Regarding the clarification of "semi-detached":

1.) "Fully detached" or simply "detached" - house that is not attached to its neighbors, i.e. mansion-type, i.e. both side walls will have windows, i.e. hope you got the idea. More desirable in terms of real estate value, due to more light, typically a bit more space compared to a semi-detached, and privacy/landscaping advantages.

2.) "Semi-detached" or "semidetached" or "semi" - house that shares a "party wall" (which isn't really as much fun as it sounds) with its neighbor, i.e. there are windows on only one side wall.

Historical tidbits:

Many semi-detached houses have a mirror layout, so what you see on the left side is what you can expect on the right side, especially in neighborhoods that were built up "according to a master plan" after the 1930's-40's (Marine Park, Futurama, Canarsie, etc.) Keep that in mind when real-estate shopping.

Note the "after the 1930's-40's" part - Downtown nabes and Bay Ridge were built during the "Brownstone Boom", so the vast majority of buildings there are brown/limestone rows, all attached except, for the corners of course.

3.) "Fully attached" or "attached" - house that shares BOTH side walls with its neighbors. Park Slope mid-block brownstones, for example. Nevermind the desireability of the neighborhood, having no side windows and no driveway is a bummer ;)

@Marie Brown: true, traffic on Nostrand/Gerritsen does suck (especially the idiot kids doing 65MPH in a residential area... what, in a hurry for a pine box?), but the "inner streets" are pretty quiet, actually. So, another tip for house hunters: don't get a house fronting an avenue. Between the traffic and the buses at all hours, you'll have to invest quite a lot in sound insulation.

Posted by: tjonnyc at November 18, 2008 7:12 PM in response to Park Slope Can't Measure Up to Marine Park

Not-really-related, but nifty factoids anyway:

1.) This is the 3rd "incarnation" of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument - the first one was set up by the Tammany Society in 1844 near Brooklyn Navy Yard waterfront, the 2nd one was a crypt in FGP itself (don't know if it still exists... any locals up for a historical hunt?).

2.) According to a few sources (Wikipedia doesn't count!), the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument is THE TALLEST free-standing Doric column in the world. Granted, it's a pretty narrow niche, but still - if that's the case, hey, count it as another "world record" in Brooklyn's long list thereof. :D

3.) There seems to be some uncertainty about the actual height - 145 vs 148 feet. Depends on whether you count the decorations on top?, I guess. Or historians repeating themselves? Hm... anyone care to climb the tower with a measuring tape? :D

Posted by: tjonnyc at November 18, 2008 6:56 PM in response to Prison Ship Martyrs Monument Rededicated