Home

[Q-Checker]

I love both of these homes. Cozy and tastefully decorated 

[Kachina624]

They certainly have taken maximum advantage of their confined space.  In fact, it doesn't really seem narrow at all.  The furniture and fixtures were well chosen and appropriate for the size.  It seems light, airy and spacious.

[stevieb]

You haven't seen narrow until you've seen this little doll in the Old Town section of Alexandria, Virginia... 

It's a 'spite' house, built to confound noisy neighbors and those using the alley behind the row of houses inappropriately.

[bmorechick]

@Oznell That looks like a newer "townhouse" but of course, it could be a refurbished row house.  This is a picture of the true, original Baltimore row house I grew up in.  Built in 1890 - 90 feet long, 10 feet wide. We played in the alley to the left.  Had a tiny basement with a "summer kitchen" which was nothing but a gas stove.  It was cooler down there in summer.  No AC until we were teenagers.  Soooooo hot upstairs.  

The person who was the last purchaser of the house totally revamped the inside.  Left the front as original with a few tweaks.  We went through it when it was for sale.  We cried because it looked nothing like "our house".  Too modern and sterile and the whole house was flipped around inside.  We had a tiny circular staircase inside the wall to the second floor - all of it gone.  

So many memories...

[Oznell]

@Somertime ,  I seem to remember that, interestingly, the floor in the Baltimore house that has the kitchen and dining room is the second floor up, therefore no French doors in the kitchen.  Don't quote me, but for some reason that's my memory...

@stevieb ,  what a fun history on that spite house!  Beautiful Alexandria must be a fabulous trove of old houses, dreamy.  Our late neighbors across the street told us about spite houses, b/c they had one next door.  It was skinny, but not as skinny as the one you showed!  It has a tiny bit of yard.  It's cute, but of course has no room to have a garage or anything, which limits its appeal to prospective buyers... 

@bmorechick ,  thanks so much for the wonderful picture and sharing your precious memories of life in your row house growing up.  And everyone with various experiences of them, @Neetgal2 ,  @DREAMON ,  and @Somertime--  very interesting!  

[just bee]

Lovely, yes, but where does one wash the dishes?  How do you clean the big pasta pot?

[just bee]

@bmorechick 

There is just something about this.  I can't stop looking at it. 

[Judaline]

We have where I live what they call shotgun houses. One room after another after another, etc.  I think they'd be fun to have but we never took the chance we might not like it after we had it, lol. 

The ones shown here are gorgois! One room was a little claustrophobic for me, but the decor is just perfect. I still don't know. I think I would stick with my rambling ranch home. But it's great seeing these because if I saw one where we live I would definitely want to see the inside.

[bmorechick]

@just bee  Baltimore City is full of these cozy homes from small to a little bigger. Sadly a lot of them have been condemned in some parts of the city due to slumlords or the city just abandoning the ones they own.  

A lot of folks bought them and restored them to original look, but many have been modernized inside, some to the excess.  Our "backyard" was a 40x60 (maybe) concrete slab with a high wooden fence and a gate leading to a back alley - no grass.  My mom had a clothes line pulley that was attached to the brick wall near the kitchen window and the other end to a pole.  She would lean out the window in winter and pull the line to her and hang clothes out the window!  We finally got a dryer as we got older!  

[just bee]

---

@stevieb wrote:

You haven't seen narrow until you've seen this little doll in the Old Town section of Alexandria, Virginia... 

It's a 'spite' house, built to confound noisy neighbors and those using the alley behind the row of houses inappropriately.

---

@stevieb 

Thank you for sending me down an Internet rabbit hole looking at spite houses last night.