Harlem Brownstones
September 12, 2008 | Filed Under Brownstones, Harlem, Neighborhoods, West Side
There are a lot of brownstones (row houses made of reddish brown sandstone) in the city. They’re especially located in the older neighborhoods. Here’s a bit of popular culture information on brownstones from Wikipedia:
Rex Stout‘s fictional detective Nero Wolfe lives in a luxurious and comfortable New York City brownstone on West 35th Street. In the television show I Love Lucy (1951–1957), the Ricardos lived in a converted Brownstone apartment building on New York’s East 68th Street owned by their friends the Mertzes. On the popular American television program The Cosby Show (1984–1992), the affluent Huxtable family, the show’s central characters, lived in a Brooklyn brownstone. Carrie Bradshaw, the protagonist of Sex and The City, resided in a brownstone at a fictitious Upper East Side address in New York City.
Paz
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20 Responses to “Harlem Brownstones”
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I’ve read about the brownstones in books but never actually seen a picture. I think they are beautiful. Interesting post and very nice clear pictures!
Another wonderful shot Paz, happy weekend to you too
Nice photos of some very handsome buildings! I love historic architecture:D
So interesting Paz! It’s amazing how much history is in NY. I’m so happy you’re able to share it with us. I for one appreciate it very much!
You know when I think of NYC, this is one of the images that comes to my mind!
I never knew where the Cosby’s lived…now I do!
Nice and interesting buildings and good explanation.
Very fine images!
I always wondered why they were called “brownstones.”
They’ll eventually weather away, like so many things here in Scotland, then.
Beautiful texture.
Are these houses for living, or are they filled with offices?
Patty and I lived in a Row House in Baltimore for over a year and liked it all except that we had to take the lawnmower either through the house to mow the little bit of grass in front or we had to walk all the way around the alley. That was a problem I never was able to solve. That, and the people who lived upstairs used a clothes like thingy to transport their garbage down to the area where the cans were and then prayed that we would take their garbage off the line and put it in our cans. Duh.
I love Brownstones but we don’t have any where I live! Great shots again Paz! and very informative.
Rhonda
Such houses are so pretty! And somehow very NY due to an overload of movies and TV-series perhaps…;)
Btw, I used to have a major crush on Nero Wolfe’s assistant Archie, although it was a nice series overall too…:)
Hi Paz,
I have a friend looking for a place in Harlem. Do you know of any apts renting for a good price?
Happy to see this post.
Have a great weekend,
Constance
Loved going down memory lane and Brownstone alley with you on this post.
Great photos, and a wonderful history lesson via some of my favorite old TV shows.
Lucy!!!!
Reddish brown, so (probably a stupid question) the houses in the photo are not painted ? (I only know white sandstone)
I used to dream of living in a brownstone where I would know all my neighbors. Living in the country now I don’t think I could anymore but it was a dream – probably because of all the TV shows and movies.
Nicely done.
Hi Dot: There are a lot of them, which I think are beautiful.
Hi M.Kate: Thanks!
Hi LisaB: I love historic architecture, too.
Hi Sandra: I’m so happy you could stop by, so that I could share.
Hi Melissa: Cool!
Hi June: I always knew they lived in a brownstone but I didn’t know it was supposed to be located in Brooklyn. That was something new. I understand there are a lot of nice brownstones in Brooklyn.
Hi Pietro: Thanks so much!
Hi DaviMack: A lot of them are renovated and lived in, so there’s hope for them.
Hi Britt-Arnhild: Most of them are used as homes. However, I had a boss who used one of his two brownstones as an office. It was very nicely furnished.
Hi Abraham: LOL! How interesting about the lawn mower through the house and the neighbors with the garbage. What an experience.
Hi Rhonda: Well, brownstones are found mainly on the East coast, so that’s where you’d see them.
Hi Pia: LOL! How interesting about your crush.
Hi Constance: Let me ask around and email you.
Hi Bonnie: I loved Lucy, too. I didn’t know they lived in a brownstone. So, that was interesting to me.
Hi Hildergarde: NOT a stupid question at all. The color of the sandstone ranges from red to brown but there are also brightly-colored sandstones and that is probably what we see here. The only thing painted in the photo, I believe, is the top part of the building. I’m not sure what that part of the architecture is called but we see black, green, rust, and blue….
Hi Carletta: Nice dream.
From you photos posted on your blog, I think you have a very nice set up, though. 
Thanks everyone for stopping by and your comments!
Best,
Paz
I like the different colors up top. these are quite pretty.
Hi,
First timer in your site… but it seems I like in here.
A perfect shadows u got there… so dramatic. Luv it!
Hi Lily: I like the different colors, too.
Hi Chie: Welcome! I’m glad you could stop by!
Paz