Classic Neighborhoods and Homes.

bkshopr_IHB

New member
So many nice pictures posted have been lost in cyberspace. This thread is only for posting pictures of homes that have enduring appeal and stood the test of time.



I started admiring homes when I was a kid riding on a bus. I have also seen and learned that money does not always buy good taste. Good aesthetic does not mean a high price tag and unfortunately this is how the laymen learned their ?good? architectural styles.



Good architecture is for people to admire but not to envy. Homes should have distinct identity but also harmonize and form a village and not fight for individual attention and glory.



Neighborhoods should motivate visitors to park their car and walk around to totally experience the ambiance. Only by walking one fully registers the qualities that tickle all our senses.



As we take trips to by gone era neighborhoods such as OC?s Floral Park, LA?s San Marino or even a case study house hanging off the cliff of Hollywood, St Francis Wood in the Bay Area, Capitol Hills in Seattle, and Litchfield, Connecticut we stop to take pictures of homes and neighborhoods that inspired us.



This is the place where we should post our photos for future references.



This is only a suggested list and we should expand them to include other counties and states.



Architecture of San Marino



Architecture of Floral Park



Architecture of Capitol Hills, Seattle



Here is a gauge for what is good enough to post here. Houses featured in TV shows or movies (not horror, parody, and reality TV) are often selected for their aesthetic merits.



The Father of the Brides house and Mad Men's Draper house are two examples of the Colonial Revival.
 
Stickied!



Let's keep things On Topic per bk's request. bkshopr's first post in this thread can serve as a summary post with links to classic neighborhoods and homes which will grow over time.
 
<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/CapitolHillSeattle2009/album/index.html">Capitol Hill, Seattle</a>

photo Credit: Caycifish. Transportation Credit: Graphrix.
 
<a href="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/SanMarinoPasadenaOct2009/album/index.html">San Marino and Pasadena</a>



Photo Credit: Caycifish
 
This has to be the nicest garage I've ever seen? Where is the house that goes with it?



<img src="http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/CapitolHillSeattle2009/album/slides/IMG_5521.jpg" alt="" />
 
The upper level of the garage would be at ground level on the other side. The house (you can see some of it in the upper right) is up the steepish hill behind it. I don't remember if the house itself was on another street or not, but I do think the property spanned the whole block.



Edit to add:



Here is the house, or what we could see of it.



http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/CapitolHillSeattle2009/album/slides/IMG_5520.jpg



http://www.cayci.com/pictures/IHBShare/CapitolHillSeattle2009/album/slides/IMG_5522.jpg



Edit again:



I found the house: 942 Harvard Ave, Seattle, Wa. The garage can be seen near the intersection of Bolyston and Bellevue, and yes the property spans the expanse between the streets.



Attempt to link Google street view: <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode;=&q=boylston+ave+e,+seattle,+wa&sll=47.627932,-122.322963&sspn=0.002126,0.00567&ie=UTF8&hq;=&hnear=Boylston+Ave+E,+Seattle,+Washington+98102&ll=47.627831,-122.322421&spn=0,359.977319&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=47.627937,-122.322417&panoid=Y8uyrpPnJ4OiGjpguZiZdQ&cbp=12,281.03,,0,5.49">Street view</a>
 
<a href="http://www.redfin.com/CA/Pasadena/888-S-Arroyo-Blvd-91105/home/7187327">http://www.redfin.com/CA/Pasadena/888-S-Arroyo-Blvd-91105/home/7187327</a>



http://media.cdn-redfin.com/photo/58/bigphoto/286/22128286_1.jpg



888 S Arroyo Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91105

Price: $2,395,000

Beds: 4

Baths: 2.5

Sq. Ft.: 3,500

$/Sq. Ft.: $684

Lot Size: 0.33 Acres

Lot: 10,000-19,999 Sq. Ft., Level/Flat Lot

Property Type: Single Family Residential Detached

Style: Colonial

View: Yes, Canyon, Hills, Trees/Woods

Year Built: 1923

Community: Southwest Pasadena
 
Worthy of consideration ? I know you guys said Pasadena already, but South Pasadena is known for Craftsman. Old Pasadena is known for the WASP mansions



South Pasadena => movie = Halloween

Hollywood Riviera
 
[quote author="aeneid" date=1254915887]These "older" homes often look great and don't look "cheap". Why are these newer homes always look so "cheap"?</blockquote>


Architectural details, elevation composition, ample setbacks, simplicity, and hidden garages are what make old home look great. Good observations.



Old homes look great when the home is wider than their depth. New homes are narrow at the front but deep.



Old homes were conceived by old school (hand drawn) while new homes are conceived by computers.



Old homes are in mature tree neighborhoods while new homes lack large trees in the communities.



Old homes were set in curvilinear streets with changing views and vista while new homes are set in straight street with one focal point at the end of the street or dead end into an exactly 65' diameter culdesac.



Old homes have real clay roof tiles or wood shingle while new homes have painted concrete tiles and fake Hardi shingles.



Old homes have real plaster applied by hand while new homes have stucco sprayed by a hose.



Old homes have stained or painted wood or steel windows while new homes have white vinyl windows.



Old homes have a wide and short front door and new homes have narrow and tall door.



Old homes have the garage at the back or off to the side either attached or detached while new homes have it at the front.



