Brownstone sizes
A general question on Brooklyn brownstones – are there typical sizes for brownstones? Sometimes I see listings that describe brownstones as double width, and I have no idea what that means. Double what width? Are there really classic sizes? For example, it seems like a vast majority of brownstones that I see in Boerum Hill,…
A general question on Brooklyn brownstones – are there typical sizes for brownstones? Sometimes I see listings that describe brownstones as double width, and I have no idea what that means. Double what width? Are there really classic sizes? For example, it seems like a vast majority of brownstones that I see in Boerum Hill, Ft. Greene, Park Slope, etc. have similar set ups with 2 windows on the garden and parlor floors and three windows on the upper floors. Are these all about the same size? I also saw a couple in Ft Greene the other day that only had 1 window on the lower floors and 2 on the upper floors and I thought that I hadn’t seen that setup very often (definitely looked a lot narrower than the other brownstones). I have no idea if perhaps the shape and size of brownstones varied drastically depending on what neighborhood or what era it was built in, or if there is a very typical Brooklyn brownstone design that dominates.
In Bricks and Brownstones it talks about the history of all these wonderful houses, from Federal to Brownstone and how the larger, taller, and wider houses were often toward the end of the 1800s when Americans were no longer interested in humble housing (Federalist), were richer, had servants and wanted to show it off.
Recently, I met a man who was born on my block in Bed-Stuy around the late 1920s (yes, he was quite quite old) and he told me my 4-story home was owned by a banker and the top floor was for the maid and the chauffeur. The house across from me is a bit smaller and he said that was one of the original farm houses. These are some of the things that defined the size of the homes and of course the richer the client the larger as in the children of the Pratt family and the stand alone mansions that still exist there.
Regarding lot size, corner lots have small gardens generally as might often the first house on the avenue block after it. However, Crown Heights has many yards that are 120 feet long!!
I think 20′ x 40-45′ feet is average for a brownstone. Usually on a 20×100 lot. Common throughout FG, Clinton Hill and B-S. This does vary by neighborhood though (e.g. deeper lots in PH). With an extension depth can increase to 60′ or so. Widths can also be as narrow as 12-15′ usually with a center staircase.
Our house is a frame house 20′ x 32′ on a 30 x 100 lot (extra 10′ is a a driveway). We also have a detached garage. We live in Bed-Stuy, but this set-up is more common in neighborhoods like Kensington. I have no idea what the average size of house or lot is in Ditmas Park since those house are usually fully detached Victorians.
I wouldn’t call any particular size standard. Maybe an average. I see 20 x 40 pretty common on many blocks of Carroll Gardens.
More elegant blocks and houses are more apt to be wider – built for wealthier class to begin with.
(and all houses everywhere – sq ftage is measured by outside dimensions of house.
As far as propshark -which just list info on NYC records – sometimes the total sq ft includes ‘garden’ level sometimes not. )
I live in one of those 12 foot wide houses. Yes, it’s narrow, but the staircase runs up the center of the house ( it’s a winder), not the side. Thus the rooms are about the same width as they would be in a 16-17 foot wide. The wnding staircase is a pain, however. Getting furniture to the 3rd floor can be a real crapshoot.
Agree with above. 20ft is standard for width. Length is much more variable. The older the house (especially pre-Civil War), generally the wider. But sometimes older houses are not very deep at all — I’ve seen many Federal era houses of only 30-35ft in depth. More than 45ft deep and you have to start worrying about how dark the center of the house will be. But then again, some of the very deep houses include rear extensions with side windows.
20 foot is thought of as a standard width. Less than 20 foot is considered narrow. 25 foot or more is considered side. 40 foot would be considered double width.
The square footage listed on property shark is not always accurate. My house has 400 sq ft. more than they have listed.
Total square footage = width x depth x # of floors
Ours is 16.5 feet exterior, a bit over 14 feet interior. And 40 feet deep. It’s the one window and door/two windows up top thing you mentioned. It’s a brick/brownstone row house in South Slope built in 1901 or so. I definitely think it depends on when it was built, by whom, where, etc.
Wow, 12 ft? That sounds really narrow, I can’t even imagine!
I have a question about Property Shark. It lists the sq footage of buildings based on the exterior dimensions, correct? I’m assuming that “useable floor area” would be the sq footage of the interior space, but it looks like you have to have an upgraded membership for that info. Is there a handy way to guesstimate the internal sq footage with only the external building dimensions?