Behind a brownstone is a garden/patio, fenced in on three sides. The only access is through the building, usually (but not always) via the basement apartment, hence real estate agents try to market them as "garden apartments".
Buffy: Synchronized slaying. Faith: New Olympic category?
'Conversations with Dead People'
Natter 68: Bork Bork Bork
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Tom Scola - Jul 10, 2011 2:41:24 pm PDT #16055 of 30001
hwæt
Zenkitty - Jul 10, 2011 2:45:09 pm PDT #16056 of 30001
Every now and then, I think I might actually be a little odd.
Do you mean one can't get to the garden without going through the basement apartment? Doesn't the super usually live in the basement apartment?
Tom Scola - Jul 10, 2011 2:54:22 pm PDT #16057 of 30001
hwæt
Most brownstones aren't big enough to have a full-time super. There are lots of different possible layouts. Sometimes the basement apartment has full access to the back yard; sometimes there are stairs from the 1st floor to the garden, sometimes the basement and 1st floor are a single-unit duplex, sometimes there is single occupant in the whole brownstone.
Burrell - Jul 10, 2011 3:06:45 pm PDT #16058 of 30001
Why did Darth Vader cross the road? To get to the Dark Side!
Oh dang, Nilly baby! That is one adorable baby, and yes, so happy and so completely engaged. Oh Nilly, he's scrumptious.
quester - Jul 10, 2011 3:18:07 pm PDT #16059 of 30001
Danger is my middle name, only I spell it R. u. t. h. - Tina Belcher.
Pi-baby is insanely happy, as he should be!
Jesse - Jul 10, 2011 3:32:20 pm PDT #16060 of 30001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
When I lived in a brownstone in Manhattan (7 apartments?), the basement was not an apartment, I don't think (it was a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure the super lived upstairs), I have no idea what was behind the building, and the trash cans were in the stairwell area in front going toward the basement. The super took the trash out front. Also possibly relevant, the trash got picked up five days a week.
sarameg - Jul 10, 2011 3:36:23 pm PDT #16061 of 30001
Pi-baby is indeed awesome!
Spent the day being lazy. Got in my swim (I am irrationally excited I'm getting a laptimer) and TJ's and laundry, but that's about it. And a manicure. Totally missed my neighbor inviting me over for coffee this morning cause I slept in. I need to ask him to make it a standing sunday date to get my ass out of bed.
Jesse - Jul 10, 2011 3:36:49 pm PDT #16062 of 30001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
Google Street View will show how there's no access to the middle of the block until well down the street, if you look at my old address, 242 W. 103rd St.
Connie Neil - Jul 10, 2011 3:48:08 pm PDT #16063 of 30001
brillig
I Google viewed several blocks and I'm very curious what's behind those gates. I'm also fascinated by the number of businesses interspersed with all the residences. I've never lived a truly urban life, it's been rural and suburban. Well, that two months in Central Philly, when I was working at the Historical Society.
Steph L. - Jul 10, 2011 5:47:51 pm PDT #16064 of 30001
this mess was yours / now your mess is mine
Over dinner Tim and I were talking about politicians (particularly presidents and other heads of state) who have affairs, and that somehow dovetailed with a conversation about Obama being a big geek. Which led Tim to say, "*His* intern-related scandal will be when he's caught LARP-ing with the interns."
Holy crap, I laughed my ASS off.