Скачать или смотреть New York City Brownhouse Garden & Reflective Water Feature

"Nothing is confused except the mind"
Rene Magritte

In honour of #thanksgiving for those who are celebrating, a nod to one of the most iconic features of New York City - the brownstone houses.

There's an interesting mix of architectural styles in the Upper East Side, and you can clearly see the European influences. From the Italinate style stoops and intricate ornate window moldings, to the Greek Revival style column-like pilasters.

These townhouses originally housed the middle-class, but with the influx of new wealth during the Gilded Age, UES quickly became the neighbourhood of choice for the affluent upper class.

Fifth Avenue - which borders Central Park - especially became the centre stage for the richest families (Astors, Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Carnegies etc) to complete for social dominance in the form of "let's see who can build the biggest mansion". Few of these are still intact today, while the rest had to give way to the rise of commercial real estate.

Architects of the NYC townhouse followed a similar layout to the townhouses here in London. And so did the gardens too. Typically narrow and deep, enclosed garden spaces are located at the rear of the house. Meaning access is often through the property, which always provides a few challenges for contractors.

Garden designs were originally influenced by classical and formal European gardens, especially French and English styles. Water features ranged from ornate fountains that helped to mask out the noises of the city, to more symmetrical and elaborate fountains in larger gardens.

Later on, more modern and elaborate water features, such as sleek reflecting features, gained popularity. They showcased the homeowner's ability to invest in and maintain sophisticated garden designs, reinforcing social status within the elite Upper East Side community.

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