New York City is notorious for its beautiful brownstone-lined streets.
It is the most coveted home for any New Yorker, and a must-see for travelers.
But not all homes are brownstones
Brownstones are a row house, with a little twist of added sandstone to a front face of it.
They were massively built by developers to accommodate a rapidly growing middle class. It was a quick rise and fall of the trend in late 19 century. As it turned out the sandstone was frail and needed constant repairs, which was not a great investment option.
Today you can find them in Harlem, West, and Upper East Side as well as in Brooklyn, Park Slope, Caroll Gardens and Brooklyn Heights for people fleeting crowded Manhattan and looking for sanctuary and space.
Sandstone was mined around New York City, and neighboring states and because it was cheap and readily acquired a lot of houses were decorated with it. The color slightly varied depending on the quarry.
What sets them apart?
The most notable distinction for a brownstone, besides the stone used, is its stoop. It looks charming when you see those front steps going up to the first floor. Lined with very impressive stone rail. Oddly enough those were built to elevate the first floor off the ground, so the smell of garbage lined streets would be tolerable to the residents.
Sadly, the sanitation was an issue back then, and that was an efficient design decision.
Another design distinction is that the brownstones are wider than a regular row house, to accommodate the layout of the space inside. Increased square footage is also a significant contributing factor in its high price tag today.
Space and layout.
Most covetable in the brownstone was and still is the favorable layout.
First floor or parlor floor divided into two sections. One side is taken up by a staircase and another a large parlor area, mostly used for entertaining guests and parties.
The interior lined with 8 to 11 inch-high base moldings, wainscoting, intricate freeze details at ceiling made of plaster or wood, which honestly looks magnificent with elaborate parquetry hardwood floor detail. The fireplace detailed and decorated with marble. And the focal point was the staircase. Some were so ornamented and detailed, that you would instantly know that that woodworking is an art piece by itself.
Going up were the bedrooms, first the master, then kids and then everyone else who had quarters at the house.
The ground floor was taken up by a kitchen and used as a secondary entrance for staff.
Types and design
Façade of the Brownstone is what steals the show. As you walk past them, none of them look alike. The styles were so mixed that it is not possible to put them into one category. In Brooklyn, there is a lot of Italianate styles, also, some Greek and Romanesque revival.
Italianate style indeed came from Italian farmhouses, but on the road to America went through some changes, and here it is now mostly seen on this continent. Perfectly symmetrical and repetitive. With its softly arched and richly decorated windows, stoops and doorways.
Romanesque was its fancier cousin with doors and windows rounded into complete arches, and over the top, maximalist decoration. Straight and rectangular windows and doors could identify with Greek revival.
Go on, take a stroll through a brownstone-lined street on a sunny day and immerse yourself in its rich history.