UK Compared to US Homes

There are areas in Maryland and DC that have street after street of tiny brick boxes, absolutely identical. They made me think of Monopoly houses. They're clearly older developments, maybe 50s-60s? I found them pretty creepy, actually.

Even the older houses in Rhode Island were a bit like that. There were rows and rows of houses that were built for the people who worked in the mills. Wooden, but still identical.

Wow, chary & peedal, where do you live?

I live in Wales, but I don't think it's restricted to Wales by any means. I just live in an old village with no terraced houses. Everyone's house is different! (Well, there are three bungalows up the road which look sort of alike, but certainly not identical. No more than ranch houses in US 'burbs.)

Notwithstanding the Window Tax, which obviously has had no effect on anything built in the last hundred years, I suspect it's probably arisen from the desire to keep a certain amount of privacy.

My house is an old two-up two-down cottage with no windows on the sides (actually, there are - but only on the extension). I think in my house it has to do with the fact that there's a huge fireplace at either end. With the chimney breast taking up so much side wall space, you couldn't get a window in.

Chary, living in an old village with no terraced houses would be more 'individual' than what living in an urban/suburban area here is. Even the rural houses tend to be the same 'box' design (remember those houses you drew when you were a kid, the rectangle with the squares for windows? That's the design plan here, I swear). The more modern, and the more urban/suburban you are, and the lower on the economic ladder you go, the more everything looks exactly alike. IMO.

Even the rural houses tend to be the same 'box' design (remember those houses you drew when you were a kid, the rectangle with the squares for windows? That's the design plan here, I swear). The more modern, and the more urban/suburban you are, and the lower on the economic ladder you go, the more everything looks exactly alike. IMO.

Again, it must be regional. I live in a very rural area, and the houses are all different. But, you're right - old farmhouses tended to be two-up two-down. That's just how they were built. But, to me, they look lovely! I've never been bored looking at the architecture in the UK.

My house is an old two-up two-down cottage with no windows on the sides (actually, there are - but only on the extension). I think in my house it has to do with the fact that there's a huge fireplace at either end. With the chimney breast taking up so much side wall space, you couldn't get a window in.

Fireplace at either end. Nice. Please tell me they're operational...

Fireplace at either end. Nice. Please tell me they're operational...

One is. The other one is in what I use as the dining room (must originally have been the kitchen before the extension) where an Aga was once upon a time. Sadly, I have no Aga. And no dining room fireplace. Just a big hole ... which I use for wine storage! 

One is. The other one is in what I use as the dining room (must originally have been the kitchen before the extension) where an Aga was once upon a time. Sadly, I have no Aga. And no dining room fireplace. Just a big hole ... which I use for wine storage! 

Well, if you can't have a fireplace and you can't have an Aga - wine storage is probably the next best use!!

Wine storage. That'll do.

I dunno, though. I haven't caught the Aga fever. Maybe I don't do the right kind of cooking. Maybe I have to live in the UK for a while to get the itch.

We looked at a Victorian that only had one chimney stack on one end. It was a big (and shabby) house, and no indication there had ever been a fire at the other end. It must have been cold back in the day.

I dunno, though. I haven't caught the Aga fever. Maybe I don't do the right kind of cooking. Maybe I have to live in the UK for a while to get the itch.

Most of my friends and relatives have them, and I love them! Although, I'm sure I wouldn't have the faintest idea about how to cook using one! Still ... the image of a basket full of kittens warming themselves in front of an Aga ... nice. 

I remember countless neighborhoods in the US -- usually modern suburban developments too, that I thought the houses all looked the same.  Hasn't anyone heard that 60s song "Little Boxes" before?

Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of tickytacky
Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same
There's a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.


I love the older, more historical houses over here (UK) -- so much more character to them, IMO.

The more modern, and the more urban/suburban you are, and the lower on the economic ladder you go, the more everything looks exactly alike. IMO.

Do you mean only in the U.K.?
Cuz I get disgusted every time I go home and see the mansions popping up within just a few inches of each other, looking identical... in O.C. (if you've ever watched the opening of the show, you can see they all look alike!).

I remember countless neighborhoods in the US -- usually modern suburban developments too, that I thought the houses all looked the same.  Hasn't anyone heard that 60s song "Little Boxes" before?

Yes!!

Meh. Detached, with yards. That's more than I can say for the acres of counsel houses where we are in the UK.

Let's face it, wherever you live, it's good to be rich, it's acceptable to be middle class, and being poor can suck pretty hard.

Let's face it, wherever you live, it's good to be rich, it's acceptable to be middle class, and being poor can suck pretty hard.

Bingo.

I love the older, more historical houses over here (UK) -- so much more character to them, IMO.

I feel the same! I have lived in 100+ year old houses since the late 80s and could never go back to a new build whether in the UK or US. I love the character in older houses.  

Re my comments earlier about Levittown-style housing, there's some interesting reading here:

http://tigger.uic.edu/~pbhales/Levittown.html