Houses With A False Front

That's very interesting.

Why is the opening still there. If they said, I missed it.

Those houses were single family plus servants, "Upstairs Downstairs" type although perhaps a little less well off, and they needed a basement for the servants to cook and launder and clean polish shoes and silver etc. It looks as though they took out the foundations as well as the basement. The early locomotives on the line were steam driven, they had condensers but they still had to be vented occasionally and the opening provided a place for that. In any case, the neighbors would not have wanted a pair of substandard houses in their street.

In Sydney (Australia) there are a number of "houses" that enclose things like electrical transformers, water pumping stations and sewer pumpstations. The frontage is in theme with the neighbouring buildings and workers just park and use their keys to gain entry just like any house in the street. Sorry no pictures.

Whats that for a facebook link???

Looks like there is a bit less stress for parking in the area there!

thats how you find them!

http://gizmodo.com/5995234/check-out-an-amazing-thermal-image-of-nycs-first-passive-house

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leinster_Gardens

False beachfront for inland dwellers....

http://patioscenes.com/products/screen-structures/

Looks as if the only two trees in the street have been conveniently placed directly outside these houses.

Or are they there too distract the eye and allow the fake facades to blend in easier.