

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Ahmm...maybe comments to any of those...or add more observations, stories, etc. Philadelphia a city of rowhomes is quite intriguing, interesting, to someone who hasn't experienced anything like that.

Living next to people that you like would be very enjoyable, but living next to people you don't like (like I did for a couple years) is really annoying.

I grew up mostly in a rowhome, but I've also lived in a
typical suburban home: spread out with a big yard, and a backyard
and an apartment.

I liked living in the rowhome the best because when I lived in the suburbs everything is too spread out and quiet and I found it boring. I didn't enjoy living in a suburb. Just my opinion.

When I lived in an apartment, the people downstairs would always complain about noise when we would move furniture and stuff. Also, it took too long to get outside. Had to walk over to the elevator, take it to the first floor, then walk over to the doors, and then walk all the way around the building

When I lived in a rowhome, besides that annoying guy that lived next to me for a couple years, everyone was more neighborly and friendly. Everyone on the street knew eachother because we were close together. In my suburban street, my neighbors didn't talk much. Some did, but most were kinda seperated, and I didn't even know everyone on my street. And there was very little public transit in the suburb I lived in since everyone had a car, you need those to live in suburbs. Since I didn't have a car the whole time, it was hard for me to get around

Just my expeiriences living in different kinds of houses. Never lived in a rural house.

[Joe84323]

I grew up in a row home, and these are the joys of living in one:

Knowing your entire neighbor's music collection
Hearing each and every argument that ever goes on
Marijuana seeping through our walls at night
Receiving the never-ending gift of cockroaches and mice from your neighbor
Knowing every time your neighbor closes a door, and has a telephone call
Heating your neighbor's house, providing your neighbor cable tv


One thing I never had another house ever do was settle. I would sleep at night, and the house would do nothing but creak and crackle and squeak all night long.