Old homes have steps up to the front door due to the raised foundation while new home is leveled with the street with one or two steps. The elevated floor is better for privacy and people from outside can't look in easily.



Old homes have a variety of architectural styles in plaster and wood while new homes have just one or 2 in stucco predominantly.



Old homes have a variety of roof pitches while new homes have just one.



Old homes were built one at a time where no 2 homes are alike new homes are built 100 clones at a time.



Old homes has no vent pipes sticking out from the roof while new homes has all kind of vent pipes penetrating everywhere through the roof.



Old homes have soft exterior plaster corners and new homes have razor sharp exterior stucco corners.



Old homes have subtle rounded corner walls inside while new homes have over-scaled rounded corners.



Old homes have the plaster wall that disappeared into the ground or paving while new homes the stucco is held above the ground with an ugly metal screed and exposing the edge of the concrete slab.



Old homes have mostly front door to the center with a very balanced symmetry while new homes have the front door shoved to the side.



Old homes have a much taller ground floor than the second floor so the upper windows are not visually top heavy. New homes the ground floor and upper floor are the same therefore the windows are visually top heavy.



Old homes have a variety of lot width and setbacks from the street while new homes have the exact lot width and setbacks.



Old homes have a variety of good distance from the next door neighbors while new homes are exactly 10' apart



Old homes have real plaster trims and new homes always have foam trims.



Old homes have a simple roof and new homes have complex roofs.



Old homes have one color over different materials to create different tonal value results and new homes lack materials and compensate by having many colors.



Old homes have real brick chimney with no fancy bird house at the cap while new homes have no brick chimney but overly ornate bird house shroud.



Old homes has real muntins outside the glass while new homes has the snap in grid between the glass.



Old homes have windows fit perfectly into the exterior recessed openings while new houses have a unsightly 3 inch gaps all the way around.



Old homes have round gutters and downspouts and new homes have ogee gutters and downspouts.



Old home communities have no exterior community walls and new home communities are always walled in.



Old homes have narrow driveway and wide front yard while new homes have driveway wider than front yard.



Old homes have subtle entrance and a distinct path leading to it while new homes have ostentatious entry to compensate the lack of a clear path.



Old homes have width 3x the height at a minimum while new homes are taller than their width.



Old homes have architecture on all 4 sides while new homes have just a front facade. One could never find a side elevation on the street for an old home.



Old homes are in neighborhoods where front doors occupy all 4 sides of a block while new homes occupy only 2.



Old homes have a pair of light sconces at the door or a single lantern hung above the center. New homes always have just one off the side and usually where the address number is.
 
Thanks BK. That is alots to digest. I would love to live in one of these "older" homes. They are expensive, of course. Seems like these "newer" houses violate lots of asthetic principles.
 
BK, I just noticed that you want photos of homes in other countries. I have quite a few to contribute. How do I put them up as a link?
 
[quote author="aeneid" date=1255015794]BK, I just noticed that you want photos of homes in other countries. I have quite a few to contribute. How do I put them up as a link?</blockquote>


<a href="http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/forums/viewannounce/1702_2/">Start here</a>. If you need help after that, let me know. I will help you post the pics because I really want to see them.
 
[quote author="aeneid" date=1255015794]BK, I just noticed that you want photos of homes in other countries. I have quite a few to contribute. How do I put them up as a link?</blockquote>


Counties and States not countries. There are plenty vintage domestic homes here to admire. I would prefer to keep this thread limited to US homes.
 
I just ran across a section of Newport Heights that has homes that face the street with garages in the back that are accessed by an alley. I ran across this on Redfin but I look forward to driving through the area this weekend to see them in person. BK - are you familiar with this area? A few of the homes for sale in this area include the following:

http://media.cdn-redfin.com/photo/46/bigphoto/892/U9002892_0.jpg

http://media.cdn-redfin.com/photo/46/bigphoto/279/P698279_0.jpg

http://media.cdn-redfin.com/photo/46/bigphoto/134/U9001134_4.jpg
 
Because of the coastal proximity Newport Heights over the years has been McMansionized and only a small handful of homes retain the original 1920's charm. A very nice neighborhood and unfortunately fell into the prey of turn key builders. There are still a few noteworthy homes in the neighborhood like the top one and bottom one posted by Chuck. The middle one IMO does not fit this category.



Mediterranean architecture does not have white windows and especially vinyl.



Vinyl window is considered very "WalMart" in the field of architectural specification. It is the cheapest window in the market. It is shameful to see them being used in million $$ homes. Vinyl windows are the top choice replacement windows for my SA homeboys after the bullet hole damage.
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1255051140]Because of the coastal proximity Newport Heights over the years has been McMansionized and only a small handful of homes retain the original 1920's charm. A very nice neighborhood and unfortunately fell into the prey of turn key builders. There are still a few noteworthy homes in the neighborhood like the top one and bottom one posted by Chuck. The middle one IMO does not fit this category.



Mediterranean architecture does not have white windows and especially vinyl.</blockquote>


Yes, I see what you mean about the middle picture.



The bottom, Tudor style home is a very good picture in my opinion, and I can't wait to drive by this property (509 San Bernadino Ave.). In the description on the MLS it says that the house includes "5 masonary fireplaces" as well as this for our 3 car garage fans..... "The garage is spacious and has a Hobby Room that could be converted to accomodate a third car."
 
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